Village Chickens Research Articles

Participatory control of Newcastle disease in village poultry using thermo-stable Newcastle disease vaccines in Bulle district of Gedio Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Newcastle Disease (ND) is regarded as one of the major diseases of poultry because of the devastating losses that the virulent form of the virus can impose on both commercial and village chicken. However, the disease can be controlled through the administration of effective vaccines. Almost all the commercially available vaccines require refrigeration and begin to deteriorate rapidly after 1-2 hours if left at room temperature (around 25°C). Subsequently, because maintaining an adequate supply of refrigerated facilities may be a difficult task in many developing countries with unreliable electrical supplies, the development and large scale production and utilization of an effective thermo-stable Newcastle disease vaccine seems imperative to support rural poultry industry. Participatory/action research on vaccination of village poultry against Newcastle disease (ND) was carried out in two selected villages of Bullie district of Gedio zone, southern Ethiopia; with an objective to demonstrate community based thermo-stable ND vaccination scheme and thereby; to increase the population of chicken in backyard production system. We have selected four community vaccinators, two per each village and trained on diagnosis of major poultry diseases, with the major emphasis on Newcastle disease, on preparation, handling and administration of thermo-sable ND vaccine. From the two villages, we have vaccinated 362 chicken of all age ranges of 54 households, in the two rounds. For the vaccination we have selected a site which is suitable for household members to bring their chicken for vaccine administration. We used eye drop technique to administer a vaccine, by preparing one eye drop in one dose base for all age groups. We administered a vaccine before a pick prevalence of Newcastle disease in the study area, for the remaining three months, data was collected on the mortality rate of the chicken. The result shows that, of the total vaccinated chicken (362) from the two villages on the two rounds, 51 chicken were dead due to diseases, of the cases with a clinical sign not related with Newcastle disease. The total mortality rate of 14%, in this study shows that, thermo-stable Newcastle disease vaccine applied via eye drop is the most effective method for control Newcastle disease in village chicken. Therefore; with proper use of vaccine and vaccination programs using well trained community vaccinators, we can reduce village chicken mortality highly to enhance productivity of rural community at large.

Peningkatan Produktivitas Usaha Budidaya Ayam Kampung UKM Putra Budi Kecamatan Mojolaban Kabupaten Sukoharjo

<p><em><strong>Increasing the Productivity of Kampong Chicken in the Putra Budi SME’s Mojolaban District Sukoharjo Regency</strong></em>. Putra Budi Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) located in Bekonang Village, Mojolaban Subdistrict, Sukoharjo Regency, is a business unit owned by Mr Apri with traditional kampong chicken breeding with a capacity of 50-100 chickens/period. Mr Apri. Putra Budi SMEs is engaged in traditional village chicken farming with a capacity of 50-100 chickens/period. Mr Apri started this business 5 years ago, but the maintenance method is still simple and has not been carried out intensively so that the productivity is low. Chicken sales are carried out on a wholesale basis, causing lower prices. Providing feed that does not meet the standard needs of livestock. The main problem faced by Putra Budi SME’s lies in the management of native chicken maintenance which includes management of feed, cages, sanitation, selection of broodstock, and hatching which are carried out traditionally (extensively). This service aims to increase the business of native chicken cultivation by implementing intensive cultivation, diversifying the marketing pattern of native chickens, and being able to increase partner income. Some of the solutions offered are to provide broader knowledge about the management of domestic chicken rearing which is still extensive/traditional towards programmed intensive management. The result of this service activity is that SME’s can apply feed management by selecting feed raw materials around the location and the practice of compiling quality native chicken rations, broiler-type chicken maintenance systems that are free from dangerous diseases/viruses, increasing productivity, efficiency, and speed of return on investment, and can establish cooperation with restaurants or SMEs processing native chicken. Based on the economic analysis carried out, the maintenance of the Putra Budi village chickens with 200 chickens experienced a 5% depletion and earned a profit of IDR 1,400,000 per breeding period.</p>

Survey on Avian Malaria Parasites in Village Chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) in Gombe Local Government Area, Gombe State, Nigeria

Reports of avian malaria parasites in village chicken in Nigeria generally remain fragmentary and scarce. The study was conducted in Gombe Local Government Area of Gombe State, Nigeria to investigate avian malaria parasites in Village Chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) and to determine the risk factors associated with the prevalence of the haemoparasites. A total of 530 village chickens blood samples were obtained from apparently healthy village chickens' brachial veins using sterile 2mls syringes and 23 gauge needles. Thin blood smear was made from each blood sample, and Giemsa stained and examined for the presence of avian haemoparasites under an electro-microscope. The result indicates 23.8% overall prevalence rate of three species of avian malaria parasites consisting of Plasmodium, Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon species.Plasmodium spp. has the highest prevalent rate of 13.0% followed by Haemoproteus spp. (5.1%), mixed Plasmodium spp. + Haemoproteus spp. (4.9%) infection and Leucocytozoon spp. (0.8%). Prevalence of avian malaria parasites was significantly higher in cocks compared to hens (p < 0.05), as well as higher in adults compared to growers chickens (p < 0.05). This study also showed a higher prevalence of avian malaria parasites during the rainy season compared to the dry season of the study period. It was concluded that haemoparasites of Plasmodium, Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon species that occur in both single and mixed infections are prevalent among village chickens that are apparently healthy in Gombe Local Government Area of Gombe State, Nigeria.

Chemichal Quality and Microbiology of Village Chicken Meat with Infusation Treatmnet of Soursop Leaf (Annona Muricata Lin)

Chicken meat is one of the foodstuffs that have high nutritional value because it contains carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals and other substances that are beneficial to the body. Chicken meat is very high risk in terms of bacterial contamination, this study aims to determine the treatment of soaking native chicken meat in soursop leaf infusion on chemical and microbiological quality. This method uses a completely randomized design (CRD). The data obtained were analyzed statistically using Analysis Of Variance (ANOVA). If there is a significant significant difference between treatments, the test is continued with Duncan Multiple Range (DMRT). Parameters observed in this study include phenol test, total plate count test, and bacterial inhibition zone test. The results showed the chemical and microbiological quality of free-range chicken meat by soaking soursop leaf infusion for one hour and different storage times, namely the difference was not significant (P<0.1) in the phenol test, the difference was very significant (P<0.01) in the total test. plate count, and non-significant (P>0.1) in the bacterial inhibition zone test. The results showed a very significant difference in the total plate count test due to contamination during research or storage.

KUALITAS SENSORIS NUGGET AYAM KUB

KUB chicken is the superior village chicken of the Agricultural Research and Development Agency with egg production reaching 180 eggs/ year. With this advantage, KUB chickens have been cultivated and developed since 2016. In addition to producing quite a lot of eggs, KUB chickens also have delicious meat to eat. One of the most popular processed chicken meat especially for children is chicken nuggets. KUB chicken nuggets were tested for sensory testing including color, texture, aroma and taste for several panelists. The experimental design used in this study was a completely randomized design. The sensory test results showed that KUB chicken nuggets were preferred compared to commercial chicken nuggets. Keywords: KUB Chicken, Nuggets, Sensory quality

What drives small-scale farmers to vaccinate their multiple livestock species animals against common infectious diseases in Myanmar?

Livestock rearing is an important income source for small-scale farmers in Myanmar, but Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and Newcastle disease (ND) are major constraints to livestock production. A study was conducted to identify perceptions of farmers about FMD and ND disease risks and perceptions about vaccination practices by using the modified health belief model. The majority of livestock farmers (>70%) reported that they were aware of the risk and impact of FMD and ND and were willing to vaccinate their livestock (>60%). Focusing on three main livestock farmer groups, about 17.0% of cattle, 15.4% of village chicken, but only 2.3% of small ruminant owners, indicated that the non-availability of vaccinations in the villages was the major constraint to vaccinations (p<0.001), while in contrast twice as many small ruminant farmers compared to cattle and village chicken farmers indicated they had no knowledge about vaccinations and no funds to conduct vaccinations. Limited accessibility to vaccines and vaccinators was related to size of villages (p = 0.001 for cattle; p = 0.027 for small ruminants; p = 0.005 for village chicken). Willingness to vaccinate small ruminants against FMD was associated with the perceived impact of the disease on sales and accessibility of information about vaccination. Accessibility to information about ND vaccination influenced the willingness of village chicken farmers to conduct vaccinations. In addition, beliefs in the effectiveness of vaccinations played a major role in the willingness to carry out vaccinations on both, cattle (β = 0.3, p = 0.018) and village chicken farms (β = 0.5, p<0.001). Our study highlights that policies that increase the accessibility of vaccines and the dissemination of information about disease prevention and vaccination practices in villages of all sizes, have the potential to increase FMD and ND vaccination rates and thereby reduce outbreak occurrence in Myanmar. On the other hand, indirect factors, such as village size strongly influenced the availability of vaccinations.

Prevalence of Avian Haemosporidian Parasites in Village Chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) from Kwami, Gombe State, Nigeria

This study was carried out to determine the prevalence of avian haemosporidian parasites in village chickens in Kwami, Gombe State, Nigeria using microscopy and the associated risk factors using structured questionnaires. To achieve this goal, blood samples were collected from 346 apparently healthy village chickens in Kwami of Gombe State, and a total of 45 farmers were interviewed using structured questionnaires. Microscopy revealed an overall prevalence of 20.8% (72/346) for haemosporidian parasites comprising of Plasmodium spp. with 41 (11.8%; 95% CI = 8.9 – 15.7) and Haemoproteus spp. 23 (6.6%; 95% CI = 4.5 – 9.8) as single infection and mixed infection of Plasmodium + Haemoproteus spp. having 8 (2.3%; 95% CI = 1.2 – 4.5). Prevalence of avian haemosporidian parasites was significantly higher in male (13.9%) compared to hens (6.9%), as well as in adults (14.50%) compared to growers (6.4%). The prevalence was also found to be higher in the rainy season (15.6%) compared to the dry (5.2%) seasons of the study period. Questionnaire survey on attitude and practice of the village chicken farmers in the study area has shown that village chicken are raised under the extensive management system and are reared with other village poultry species on free range. Inadequate biosecurity, poor management and husbandry systems constituted the predisposing risk factors associated with haemoparasite infections in this study.&#x0D; Key words: Haemosporidian parasites; Avian malaria, Microscopy, Scavenging Chickens; Kwami, Gombe State

High Genetic Diversity but Absence of Population Structure in Local Chickens of Sri Lanka Inferred by Microsatellite Markers.

Local chicken populations belonging to five villages in two geographically separated provinces of Sri Lanka were analyzed using 20 microsatellite markers to determine the genetic diversity of local chickens. Population genetic parameters were estimated separately for five populations based on geographic locations and for eight populations based on phenotypes, such as naked neck, long legged, crested or crown, frizzle feathered, Giriraj, commercial layer, crossbreds, and non-descript chicken. The analysis revealed that there was a high genetic diversity among local chickens with high number of unique alleles, mean number of alleles per locus (MNA), and total number of alleles per locus per population. A total of 185 microsatellite alleles were detected in 192 samples, indicating a high allelic diversity. The MNA ranged from 8.10 (non-descript village chicken) to 3.50 (Giriraj) among phenotypes and from 7.30 (Tabbowa) to 6.50 (Labunoruwa) among village populations. In phenotypic groups, positive inbreeding coefficient (FIS) values indicated the existence of population substructure with evidence of inbreeding. In commercial layers, a high expected heterozygosity He = 0.640 ± 0.042) and a negative FIS were observed. The positive FIS and high He estimates observed in village populations were due to the heterogeneity of samples, owing to free mating facilitated by communal feeding patterns. Highly admixed nature of phenotypes was explained as a result of rearing many phenotypes by households (58%) and interactions of chickens among neighboring households (53%). A weak substructure was evident due to the mating system, which disregarded the phenotypes. Based on genetic distances, crown chickens had the highest distance to other phenotypes, while the highest similarity was observed between non-descript village chickens and naked neck birds. The finding confirms the genetic wealth conserved within the populations as a result of the breeding system commonly practiced by chicken owners. Thus, the existing local chicken populations should be considered as a harbor of gene pool, which can be readily utilized in developing locally adapted and improved chicken breeds in the future.

Muscle and Serum Metabolomics for Different Chicken Breeds under Commercial Conditions by GC-MS.

Globally, village chicken is popular and is known as a premium meat with a higher price. Food fraud can occur by selling other chicken breeds at a premium price in local markets. This study aimed to distinguish local village chicken from other chicken breeds available in the market, namely, colored broiler (Hubbard), broiler (Cobb), and spent laying hen (Dekalb) in pectoralis major and serum under commercial conditions using an untargeted metabolomics approach. Both pectoralis major and serum were analyzed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The principal component analysis (PCA) results distinguished four different chicken breeds into three main groups for pectoralis major and serum. A total of 30 and 40 characteristic metabolites were identified for pectoralis major and serum, respectively. The four chicken breeds were characterized by the abundance of metabolites such as amino acids (L−glutamic acid, L−threonine, L−serine, L−leucine), organic acids (L−lactic acid, succinic acid, 3−hydroxybutyric acid), sugars (D−allose, D−glucose), sugar alcohols (myo−inositol), and fatty acids (linoleic acid). Our results suggest that an untargeted metabolomics approach using GC–MS and PCA could discriminate chicken breeds for pectoralis major and serum under commercial conditions. In this study, village chicken could only be distinguished from colored broiler (Hubbard) by serum samples.

Overview of Poultry Management as a Key Factor for Solving Food and Nutritional Security with a Special Focus on Chicken Breeding in East African Countries.

Simple SummaryThe poultry sector in most developing countries is largely based on traditional production systems, which are based on indigenous breeds. Beyond economical, nutritional, socio-cultural, and religious functions, the inherent adaptability of indigenous birds to diverse environmental conditions also provides a unique genetic resource critical for addressing the global challenges of food security in this world impacted by climatic change and human population growth. Nevertheless, until recently, the potential of the indigenous chicken remained largely untapped for no strong reason. In this review, we offer an overview of food and nutritional security with a special focus on chicken breeding in East Africa. We highlighted and combined confirming evidence of production performance, phenotypic variability, and genetic diversity of East African indigenous chicken using both morphological and molecular tools. Previous attempts to improve the productivity of indigenous chicken are highlighted, and possible future breeding plans and areas of immediate research are suggested. Considering how indigenous chicken strongly affects the livelihood of the majority of households, and since the poultry sector is likely to be strongly affected by climate change, we recommended that the prospects of chicken breeding in Africa should create a permanent balance between the competing needs of genetic improvement and the genetic diversity of indigenous chickens.The focus of this review is to offer an overview of food and nutritional security, to identify associated constraints, and propose possible alternative solutions for improving the East African poultry sub-sector in the pursuit of food security, focusing on chicken breeding. To better understand the prospects of the poultry industry, we highlighted and combined confirming evidence of the phenotypic variability and genetic diversity of East African chicken genetic resources using both morphological and molecular tools, as well as performance traits. Furthermore, this work gives a detailed indication of what would be lost if indigenous chicken populations are left to suffer the ongoing massive genetic erosions due to various factors, not limited to indiscriminate crossbreeding. Previous and recent attempts to improve the productivity of indigenous chicken are highlighted, and possible future breeding plans and areas of immediate research are suggested as well. This review concludes that under the prevailing conditions, the village chicken production system appears to be the most imperious production system that needs to be extensively developed ; however, for the sustainability of the industry, the proposed improvement strategies should create a permanent balance between the competing needs of genetic improvement and the genetic diversity of the indigenous chicken genetic resource.

Technical Efficiency of Traditional Village Chicken Production in Africa: Entry Points for Sustainable Transformation and Improved Livelihood

Increasing poultry product consumption trends have attracted researchers and development practitioners to look for interventions that transform the low-input low-output-based village chicken production to a high yielding production system. However, due to the intricate nature of the production system, there is a dearth of evidence that helps design comprehensive interventions at the smallholder level. Using national-level representative data collected from 3555 village chicken producers in Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Tanzania, this study examines the technical efficiency of village chicken production and investigates the main factors that explain the level of inefficiency. We applied a stochastic frontier analysis to simultaneously quantify the level of technical efficiency and identify factors associated with heterogeneity in inefficiency. We found that the level of technical efficiency is extremely low in the three countries, suggesting enormous opportunities to enhance productivity using available resources. The heterogeneity in technical efficiency is strongly associated with producers’ experience in breed improvements and flock management, limited technical knowledge and skills, limited access to institutions and markets, smaller flock size, gender disparities, and household livelihood orientation. We argue the need to adopt an integrated approach to enhance village producers’ productivity and transform the traditional subsistence-based production system into a commercially oriented semi-intensive production system.

Haematological parameters in relation to age, sex and body weight of free-range village chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) in Maiduguri, Nigeria

The haematology of animals including chickens is an important indicator of their health status. It is therefore considered a useful tool in clinical diagnosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the haematological parameters of apparently healthy free range domesticated chickens as influenced by their sex, age and body weights. Blood samples taken from the jugular veins were analysed using standard haematological protocols. PCV, haemoglobin concentration, TRBC, TWBC, differential leukocyte counts, erythrocytes indices (MCV, MCHC and MCH) were measured. The study showed that there were no significant (P&gt;0.05) age-dependent variation in all the measured haematological parameters. However, sex had effect on PCV, TRBC and heterophil count. Male chickens had higher PCV value of (34.4%) and TRBC value of (2.4 × 1012/L) as compared to female chickens with PCV value of (30.5%) and TRBC value of (2.1 × 1012/L). On the other hand, female chickens had higher mean heterophil value of (22.0 × 109/L) and MCHC value of (29.5g/dl) as compared to male chickens with mean heterophil and MCHC values of (16.8 × 109/L) and (25.7g/dl) respectively. There was significant (P&lt;0.05) increase in PCV with increasing body weights in males but not in females. The MCHC decreased significantly (P&lt;0.05) as the body weight increased also in males but not in females. The results of the study indicate that sex and body weights influenced normal haematological parameters of apparently healthy free range domestic chickens in the study environment. Keywords: Age, body weight, haematology, sex, village chicken.

Fatty acid profile in the breast and thigh muscles of the slow- and fast-growing birds under the same management system.

The aim of the study was to assess the effect of feeding the same diet to different breeds of chickens and at different ages on fatty acid (FA) composition of the breast and thigh muscles. A total of 150 chickens comprising 50 each of red jungle fowl (RJ) and village chicken (VC), the slow-growing birds, and the commercial broiler (CB), fast-growing birds, were used for this study. Ten chickens from each breed were serially euthanized at days 1, 10, 20, 56, and 120 post hatch, and pectoralis major and bicep femoris were harvested to represent the breast and thigh muscles respectively. It was revealed that the breast muscle concentrations of saturated fatty acids (SFA), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), and total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are significantly different (p<0.05) among the breeds. Also, the FA composition of breast and thigh muscles among RJ, VC, and CB at various ages studied varied significantly (p<0.05) but without a definite pattern. The composition of MUFA was lower, but that of PUFA was higher in the RJ and VC than in the CB breast muscles. Within the breeds, the composition of total MUFA decreased, while that of PUFA increased with age. The total MUFA and PUFA showed no significant difference (p>0.05) between the breast and thigh muscles at different ages evaluated. This study suggests that slow-growing birds (RJ and VC) might be better sources of desirable FA than the fast-growing birds, CB.

A study of rural chicken farmers, diseases and remedies in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa

The source of emerging diseases and antimicrobial resistance is of increasing interest to epidemiologists. This paper looks at village chickens as such a source. In addition, infectious diseases constitute a major challenge to the growth and profitability of the rural poultry sector in Sub-Saharan Africa. A serological survey was conducted to estimate the apparent seroprevalence of selected chicken diseases in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa alongside a sociological survey of poultry farmers and the remedies most commonly used to prevent diseases in their flocks. Sera collected from village chickens (n = 1007) in the province were screened for specific antibodies against Newcastle disease (ND), avian influenza (AI), avian infectious bronchitis (IB) and Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG).The overall seroprevalence of ND, AI, IB and MG in the province was found to be 69.2 % (95 % CI 51.9−86.5%); 1.8 % (95 % CI 0.2−3.4%); 78.5 % (95 % CI 74.9−82%) and 55.8 % (95 % CI 41.3−70.3%) respectively with clustering found at the District level. Cross hemagglutination inhibition (HI) tests indicated that the chickens were exposed to the ND vaccine. AI ELISA-positive samples were tested using HIs against the H5, H6 and H7-subtypes, but only H6-specific antibodies were detected. Avian influenza strains shared the common ancestor responsible for the 2002 chicken outbreak in KwaZulu-Natal Province.The majority of chicken farmers were females and pensioners (69 % and 66.1 % respectively) and had a primary school education (47.1 %). Traditional remedies were commonly used by farmers (47.15 %) and among the remedies, Aloe plant (Aloe ferox Mill.) or ikhala (Xhosa) was the most commonly used product (28.23 %) for preventing and reducing mortalities among village chickens.The findings stress the importance of village chickens as a substitute for social welfare and highlight the exposure of village chickens to important chicken pathogens. The economic impact of these pathogens on the development of this sub-sector needs further investigation. Village chickens are a potential source of virulent Newcastle disease virus (NDV) because of the lack of vaccination and biosecurity. They may serve as amplification hosts which increases the probability that virulent NDV could spill over into commercial poultry flocks due to large amounts of circulating virus. The zoonotic threat of circulating H6N2 viruses raise concern due to their mutation and reassortment among chickens and a potential movement of infected birds within the province. Finally, the use of antibiotics by untrained chicken farmers constitute another major concern as it could serve as a source of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

Classification of Subsectors in the Agriculture Sector and Featured Agriculture Products in Badung District, Bali

The research objectives were: (1) To classify the subsectors in the Agriculture sector in Badung District into prime subsectors, potential subsectors, developing subsectors, and underdeveloped subsectors; (2) Identifying featured products, locality and specialization in each subsector in the Agriculture sector in Badung District. The types of data collected are quantitative and qualitative data, sourced from secondary sources and primary sources. Data collection methods are documentation, observation, and interviews. The data analysis methods were Klassen Typology, Location Quotient (LQ), Localization Coefficient (α) and Specialization Coefficient (β). The results showed that the nine subsector in the Agriculture sector in Badung District can be classified into two classes, namely five subsectors including the developing subsectors, namely food crops, seasonal horticulture crops, annual horticulture crops, livestock and fisheries. Meanwhile, the four subsectors are included in the underdeveloped subsector, namely seasonal plantations, annual plantations, agriculture and hunting services, and forestry and logging. The main products in each developing subsector include: In the food crop subsector are lowland rice and soybean. In the livestock subsector are cows, goats, pigs, laying hens, broilers, village chickens, and ducks. In the fisheries subsector, are tuna, selar fish, snapper, yellow tail and shrimp.

Chicken Authentication and Discrimination via Live Weight, Body Size, Carcass Traits, and Breast Muscle Fat Content Clustering as Affected by Breed and Sex Varieties in Malaysia.

Nowadays, the high demand for village chickens in Malaysia leads to the fraudulent substitution of indigenous chickens with other cheaper counterparts. Discriminating different chicken breeds based on their phenotypic characteristics is one strategy to avoid chicken adulteration. The main objective of this study was to authenticate and group dominant chicken breeds in Malaysia, including commercial chickens (Cobb, Hubbard, DeKalb) and cross-bred village chickens (Ayam Kampung, Akar Putra). The further discrimination of village chickens from underaged colored broilers (UCBs) (Hubbard, Sasso) was performed based on phenotype traits. The results showed that the breed had a significant effect (p < 0.05) on phenotypic characteristics, while the sex effect was not significant for some characteristics. In the first phase, the most remarkable discriminating factors were abdominal fat weight, breast muscle weight, chest circumference, shank length, and wingspan. However, in the second phase, notable variations in phenotypic characteristics between village chickens and UCBs were not detected. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed the successful separation of village chickens from high-performance breeds (broiler and colored broiler). Nevertheless, there was overlap among observations for Sasso and village chickens, which approved the possible similarities in their phenotypic characteristics. This study showed clear breed clustering, which leads to the chicken authentication based on their phenotypic characteristics.

Strategies to Upgrade Animal Health Delivery in Village Poultry Systems: Perspectives of Stakeholders From Northern Ghana and Central Zones in Tanzania.

Village chicken production holds much potential for the alleviation of malnutrition and poverty in rural communities in Africa. Owing to their subsistence nature, however, such systems are rife with infectious poultry diseases such as Newcastle disease (ND). Strategies common for the management of ND and other poultry diseases in intensive production systems, including vaccination and biosecurity measures, have seen limited success in the village production systems. New approaches are needed that can successfully deliver animal health inputs and services for the effective management of poultry health challenges in low-input systems. Our study utilized focus group discussions with men and women farmers as well as other poultry value chain actors such as input suppliers, live bird traders and processed poultry meat retailers, to investigate potential options for delivery of animal health care to village poultry systems in northern Ghana and central Tanzania. ND was commonly reported as a major disease constraint in the study sites of the two countries, with resulting fatalities particularly impactful on men and women producers and on traders. We therefore also conducted interviews that focused specifically on the gender component of village chicken production. The key health related challenges prioritized by women and men participants included limited access to, and poor quality of, vaccines and veterinary drugs, a shortage of veterinary officers, and insufficient knowledge and training of farmers on flock management practices. Women, more than men, emphasized the difficulties of accessing poultry health services. Our assessments suggest that for poultry health care delivery in the studied communities to be effective, there is need to improve the supply of good quality drugs and vaccines in rural areas, respond to the needs of both men and women, and recognize the different incentives for farmers, traders and other value chain actors. Community-based approaches and increased use of ICT technology such as mobile phones have much to offer in this regard.

Integrated Environmental and Genomic Analysis Reveals the Drivers of Local Adaptation in African Indigenous Chickens.

Breeding for climate resilience is currently an important goal for sustainable livestock production. Local adaptations exhibited by indigenous livestock allow investigating the genetic control of this resilience. Ecological niche modeling (ENM) provides a powerful avenue to identify the main environmental drivers of selection. Here, we applied an integrative approach combining ENM with genome-wide selection signature analyses (XPEHH and Fst) and genotype−environment association (redundancy analysis), with the aim of identifying the genomic signatures of adaptation in African village chickens. By dissecting 34 agro-climatic variables from the ecosystems of 25 Ethiopian village chicken populations, ENM identified six key drivers of environmental challenges: One temperature variable—strongly correlated with elevation, three precipitation variables as proxies for water availability, and two soil/land cover variables as proxies of food availability for foraging chickens. Genome analyses based on whole-genome sequencing (n = 245), identified a few strongly supported genomic regions under selection for environmental challenges related to altitude, temperature, water scarcity, and food availability. These regions harbor several gene clusters including regulatory genes, suggesting a predominantly oligogenic control of environmental adaptation. Few candidate genes detected in relation to heat-stress, indicates likely epigenetic regulation of thermo-tolerance for a domestic species originating from a tropical Asian wild ancestor. These results provide possible explanations for the rapid past adaptation of chickens to diverse African agro-ecologies, while also representing new landmarks for sustainable breeding improvement for climate resilience. We show that the pre-identification of key environmental drivers, followed by genomic investigation, provides a powerful new approach for elucidating adaptation in domestic animals.

Sustainable intensification of indigenous village chicken production system: matching the genotype with the environment.

The multi-purpose indigenous village chickens (IVCs) are kept in low- and middle-income countries. IVCs are hardy and are resilient to disease, hostile environment, global warming, and climate change. The IVCs are a little impacted by anthropogenic effects; consequently, they possess high genetic and phenotypic diversity. Likewise, the genetic structure of IVCs is principally shaped by natural selection, which enables them to accumulate high genetic polymorphism and to adaptively radiate. Regardless of this, the genetic wealth of IVCs has been eroded by indiscriminate crossbreeding. Emerging infectious and non-infectious diseases, flawed assumptions, predation, inadequate nutrition, poorly maintained night enclosures, and underdeveloped market infrastructure, and the overlooked multiple-use values and unique attributes of IVCs have threatened their mere survival. The IVCs lay a few eggs and produce less meat, which cannot meet the growing (existing) demand. However, the demand for IVC products is growing attributable to the flavor and texture of eggs and meat, and they are well-aligned with the subsistence farming system. The several use values and ecosystem services provided by IVCs have been increasingly realized. Enhanced production can be attained through sustainable use of local (genetic) resources and by scaling up and out best practices. Genetic improvement needs to mainly rely upon IVC genetic resources and should have to match the genotype with the environment. Moreover, it has to maintain the genetic polymorphism that has been accumulated for time immemorial to respond to unanticipated changes in the production system and consumers' demand. In this review, enhanced management, selection strategies, and genetic crosses including the crossing of commercial chickens with red junglefowl have been proposed to sustainably intensify the IVC production system.

The Status of Laying Traits in Indigenous Chicken of Bangladesh: A Review

This paper covers the review of diversified performance of laying traits of Bangladeshi indigenous chicken in both in situ and ex situ including few global studies. Indigenous chicken constitutes about 80% of the total chicken population in Bangladesh and their different genotypes distribute throughout the country having distinct morphological and productive characteristics. The common native genotypes (usually non-descript or deshi) provide 35-45 eggs annually with 83-96% egg fertility and 75-88% hatchability in free range while better performance is observed in extensive system. Although Naked Neck and Hilly chicken genotypes perform superior but they are not available like common deshi. The genetic improvement of laying traits is a challenging work for the village chicken in Bangladesh, however, the planned breeding strategies along with improvement management system could enhance the activity. The results presented in this review would be a guideline for selection of indigenous chicken to improve further its productivity and conservation aspect. Thus, a conceptual breeding strategy is proposed here for the improvement of laying traits in village chicken in-situ as uncontrolled mating occurs there compared to ex-situ condition.