Local poultry populations in chlef (Algeria) : phenotypes, rearing systems and performances

The local chickens represent a very important source of income and high quality protein for rural households all over the world and especially in the poorest African countries. In Algeria, the local poultry populations is a valuable source of income and play a significant cultural role; they are thus offered as gifts and used during ritual sacrifices or ceremonies. Despite their economic and cultural importance, Algerian local breeds being exploited only in family farms, remain poorly known. In order to document and identify the phenotypic characteristics of the local poultry populations in the region of Chlef, several surveys were conducted on 72 families. Socioeconomic results showed that all women (100%) were housewives; and they were the key player (80%) in the chicken-farming activity. The chicken-rearing conditions were very rudimentary, characterized by an inadequate housing (73.5%), insufficient quantity of food (75%), uncontrolled reproduction scheme and a complete lack of veterinary assistance, leading to significant losses mainly due to diseases (52%) and predation (31%). The observation and analysis of 677 animals led to the identification of several phenotypes; the white, straw, red and golden were the most dominant plumage colors, the smooth feathers was the most frequent (92.8%) type of plumage and the normal distribution of plumage prevailed with 83.8%. The average weight comparison showed a very significant sexual dimorphism (p < 0.0001) in favor of males. The improvement of rearing conditions remains the best solution to improve productivity.