Yirmedie Bayou1,*, Elias Bayou2, Dessalegn Genzebu2, Hailu Assefa1
1Department of Animal Science, Mizan Agricultural Technical Vocational and Educational Training College, Mizan Teferi, Ethiopia.
2Department of Animal Science, Mizan Tepi University, Mizan Teferi, Ethiopia.
*Corresponding author: Yirmedie Bayou
Abstract
This study was conducted in Meanit Goldiya and Meanit Shasha districts found in Bench Maji Zone south, Western Ethiopia to characterize phenotypic variation of indigenous chicken populations. Visual appraisal was conducted to study qualitative traits of local chicken. Quantitative data were collected on body weight and other linear measurements by employing field measurements. 660 (60 male and 600 female) chicken were taken for phenotypic trait studies. Both Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) and Statistical Analysis System (SAS) software were used to analysis qualitative and quantitative data. Among morphological study showed, the normal feather morphology (91.4%) and normal feather distribution (87.7%) were the commonest characters of local chicken followed by Silky normal feather morphology and Naked neck feather distribution which are (8.6%) and (12.3%) respectively in the study area. The Single comb was the dominant (62.0%), followed by rose (25.5%) while pea was the least (12.6%). Yellow color was the most (48.8%) dominant, whereas white and grey had 25.2 and 16.7 percentages respectively, while black (5.0%) and blue (4.2%) shank colors existed in small proportions. In terms of earlobe color Chickens with red earlobe accounted for the largest (45.3%) followed by red white earlobe (21.5%), white (14.1%), yellow (12.3%), Grey (4.7%) and black (2.1%). In the same way pink and yellow skin colors having the same frequency of 28.6% followed by White (27.7%), Blue-black (10.6%) and black (4.4%) for local chicken in the study area. Predominantly 17.0, 13.0, 12.7, 12.0, 11.5, and 11.4% of the chicken had Kokima, Key, Brown, Netch, Gebsima, and light brown plumage colors respectively. The rest of studied chicken had Tikur (7.9 %), Yellow and Tikur-teterima almost in the same proportions (5.9 and 5.8% respectively) and Key-teterima (2.7%) in small proportion. The overall measured mean values of Body weight, chest circumference, Wingspan, keel length body length, neck length, shank length, shank circumference, comb length, comb width, wattle length and wattle width were 1.45kg, 25.87cm, 44.24cm, 9.97cm, 37.10cm, 14.04cm, 7.43cm, 4.05cm, 3.64cm, 2.26cm, 2.63cm and 2.42cm, respectively in the study area. In addition, all the values estimated were lowest for female chicken. Qualitative and quantitative trait variations were identified among the studied local chicken; hence, detail molecular study is needed to prove the genetic difference among this chicken populations.
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How to cite this paper
Phenotypic Characterization of Indigenous Chicken Ecotypes in Selected Districts of Bench Maji Zone, South West Ethiopia
How to cite this paper: Yirmedie Bayou, Elias Bayou, Dessalegn Genzebu, Hailu Assefa. (2022) Phenotypic Characterization of Indigenous Chicken Ecotypes in Selected Districts of Bench Maji Zone, South West Ethiopia. International Journal of Food Science and Agriculture, 6(3), 293-300.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/ijfsa.2022.09.009