1996 September
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1995
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September
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Egyptian chicken plan hatches . . . 50 years later

n the 1940s, ISU dean of agriculture R.E. Buchanan carried Fayoumi chicken eggs home from Egypt for the poultry genetics program.

The plan: cross the Egyptian birds, rumored to be resistant to diseases, with American breeds to produce hardier chickens.

The problem: if most American chickens are like placid golden retrievers, the Fayoumis are Yorkshire terriers. Get close to them and your kneecaps are fair game. They're aggressive, extremely active and fast. They run around like chickens with their headsÉ well, you know. These traits have served them well in surviving harsh conditions in Egypt.

Unfortunately, the resulting offspring of the Egyptian-American cross inherited the Fayoumi's aggressive, high-energy behavior. The breeding program was put on hold. Because the researchers believed the day would come when the excitable birds could be useful, a flock of descendants from Dean Buchanan's eggs was maintained at an ISU research farm.

Now, almost 50 years later, ISU poultry geneticist Susan Lamont is using biotechnology techniques to isolate the good genes in the Fayoumis and leave the genetic mean streak behind.

"Science has finally caught up to this unique genetic reservoir," Lamont said. "Now these birds are usable. We now can pinpoint traits at the DNA level and use genetic engineering methods to transfer the traits to other chickens without all the bad genetic baggage."

Lamont has found that the Fayoumi's genetics is indeed very different from other chickens. Her work has confirmed that the Egyptian birds are much more resistant to viral diseases than American chickens. These diseases cost poultry producers millions each year.

Lamont is mapping the genes and plans to develop genetic markers to help poultry breeders speed the introduction of disease-resistant genes into commercial chickens. She also will investigate the possibility that Fayoumis are resistant to salmonella, a costly disease in birds and humans.

"The Fayoumis are a good argument for preserving biodiversity to prepare for challenges that may arise in the future," she said.

-- Brian Meyer, Ag Information Service

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