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International Journal of Zoology and Applied Biosciences Research Article
Effect of breeder age and seasonal conditions on fertility, hatchability, egg characteristics, and sperm quality of the local Konde chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus l.) In Burkina Faso
TRAORE Boureima, ZARE Yacouba, TRAORE Ibrahima, GNANDA Isidore Bila, YAMBOUE Tanguy Auguste, HARO Moise, DA Filikpièrè Léonard, ZONGO Moussa, BAYALA Balé, SANOU S. Drissa
Year : 2026 | Volume: 11 | Issue: 6 | Pages: 44-55
Received on: 19/08/2026
Revised on: 22/09/2026
Accepted on: 15/10/2026
Published on: 01/11/2026
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TRAORE Boureima, ZARE Yacouba, TRAORE Ibrahima, GNANDA Isidore Bila, YAMBOUE Tanguy Auguste, HARO Moise, DA Filikpièrè Léonard, ZONGO Moussa, BAYALA Balé, SANOU S. Drissa( 2026).
Effect of breeder age and seasonal conditions on fertility, hatchability, egg characteristics, and sperm quality of the local Konde chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus l.) In Burkina Faso
. International Journal of Zoology and Applied Biosciences, 11( 6), 44-55.
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Abstract
The conservation and sustainable utilization of local poultry genetic resources are essential for developing poultry farming adapted to the agroecological conditions of sub-Saharan Africa. This study evaluated the effects of breeder age and seasonal temperature conditions on the reproductive performance of the local Konde chicken ecotype in Burkina Faso. A total of 120 hens and 18 roosters, divided into three age groups (8–15, 15–24, and 24–36 months), were reared under intensive conditions. Laying performance, sperm quality, fertility, hatchability, embryonic mortality, and egg morphometric characteristics were assessed. Heat stress was characterized using the temperature-humidity index (THI). Breeder age significantly affected reproductive performance and sperm characteristics (P < 0.05). Birds aged 15–24 months showed the best performance, with fertility of 67.50%, hatchability of 80.56%, progressive sperm motility of 77.22%, and sperm concentration of 3.32 × 10? sperm/mL. In contrast, males aged 24–36 months exhibited reduced sperm quality and fertility, accompanied by increased late embryonic mortality. Temperature conditions also significantly influenced reproductive performance. At a THI of 68–74, fertility, hatchability, and embryonic mortality were 68.02%, 79.50%, and 17.32%, respectively. Under severe heat stress (THI 84–88), fertility decreased to 44.33% and hatchability to 65.21%, while early embryonic mortality increased to 45.03%. Hot periods were also associated with reduced sperm motility and concentration and increased dead sperm. These findings demonstrate that heat stress substantially limits the reproductive potential of Konde chickens. Using breeders aged 15–24 months and scheduling breeding during periods of moderate THI could improve reproductive efficiency and contribute to the sustainable conservation of this local chicken.
Keywords
Konde chicken, THI, Heat stress, Fertility, Hatchability, Age, Sperm quality.
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© The Author(s) 2026. This article is published by International Journal of Zoology and Applied Biosciences under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (creativecommons.org), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
