Abstract:
This study was conducted in the Kuyu and Girar Jarso districts of north Shoa Zone Oromia regional state, Ethiopia, to generate information
on the morphological and morphometric characterization of local chicken ecotypes. Multi-stage purposive random sampling technique
was used to collect the data. Morph metric data were collected on body weight and other linear measurements and analyzed using
the statistical analysis system’s generalized linear model (GLM) procedures. A total of 576 (192 male and 384 female) chickens were
considered for qualitative and quantitative traits studies. The results showed that all indigenous chicken in the study area possesses
normal feather morphology where, as 99.5% normal and 0.5% crest feather distribution were found. The dominant skin color was yellow,
59.2%, followed by white, 31.6%. With regard to shank color, the yellow color was the dominant (47.6%), followed by white (29.3%)
and gray (16.7%). Red (13%), white (11.8%), and Kohima (11.1%) were the predominant plumage colors observed in the study area.
The overall mean of body weight, chest circumference, wing span, body length, and shank length for males and females were 1.7 and
1.2 kg, 28.7 and 27 cm, 40.4, 39.4, 37.5, 35.3, 8.4 and 8.2 cm respectively. In the present study, morphological and phenotypical variations
have been observed among the indigenous chicken populations; hence, an in-depth molecular evaluation is needed to show the level
of genetic variation and relationship among them.
