Native chicken lines in South Africa are associated primarily with rural households. A programme was established only as recently as 1994 to conserve the different lines found in South Africa. As no scientific data was available on the production traits of these lines, a research trial was conducted to describe them phenotypically in terms of their growth, carcass traits and egg production. Four different native lines, the Koekoek, Naked Neck, Lebowa-Venda and Ovambo chicken were included in the study. Significant differences were observed among the lines, which means that the lines could be described as different native lines in terms of their phenotypic traits. The Ovambo chicken had the best growth performance, while the Koekoek showed the highest performance for egg production. Although production is poor in comparison with commercial lines, the contribution of these birds to household food security and application in low-input systems should be recognized and further investigated.
