Evaluation of live-body weight and the number of eggs produced for introduced and local chickens in Ethiopia

Alemu, Setegn Worku; Hanotte, Olivier; Kebede, Fasil Getachew; Esatu, Wondmeneh; Abegaz, Solomon; Bruno, Jasmine E.; Abrar, Biazen; Alemayehu, Tesfahun; Mrode, Raphael; Dessie, Tadelle

doi:10.1080/09064702.2021.1891278

Cited by 12 publications

(10 citation statements)

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“…Similar genotype by location interaction effect on growth traits has been documented in improved indigenous and tropically adapted chickens ( Ajayi et al, 2020 ; Guni et al, 2021b ). The lower mortality of birds in Nasarawa State might be attributed to better management practices, which is consistent with the findings of Alemu et al (2021) .…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

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Growth performance, survivability and profitability of improved smallholder chicken genetics in Nigeria: A COVID-19 intervention study

Bamidele¹,

Akinsola

Yakubu

et al. 2023

Front. Genet.

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The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on smallholder farming households (SFH) includes increased poverty, and loss of livelihoods. Provision of livestock to SFH is a helpful intervention to mitigate this impact. This study provided a total of 150 smallholder poultry farmers, randomly selected from three states (Kebbi, Nasarawa, and Imo) in Nigeria, with ten 5-week-old chickens (mixed sexes) each, of either FUNAAB Alpha or Noiler chicken genetics. The improved, dual-purpose chickens were evaluated for growth performance (GP), survivability and profitability. The birds were managed under semi-scavenging production system. Body weight, mortality, and cost of production (COP) were recorded every 4 weeks until 21 weeks of age. Profitability was a function of the COP, and the selling price for live-birds (cocks). Body weight of Noiler (1,927 g) birds was not significantly (p > .05) higher than FUNAAB Alpha (1,792 g) at 21 weeks. Agroecology and genetics had significant (p < .05) effects on GP and survivability. Survivability of FUNAAB Alpha was higher (p < .05) than Noiler, with Nasarawa (81%–96%), having the highest (p < .0001) survival rate compared to Imo (62%–81%), and Kebbi (58%–75%). At 21 weeks, the number of cocks and hens differed significantly (p < .05) within the states (Imo: 2.4 ± .2 and 5.4 ± .3; Kebbi: 2.6 ± .2 and 5.5 ± .3; and Nasarawa: 2.9 ± .2 and 5.8 ± .3). Nasarawa (NGN 7,808; USD 19) ranked best for profitability, followed by Kebbi (NGN 6,545; USD 16) and Imo (NGN 5,875; USD 14). Overall, this study demonstrates that provision of improved chickens to vulnerable SFH in Nigeria holds great potential for economic growth, and resilience during emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

“…In a related study, Sztandarski et al (2021) found associations between weather conditions and performance of birds. Alemu et al (2021) also reported that climate may lead to body weight differences in different strains of improved tropically adapted chickens.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Growth performance, survivability and profitability of improved smallholder chicken genetics in Nigeria: A COVID-19 intervention study

Bamidele¹,

Akinsola

Yakubu

et al. 2023

Front. Genet.

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“…SDMs were used in our study to identify the most relevant environmental predictors influencing habitat suitability for chickens. The environmental predictors identified in the present study (related with elevation, precipitation, soil clay content, solar radiation, and temperature) were reported in earlier studies for their influences on availability of feed, productivity, prevalence of diseases and parasites [ 26 , 46 , 138 , 139 ]. The habitat suitability maps produced by SDMs suggest that the 26 Ethiopian indigenous chicken sample populations may have gone through different environmental selective pressures which give rise to phenotypic and genetic differentiation.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 56%

Landscape genomics reveals regions associated with adaptive phenotypic and genetic variation in Ethiopian indigenous chickens

Kebede,

Derks,

Dessie

et al. 2024

BMC Genomics

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Climate change is a threat to sustainable livestock production and livelihoods in the tropics. It has adverse impacts on feed and water availability, disease prevalence, production, environmental temperature, and biodiversity. Unravelling the drivers of local adaptation and understanding the underlying genetic variation in random mating indigenous livestock populations informs the design of genetic improvement programmes that aim to increase productivity and resilience. In the present study, we combined environmental, genomic, and phenotypic information of Ethiopian indigenous chickens to investigate their environmental adaptability. Through a hybrid sampling strategy, we captured wide biological and ecological variabilities across the country. Our environmental dataset comprised mean values of 34 climatic, vegetation and soil variables collected over a thirty-year period for 260 geolocations. Our biological dataset included whole genome sequences and quantitative measurements (on eight traits) from 513 individuals, representing 26 chicken populations spread along 4 elevational gradients (6–7 populations per gradient). We performed signatures of selection analyses ($$ {F}_{ST}$$ and XP-EHH) to detect footprints of natural selection, and redundancy analyses (RDA) to determine genotype-environment and genotype-phenotype-associations. RDA identified 1909 outlier SNPs linked with six environmental predictors, which have the highest contributions as ecological drivers of adaptive phenotypic variation. The same method detected 2430 outlier SNPs that are associated with five traits. A large overlap has been observed between signatures of selection identified by$$ { F}_{ST }$$and XP-EHH showing that both methods target similar selective sweep regions. Average genetic differences measured by $$ {F}_{ST}$$ are low between gradients, but XP-EHH signals are the strongest between agroecologies. Genes in the calcium signalling pathway, those associated with the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) transcription factors, and sports performance (GALNTL6) are under selection in high-altitude populations. Our study underscores the relevance of landscape genomics as a powerful interdisciplinary approach to dissect adaptive phenotypic and genetic variation in random mating indigenous livestock populations.

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“…Lozano-Jaramillo A. et al (2019) and Alemu et al (2021) have also observed effects of precipitation and temperature on improved chicken breeds introduced to smallholder farmers in Ethiopia.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…The influence of isothermality (Bio3), temperature (Bio4 and Bio11), precipitation (Bio19), solar radiation, and water vapor pressure on trait differentiation may be related with adaptive physiology of chickens, in terms of their biological response to extremes in relative humidity and heat stress. Lozano-Jaramillo A. et al (2019) and Alemu et al (2021) have also observed effects of precipitation and temperature on improved chicken breeds introduced to smallholder farmers in Ethiopia.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Species and Phenotypic Distribution Models Reveal Population Differentiation in Ethiopian Indigenous Chickens

Kebede

Komen

Dessie³

et al. 2021

Front. Genet.

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Smallholder poultry production dominated by indigenous chickens is an important source of livelihoods for most rural households in Ethiopia. The long history of domestication and the presence of diverse agroecologies in Ethiopia create unique opportunities to study the effect of environmental selective pressures. Species distribution models (SDMs) and Phenotypic distribution models (PDMs) can be applied to investigate the relationship between environmental variation and phenotypic differentiation in wild animals and domestic populations. In the present study we used SDMs and PDMs to detect environmental variables related with habitat suitability and phenotypic differentiation among nondescript Ethiopian indigenous chicken populations. 34 environmental variables (climatic, soil, and vegetation) and 19 quantitative traits were analyzed for 513 adult chickens from 26 populations. To have high variation in the dataset for phenotypic and ecological parameters, animals were sampled from four spatial gradients (each represented by six to seven populations), located in different climatic zones and geographies. Three different ecotypes are proposed based on correlation test between habitat suitability maps and phenotypic clustering of sample populations. These specific ecotypes show phenotypic differentiation, likely in response to environmental selective pressures. Nine environmental variables with the highest contribution to habitat suitability are identified. The relationship between quantitative traits and a few of the environmental variables associated with habitat suitability is non-linear. Our results highlight the benefits of integrating species and phenotypic distribution modeling approaches in characterization of livestock populations, delineation of suitable habitats for specific breeds, and understanding of the relationship between ecological variables and quantitative traits, and underlying evolutionary processes.

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Evaluation of live-body weight and the number of eggs produced for introduced and local chickens in Ethiopia

Cited by 12 publications

References 5 publications

Growth performance, survivability and profitability of improved smallholder chicken genetics in Nigeria: A COVID-19 intervention study

Growth performance, survivability and profitability of improved smallholder chicken genetics in Nigeria: A COVID-19 intervention study

Landscape genomics reveals regions associated with adaptive phenotypic and genetic variation in Ethiopian indigenous chickens

Species and Phenotypic Distribution Models Reveal Population Differentiation in Ethiopian Indigenous Chickens

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