Comparative study of some phenotypic characteristics between the Ispenc (Turkey) and Southwestern Bulgarian dzhinka chicken breeds

Abstract

Abstract. Ispenc and the Southwestern Bulgarian dzhinka are two small chicken breeds, originating respectively from two neighboring countries – Turkey and Bulgaria. They are characterized by uniformity in some major mutational exterior traits, such as beard and muffs, shank-feathering, vulture hocks, and rose comb. The aim of the study was to compare some of the main morphological and morphometric features of the Ispenc and Southwestern Bulgarian dzhinka breeds. The study was performed on 15 roosters and 25 hens of each breed. Ispenc had a significantly higher live body weight, respectively by 19.65% in roosters and by 17.11% in hens, compared to the Southwestern Bulgarian dzhinka (p<0.001). The birds of the Turkish breed are polydactyl, 5-toed, while the Bulgarian breed does not have this mutation. The length of the back, the wingspan and the length of the shank in Ispenc were significantly higher in both sexes, compared to the Southwestern Bulgarian dzhinka (p<0.01). The comb of the Bulgarian breed is more compact, with significantly lower values in terms of its width (p<0.001). In terms of the dimensions of the head and its formations, there are more statistically significant differences between hens of the two breeds than between roosters. The study leads to the conclusion that the seemingly close breeds involved in the study show a number of statistically significant phenotypic differences, which suggests differences in their genotype.