Biometry, production potential and genetic characterization of Red Jungle Fowl (Gallus gallus) reared under captivity from western Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh, India

The present investigation was conducted to study the morphology, production potential and genetic architecture of Red Jungle Fowl (Gallus gallus) kept in captivity. Records of 104 birds of RJF (65 males and 39 females) were utilized in study. Males had prominent plumage pattern with neck hackles, greenish black tails, and prominent bright red single comb, while females were comparatively smaller with very small combs. RJF are seasonal breeder having small clutch and egg size. Observed and effective number of alleles across the microsatellite loci varied from 5–18 with an overall mean of 10.28 and 5.04, respectively. The average expected heterozygosity and observed heterozygosity were 0.492 and 0.758 respectively. Study revealed existence of population structure accompanied by higher inbreeding along with sufficient heterozygosity. The effortmust bedirected tointroduce unrelated typical RJF in to the present population tomaintain heterozygosityand ensure conservation of unique germplasm.