Performance and egg quality traits of local chickens across different agroecologies in the Kewot district, North Shewa zone, Northern Ethiopia

This study was conducted to evaluate the performance (productive and reproductive) potential and egg quality traits of local chickens (LCs) across different agroecologies (AEs) in the Kewot district, North Shewa zone, northern Ethiopia. A multistage sampling technique was used to select the study sites and households (HHs). The data were collected through semi-structured questionnaires, monitoring and measurements. A total of 147 HHs were included in this study. Ninety brooding hens were monitored to determine hatchability and survivability percentages. A body weight of 120 LCs was measured at the market centres. Furthermore, the egg quality traits of 120 freshly laid eggs were evaluated. The data were analysed by a statistical package for social sciences (version 20). In the study area, the average flock size of the LC/HH populations was 9.90 ± 0.36. The most common flock type was chicks, followed by pullets, with significantly lower (p < 0.05) in the lowland (LL) AE. The mean age at first egg of females and the mean age at sexual maturity of males were 6.05 ± 0.06 and 5.68 ± 0.08 months, respectively. The numbers of eggs per clutch and per year were 14.29 ± 0.40 and 50.02 ± 1.51, respectively. There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) in the average number of clutches/hen/year across AEs, while significantly lower (p < 0.05) numbers of eggs per clutch and per year were recorded for highland (HL) AEs than for LL agro-ecology. The mean hatchability percentage was 80.94 ± 1.69%. The mean market body weights of the male and female LCs were 0.91 ± 0.05 and 0.82 ± 0.05 kg, respectively. There were significant differences (p < 0.05) in egg weight, egg width, shell thickness, shell ratio, albumen height, albumen and yolk weight, yolk colour, and Haugh unit (HU) between the AEs. The results revealed that the performance potential and egg quality traits of the LC in the study district were somewhat poor. Therefore, AE-specific development interventions should be designed and implemented to improve the performance potential and egg quality traits of LC in the study area.