Physical characteristics of Zoar: The indigenous chicken of Mizoram, India

Abstract

An investigation was conducted to evaluate the physical characteristics of the indigenous chicken ‘Zoar’of Mizoram, India in its breeding tract (Aizawl and Mamit districts). The findings indicated that the mean body weight of cock and hen of the Zoar chicken were 2024±40.2 and 1367.4±19.2 g, respectively. The body measurement traits such as the body length, chest girth, shank length, breast angle and a wing span of cock and hen in this native chicken averaged as 51.97 ± 0.22 and 42.73 ± 0.28 cm, 32.56 ± 0.17 and 28.93 ± 0.17 cm, 10.86± 0.04 and 8.90 ± 0.05 cm, 55.67 ± 0.30 and 50.81 ± 0.32°, and 77.96 ± 0.35 and 71.37 ± 0.25 cm, respectively. The mean values of the wattle length, comb width, comb height and beak length of Zoar cocks and hens were recorded as 3.12 ± 0.11and 1.58 ± 0.07 cm, 6.15 ± 0.08 and 3.30 ± 0.13 cm, 3.54 ± 0.06 and 1.50 ± 0.08 cm, and 3.00 ± 0.02 and 2.74 ± 0.02 cm, respectively. Cocks showed significantly higher mean values than that of hens for all the traits studied. The findings suggested that the indigenous chicken ‘Zoar’ of Mizoram is a medium sized bird with a moderately developed single comb and wattle, and long beak, shank and a wing span.