Consumer perceptions, egg quality and nutritional profiling of 26 native hen breeds reveal breed-related variability within poultry biodiversity

Growing attention to sustainability and animal welfare is increasing consumer interest in eggs from extensive production systems. In an online survey (n = 1597), more than 85% of respondents reported willingness to consume eggs from local hen breeds, with higher perceived quality more common among urban women and consumers engaged in short supply chains. This study combined perception analysis with phenotypic characterization to assess whether perceived quality differences are supported by measurable traits. We characterized egg quality in 26 autochthonous breeds and compared them with a commercial hybrid by evaluating physical traits, proximate composition, and yolk fatty acid profiles. PCA of physical, color, and proximate traits (42.21% explained variance) revealed breed-specific “quality fingerprints,” with most breeds overlapping centrally and some diverging along gradients of structural allocation, size, and color. PCA of yolk fatty acid profiles (50.16% explained variance) identified distinct lipid signatures, including separation between Bianca di Saluzzo and Bionda Piemontese despite the same farm context. Finally, a nonparametric Directional Distance Function integrating fatty acid composition, yolk ether extract, and total protein identified more than half of the native breeds as nutritionally efficient under the selected criteria, supporting poultry biodiversity as a resource for sustainable and niche egg value chains.