Abstract:
An exploratory field survey was conducted in north Gondar zone, Ethiopia to identify and
characterize local chicken ecotypes from November to August in 2011112. Seven qualitative
and twelve quantitative traits from 450 adult chickens were considered. Ninety respondents
were selected using systematic simple random sampling techniques. Necked neck, Gasgie and
Gugut ecotypes were identified from potential area of Quara, Alefa and Tache Armacheho
districts, respectively. This research finding revealed that chicken production system of the
study area is mixed traditional with small feed supplementation. Disease, predators, lack of
market facility, lack of water and poor extension service were the major barriers of poultry
production. Wilcoxon signed ranks test for breeding objectives of the respondents were
incomes, cultural/religious reasons, more meat and egg production with the overall index
value of O.3, 0.27 0.22 and 0.21, respectively. Overall genetic improvement of the preferred
traits were varied in sexes like comp type, plumage color, body weight, breeding ability and
body conformations with the index values of 0.25, 0.23, 0.22, 0.22 and 0.08 for males and
0.09, 0.22, 0.20, 0.23, 0.26, respectively for females through uncontrolled breeding.
Reproductive performance study results revealed that in females' age at first sexual maturity
was 4.70±0.27, 5.50±0.17 and 6.08±0.20 with average age of 5.43±0.14 month and in males
it was 4. 30±0. 27, 4. 85±0.14 and 5. 13±0. 20 with the average age of 4. 76±0.13 month in favor
of Necked neck, Gasgie and Gugut chickens, respectively. Red (26.89%) and white (15.56%)
colors were the average dominant plumage characters of chickens. In addition, averages least
squares means indicated that the body weight and liner body measurements (wing span) of
chickens were 1.46±0.01kg and 37. 04±0.13cm, respectively. Morphometric measurements
also indicated that body weight and body measurement of Necked neck and Gasgie chicken
ecotypes were significantly (p < 0.01) higher than Gugut ecotype except in shank
circumstances. Sex and ecotype were the significant (p < 0.01) sources of variation for both
body weights and linear body measurements. Multivariate analysis heat ratio result showed
that the uniqueness of chickens was ranged from 85.3 to 94%. The correlation of body weight
with other some liner body measurements for all ecotypes in both sexes were significant (p <
0.01). Traits like wingspan (r = 0.64, P < 0.01) and (r = 0.59, P < 0.01) for Necked neck
male andfemale, wattle (r = 0.67, P < 0.01) and body length (r = 0.59, P < O.Ol)for Gasgie
male and female chicken ecotypes, respectively were some of near to highly correlated traits.
Highly correlated traits are a good predictor of body weight of chickens. In general, almost
all qualitative and quantitative natures of the newly investigated chicken are different from
other identified Ethiopian chickens. Therefore, further study should be employed to
investigate the remaining chicken ecotypes in the country.