LAYING HENS AND BROILER CHICKENS STRAINS USED IN HOT AND HUMID CLIMATE: ORIGIN, SELECTION TRAITS, PERFORMANCES AND CONSTRAINTS

LAYING HENS AND BROILER CHICKENS STRAINS USED IN HOT AND HUMID CLIMATE: ORIGIN, SELECTION TRAITS, PERFORMANCES AND CONSTRAINTS, A review.

KPOMASSE Cocou Claude

Abstract 

Chicken meat and eggs are the major protein source for consumers in most of the countries around the world.  Due to the importance of poultry development, farmers are faced to a crucial problem of negative effect of environment on bird’s performance in hot and humid areas. It’s why we reviewed origin areas, selection areas and selection traits of current laying hens and broiler chickens compared to their performances in hot and humid climate in order to raise constraints.

Key words: Laying hens, Broiler chickens, hot and humid climate, Selection traits, performances.

Introduction

Chickens are the most popular poultry worldwide irrespective of culture and religion (Roenigk, 1999; Aho, 2001; Aho, 2004). The current poultry is a domesticated fowl used for both meat and egg production. In fact, many research studies indicated that the red junglefowl is the direct ancestor of the domestic chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) used in commercial production for meat and eggs (Moreng and Avens, 1985; Crawford, 1990a; Sullivan, 1991; Siegel et al., 1992; Fumihito et al., 1994; Romanov and Weigend, 2001; Hillel et al., 2003; Vaisanen et al., 2005; Columbia Encyclopedia, 2006). The type of strain used is relative to financial possibility of farmers and the objectives of the poultry farm. In fact, we have three types of poultry strains: strains bred for meat only, strains bred for egg only and strains bred for both eggs and meat (Bankole, 2000). According to N’dri (2006), both broiler and layer strains was selected in favorable (temperate) condition but is bred in unfavorable condition (hot and humid climate). This situation could explain low performances noticed in these areas. Firstly we reviewed the origin and selection traits of current laying hen and broiler chickens before putting a critical look on their performances in hot and humid areas through the problematic of adaptability of these strains to these conditions.

1. Importance of poultry production

1. Poultry production in the world

Worldwide cosmopolitan chicken egg production and consumption have shown remarkable, broad and comprehensive dynamics over the past two decades. More than 50 billion chickens are raised annually as a source of food, for both their meat and eggs (Zaheer, 2015). In areas where the climate is hot and humid, commercial hybrid laying hens produce on average between 180 and 200 eggs/year. In more temperate climates laying hen can produce on average between 250 and 300 eggs/year. In 2012, about 21.2 billion chickens (accounted for over 90% of global egg production) were located in: Asia, 12.0; America, 5.28; Europe, 2.01; Africa, 1.79; Oceana, 0.13 (FAO, 2014). The same source stated that total shell egg production was 66.4 million tonnes in 2012 with 57.8% provided by only 5 countries (Table 1) and added that annual egg production has increased 2.3% globally from 2000 to 2010, although the regions varied. China is the world’s top egg producer as shown by the table 1.

In 2010, just five countries of America: the US, Mexico, Brazil, Columbia and Argentina produced some 10.8 million tons of eggs or 84% of the regional total. Canada’s egg industry has expanded by about 1.5% a year (The Poultry Site, 2013). India is the third-largest egg-producing country followed by Japan, the fourth largest producer. In European Union countries, the ban in 2012 imposed on use of conventional cages (CEC, 1999) appears to have restricted growth since 2008 to 1% annually associated with the increased production costs. In 2012, growth actually declined in the European Union (EU) as noted by a decrease in tonnes of eggs produced. The region’s largest egg producers remain France and Spain, followed by Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK (FAO, 2014). This has provided an opportunity to the egg producers across Asia and America to fulfill the demand-supply vacuum created in the European Union member countries. Two other egg producing countries, Brazil and Russia, have shown marked increases in production since 2008 with expected increases during 2012.

Table 1: The world’s top egg producing countries for year 2012a

a:Production: Livestock Primary: Eggs Primary, http://faostat3.fao.org/home/E (accessed January, 2015 (FAO, 2014). b: One tonne =1000 kg. c:Total egg production worldwide in 2012 was 66.373.179 tonnes.

1. Poultry production in Africa

In almost all the developing countries, the poultry farming practiced by poor, rural as urban families, participle in the strengthening of a vital family agriculture for jobs and food safety. According to the statistics of the FAO in 2003, Africa provides about 8 % of the world poultry population and participle for 4 % in the production of eggs and for 6 % in the production of avian meat. Sub-Saharan Africa represents hardly 1.5 % of the world production of chicken (FAO, on 2003). Also, its market part is very low in the world exchanges. Only South Africa develops the export of whole or cut poultry, essentially toward the nearby countries (Tanzania in particular). On the other hand, Central and western Africa imports more and more poultry from the (EU), essentially in the form of frozen cuts (Feussom Kameni, on 2008). In Africa as in most developing countries, we usually note two kind of poultry farming: the traditional poultry farming with traditional henhouses and the modern poultry farming. In contrary to the traditional poultry farming with family supply in rural area, the modern poultry farming uses improved strains hens with intensive farming in industrial or semi scale and it is located for the most part, near urban areas. They use a whole food in precise quantities, benefit from a sanitary and medical protection in checked conditions (Habyrimana, 1998).

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