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Phenotypic variation of native chicken populations in northwest Ethiopia

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Abstract

Seven indigenous chicken populations were identified and characterized from four administrative zones in northwest Ethiopia. A total of three hundred chickens were characterized under field conditions for qualitative and quantitative traits following standard chicken descriptors. Large phenotypic variability among chicken populations was observed for plumage color. About 25.49, 22.3, and 16.4 % of the chickens have white, grayish and red plumage colors, respectively. The rest showed a considerable heterogeneity like black, multicolor, black with white tips, red brownish and white with red striped plumage colors. The following characteristics were also displayed: plain head shape (51.18 %), yellow shank color (64.42 %) and pea comb (50.72 %). About 97.52 % of the chickens did not have feathers on their legs. Variations were also observed on quantitative characters such as shank length, egg size and body weight and other reproductive traits characterized on intensive management system.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Animal, Wildlife & Grassland Sciences, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa

    Hassen Halima & F. W. C. Neser

  2. Department of Animal & Wildlife Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa

    E. van Marle-Koster

  3. Department of Haematology & Cell biology, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa

    A. de Kock

Authors
  1. Hassen Halima
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  2. F. W. C. Neser
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  3. E. van Marle-Koster
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  4. A. de Kock
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Correspondence to F. W. C. Neser.

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Halima, H., Neser, F.W.C., van Marle-Koster, E. et al. Phenotypic variation of native chicken populations in northwest Ethiopia. Trop Anim Health Prod 39, 507–513 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-007-9032-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-007-9032-2

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