Abstract
ObjectiveOur study provides information on phenotypes of local chickens and guinea fowl and their body measures as well as on major genes in local chickens in northern Ghana.MethodsQualitative and morphometric traits were recorded on 788 local chickens and 394 guinea fowl in urban households in Tamale, Ghana.ResultsThe results showed considerable variation of color traits and numerous major genes in local chickens, while color variations and related genotypes in guinea fowl were limited. In local chickens, white was preferred for plumage, whereas dark colors were preferred for beak and shanks. More than half of the chickens carried at least one major gene, but the contributions of single gene carriers were low. All calculated allele frequencies were significantly lower than their expected Mendelian allele frequencies. We observed higher mean body weight and larger linear body measures in male as compared to female chickens. In female chickens, we detected a small effect of major genes on body weight and chest circumference. In addition, we found some association between feather type and plumage color. In guinea fowl, seven distinct plumage colors were observed, of which pearl grey pied and pearl grey were the most prevalent. Male pearl grey pied guinea fowl were inferior to pearl grey and white guinea fowl in terms of body weight, body length and chest circumference; their shank length was lower than that of pearl grey fowl.ConclusionConsiderable variation in qualitative traits of local chickens may be indicative of genetic diversity within local chicken populations, but major genes were rare. In contrast, phenotypic and genetic diversity in local guinea fowl is limited. Broader genetic diversity studies and evaluation of trait preferences of local poultry producers are required for the design of appropriate breeding programs.
Highlights
In developing countries, investments and policies are mainly centered on production systems using exotic breeds [1], while local poultry breeds are often ignored due to their lower performances
Local guinea fowl phenotypes and body measures The predominant occurrence of pearl grey and pearl grey pied plumage colors concurred with the findings of Agbolosu et al [26], whereas bronze pied and brown pied plumage colors as reported by the same authors were barely observed in our study
Pearl grey pied male guinea fowl were inferior to their pearl grey and white counterparts with respect to body weight, body length and chest circumference
Summary
Investments and policies are mainly centered on production systems using exotic breeds [1], while local poultry breeds are often ignored due to their lower performances. This has raised concerns of loss of poultry genetic resources in many countries. The narrowing genetic base in commercial breeds and the use of a few breeds of poultry in intensive production systems is precipitating the loss of fringe breeds [1]. Local poultry species are still prominent in the Northern region of Ghana as they, together with livestock, make vital contri butions to households and enterprises [3]. Low frequencies of major gene carriers among local chickens strongly suggest that major genes may be on the brink of www.ajas.info
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