Caractérisation phénotypique et gestion de la population de poulets locaux dans les communes de Dassa et de Toffo au Bénin

Morphometrical and morphological characters of 663 local chickens and management technique, production and breeding aims of 97 breeders were studied in Dassa and Toffo district in Benin. Different phenotypes were identified in the study area: the chicken with normal feathering, the naked neck, the frizzle feathered the soft feathering and the polydactyl. Feather colour of local poultry is variable but the partridge (18.55 %), the black (12.52 %), the light brown (9.05 %) and the brown (8.13 %) are dominants. The comb is predominantly with a simple type (99 %) and essentially the pink (59.58 %) and light pink (29.26 %) colour are encountered. The ear lobes are pink (45.40 %) and white (36.80 %). The beak colour goes from white (0.3 %) through yellow (9.61 %) and black (27.45 %) to brown (40.27 %). The skin is essentially pink, light pink but legs are white and grey. Eyes are most orange (70.14 %) and brownish (27.75 %). The two sexes were not significantly different for body measurements. The hen weighs 773.04 g ± 322.71 and the coq 745.84 g ± 353.7. The region had an effect on body measurements because Dassa’s chickens had average value globally higher than the one in Toffo. Correlation coefficients between body live weight and the other body linear measurements were high and significant. Three groups of chicken emerge: those with yellow beak and those with black beak met in Dassa district and those with cream beak and diverse feathers colour observed in Toffo district. Results also show that 52.58 % of chicken breeders are female and for 71.13 % of them, poultry contributes about 40-100 % to their annual income. The breeders in Toffo had a higher chicken stock and this supports the hypothesis that “lower land owners keep more chickens”. Chicken are raised for rituals uses, market and consumption. Local chicken are appreciated for two purposes: eggs and meat production. The selection criteria are based on the hen’s prolificity and its live weight. Hens reached their sexual maturity between 24 and 26 weeks of age.