Selective breeding improves body weight and egg production in indigenous Tilili chicken in Ethiopia

1. This study evaluated body weight and egg production performance of Tilili indigenous chicken from different filial generations as a result of the selective breeding.2. The base populations (G-0) were established from 3,400 one-day-old chicks, which were hatched from 12 500 eggs collected from remote villages in Sekela and Tilili districts in 2021. During the selection program, body weight was recorded at hatch and every two weeks, while egg production data were recorded from the onset of lay to 44 weeks.3. Higher 16th-week body weight and higher cumulative 24-week egg production were selection criteria of the breeding program. Accordingly, 400 hens and 40 cocks were selected based on week sixteen body weight as selection candidates for the next generations, and 200 hens were selected based on their cumulative egg production in 24 weeks after start of lay to produce the next generation.4. Body weight traits significantly (<i>p</i> < 0.001) increased from Generation 0 (G0) to Generation 3 (G3). At 16 weeks of age, average body weights for G0, G2, and G3 were 814.6 g, 1100.6 g, and 1369.1 g, respectively, an overall gain of 68.1% from G0. Likewise, there was a significant (<i>p</i> < 0.001) increment (111.5%) in 24-week egg production in the progressive generations; 39.7, 48.03, and 82.5 eggs for G0, G2, and G3, respectively. A positive association of body weight with 24-week egg number suggested both traits improved simultaneously. Mortality rate declined significantly (<i>p</i> < 0.001) across generations.5. Overall, the Tilili chicken breeding program had improvements in growth, egg production, and survivability. However, genetic and phenotypic evaluations are needed due to potential negative genetic correlations between traits. Furthermore, it is essential to validate the phenotypic improvements by conducting a signature selection study using whole-genome analysis to identify the genome regions influenced by the selective breeding program.