In situ and ex situ assessment of a native Hungarian chicken breed for its potential conservation and adaptation in the subtropics

The aim of this study was to investigate the adaptation and possible ex situ conservation in a subtropical region of the Partridge coloured Hungarian (PH), a native Hungarian chicken breed, by monitoring and comparing the performance of two PH flocks reared in parallel in Hungary (HU) and Vietnam (VN). The high survival rate (95.0–96.5%), overall productivity and reproductive ability of the VN flock confirmed the adaptation potential of PH chickens to subtropical climates. A relatively good bodyweight (1412 ± 13.8 g) and slaughter yield (75.6 ± 0.02% eviscerated carcass and 28.2 ± 0.12% deboned thigh meat) in male VN birds at 12 weeks of age was obtained. Moreover, it was found that benefits such as the number of eggs (112 eggs/layer in 7 months) and egg mass (6.1 kg/layer) alongside considerably higher fertility (85.9 ± 2.9%) and hatchability (82.0 ± 3.2%) of VN layers could outweigh their reduced egg size. As a result, the study confirms that the adaptation and maintenance of populations in subtropical regions is a promising agro-ecological way to protect native Hungarian chicken breeds and improve their involvement in production.