Published: 15 Oct 2018 | Last Updated: 10 Aug 2023 10:50:18

The results of a collaborative new study suggest that a more localised and flexible approach could boost the productivity of small-scale chicken farms in Africa.

The study also reveals that village chicken populations in Ethiopia are genetically diverse and adapted to their local cultural, physical and social environments. The research recommends that development interventions, including breeding programmes, should consider this diversity, as well as be designed and tailored to the local needs of the village populations.

There is an active interest in breeding improved chicken populations that are resilient. This is because the production of chicken is an integral part of the African agricultural landscape, therefore villagers need an economically sustainable enterprise. However, a variety of global interventions have proved unable to deliver sustainable improvements thus far.

The research team sought to address this, by investigating disease challenges and the genetics of the local chickens, the nature of the production systems and the socioeconomic reasons why chickens are bred. The study, which was conducted in two districts of Ethiopia, illustrated that the genetics of village chickens showed high levels of adaptation to their local ecosystems, disease challenge, management and cultural variations of their environment. The data suggested that there have been varying factors, including trade routes, religion and culture, that have contributed to the vast and varying introduction of chicken populations in Ethiopia.

The research, which was published in Nature Sustainability, was the collaborative efforts of the University of Liverpool, University of Edinburgh, University of Nottingham, the Royal Veterinary College, Wageningen University and the International Livestock Research Institute. Funding support was also provided by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and the Scottish Government.

Professor Rob Christley, who led the project, said: “The importance of culture and location should not be underestimated. Conventionally, the transfer of technology has often taken a top-down approach - from researchers to farmers – ignoring the considerable knowledge of the farmers. This often leads to interventions that are inappropriate to the social, physical and economic settings in which farmers operate, leading to unsustainable interventions.”

Professor Paul Wigley, from the University’s of Liverpool’s Institute of Infection and Global Health, said: “That chickens are so locally adapted, despite often appearing similar, does present challenges to increasing productivity.

“There is not a ‘one size fits all’ chicken for Ethiopia or any village system. It could be argued that improvements in management, the use of vaccination and improvements to disease control such as simple biosecurity measures are as important as the genetic potential of the bird. Such measures need improvements in access to information and training.”

Dr Androniki Psifidi, RVC Lecturer in Veterinary Clinical Genetics, said:   “We are extremely pleased with the findings of this study. We sincerely hope that our findings will be used to improve the poultry interventions in order to create a more sustainable production system for years to come.”

Notes for Editors

For more information please contact:

• Alex Cassells (alexander.cassells@plmr.co.uk)  or Ploy Radford (ploy.radford@plmr.co.uk)
• Press Line: 0800 368 9520

About the RVC

• The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) is the UK's largest and longest established independent veterinary school and is a constituent College of the University of London.
• The RVC offers undergraduate, postgraduate and CPD programmes in veterinary medicine, veterinary nursing and biological sciences.
• It is currently the only veterinary school in the world to hold full accreditation from AVMA, EAEVE, RCVS and AVBC.
• In 2017, the RVC received a Gold award from the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) – the highest rating a university can receive.
• A research-led institution, the RVC maintained its position as the top veterinary institution in the Research Excellence Framework (2014), with 79% of its submission being rated as world-class or internationally excellent.
• The RVC also provides animal owners and the veterinary profession with access to expert veterinary care and advice through its teaching hospitals: the Beaumont Sainsbury Animal Hospital in central London, the Queen Mother Hospital for Animals (Europe's largest small animal referral centre), the Equine Referral Hospital and the Farm Animal Clinical Centre located at the Hertfordshire campus.