Indigenous chickens (ICs) are common and significant species of fowl raised by many people worldwide. Most of them are adapted to stressful and harsh environmental conditions. In Tanzania, ICs are estimated to be above 37 million with most of them being kept at the central corridor of the country. They provide a higher proportion of animal nutrients in the human diet and act as a source of income and poverty alleviation at the family level. The indigenous chicken (IC) ecotypes are losing their innate genetic variety due to the increased use of prevalent breeds worldwide. The purpose of this study was to assess the sustainability of the ICs ecotypes phenotypically based on qualitative and quantitative characteristics by employing a descriptive study. A diversity study was conducted in two districts of Tanzania, Bahi-Dodoma and Songea-Ruvuma. A random sampling method of one hundred (100) sample size was involved. Each district employed 50 ICs and the univariate analysis was used to examine both qualitative and quantitative traits. Data from the qualitative and quantitative analysis were analyzed by using a statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 16.0 and Origin Pro. Version 2019. Pvalue < 0.05 was used as a cut-off point for statistical significance. Phenotypic variations were observed between the two study areas. There is a statistically significant difference in body length, wingspan and shank length between Bahi and Songea chickens at p ＜ 0.05, for the case of body weight and chest circumference there is no statistically significant difference between chickens from Bahi and Songea at p ＜ 0.05. The shank length between females and males had a significant difference. There also existed an association between shank colours and plumage colour. The predomination of the single comb type was also identified. This study revealed a significant phenotypic variation between the chicken ecotypes. This variation serves as an important tool for ICs conservation purposes.
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Lucas, R. , Kasanga, C. J. , Mwega, E. D. and Ackrey, S. G. (2024). Phenotypic Characterization of Indigenous Chicken Ecotypes in Bahi and Songea Districts Population, Tanzania. Open Access Library Journal, 11, e1576. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1111576.
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