I. Pavlova1, H. Lukanov2*
1 Department of General Livestock Breeding, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Trakia University, 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria
2 Department of Animal Husbandry – Non-ruminant animals and special industries, Faculty of Agriculture, Trakia University, 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria
(Manuscript received 27 June 2025; accepted for publication 08 December 2025)
*e-mail: hristo.lukanov@trakia-uni.bg
Abstract. The domestic chicken is one of the most widely spread and versatile farm animals, primarily bred for meat and egg production, as well as for decorative, exhibition, and sporting purposes. This study focuses on three indigenous Bulgarian bantam chicken breeds: Struma Bantam, Bregovska dzhinka, and Southwest Bulgarian dzhinka, with the aim of comparing their key morphological and morphometric characteristics. The breeds exhibit distinct phenotypic traits, including comb type, shank and plumage color, as well as significant differences in body size and weight. Among the studied breeds, the Struma Bantam is the largest, while the Bregovska dzhinka is the smallest. The Southwest Bulgarian dzhinka holds an intermediate position in terms of body weight and has the highest Index of compactness among the breeds studied. The study also investigates sexual dimorphism in primary body and head measurements, as well as various body conformation indices, revealing significant inter-sex differences in most of the studied parameters. The findings suggest that these breeds represent valuable genetic resources for future breeding programs, particularly in ornamental and exhibition poultry farming. The study highlights the value of these breeds within the global chicken gene pool, primarily as contributors to genetic variation and as carriers of distinct mutational traits.