Abstract
The present article addresses the scenario of chicken genetic resources, their production and reproduction performances and their conservation in Bangladesh. The chickens, among other poultry species available in the country, are the most versatile component for meat and egg production. The chicken germplasms available in the country are indigenous, exotic, crossbred, and commercial hybrid. The indigenous chicken population is comprised of Non-descript Desi (ND), Naked Neck (NN), Aseel (AS), Hilly (H), Native Dwarf and Jungle Fowl etc. The exotic chicken such as, White Leghorn (WL), White Rock (WR), White Cornish (WC), Rhode Island Red (RIR), Australorp, Fayoumi, Barred Plymouth Rock (BPR) etc. are imported mostly to upgrade the indigenous stock. The crossbred of different chickens are used in the country in intensive, semi-intensive and scavenging management system. The commercial hybrid such as grandparent stock (GP), parent stock (PS), commercial broiler, commercial layer etc. has got most popularity for meat and egg production in the country. Conservation and improvement program of endangered native chicken such as Aseel and Native Dwarf chicken should be taken both in-situ or ex-situ in vivo by public sector/research institutes/universities.
 SAARC J. Agri., 17(1): 119-134 (2019)
Highlights
Bangladesh has a long history of chicken rearing under traditional backyard farming
The indigenous chicken population is comprised of a number of breeds/types such as Non-descript Desi (ND), Naked Neck (NN), Aseel (AS), Hilly (H), Native Dwarf, Jungle Fowl and Frizzled Plumage (Bhuiyan et al, 2005; Das et al, 2008) in respect of the morphological variations as well as production performances
Blood protein variants study revealed that Non-descript Deshi, Naked Neck, Hilly and Native Dwarf they may be regarded as one breed or population because of having small distances among them (Okada et al, 1988)
Summary
Bangladesh has a long history of chicken rearing under traditional backyard farming. Since 1990, commercial chicken farming started on small scales. Different types of chicken such as indigenous chicken, exotic and crossbred chicken, and commercial hybrid are available in the country This sub-sector is an important avenue in fostering agricultural growth and reduces malnutrition for the people in Bangladesh. It is an integral part of farming system in Bangladesh and has created direct, indirect employment opportunity including support services for about 6 million people (Ansarey, 2012; Da Silva and Rankin, 2014) It has proved as an attractive economic activity, thereby, indicating itsimportance for the entire economy. The present article addresses the available chicken genetic resources with their distributions, productive and reproductive performances along with conservation status of endangered breed/variety so the chicken producers and researchers can get all the information for future improvement and conservation program of chicken
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
