Conservation centers

The Avian Center for the Conservation of Local Genetic Resources, settled at the University of Milan, was recognised by AIA (Associazione Italiana Allevatori, Italian Breeder Association) and by Italian Ministry for Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forests as a reference center for local poultry breeds in 2016, and is registered in the Herb Book of Native Poultry Breeds created in 2014 (Ministry for Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forests Decree n. 19536, October 1, 2014) as breeding farm, according to the Herd Book procedural guidelines.

The Avian Center develops a conservation program according to the in situ technique for chicken and turkey breeds from Lombardy. At present; the breeds are: Mericanel della Brianza and Milanino, Gallus gallus species, and Brianzolo and Nero d’Italia, Meleagris gallopavo species. In addition, the Modenese chicken breed is going to be included in 2022. The main activity of the Center is the breeding management of small populations with the aim to preserve biodiversity and control inbreeding. Moreover, the Avian Center promotes the farming of autochthonous breeds for productive purposes across the region making chickens available to farmers.

The Experimental Animal Farms (EAF) of the University of Florence were established almost one century ago. In 1930s, prof. Giuliani used the experimental farms of the former Institute of Zootechnics in Florence to perform several important trials in cattle and pigs. In the postwar period, the Farms housed different rural bovine breeds to produce crosses between breeds and to carry out studies on nutrition and feeding. Since 1980s, the EAF have been used for selection, conservation and valorisation of autochthonous poultry breeds from Tuscany region. Feeding trials are also performed on broiler chickens, with the aim to study natural ingredients used instead of antibiotics, and the effects of lipid and poliphenolic supplements on productive performances, meat quality and animal health. Technicians and researchers provide technical assistance to farmers. students and former students who are committed to start farming the breeds that can be found at the Farms.

https://www.dagri.unifi.it/vp-306-allevamenti-zootecnici-sperimentali.html

Look at the pictures of the Experimental Zootechnic Farms.

The Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural resources, Animals and Environment of the University of Padua has been performing several studies on genetic characterisation of local poultry breeds from the Veneto Region. Birds were sampled within breed populations reared in different farms mainly located in the provinces of Padua, Treviso, Rovigo and Belluno. The poultry farms are managed as conservation centres with the aim to safeguard local breeds and biodiversity.

The conservation centres are managed by the following public institutions:

• Veneto Agricoltura (Veneto Region’s Agency for Innovation in the Agricultural Primary Sector) – “Sasse Rami” Experimental Farm, in Ceregnano (Rovigo). Sasse Rami is one of the main conservation centres in the Veneto Region. It houses several animal species, that are relevant for both animal production and agronomy, thus preserving them from biodiversiy loss. The local poultry species/breeds/varieties are: Ermellinata di Rovigo, Robusta Maculata, Robusta Lionata, Pepoi, Padovana Argentata, Padovana Camosciata, Padovana Dorata, Polverara Bianca, Polverara Nera, Millefiori di Lonigo (Gallus gallus sp.); Ermellinato di Rovigo e Bronzato Comune (Meleagris gallopavo sp.); Camosciata (Numida Meleagris sp.); Mignon, Germanata Veneta (Anas platyrhynchos domesticus sp.); Padovana (Anser anser sp.).

The Research Unit in Animal Production (UR-SZ) belongs to the Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences (DSA3), established in 2014. UR-SZ carries on studies on animal production continuing the historical expertise started with the Scuola Zootecnica in 1896.

Within UR-SZ, the research group AGR/20 is involved in studies aimed to develop extensive and organic rearing systems for poultry, rabbits and fish. In particular, the research activities are focused on animal biodiversity for alternative rearing systems, microbiota, lipid metabolism and oxidative stress.

UR-SZ manages the Experimental Poultry and Rabbit Farm (Vestricciano, Ponte della Pietra (Perugia), where the animals used in experimental trials are reared. The structure is made of 3 barns dedicated to animal rearing (two for poultry and one for rabbits), and a building devoted to service activities (office, laboratory, dressing room, artificial incubation, feed preparation and tool shed).

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Food (AAA) of the University of Molise has the aim to characterize productive and reproductive traits of chicken and turkey autochthonous breeds. AAA Department has established agreements with independent farms committed to house and manage the small breeder populations under study.

The following two farms are involved:

• Bramante Giuseppe
  The main location of the farm is in Rignano Garganico (Foggia), and a further location is in San Giovanni Rotondo (Foggia), where the birds will be housed.
  Two flocks of turkeys of the Romagnolo and Ermellinato di Rovigo breeds will be under conservation.
• Di Iorio Donato
  The farm is in Paulo della Vetica (Campobasso) and will manage a chicken flock of the Siciliana breed for conservation.

Look at the pictures of Bramante and Di Iorio farms.

The poultry breeding farm Podere Le Querciole belongs to the Department of Veterinary Sciences of the University of Pisa and is located in San Piero a Grado (Pisa). The farm rears, according to a conservation programme, small chicken populations of few Italian egg-type breeds for both educational and scientific purposes. The rearing activity of the farm started in the second half of the ’90s with genetic resources dated back to half 1900.

At present, the chicken breeds available are: Livorno (white, black and blue varieties), Ancona, Siciliana, and Robusta Lionata.

Birds perform a complete reproductive cycle within the farm, including the breeding period, the conservation and artificial incubation of eggs (collected in this farm only), and the growth of young chickens. The maximum capacity of the farm is 250 birds. Students have the opportunity to experience practical activities in poultry farming during internships and practical lectures. Students work in direct contact with birds and can learn from the peculiar behaviour and reactivity of rare breeds.

The Centre for the Conservation of Local Poultry Genetic Resources was born in 2014 from the cooperation of the Department of Veterinary Sciences (Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, DSV) and the Department of Agrarian, Forestry and Food Sciences (Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Forestali e Alimentari, DISAFA), with the aim to preserve the genetic heritage of poultry breeds from Piemonte acquired over time, and thus to consolidate in situ conservation activity. The Centre is located in Carmagnola (Turin), within the farming facilities of DISAFA.

The safeguard of traditional poultry breeds, Bionda Piemontese and Bianca di Saluzzo, has begun at the end of the ’90s, in concomitance with the establishment of Presidi Slow Food (Slow Food Presidiums) in order to add value to endangered products with exquisite organoleptic qualities (https://www.fondazioneslowfood.com/). The conservation activities were even more boosted by the establishment of Presidi di razza (breed Presidiums), by the inclusion of breed products into the list of Traditional Agri-food Products (Prodotti Agroalimentari Tradizionali, PAT, Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forests), and by the establishment of the Consortium for safeguard and valorisation of Bianca, Bionda, and Carmagnola grey rabbit.

In 2011, DSV has started a conservation programme aimed to characterise and valorise the Piemonte poultry breeds. Facility for poultry farming were set up at DISAFA and about 200 birds from each breed were housed for the reproductive period. The Center is equipped with 24 pens, each one with both indoor (2,2×3,5m wide) and outdoor (2,2×4,5m wide) area, an hetchery to set 1300 eggs, and a climate-controlled brooding area with 24 boxes; fourty moving aviaries are also available, to be used in the brooding period.

The Center has adopted an innovative mating plan, based on molecular data, that allows to maximise the conservation of genetic diversity and to reduce the increase in inbreeding.