The breeding and selection in village chicken have been generally relinquished to nature and to date no distinction into the meat and/or egg strains have been developed. The assumption is that some strains of village chickens have a superior genetic constitution that has not been fully exploited. In this regard, molecular genetics become handy in the identification and genotyping of large numbers of genetic markers, genomic regions that control variation in quantitative traits and how the resulting QTL could be used to enhance selection in village chicken. Molecular genetics will enhance genetic marker identification and should enhance future prospects for breeding for village chicken productive and adaptive traits. However, the cost implication for third world countries.
The opinions on what are the important applications of molecular genetics in poultry breeding could vary but all remain more or less correct depending on the aspects of particular interests. To me, the most important ones are the genetic mechanisms underlying production, reproduction performance and resistance to diseases. When the genetic mechanisms are better understood, more efficient strategies can then be developed for genetic improvement by selection and breeding.
I agree with the opinions. The genetic profile of indigenous chicken should be fully understood to exploit the advantages so as to introduce into improved exotic chicken for improving their performance for both meat and egg production besides imitating the phenotypic morphology to appease the rural farmers to popularise. Suitable cross breeding tests and progeny evaluation will help, such that villager's economy and self sufficiency will definitely improve. Hence, molecular genetics has a vast scope in the preparation of vaccines against upcoming deadly diseases too.