Ganjam is an important sheep breed in the Orissa State in the eastern region of India. They are reared mainly for meat. The present study was conducted to characterize the Ganjam breed both phenotypically and genotypically at the DNA level using microsatellite markers. A survey was conducted in the breeding tract to study the habitat, body biometry, management practices and reproductive and productive performance of Ganjam sheep. A total of 604 animals were studied for morphological characteristics. The animals are medium sized with hairy fleece. Their coat colour varies from brown to dark tan. The average flock size is 35. Measurements were recorded for body weight, body length, height at withers, chest girth, ear length and horn length in 366 adult animals. A set of 25 microsatellite markers was used to assess the genetic variability in 50 DNA samples extracted from randomly collected blood samples of unrelated Ganjam sheep across their breeding tract. A total of 137 alleles were identified across the 25 markers. The allele diversity (5.48), mean observed heterozygosity (0.623) and gene diversity (0.685) estimates elucidated substantial genetic diversity within the Ganjam breed. The Mode Shift Test implied that a reduction in the effective population size or a recent genetic bottleneck was very unlikely in this indigenous breed of sheep. The within population inbreeding estimate values for the investigated population (0.087) showed a low rate of inbreeding.

This study describes the variations in the physical features and the useful attributes of different populations of indigenous chickens. Five populations of chickens in different regions of Ethiopia were studied based on 13 qualitative traits recorded for a total of 1 125 chickens. Additional measurements on quantitative traits (shank length and body weight) were also included. Descriptive statistics (nonparametric and F tests) were used to analyze the data. Each of the study populations possessed multiple variants of plumage colours and other physical features. However, white body plumage is one of the prominent features of Farta chickens and red is predominant in the other populations. Pea comb is the dominant comb type in all regions. Most of the chickens in the high altitude regions have yellow skin. The geographic distribution and frequency of naked neck chickens are generally small, and the available small proportion is found mainly in the low altitude regions. Males in all populations are heavier and taller than the females. Body weights range from 1 411 g (Konso) to 1 700 g (Horro) in adult males and from 1 011 g (Konso) to 1 517 g (Sheka) in females. Most of the morphological traits that were studied showed a very low level of associations with each other.

The aim of this study was to determine the egg production potentials of four different indigenous chicken breeds in South Africa: Potchefstroom Koekoek, Venda, Ovambo and Naked Neck. The White Leghorn breed was used as the control. The egg production potentials were evaluated over two consecutive production cycles of 52 weeks (used as replicates). Data were collected at the experimental farm of the Agriculture Research Council at Irene. Treatment means were separated using Fisher's protected t-test least significant difference at the 5 percent level of significance and the percentage mortality rate by means of a row by column chi-square test. No significant differences were observed between breeds on the mean age to the production of the first egg. The White Leghorn was superior (p ≤ 0.05) to all four of the indigenous breeds for the mean number of eggs and percentage hen-housed egg production produced per production cycle. The Potchefstroom Koekoek was also superior (p ≤ 0.05) to the other three indigenous breeds for these parameters. There was no difference between the Ovambo and Naked Neck breeds. The percentage mortality rate for the White Leghorn (39.5 percent) was significantly (p ≤ 0.05) different from that of the Venda, Ovambo and Potchefstroom Koekoek (22.2 percent). No differences were observed among the Potchefstroom Koekoek, Venda, Ovambo and Naked Neck (32.3 percent) or between the White Leghorn and Naked Neck with regard to the mean percentage mortality.

The role indigenous livestock can play in Africa's Livestock Revolution is not always recognized. In many parts of Africa pure breeding with indigenous breeds is the only viable production strategy because of adverse climatic and nutritional conditions. However, there are scenarios where the higher demands of exotic breeds and their cross-breds can be met. This article discusses the possibility of improving beef production through terminal cross-breeding with two South African cattle breeds, the Nguni and the Afrikaner, with different exotic breeds. Calving difficulties were limited and birth weights were restricted to the mid-parent value or below. Cross-breeding did not have a negative effect on cow performance such as weight change and fertility, but cow productivity increased. In most cases the weaning weight of cross-bred calves was the same or exceeded that of the pure sire breed, and the feed conversion ratio was always better than either of the two parent breeds. This made the feedlot performance of the cross-breds highly desirable. These results indicate that terminal cross-breeding with indigenous African breeds deserves more attention as a means of increasing the output of beef cattle in the subtropics and tropics. An added advantage of any system of terminal cross-breeding utilizing indigenous breeds is that the conservation and utilization of the indigenous breeds of Africa is ensured, because a constant stream of purebred females will be required.

This work describes a morphometric and reproductive study conducted on male and female N'Dama cattle in Congo. The study was concentrated on a herd having an average live weight of 255.1 ± 19.8 kg and 249.7 ± 26.4 kg respectively for male and female animals at 3 years of age. The regular coat is fawn with black legs. Some animals are piebald with occasional white patches and brown sprays.

Some average body measurements were evaluated: the wither height (115.3 ± 1.1 cm and 111.8 ± 0.9 cm), the length of the body from point of shoulder to point of buttock (143.7 ± 3.1 cm and 140.8 ± 3.2 cm) and the heart girth (158.2 ± 4.2 cm and 144.4 ± 1.3 cm) respectively for male and female animals.

When considering puberty as the age of first oestrus, by the overall behavioural criteria, the age of puberty fluctuated around 458 ± 26 days with a weight of 168 ± 18 kg. When considering puberty as the moment where a cycle similar to that of an adult ready to be fertilized is established, the results were different: the age of puberty became 779 ± 119 days with a weight of 182 ± 16 kg.

The N'Dama heifers born in the rainy season are more precocious (461.2 ± 33 days) with a weight of 184.6 ± 21 kg, against 767 ± 22 days and 191.8 ± 21 kg during the dry season. The number of calves born from a breeding dam was 0.8.

In our study, sire puberty was reached between 16 and 20 months, for a weight of 151.8 ± 16 kg. A positive correlation (r = 0.49 ± 0.1) was obtained between scrotal circumference and puberty weight.

Phenotypic characterisation of local chicken populations was undertaken in the humid forest zone. Out of 48 village's subsets sampled by Zonal Extension Agents (AVZ) in the 16 divisions of the Centre, South and East provinces, 751 adult chickens were examined, measured and individual pictures were taken.

Birds from the South and East provinces were similar in body weight at around 1 400 g for males and 1 160 g for females versus 1 665 g and 1 259 g for male and female birds from the Centre, the latter being heavier and larger in size than their counterparts from South and East. Annual egg production calculated from farmers' declarations was higher for birds in South with 54 eggs versus 51 and 49 in Centre and East provinces respectively, while hatchability was generally above 80%.

Morphological diversity was characterized by a low frequency (1–10%) for a rather large number of mutations (feathered shanks, crest, naked neck, muffs and beard, frizzing, dwarfism). In contrast, the 'yellow skin' mutation was present with a high frequency (50–60%). Feather colour was very variable with a high frequency of widespread black (E locus) and silver (S locus) colours.

This study forms part of a series of works in progress within the framework of the research programme registered at the laboratory of livestock production improvement at the Institute of Rural Development. The aim of this research is the improved performance of the indigenous Batéké hen.

The observation of weights at each weighing indicates a dynamic of significant growth. The chick which is born at 28,38 ± 2,3 g multiplies its weight by 4,2 one month after, gaining 119,3 ± 10 g (td > 3). The males grow more quickly than the females: at 3 months they reach 770,51 ± 94,35 g and 563,9 ± 43,2 g; in 6 months, 1 462 ± 118 g and 993,43 ± 99 g respectively (td > 4). Egg production per clutch reached 13,44 ± 0,2 eggs with a fecundity rate of 78,96 ± 10% and hatchability of 71,7 ± 8,4%. The positive correlations observed were regarded as linear. The conditions of breeding and feeding are determining factors in improving the performance of the indigenous Batéké hen and this is well appreciated by the Congolese population and the Islamic community living in Congo.

In Peru criollo cattle play an important role in the lives of the communities of the high Andes; they are a source of protein and of labour; their milk is sold as raw material or used to produce cheese by traditional methods (quesillo or cachipa). Reports of molecular characterization of milk proteins in the Peruvian criollo cattle are scarce, and in the absence of selection and improvement programmes, the diversity of locally adapted criollo cattle is being lost, without greater advantage being taken of this animal genetic resource. The results of genetic characterization of kappa caseins (CSN3) and beta lactoglobulins (BLG) in four populations of criollo cattle from Andean communities in Peru are reported. Allelic frequencies were: CSN3A = 0.590, CSN3B = 0.410, BLGA = 0.400 and BLGB = 0.600.

The aim of this study has been to attempt a phenotypic and morphological characterization of the stocks of the Casanare breed of cattle in the department of the same name in Colombia. To this end, we have studied 79 animals belonging to three farms considered to be those with a higher level of breed purity in their stocks. We took into consideration 24 phaneroptic and 23 morphological characteristics. On the basis of the results obtained, we have defined the first ever racial standard for this breed.