Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta, FUNAAB Professor Develops Improved Chicken Breed [PICS].

The Professor of Animal Breeding and Genetics has developed improved breed of chickens from local chickens. The project which stated in 1994 has led to the improved breed of chicken called FUNAAB-Alpha.

A Professor of Animal Breeding and Genetics in the College of Animal Science and Livestock Production (COLANIM), Professor Olufunmilayo Adebambo and her poultry-breeding team, have developed a new breed of chicken in the University, called FUNAAB-Alpha, after over 20 years of continuous research.

According to the University Don, she started the project in 1994, with the first generation of chickens, collected randomly all over South West, Nigeria. Recalling her experience, Professor Adebambo noted that the different types of local chickens (Normal Fethered, Frizzle Feathered and Naked Necks), were collected all over Nigeria by students in the Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics (COLANIM) and were screened for conservation and multiplication by her first Ph.D student, late Dr. (Mrs.) Josephine Adenowo, during which, eggs were taken to Oyo town, Oyo State, for hatching.

Explaining further, Professor Adebambo stated that she started the second generation of the birds after screening and selection from 1,000 birds, only 27 got into the cage. This, she said, was done to screen against diseases and upon getting into the cage, the birds were further screened against brooding, because as local chickens, they had the tendency to brood after egg laying, which is usually in clutches, after which the chicks are reared.

These activities, therefore, render them unproductive like imported birds. Since motherhood is not allowed for commercial poultry business, only 17 non-broody birds formed the foundation stock in the cage. “From these 17, we started multiplication, cross-breeding, back-crossing and criss-crossing, which brought us to where we are today”.

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