ASPIRE Research Institute for Food Security in the Drylands

Poultry genotypes native to the UAE: Characterization and conservation of disease and stress tolerance genes

Objectives

The objectives of this subtheme are as follows:

• Explore the significance of local indigenous chicken breeds available in UAE.
• Characterize local breeds pheno- and genotypically.
• Identify superior, well adapted and disease resistant breeds for the genetic improvement of meat and egg production.
• Ultimately conserve pure breeds by in-situ and ex-situ techniques.

Group Member

• Dr. Anand Kullan,Subtheme Lead / PI
• Dr. Khaja Mohteshamuddin, Co-PI
• Adil Hassan Al Awad, Co-PI
• Eng. Oussama Alsheblak, Animal production specialist
• Sajid Gul Muhammad, Research Assistant

The Rise of Organic Poultry Production in the UAE 

 

Poultry is the most widely traded type of meat, worldwide. In the Gulf Region, the poultry industry is the economically most relevant animal production sector. Most chicken meat and eggs are produced on large poultry farms under controlled environmental conditions. However, chicken are also commonly found on smaller farms with mixed production systems where they roam freely on a part of the land. The meat and egg yield of these animals is often lower than that of the high-yielding hybrids used for large-scale production, but their tolerance to prevailing environmental conditions and diseases is higher. ​

The market for organic poultry products is growing in the UAE, due to an increasing consumer awareness of health risks and animal welfare problems associated with intensive poultry farming. Organic, circular farming systems for commercial poultry production in the UAE are not yet fully developed and would require well-characterized dual-purpose breeds for the free range. ​

Many local chicken breeds, however, are facing extinction around the world due to the introduction of improved productive crossbreeds of broiler and layers.

 

 

Preserving Indigenous Chicken Genetics 

A major aim of our work is to characterize and preserve local poultry breeds kept in the free range, thus preventing the loss of indigenous germplasm. ​ The conservation of indigenous chicken is currently receiving much needed attention for sustainable animal breeding because of the distinct genetic resource (disease resistant and stress resistant). Conservation is possible by adapting a pure breeding program combined with high level of selection to attain optimum genetic improvement in performance and economic feasibility. ​

Towards a Healthy Dual-Purpose Breed from the UAE  

To conserve the indigenous breeds, local chicken are collected from different parts of UAE. Based on the genotypic (mRNA D-loop marker analysis) and phenotypic analysis, each indigenous breeds is identified and described. Selected pure indigenous breeds are introduced into a breeding program for the genetic improvement of meat and egg quality traits (dual purpose). In addition, selected pure breeds will be conserved by both in-situ and ex-situ strategies. Genes/genetic markers associated with disease resistant and heat tolerance are identified and introduced into the breeding program. ​

We collaborate with

• The farm animal diseases group to characterize disease resistance in indigenous poultry.
• The novel food group and the consumers and diets group to test consumer acceptance of indigenous poultry products
• The insect farming group to test whether indigenous poultry could be fed with farmed insects in circular production systems.