Indigenous chickens breeding in Senegal and in sub-Saharan Africa: current status and constraints.

This review focuses on the place and the roles (socio-economic, cultural, religious, nutritional, family farming) of indigenous or village chickens in poverty alleviation and food security for people in African rural areas. It describes the characteristics of the different breeding systems (extensive and improved) and the chicken feeding practices observed in this livestock sector. After having reviewed the existing phenotypic varieties in the African indigenous chickens population, and the reproductive traits and growth performance of these birds in Senegal and others countries of Africa, the overview discuss and highlights the majors constraints (housing, high mortality, avian diseases, predators, shortage and irregularity of feed supply, microcredit…) that still hinder the traditional poultry development in Senegal and in sub-Saharan Africa.