title: Village chicken production in Turkey: Tokat province example.
abstract: The aim of this work was to reveal the current form of village chicken production in Tokat province of Turkey. A survey was applied to 153 randomly selected farmers of 5 subdistricts in Tokat province. The ratios of domestic fowls in the survey region were as follows: hen 98.83%, goose 0.65%, turkey 0.29% and duck 0.16% (P < 0.01). Feather colours of laying hens were white (2.76%), brown (8.63%) and mixed color (88.60%). The hen farms in this region consisted of native breeds (91.42%), commercial breeds (5.71%) and their crosses (2.85%). The mean egg weight of the village hens was between 30 and 40 g. Wheat (65.73%) and mixed (wheat, barley, maize and kitchen refuse) feed (34.22%) were used to supplement the hens (P < 0.01). For producing natural chicks, the hens were brooded between 1.10 and 1.46 times/year, 1.31 on average. For each brooding, the number of placed eggs under the broody hens was between 11.39 and 12.42 (P < 0.05).
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Animal Science, Gaziosmanpaşa University, 60250, Tokat, Turkey. aseker@gop.edu.tr
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sekeroglu
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Aksimsek
mesh_terms: D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D001947:Breeding; D002645:Chickens / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D004372:Ducks / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005777:Geese / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D010058:Oviposition / Q000502:physiology*; D012098:Reproduction / Q000502:physiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014421:Turkey; D014422:Turkeys / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology