RegioHuhn

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The RegioHuhn project aims to develop an alternative approach to poultry production that on the one hand takes into account the interests of organic farming in a wide range of regionally sourced products and on the other hand supports the conservation of genetic diversity in chickens. The concept is based on crossing local chicken breeds with high-performance genotypes of laying hen and broiler parents. The aim is to combine the robustness and adaptability of local breeds with the performance potential of high-performance genotypes. The selection of local chicken breeds will take into account aspects of regionality, their potential suitability for agricultural use and the availability of purebred animals. The trials will be conducted at three different stations.

For this purpose, purebred animals of the breeds Altsteirer and Augsburger (LfL Kitzingen), Bielefelder Kennhuhn and Mechelner (University of Bonn), Ostfriesische Möwe and Ramelsloher (FLI-ING) as well as their crosses with high-performance broiler and layer lines will be subjected to a fattening and laying performance test to assess their suitability as a dual-use type for regional organic farming. In addition, an economic analysis and the evaluation of animal welfare indicators are carried out. In order to assess the practical relevance, the crossbreds will be included in an on-farm field trial (Naturland) in addition to the station trials on ten farms. Furthermore, nucleus herds will be established for the local breeds, which will provide farmers with the most suitable crossbred animals beyond the end of the project.