Abstract:A genetically recessive albino mutation, which inhibits pigment development in the eyes, skin, and feathers of domestic chickens from Brazil, is described. This mutation appeared in a flock of completely black chickens of a private breeder. There are no information on the origin, breed, or specific line of the birds. Pigment inhibition is apparently complete in the feathers and eyes. Bird sight is very impaired, but no histological examination was carried out. Ratios obtained in F2 and backcrossed birds indica… Show more
“…Female Pelung chickens predominantly have black beaks and shanks. As a natural pigment, melanin is pivotal in controlling the color of feathers, skin, shanks, and beak (Jorge and Cunha 2008). Similar findings have been reported by Brown et al (2017) who investigated local chickens in Ghana.…”
Asmara IY, Garnida D, Tanwiriah W, Partasasmita R. 2019. Qualitative morphological diversity of female Pelung Chickens in West Java, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 20: 126-133. Pelung chickens are indigenous chickens in Indonesia derived from Cianjur District, West Java Province. The chickens which are raised as singing chickens have a distinctive body shape compared to other local chickens. Regular contests are conducted as a media to show singing ability and performance including morphological characteristics of Pelung chickens. Pelung keepers believe that the chickens inherited their singing capability from their parents. Pelung keepers perceived qualitative traits for example plumage color as an indicator of a good female breed. The objective of this study was to determine the qualitative traits of female Pelung Chickens in West Java. This study recorded comb type, color of eye, beak, skin, plumage and shank including traditional name related to the morphological traits. A survey was conducted to gather data involving 160 chickens in four districts in West Java Province, including Cianjur, Sukabumi, Bandung, and Garut Districts. The results showed that adult female Pelung chickens have similar qualitative characteristics except for plumage color. The majority of pelung chickens in Bandung, Garut, and Sukabumi have black plumage, while in Cianjur District have yellow-brown color. The chicken contest seems to be the main factor dictating keepers’ preferences in terms of plumage color in Bandung, Garut and Sukabumi Districts. This study indicates a decreasing variation in plumage color of female Pelung chickens. These findings are important in terms of breeding strategy of Pelung chickens.
“…Female Pelung chickens predominantly have black beaks and shanks. As a natural pigment, melanin is pivotal in controlling the color of feathers, skin, shanks, and beak (Jorge and Cunha 2008). Similar findings have been reported by Brown et al (2017) who investigated local chickens in Ghana.…”
Asmara IY, Garnida D, Tanwiriah W, Partasasmita R. 2019. Qualitative morphological diversity of female Pelung Chickens in West Java, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 20: 126-133. Pelung chickens are indigenous chickens in Indonesia derived from Cianjur District, West Java Province. The chickens which are raised as singing chickens have a distinctive body shape compared to other local chickens. Regular contests are conducted as a media to show singing ability and performance including morphological characteristics of Pelung chickens. Pelung keepers believe that the chickens inherited their singing capability from their parents. Pelung keepers perceived qualitative traits for example plumage color as an indicator of a good female breed. The objective of this study was to determine the qualitative traits of female Pelung Chickens in West Java. This study recorded comb type, color of eye, beak, skin, plumage and shank including traditional name related to the morphological traits. A survey was conducted to gather data involving 160 chickens in four districts in West Java Province, including Cianjur, Sukabumi, Bandung, and Garut Districts. The results showed that adult female Pelung chickens have similar qualitative characteristics except for plumage color. The majority of pelung chickens in Bandung, Garut, and Sukabumi have black plumage, while in Cianjur District have yellow-brown color. The chicken contest seems to be the main factor dictating keepers’ preferences in terms of plumage color in Bandung, Garut and Sukabumi Districts. This study indicates a decreasing variation in plumage color of female Pelung chickens. These findings are important in terms of breeding strategy of Pelung chickens.
“…The lack or reduced melanin levels during embryogenesis could result in impairing impaired visual receptors and brain (Smyth 1990). Recently, impaired sight in chickens with the albino mutation was described (Jorge & Cunha, 2008). The mechanism and cause of pigmentation change in the "white chicks" condition is not known.…”
Chicken astrovirus (CAstV) was recently indicated as the factor of the "white chicks" condition associated not only with increased embryo/chick mortality but also with weakness and white plumage of hatched chicks. In February 2014, organ samples (livers and kidneys) from dead-in-shell embryos, as well as 1-day-old whitish and normal chicks, were delivered from one hatchery in Poland for disease diagnosis. The samples originated from the same 30-week-old breeder flock in which the only observed abnormal signs were 4-5% decrease in the number of hatched chickens and the presence (about 1%) of weaker chicks with characteristic whitish plumage among normal ones. CAstV was detected in submitted samples and was then isolated in 10-day-old embryonated specific pathogen free (SPF) chicken eggs. We also reproduced an infection model for the "white chicks" condition in SPF layer chickens using the isolated PL/G059/2014 strain as the infectious agent. Results of experimental reproduction of the "white chicks" condition were somewhat more serious than field observation. The administration of the CAstV material into the yolk sac of 8-day-old SPF chicken eggs caused delay and prolongation of hatching, as well as death of embryos/chicks, and also a change of plumage pigmentation. Only two chicks of a total of 10 inoculated SPF eggs survived and were observed for 2 months. A gradual elimination of the CAstV genome was noted in this period. Moreover, a few contact-naive SPF chicks, which had been placed in the same cage, were infected with CAstV. Molecular characterization of detected CAstV was performed by nucleotide sequencing of the full ORF2 region encoding the capsid precursor protein gene. Phylogenetic studies showed that the PL/G059/2014 isolate clustered in the subgroup Aiii of CAstV. In the light of the new classification rules, the Polish PL/G059/2014 CAstV isolate could be assigned to a new species of the Avastrovirus genus.
“…The existence of melanin is important in chicken pigmentation not only for eyes but also for beak, shank and skin (Jorge and Cunha 2008). The main color of the beak in the current study was black which might be due to high melanin concentration.…”
Abstract. Asmara IY, Garnida D, Setiawan I, Partasasmita R. 2019. Short Communication: Phenotypic diversity of male pelung chickens in West Java Province, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 20: 2243-2248. Pelung chickens are indigenous chickens from Cianjur District, West Java Province, Indonesia. The male chickens have long and beautiful crowing and have a distinct body figure compared to other indigenous chickens. Chicken contests are conducted regularly as media to show singing ability and body performance of Pelung chickens. Pelung chickens raised in different areas may have different phenotypic characteristics due to keeper preferences. Also, the phenotypic characteristics of the winners of chicken contests may influence keepers to select their chickens. The objective of this study was to determine the phenotypic characteristics of male Pelung Chickens in different areas in West Java, Indonesia. Comb type, as well as the color of eye, beak, skin, plumage, and shank, were recorded in the study. Data were collected through a survey involving 160 male birds in four different districts in West Java Province including Cianjur, Sukabumi, Bandung and Garut Districts. Key informant interview was carried out to support quantitative data. The results showed a limited variation of phenotypic characteristics among male Pelung chickens. Comb type, as well as skin and plumage colors, are criteria to select male Pelung chickens. Phenotypic characteristics of contest winners are also a reference for Pelung keepers in breeding selection.
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