ON-FARM PHENOTYPIC CHARACTERIZATION OF INDIGENOUS CHICKENS, THEIR HUSBANDRY AND BREEDING PRACTICES IN DIRE AND YABELLO DISTRICTS, BORENA ZONE, OROMIA REGIONAL STATE, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Knowledge and understanding of chicken production system, challenges and opportunities are important in the design and implementation of local chicken based development programs. Therefore, this study was conducted in two districts of Borena zone, with the objectives to describe local chicken husbandry and breeding practices and to characterize phenotypically the local chicken types in the study areas. A total of 120 local chicken owning farmers for survey and 480 chickens (144 males and 336 females) aged more than 6 months for quantitative study were considered in this study. Descriptive statistics, general linear model, univariate and multivariate analyses were used with SAS 9.1.3 to analyse the data. SPSS version 20 was used to analyse qualitative data. Qualitative traits such as plumage color, comb type, shank color, eye and earlobe colour, and skin colour were used for the study. Quantitative traits included body weight and linear morphometric measurements such as shank length, body length, wattle length, wing span, chest circumference, and comb width and length. The result of this study revealed that the purpose of rearing chicken in the study area was primarily for cash income through sale of chicken and eggs. The average number of chicken owned per household was 13.42 ± 9.81. The average age at sexual maturity for male and female chicken was 5.20 ±0.49 and 5.33 ±0.46 months, respectively. The number of clutches per hen per year, eggs per clutch and total eggs produced per hen per year were 3.24±0.90, 16.48±3.45 and 55.43±10.46 eggs, respectively. Disease and predators were the major constraints in the study areas. The local chicken populations studied in the two districts had significantly different plumage color within and between populations. In the present study a total of eleven distinct plumage colors were identified in which white, red, brown and red brown were the predominant ones. The local chickens possessed variant in shank colour, skin colour, comb type and eye colour. White shanks, white skin, single combs and red earlobe colour were predominately seen across both the study districts. The mean body weights of local male and female chickens were 1.62±0.01 and 1.31±0.01 kg, respectively. Large comb, wattle and long legs were observed in the study areas. Generally, morphological and morphometric variations were observed between and within the local chicken populations in the two districts, which suggested that there is an opportunity for genetic improvement through selection.