Morphological, phaneroptic, and dominant gene characterization of the naked neck creole hen Subspecies nudicollis in the Sabanas region of the department of Sucre-Colombia

Objective. Estimate the morphometric, phaneroptic, and four dominant gene diversity in backyard native birds with naked neck (Gallus domesticus L. Subspecie nudicollis) in the Sabanas subregion, department of Sucre - Colombia. Materials and methods. Overall, 650 adult birds (480 hens and 170 roosters) from 10 different locations, 14 morphometric variables, eight phaneroptics, and four dominant genes were measured. The data were subjected to descriptive analysis. Animals were compared between localities by means of the analysis of variance and Duncan test. Sexual dimorphism was evaluated from body weight and tarsal size, morphostructural harmony was evaluated from the correlations between the measurements, and the frequencies of the Frizzled feather, silky feather, pilopody, and polydactyly genes and their influence were estimated on four morphometric variables. Phaneroptic variables were evaluated using frequencies. Results. The analyzed descriptors showed a superiority in roosters than over hens as well as between localities (p<0.001). Bodyweight and tarsal length were sexual differentiators (p<0.001). Low bodily harmony was evidenced. The estimated allele frequencies were low except for the Polydactyly gene, because the birds with this gene were significantly larger (p<0.001). The phaneroptic characteristics describe a bird with normal brown plumage, white tarsi, a red lobe color, and a red-orange eye, with a simple crest and small-medium size in hens and medium-large in roosters. Conclusions. A heterogeneous population with great phaneroptic variability was found. There are indications of introgression of specialized breeds. The frequencies of the dominant genes were low, with higher performance for the characteristics BW, BL, TP, LL and WL in birds with polydactyly genotype.