Indigenous Naked neck fowl of Bangladesh

Abstract

The principal source of eggs and meat in Bangladesh is the large population of indigenous free range scavenging rural poultry. However their performance is far below that of standard exotic stocks. An absence of varieties that are able to thrive well in the harsh hot and humid environment, poor nutrition and high incidence of disease in the rural areas are the main problems affecting poultry production. Under these conditions the standard exotic stocks suffer most from heat stress, malnutrition and diseases, while among the indigenous varieties Naked neck fowl perform better in terms of egg and meat production, and are more resistant to disease than their fully feathered counterparts. Crosses between indigenous Naked neck fowl and exotic standard breeds also perform better than similar crosses using fully feathered indigenous fowl. However, research has not yet been done to determine the potential usefulness of Naked neck birds in the development of stocks that are better adapted to the needs of the rural farming community. This paper brings together the available information on the performance of indigenous Naked neck fowl in the hope that it will draw the attention of scientists world wide to its interesting characteristics and facilitate future research. This could help in producing improved stocks better suited to the rural communities of Bangladesh and those in other countries where similar physical and socioeconomic conditions are to be found.