Characterization of indigenous chicken in Rwanda

Abstract

Poultry development is one of the most important pathways to pro-poor livestock induced growth. It contributes to poverty alleviation, against malnutrition and disease in rural areas. The native chickens have been indicated by a traditional low input/low output farming system. Indigenous chicken in Rwanda have been characterized by farmers into four types (Inshenzi, Sekaganda/Inganda, Imirangi/Umujosi and Indayi) but the difference between them in terms of phenotypic and molecular features are not yet known. Objectives of this study were to contribute to genetic improvement of indigenous chickens in Rwanda through phenotypic and molecular characterization. The phenotypical and blood samples were collected from indigenous chickens domesticated at four agro-ecology zones in Rwanda and factorial experimental design was used where we examined management system, phenotypical and genotypic traits in terms of production. A selection was randomly where the villages closed to big cities and commercial harbors were not selected. We assessed phenotypical traits of 1080 indigenous chickens and we took morphometric measures and blood samples of 120 chickens from twelve districts. We found the 23 related genes from those morphometric measures (head, wattle and beak length) by using SNP markers and 22 nearest genes from blood samples by SNP markers based on the highest genetic potential in terms of indigenous chicken production. Then after, we observed four different genotypes which were characterized by low homozygosity of 0.140088 for Imirangi and 0.15327 for Inshenzi and low similarities of 0.022467 between Imirangi and Inshenzi from the genetic distance than two others (Inganda and Indayi). Among those four genotypes of IC in Rwanda; Imirangi and Inshenzi showed the highest genetic potential in term of production traits (egg and body weight) than Inganda and Indayi. Our findings will help to select indigenous chicken with high genetic potential in terms of production and provide new clues for further study in breeding program of indigenous chicken.