Agonistic interactions in developed and undeveloped breeds of chickens

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Abstract
1. Agonistic interactions were observed over a 24‐week period in Rhode Island Red and in Nigerian local fowl aged 32 weeks or 12 weeks at the start of the experiments. 2. Agonistic interactions were both more numerous and more severe (fights and peck avoidances) in groups of the local breed than in those of Rhode Island Reds. 3. The outcome of severe interactions favoured local males and Rhode Island females in the first experiment and Rhode Island males in the second. 4. Small body and comb size might account for the relatively high number of agonistic interactions and the submissiveness of local females and young males while physical strength or some other breed characteristic might account for the high number of agonistic interactions of local males as well as their dominance in breed encounters.