Poster prepared by Tadelle Dessie, Negussie Dana, Wondmeneh Esatu, Liesbeth H. van der Waaij, Johan A. M. van Arendonk for the ILRI APM 2013, Addis Ababa, 15-17 May 2013

1. Objectives
• Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of chicken of
five ecotypes in Ethiopia,
• Identify breeding objectives and parameter estimation
for egg production and growth,
• set up cross breeding program, Scenario study and
dissemination.
This activity has proven to be the most successful breeding
activity involving indigenous chickens in Ethiopia.
Conclusion
• Significant phenotypic and genotypic variability
between ecotype.
• Survival, egg production, growth and age at first
egg as traits of importance for rural poultry
producers & should be targeted for
improvement/selection
• Following six generations of selection,
improvements in egg production at 45 weeks of age
from 34 In the base population to 75, Age at first egg
from 223 to 148 days, body weight at 16 weeks of
age from 550 to 788g have been achieved
Expected results
• A dual purpose chicken will be developed
• Appropriate dissemination strategy be
designed
• Alternative breeding scenarios identified
-10th
generation
-Color fixation
-Divergent
selection for
Disease
resistance
-Crossbreeding
and supply
-Composite
breed
development
and test
-Develop and
test different
scenarios of
improvement
and
dissemination
Improving village chicken production to elevate
livelihoods of poor people in Ethiopia
Main message of the poster
This document is licensed for use under a Creative Commons Attribution –Non commercial-Share Alike 3.0
Unported Licence May 2013
May 2013
Horro Chickens from the 6th generation
Tadelle Dessie
t.dessie@cgiar.org ● P. O. Box 5689 Addis Ababa Ethiopia ● +251 911603057 ilri.org
This project was funded by the Koepon foundation
Tadelle Dessie, Negussie Dana, Wondmeneh Esatu, Liesbeth H. van der Waaij, Johan A. M. van Arendonk
From Right to left: Wondmeneh Esatu, ILRI PhD Fellow, Tadelle Dessie, ILRI scientist, Asnake Fikre, Debre
Zeit Research Center, Director, Negussie Dana, Southern Agricultural Research Institute Director General
and former ILRI PhD Fellow during the award ceremony for outstanding contribution in Chicken breed
improvement and capacity building in Ethiopia to both Tadelle and Negussie
Recognized achievements
D
FI
D
F
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n
di
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g
K
o
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p
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n
F
u
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d
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-Egg production
-Growth (wt at 16 wks)
-Age at first egg
B
r
e
e
d
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g
O
b
j
e
c
t
i
v
e
Set up breed
improvement
program
-2nd
generation
-Promising
results
Diagnostics
High
mortality
Facility
Man
power
Egg
production
34-75 at 45
wks of age
Age at first egg
223-148 days
Growth
550-788 g
High within
variability
C
h
a
r
a
c
t
e
r
i
s
a
t
i
o
n
Livability
50%-97%