Genetic characterisation of a recovered Italian chicken breed: the Millefiori Piemontese

The recent rediscovering of the Millefiori Piemontese breed, previously considered as extinct, has led to its genetic characterisation: establishing the basis for its recovery and preservation. This study describes the morpho-biometric traits and compares the genetic variability of the Millefiori Piemontese breed with that of other local chicken breeds using 26 microsatellite markers. A subset of 14 markers was used to compare the genetic variation of the Millefiori Piemontese breed with that of two other Piedmontese chicken breeds (Bionda Piemontese and Bianca di Saluzzo) as well as 17 Italian and 2 commercial hybrids, whose genetic variability has already been investigated. The present study confirmed the sexual dimorphism and assessed the genetic variability of the Millefiori Piemontese in terms of number of alleles/locus (Na = 4), the effective number of alleles (Nea = 3), observed (Ho = 0.56) and expected heterozygosity (He = 0.53), self-coancestry (IB = 0.65), potential extinction risk (ERI = 2), and its contribution to the Italian poultry biodiversity (GDT = −0.60). The results indicate that, despite its small population size (Ne = 56), the Millefiori Piemontese population exhibits significant genetic diversity, making it a valuable resource for breeding programs focused on preserving the breed and safeguarding its biodiversity. This study is the first to investigate the genetic variability of the Millefiori Piemontese breed and compare it with other local poultry breeds. The findings highlight the genetic uniqueness of the Millefiori breed and its significant contribution to the biodiversity of chickens in Piedmont and Italy, emphasising the importance of its conservation.