Malawi Indigenous Chickens

A study conducted to characterise Indigenous Chicken (IC) phenotypes using their products (eggs) and productivity in Malawi. Ten eggs collected from six IC phenotypes offspring (Naked Neck, Normal black, Kaphulusa, Spotted, crested hair and Frizzled and Black Australorp as a control) belonging to 200 birds collected from two Districts, Mzimba and Lilongwe, raised under intensive system and breed within the phenotype. Production traits were also recorded; number of eggs laid per hen per clutch, number of clutches per year and number of eggs hatched. The results from the study revealed different IC phenotypes having different protein fraction concentrations. Crested hair having higher protein concentration, 0.8386g/ml (0.4183 and 0.4203g/ml globulin and albumin fraction respectively (p<0.05). Normal black had the least protein concentration, 0.1915g/ml (0.0515 and 0.1400g/ml (p<0.05) globulin and albumin concentration respectively. The results also show that different IC phenotypes have different productivity performance with Kaphulusa being the best IC phenotypes having higher hatchability value of 71% (p<0.05) and number of eggs per clutch (14) despite being least on egg weight.