Identification of different ecotypes of village akoho gasy (Gallus domesticus) in the regions of Analamanga and Atsimo Andrefana, Madagascar

Abstract

This study was conducted to identify the different ecotypes existing in Malagasy village chickens. Measurements of morpho-biometric parameters of chickens from two ecological different regions (Analamanga and Atsimo Andrefana) and statistical analyses were performed according to FAO guidelines. Among the 117 chickens analyzed, the results showed that those from the Atsimo Andrefana region had significantly higher biometric values than those from the Analamanga region regarding live weight (1629.23g vs. 1448.46g; p = 0.02), wingspan (46.09cm vs. 44.08cm; p = 0.009) and tarsal length (8.51cm vs. 7.13cm; p < 0.000). However, there was no significant difference between the two groups of chickens for the body length (p = 0.829) and chest circumference (p = 0.922). Morphological characters are very diverse and did not show any significant difference between the Analamanga and Atsimo Andrefana regions. Thus, the groups of chickens correspond to two ecotypes identified in the Malagasy village chickens.