An exploratory field survey was conducted in Horro Guduru Wollega Zone, Ethiopia, to phenotypically characterize indigenous goats. Eight qualitative and fifteen quantitative traits from 612 goats were considered. All data were analysed using SAS 9.2, version 2008. The dominant coat colour types in Guduru district were black (35.29 percent), whereas in Amuru district, the dominant coat colour types were white and brown with brown dominant (18.63 percent) and brown (17.65 percent). In Horro district, the dominant coat colour types were grey (21.57 percent) and black and white with black dominant (15.69 percent). Morphometric measurements (body weight (BW), heart girth and body length) indicated that the Amuru and Horro goats were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than the Guduru goats. Male goats were consistently higher than female goats in all variables except pelvic width (PW). BW could be predicted from the regression equation y = −45.22 + 1.04x for does and y = −59.71 + 1.25x for bucks, where y and x are the BW and the heart girth, respectively. This phenotypic information serves as a basis for designing appropriate conservation and breeding strategies for goats in the study area. However, it should be substantiated with genetic characterization to guide the overall goat breeding and conservation programmes.

The objective of the present study was to describe the frequency of the main racial traits of Morada Nova sheep and simulate the impact of this culling on the response to selection for birth weight. The data from sex, coat colour, hoof pigmentation, muzzle pigmentation, polled and cryptorchidism were collected individually at weaning from 385 Morada Nova sheep of the red variety, born between 2010 and 2012, which belonged to four different flocks in the state of Ceará, Brazil. To estimate the impact of culling of animals due to racial pattern on the genetic improvement of the Morada Nova population, the genetic gains in birth weight per generation were calculated considering the following different scenarios of culling due to racial pattern in a simulated population. The present results indicate that the most urgent step is flexibilization of the requirement of dark muzzles and hooves. The selection of Morada Nova sheep based on racial pattern has caused losses in the genetic gain for productive traits such as birth weight. Readaptation of the official racial pattern established for Morada Nova sheep is necessary so that the racial pattern is achieved and an adequate number of animals will be available for selection.

Characterization of indigenous animal genetic resources is a first step in providing much needed information for the conservation and utilization of useful genotypes for future needs. The study was undertaken to estimate heritability of traits of economic importance in local chicken populations from the forest and savannah zones of Ghana. A restricted maximum likelihood animal model was applied to growth data of local chickens from hatch to 40 weeks to estimate heritability, phenotypic and genotypic correlations of body weight and shank length. Heritability, phenotypic and genotypic correlations were also calculated for egg number and egg weight. High genetic and phenotypic correlations were obtained between body weight and shank length. Average heritability estimates were 0.54, 0.42, 0.30 and 0.47 for body weight, shank length, egg number and egg weight, respectively. These moderate-to-high heritability estimates indicate that these traits could be targeted in genetic improvement programmes for local chickens.

Two indigenous chicken breeds: naked neck (N) and local white (W) feathered chicken called Netch as sire lines and two exotic chicken breeds: Fayoumi (F) and Rhode Island Red (R) as dam lines were crossed with the objective of producing 4-way cross-bred chicken population, which will later be used as base population to produce synthetic chickens. They were tested under on-station conditions in a college farm and under on-farm conditions at several typical village farms. Mortality during brooding period was lower under on-farm than on-station conditions, which may be owing to housing of the chicks in hay box-brooder on-farm and the coccidiosis infection on-station. However, higher on-farm mortality was observed during the laying period than on-station; mainly because of predation. There was a significant difference between the two systems in recorded body weight from early age to maturity. Age at first egg was lower on-farm than on-station. Average number of eggs produced was not significantly different; although chickens on-station laid more eggs than those on-farm. Hen-housed egg production was lower on-farm than on-station owing to higher mortality in the on-farm system.