Production performance and survivability of six dual-purpose breeds of chicken under smallholder farmers' management practices in Nigeria

Folasade Olubukola Ajayi; Oladeji Bamidele; Waheed Akinola Hassan; Uduak Ogundu; Abdulmojeed Yakubu; Olayinka Olubunmi Alabi; Oludayo Michael Akinsola; Emmanuel Babafunso Sonaiya; Oluwafunmilayo Ayoka Adebambo

doi:10.5194/aab-63-387-2020

Production performance and survivability of six dual-purpose breeds of chicken under smallholder farmers' management practices in Nigeria

Arch Anim Breed. 2020 Nov 12;63(2):387-408. doi: 10.5194/aab-63-387-2020. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Folasade Olubukola Ajayi¹, Oladeji Bamidele², Waheed Akinola Hassan³, Uduak Ogundu⁴, Abdulmojeed Yakubu⁵, Olayinka Olubunmi Alabi⁶, Oludayo Michael Akinsola⁷, Emmanuel Babafunso Sonaiya², Oluwafunmilayo Ayoka Adebambo⁸

Affiliations

¹ Department of Animal Science, University of Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria.
² African Chicken Genetic Gains Project National Secretariat, Department of Animal Science, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria.
³ Department of Animal Science, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Sokoto State, Nigeria.
⁴ Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria.
⁵ Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Shabu-Lafia Campus Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria.
⁶ Department of Animal Science, Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Kwara State, Nigeria.
⁷ Department of Theriogenology and Production, University of Jos, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria.
⁸ Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria.

Abstract

Chickens kept under free-range, backyard or semi-intensive systems in the developing countries have more diverse use and benefits to rural households. Their use varies from region to region and from community to community within a region. The study investigated growth, laying performance and survivability of six improved dual-purpose breeds in five agroecologies of Nigeria represented by the following states: Kebbi (Sudan savanna/northern Guinea savanna); Kwara (northern Guinea savanna/southern Guinea savanna); Nasarawa (southern Guinea savanna/derived savanna); Imo (lowland rainforest/swamp); and Rivers (freshwater swamp/mangrove swamp). On-farm data were obtained from 2100 smallholder poultry farmers that received an average of 30 birds (mixed sexes) of any one of the following dual-purpose breeds (Fulani, FUNAAB Alpha, Kuroiler, Noiler, Sasso and Shika-Brown) randomly allocated to them. The farmers used the backyard, scavenging system of management. Body weight and mortality records for cocks were taken for 18 weeks, while body weight, mortality, egg production and egg weight data were collected for hens up to 72 weeks. Compared with the local cocks (680 g), Kuroiler (1391 g), Sasso (1398 g) and Noiler (1461 g) had over 200 % body weight at 18 weeks. Hen day egg production (HDEP) was higher in Shika-Brown (45.9 %), FUNAAB Alpha (45.8 %) and Kuroiler (45.7 %) compared with the other breeds. Fulani, FUNAAB Alpha and Shika-Brown had higher survivabilities ( $p < 0.05$ ) than Noiler, Sasso and Kuroiler. Ranking of the breeds for growth, laying performance and survivability was as follows: Shika-Brown/Sasso $>$ FUNAAB Alpha/Noiler $>$ Kuroiler $>$ Fulani. The performance of the breeds was significantly ( $p < 0.05$ ) influenced by the agroecologies. The cock body weights for Fulani (1121.1 g), FUNAAB Alpha (1502.4 g) and Noiler (1459.2 g) were highest in Kebbi, while for Kuroiler (1561.0 g), Sasso (1695.9 g) and Shika-Brown (1131.6 g) cock body weights were highest in Imo. Across the states, Imo had the highest HDEP (62.8 %). Overall, the lowland rainforest/ freshwater swamp agroecologies supported the highest production performance of the breeds.