CONCEPTION FOR CONSERVING GENETIC-RESOURC ES IN POULTRY IN GERMANY

Genetic resources are races or populations with unique genetic charact eristics. Agricultural resources need to be conserved for genetic adap tion to changes in agricultural production conditions and preferences as well as to maintain local breeds. An increasing loss of genetic div ersity has been observed for all agriculturally used species, and poul try genetic resources are one of the most endangered. The current mark et oriented breeding strategies in poultry concentrates on a few speci alized breeds that may lead to a significant erosion of local breeds. The erosion of local breeds could be linked with the loss of valuable genetic variability and unique characteristics of these breeds. The ma in objective of the cooperative activities between the Institute for S mall Animal Research Celle/Merbitz of the Federal Research Centre of A griculture Braunschweig Volkenrode (FAL), ''Bund Deutscher Rassegeflug elzuchter'', and ''Gesellschaft zur Erhaltung alter und gefahrdeter Ha ustierrassen'' is to avoid the extinct of valuable poultry breeds in G ermany. The concept of screening local breeds, identifying and evaluat ing the most endangered local breeds as well as initial activities in Germany are discussed in this paper.