Global breeding programs

Ten Years of Local Sire Line Selection and Five Years of Recurrent Testing in Burkina Faso: A Sustainable Model for Poultry Breeding and Knowledge Transfer

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Abstract

Breeding poultry for challenging environments can be approached in multiple ways. Two key strategies are local selection, where breeding decisions are made based on performance under local conditions, and recurrent selection programs, which use systematic testing to inform improvements in a bio-secure breeding nucleus, mostly located in Europe or North America. In Burkina Faso, both approaches are uniquely combined at a single facility, enabling a direct comparison and synergy between local adaptation and global breeding. The objective of this study is to present the outcomes of these complementary strategies and to illustrate how their integration strengthens genetic improvement programs. Over the past decade, a local breeding program in Burkina Faso has focused on developing a robust sire line ("Coq du Faso") tailored to smallholder farmer conditions (often tropical temperature & low health status). Across eight generations, this program has achieved steady genetic progress in both growth and egg production, with selection decisions guided by performance data and careful management of inbreeding. The genetic trend for egg production and body weight has increased consistently, while mortality during egg production remains low and genetic diversity is maintained. Since 2020, the SAPPSA (Securing Affordable Poultry Parent Stock for Africa) project, supported by the Gates Foundation, has introduced a new collaborative approach: recurrent testing of SASSO lines (part of Hendrix Genetics, referring to dual-purpose chicken lines) under smallholder conditions in Burkina Faso at the same location where Coq du Faso is being selected. In this system, offspring from SASSO sire or dam lines are evaluated for survival, growth or egg production, depending on the line's breeding objective. Individual performance data are synchronized with SASSO's genetic evaluation pipeline in France. This enables SASSO to make selection decisions based on data from Sub Saharan environments, while the nucleus is still secured in France and is able to serve the global market. By evaluating both local and international poultry lines under identical conditions, the program not only advances the genetic improvement of the local breed but also enables crossbreeding, resulting in products such as the commercially available 'Poulet de Faso'. This collaborative approach leverages global expertise while simultaneously building local capacity to strengthen breeding programs. The integration of these strategies generates high-value data, promotes knowledge exchange, and offers a replicable model for sustainable genetic improvement in challenging environments. In summary, the combination of long-term local sire line selection and structured recurrent testing of SASSO lines has improved poultry production for smallholder farmers in Burkina Faso and beyond, while strengthening the broader value chain through sustainable partnership and knowledge exchange.

Keywords: 2026

How to Cite:

Duijvesteijn, N., Vereijken, A., Atikpakpe, R., Toussaint, E., Trabarel, L. & Perrault, L., (2026) “Ten Years of Local Sire Line Selection and Five Years of Recurrent Testing in Burkina Faso: A Sustainable Model for Poultry Breeding and Knowledge Transfer”, World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production Digital Archive 2026(1): 2281894. doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/wcgalp.23463

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