Résumé
Local chicken breeds face high risks of extinction. A conservation program has been set up for eight Taiwan conserved chicken populations (TCP). The research presented here aims at estimating effective population size (N-e) and conservation priorities of TCP populations using pedigree and molecular data. Genome diversity was assessed by genotyping 22 microsatellite markers in 45-50 animals per breed. Results from the pedigree-based analysis showed that most N-e values ranged between 50 and 100 except the Shek-Ki breed which exhibited the smallest value (46) so that most breeds could be considered as safe from a conservation point of view. The change in inbreeding per generation varied between 0.7% to 1.9% depending on breeds. N-e values estimated from molecular-based analysis were generally lower than those estimated from pedigree-based analysis, suggesting a loss of diversity between the onset of the conservation program (from 1983 to 1995) and the start of pedigree recording in 2002. According to N-e values, the TCP populations do not appear to be at a high risk, but mating plans by a rotation mating system should be designed in order to limit the increase in inbreeding. Regarding the conservation strategy within the TCP, the Shek-Ki and Hua-Tung breeds showed the highest priority for conservation in terms of genetic risk status and contributions to total diversity across pedigree- and molecular-based approaches. In conclusion, this study of TCP populations shows how different types of data can be combined to define conservation priorities considering risk, diversity, or utility of local chicken breeds.