Mia Patel
Chickens are believed to have been domesticated 7,000-10,000 years ago in Southeast Asia and Oceana, with their primary wild ancestor being the Southeast Asian Red Junglefowl (Gallus gallus). Over time, cultural contacts, trade, migration, and territorial conquest led to their spread and reintroduction to different regions worldwide. Evidence suggests that the Indus Valley, with its trade connections to the Middle East, may have been ground zero for the bird's westward expansion. Indigenous domestic chickens in the Middle East are adapted to hot, dry, and semi-dry areas, and while they are a major source of protein for agricultural communities, their populations are declining due to the increased demand for poultry meat and eggs, favoring more productive exotic commercial breeds. This article will explore the oldest chicken breeds from the Middle East, delving into their history, characteristics, and current status.
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What You'll Learn
The Red Junglefowl
Red Junglefowl (Gallus gallus) is considered the "original bird" from which all varieties and strains of domesticated chickens arrived. They are smaller than most common chicken sizes, yet a little bigger than modern-day bantams. Male red junglefowl are significantly larger than females and have brightly coloured decorative feathers. The male's tail is composed of long, arching feathers that initially look black but shimmer with blue, purple, and green in direct light. The female's plumage is cryptic and adapted for camouflage. She alone looks after the eggs and chicks.
Red junglefowl are native to humid and sub-humid tropical areas, stretching from India eastwards across Indochina and southern China, into Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, and Indonesia. They were one of the three main animals (along with domesticated pigs and dogs) carried by early Austronesian peoples from Island Southeast Asia in their voyages to the islands of Oceania in prehistory, starting around 5,000 BP. Today, their ancient descendants are found throughout Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia, and Hawaii, where they were brought by the first Polynesian settlers.
Red junglefowl prefer disturbed habitats and edges, both natural and human-created. They are often found near human settlements and areas regenerating from slash-and-burn cultivation. They are attracted to areas with bamboo growth as bamboo seeds are more readily available. In some regions, they are absent from silvicultural and rubber plantations, but they can be found in tea and palm-oil plantations. Red junglefowl drink surface water when available, but it is not a requirement for them. They regularly bathe in dust to maintain the right balance of oil in their plumage.
Red Junglefowl has been developed as a pure breed by Cackle Hatchery since 1984. Their bloodline was acquired from descendants of Red Junglefowl at the San Diego Zoo. Most of the birds have slate blue or grey legs and white earlobes, but some have moss green legs and red earlobes due to differences in the subspecies used in the original breeding.
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Indigenous chicken in Iraq
Iraqi Indigenous Chickens (IIC) are native to the country and are well-adapted to a wide range of ambient temperatures, from -5°C to 50°C. They are found throughout Iraq and are raised for meat and eggs. IICs are active and independent foragers, feeding on the ground. The IPA Agricultural Research Centre played a role in the purification and multiplication of five different genetic lines according to feather colour, which varied from white to black. Most of the birds have white skin, a single comb type, and an egg-shell colour that ranges from white to brown. IICs reach sexual maturity between 162 to 166 days and weigh around 1.4 kg at maturity, indicating that they are small-sized birds.
IICs are known for their ability to thrive in harsh environments, but they face the challenge of lower productivity levels compared to commercial strains. Studies have evaluated the feed efficiency and egg production of IICs, finding that they have lower feed efficiency and produce fewer eggs than commercial strains. IICs also have thin and low eggshell weights, which may be due to polymorphisms in the prolactin (Prl) gene, which regulates egg production traits.
The maternal origin of indigenous domestic chickens in the Middle East, including Iraq, has been studied using mitochondrial DNA analysis. This analysis has provided insights into the origin and dispersal routes of these chickens, contributing to our understanding of the history and diversity of indigenous chicken breeds in the region.
Overall, Iraqi Indigenous Chickens are well-adapted to the country's diverse climatic conditions and are an important source of meat and eggs for local communities. However, they face challenges in terms of lower productivity and eggshell thickness compared to commercial breeds.
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Saudi Arabia's domestic chickens
The country produced 900,000 metric tons of chicken meat in 2020, accounting for 60% of domestic consumption, and this figure increased to 910,000 metric tons in 2021. MEWA expects local production to account for 80% by 2025 and 100% by 2030. To achieve this, Saudi Arabia has been encouraging foreign companies to invest in the local market, offering 100% ownership and access to subsidies.
The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) has implemented measures that significantly impact the import poultry market, including temporarily suspending imports from certain countries due to health concerns and outbreaks. Brazil has been a major supplier to the Saudi market, but in 2021, the SFDA suspended several Brazilian poultry plants from exporting to the country. Ukraine and France have also been affected by import suspensions.
The consistent launch of new processed poultry products, hyper-branding, and modern retailing across supermarkets has driven market growth. Retailers are expanding their frozen and chilled poultry offerings to meet growing consumer demand, and advancements in freezing technologies and supply chain solutions have further supported the increasing consumption of processed poultry.
Genetic studies have also been conducted to unravel the history and diversity of indigenous chickens in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia. These studies use mitochondrial DNA analysis to identify the wild ancestors and maternal lines that contributed to the indigenous domestic chicken populations, which are adapted to hot, dry, and semi-dry areas. However, these indigenous populations are declining due to the increased demand for poultry meat and eggs, with more productive exotic commercial breeds being favored.
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Algeria's indigenous chickens
Chickens are a significant source of nutrition and economic activity for agricultural communities worldwide. Indigenous chickens are adapted to hot, dry, and semi-dry areas, unlike their wild ancestor, the Red Junglefowl, which inhabits humid and sub-humid tropical environments. Unfortunately, indigenous populations are declining due to the increased demand for poultry meat and eggs, with farmers favouring more productive exotic commercial breeds.
Algeria is one of the countries in the northern part of the African continent with indigenous chicken populations. Algerian indigenous chickens have been characterised by their phenotypic traits, such as comb colour, tarsus colour, eye colour, and earlobe colour. The most common comb colour is dark red (77.8%), followed by light red (22.2%). Tarsus colour varies, with white (40.9%), grey (31%), yellow (15.39%), dark (8.05%), and green (4.51%) varieties. Orange eyes are the most common (81.7%), followed by yellow (10.37%) and dark brown (7.92%). The dominant earlobe colour is white (73.96%), followed by red (16.81%), with the remaining proportion including yellow, red-mottled yellow, and black earlobes.
Algerian indigenous chickens have also been studied for their body weight (BW) prediction based on morphological traits. However, the results of these predictions have not been reported. Additionally, the genetic diversity of Algerian indigenous chickens has been explored using mtDNA D-loop sequencing, contributing to our understanding of their history and origin.
Algerian indigenous chickens are essential to local livelihoods and are culturally significant. Conservation efforts are crucial to preserving these chicken breeds, and organisations like the Food and Agriculture Organization have launched indigenous poultry conservation programmes.
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Pakistan's ancient centre of origin
Pakistan has been identified as a putative ancient centre of origin for domestic chickens in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent. The Indus Valley has been proposed as a possible centre of domestication. However, the lack of data from the Indian subcontinent makes it difficult to map out a clear history of chickens in the region.
The Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia have been proposed as major centres of origin for domestic chickens. The history of chicken domestication is still uncertain, but mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis has been used to unravel the history of domestic chickens. Pakistan is included in this analysis, which aims to understand the origin and dispersal routes of domestic chickens in the Middle East, North Africa, and the Horn of Africa.
The analysis of mtDNA from Pakistan and other regions revealed the presence of five haplogroups (A, B, C, D, and E). Haplogroup E is believed to have its centre of diversity on the Indian subcontinent, and it is the most common haplogroup in Europe and India. While Ethiopia displayed the largest diversity among the regions studied, it is suggested that this may be due to the number of samples analysed, with more than twice as many Ethiopian samples as Pakistani ones.
Pakistan has a rich culinary culture that features chicken as a prominent ingredient. One notable dish is Chicken Karahi, or Kadai Chicken, a popular curry in Pakistan and India. This dish originates in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan and is known for its rich, tomato-based sauce and the use of green chili peppers, cilantro, and ginger. Another famous dish with disputed origins is Butter Chicken, which is claimed by both India and Pakistan. According to one account, it was invented in a restaurant called Moti Mahal, which was originally located in Peshawar, Pakistan, before relocating to Delhi, India, following the partition in 1947.
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Frequently asked questions
The oldest chicken breed in the world is the Southeast Asian Red Junglefowl (Gallus gallus). However, the Green Junglefowl (Gallus varius), the Grey Junglefowl (Gallus sonnaratii), and the Sri Lanka Junglefowl (Gallus lafayetti) are also believed to be ancestors of the modern chicken.
Today's chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) primarily originates from the Red Junglefowl.
Domestication of the Red Junglefowl probably occurred 7,000-10,000 years ago in Southeast Asia and Oceana.
Evidence suggests that the Indus Valley, where the Harappan civilization traded with the Middle East, was ground zero for the bird's westward spread more than 4,000 years ago.
The wild ancestor of chickens in the Middle East is the Red Junglefowl, which lives in humid and sub-humid tropical areas.
