Small Scale Egg Production: The Challenge of Portuguese Autochthonous Chicken Breeds

Biodiversity concerns and the sustainability of agroecological systems, together with consumer demand for higher quality products from alternative and extensive farming methods, have reinforced interest in local breeds that are well adapted to low-input environments. The first reference to Portugues...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Agriculture (Basel) 2021-09, Vol.11 (9), p.818
Main Authors: Brito, Nuno V., Lopes, Júlio Cesar, Ribeiro, Virgínia, Dantas, Rui, Leite, José V.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Biodiversity
Breeding
Chickens
Climate change
Domestication
Egg production
Eggs
Endangered & extinct species
Extinction
Farms
Genetic diversity
Genotypes
laying hens
Livestock breeding
local resources
Meat
Meat production
Performance evaluation
Poultry
productive performance
Productivity
selection program
small-scale
Small-scale farming
Sustainability
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Summary:Biodiversity concerns and the sustainability of agroecological systems, together with consumer demand for higher quality products from alternative and extensive farming methods, have reinforced interest in local breeds that are well adapted to low-input environments. The first reference to Portuguese poultry breeds appeared in the 1930s, with registration and breeding programs of native breeds only being implemented in the last ten years. Portuguese chicken breeds (Pedrês Portuguesa, Preta Lusitânica, Amarela, and Branca) are almost extinct and are currently bred on small-scale farms for egg and meat production. This study aimed to characterize the performance of laying hens, evaluating the influence of genotype, age, and season on egg production over four years in farm conditions. The results highlight the Pedrês Portuguesa as the most productive breed regarding egg production and reveal a tendency for an increase in egg production performance by the Branca in contrast with the lower productive capacity of the Preta Lusitânica. Older hens start laying earlier in consecutive laying periods, present a shorter peak, and an inferior number of total eggs/cycle. There is a need to establish breeding goals and to evaluate and revise breeding programs to increase productivity in autochthonous Portuguese chicken breeds.
ISSN:2077-0472
2077-0472
DOI:10.3390/agriculture11090818