The indigenous chicken mostly found in rural areas of Pakistan are good scavengers as
well as foragers and playing important role towards poverty alleviation and food security. They
have good maternal qualities, hardier when compared to their exotic counterparts and have high
survival rates with minimal care and management. They have huge diversity. This diversity
provides a unique resource to respond to the present and future needs of poultry meat and eggs in
Pakistan. However, this diversity is shrinking rapidly. Local naked neck chicken is also an example
of such diverse genepool but under the threats of extinction. Present study was designed to compare
phenotypic characterization, productive, reproductive performance and anti-body response in
different phenotypes of Indigenous Naked-Neck chicken. The study was conducted at Indigenous
chicken genetic Resource Centre (ICGRC), UVAS Ravi campus, Pattoki. Six hundred day old
Naked-Neck chicks were procured from commercial hatchery and reared as the foundation stock
under best management practices. The study comprised of two main experiments. In the first
experiment, a total of 320 sexed day old chicks (160♂, 160♀) comprising 80 from each phenotype,
were randomly selected from the foundation stock and assigned 8 treatment groups, in a 2 (Sexes)
× 4 (Phenotypes) factorial arrangement under completely randomized design. Each treatment was
replicated 5 times with 8 birds in each. These chicks were reared for 8 weeks of age to study
comparative growth performance and morpho-metric traits. Growth parameters were live weight
(g), times of gain (g), total gain (g), feed intake (g), feed conversion ratio and livability%, while
morphometric traits studied were neck length, keel length, wing spread, shank length,
circumference, drumstick length, circumference and body length. The results showed significantly
higher live weight, total gain and better FCR in light and dark brown phenotypes, whereas times
of gain were found to be higher in dark brown. Feed intake and livability remained similar in all
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phenotypes. Keel length and shank circumference measurements were higher in dark brown
whereas wing spread was greater in light brown phenotype. Drumstick circumference and body
length were same in all phenotypes. Over all brown phenotypes performed better. After that when
secondary sex organs were developed again 320 birds (80 of each plumage 40 females and 40
males) were selected from both foundation stock. These birds were again tagged, weighed and
arranged under Completely Randomized Design (CRD) in 4 equal groups replicated 5 times with
16 birds in each pen. Each pen was considered as an experimental unit. Birds were reared till the
age of 20 weeks. At the end of the 20 weeks of age, 80 birds (40 males and 40 females) of each
phenotype was characterized for morphometric qualitative and quantitative traits based on head
appearance, comb type, wattle size, plumage pattern, shank color, spurs prevalence and number of
toes and were analyzed in terms of frequency and percentages. The results showed that males and
females of all phenotypes had plain head and single comb. Wattle size was medium in females
while highly developed in males. Over all plain feather pattern was predominantly most frequent
on breast, wing bow, wing bar, wing bay, saddle and tail followed by stippled, penciled and laced.
Males had most frequent yellow shanks followed by grey, off-white and green; however, females
had maximum grey shank color followed by yellow, green and off-white. White black, light and
dark brown phenotypes expressed maximum yellow shank coloration whereas grey shanks were
most frequent in black birds. However, morphometric characterization was based on Neck length
(cm), keel length (cm), wing span (cm), shank length (cm), shank circumference (cm), drum stick
length (cm), drum stick circumference (cm) and body length. The results showed significantly
higher morphometric measurements in males than females. Light and dark brown phenotypes had
higher measuring values of quantitative traits than those of black and white black. All males and
females of different phenotypes possessed four toes, normal spurs and tuft feathers on the ventral
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portion of the Neck above crop. After that 40 birds, 10 from each phenotype (5 males and 5
females) were weighed, blood samples were collected for NDV titration and then slaughtered for
carcass characteristics, proximate meat analysis and cholesterol content estimation. Carcass
characteristics including (live weight (g), dressing%, liver weight%, gizzard weight%, heart
weight%, intestinal weight%, intestinal length (cm) and antibody response against Newcastle
disease virus (NDV) were studied and compared. The results showed significantly higher live
weight (g), dressing%, liver weight% and intestinal length (cm) in males whereas gizzard weight%
and intestinal weight% was found to be higher in females. Among different phenotypes, light
brown plumage color birds indicated significantly enhanced live weight (g) and dressing%
whereas black plumage color birds showed higher intestinal weight%. Antibody response was
significantly higher in females as compared to male birds. Light and dark brown phenotypes
exhibit significantly higher NDV titer as compared to black and white black phenotypes. In
proximate meat composition and cholesterol content study, results depicted significantly higher
dry matter%, crude protein%, ash% and cholesterol content(mg/100g) in males whereas ether
extract% and moisture% were found to be higher in females. Among different phenotypes, dry
matter% was found to be higher in white black, crude protein% in black, white black and dark
brown phenotypes, moisture% in light brown and cholesterol content was higher in black plumage
color birds, whereas ether extract% and ash% were observed to be higher in black and white black
plumage color birds. Brown phenotypes showed better performance regarding live body weight,
dressing%, cholesterol content and antibody response than others (black and white/black). In
second experiment production performance, egg characteristics and hatching traits in different
phenotypes of Naked- Neck hens were studied. In total, 300 adults 20 week old hens were
randomly selected from the foundation stock and allotted to 20 experimental groups, in
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4(phenotypes) × 5 (replicates) × 15 (birds each replicate) arranged according to CRD. In
production performance, parameters studied were body weight, body weight gain, egg production,
egg weight (g), egg mass (g), and livability (%). Ten eggs of each phenotype, 2 from each pen at
initial, middle and final laying periods were collected and studied for egg geometry and quality.
Similarly, 200 hundred eggs 50 from each phenotype were collected randomly at the age of 42
weeks and studied for hatching traits comprising settable eggs%, fertility%, hatch of fertile%,
hatchability%, embryonic mortality%, and A-grade chick%. The results indicated significantly
higher feed intake (g) in white black phenotype, heavier body weight(g) in light brown and dark
brown phenotypes whereas, egg production, egg mass, FCR/dozen eggs and FCR/kg egg mass was
found to be better in light brown phenotype. Egg weight (g) remained higher in black, light brown
and dark brown phenotypes. Egg geometry results demonstrated higher egg breadth (mm), egg
volume (mm2) and egg surface area (mm3) in light brown phenotype whereas egg quality showed
no difference in various phenotypes of Naked-Neck chickens. While studying hatching traits,
results showed significantly higher settable eggs%, fertility% and hatchability% in black, dark
brown and light brown phenotypes than that of white black whereas better hatch of fertile% and
reduced embryonic mortality% was recorded in black and dark brown phenotypes as compared to
white black. Better chick quality was observed in dark brown phenotype followed by light brown,
black and then white black. In conclusion, phenotypes other than white black can be locally reared
because of their better production and hatching performance.
Conclusions and Recommendations
Naked Neck chicken with light brown, dark brown and black phenotypes should be the part of next
breeding plans owing to their better productive and reproductive performance, however, white
black phenotype should not be discarded, rather conserved as a backup gene pool for future poultry
breeding studies. Might be they have better climatic adaptability.
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It is also recommended that selected Naked Neck varieties should be subjected to performance
traits analysis under different housing/production systems. Their potential needs to be thrashed
under intensive, semi intensive and extensive production systems.
Economics of each variety under different housing systems, especially under backyard type
chicken farming must be worked out in order to provide clear cut information to the rural folks to
address the most important issue of poverty alleviation in rural as well as peri-urban areas of
Pakistan.