Abstract
This study aimed at characterizing phenotypes, production systems and the reproductive performance of indigenous chickens in Rwanda. Indigenous chickens (n=529) from 265 chicken rearing households drawn from all the five provinces of Rwanda were used in this study and analysis was performed using Statistical Analysis Systems (SAS, version 9.2) software. Four comb types were observed, with strawberry (51%) being most dominant, as was whiteness of ear lobes (57%). Rounded ear lobe shape (92%) and curved beaks (99.6%) were both almost universal. Beak colour varied between green, black, yellow and brown with the latter most prevalent (51%). Evenly distributed feathers were most common (99.8%) whereas naked-neck phenotype was rare (0.2%). Almost all chickens had brown eyes, and thick skins (88.4%) that were yellow-coloured (69%). Most chickens (39%) had yellow coloured shanks. Significant variations were observed in age at sexual maturity for both male and female chickens across provinces (p>0.05). The biggest egg clutches were from the western province (14.7 eggs) while the smallest was 6.6 eggs in the southern. Egg hatchability was highest (85%) in the western province and lowest (52%) in the eastern province.We conclude that the Rwanda indigenous chickens might have useful genetic potential, and planning for proper and sustainable utilization of this indigenous chicken genetic resource is the best way forward. Key words: Indigenous chickens, phenotypes, production, reproduction, population structure.
Highlights
In many African countries indigenous chickens kept under village systems are the major suppliers of poultry products (Gueye, 1998; Faruque et al, 2010; Okeno et al, 2012)
The responses that are based on to arrive at the conclusions of the study are reliable, since they were given by adults, even though 11% of the respondents are indicated as children of the household head (Table 1)
The heads of households were exclusively male in Kigali and the north, and overall, only one third of the households were female-headed in the rest of the zones
Summary
In many African countries indigenous chickens kept under village systems are the major suppliers of poultry products (Gueye, 1998; Faruque et al, 2010; Okeno et al, 2012). Native chickens possess several valuable characters that are not found in exotic/commercial chickens and are appropriate for traditional low input-low output farming systems. They are slow growers and lay very few eggs that are small-sized, and their management is predominantly free range, a typical feature of poultry rearing in sub-Sahara Africa and much of the developing world (Mebratu, 1995). Rwanda is characterized by the coexistence of two production systems: rudimentary village poultry and industrial poultry at its infancy, the two systems face scarcity of inputs to fully exploit the potential of the poultry sector (Guèye, 2003; FAO, 2016)
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