Livestock and Poultry Management

Chickens were domesticated from wild jungle fowl thousands of years ago, and tracing that process through mitochondrial DNA and ancient genetic material has revealed surprisingly complex origins and migration routes that researchers are still working to untangle. In rural communities across Africa, Asia, and the Pacific, indigenous and family poultry breeds remain a critical source of nutrition, income, and economic agency — particularly for women who manage household flocks with minimal external inputs. Scientists studying these village systems are now asking how much genetic diversity has been lost as industrial breeds spread, and whether that loss compromises the adaptability that local breeds have developed over centuries of low-input farming. Ongoing research is trying to clarify how selective breeding, conservation policy, and poultry development programs can support rural livelihoods without eroding the genetic heritage that makes indigenous chickens resilient to local diseases and environmental conditions.

Works

60,256

Total citations

215,017

Keywords

Chicken DomesticationGenetic DiversityVillage PoultryMitochondrial DNAIndigenous BreedsFamily Poultry