South Africa recognizes the value of indigenous breeds such as Potchefstroom Koekoek, Boschveld, Ovambo, Venda, Naked Neck, and nondescript village chickens. Indigenous chickens support sustainable food systems, improve nutrition, and enhance livelihoods in rural communities, thereby contributing to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 on Zero Hunger. These breeds are not only vital to rural farmers for food production, income generation, and subsistence but also provide rural farmers with cheap nutritious protein such as eggs and meat for household consumption. Moreover, they are preferred by rural farmers because they are relatively affordable to produce, can withstand harsh environmental conditions amid accelerated climate change compared to exotic breeds, and require less/no feed supplementation. However, despite the numerous advantages of keeping these chickens, it has been found that they are mostly in danger of extinction due to evolving production methods that favor exotic breeds. Therefore, understanding their extinction status, different implications for conserving their genetic material, challenges encountered, and future approaches to rescue these breeds remain vital. Hence, the aim of this systematic review was to assess the extinction status, challenges, and conservation approaches for these breeds. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were utilized to search for suitable articles addressing the objective of the current review. Research articles were grouped and evaluated for eligibility, and the data from the Domestic Animal Diversity Information System database were used. Records such as duplicates of studies addressing origins, phenotypic and genetic diversity, the conservation of indigenous chickens, semen cryopreservation of indigenous chickens, climate change effects on indigenous chickens, and the use of extenders with exotic chickens and other chicken types, reports in other languages, and reports that were inaccessible were excluded. Articles addressing origins, phenotypic and genetic diversity, the conservation of indigenous chickens, semen cryopreservation of indigenous chickens, climate change effects on indigenous chickens, and the use of extenders with indigenous chickens were included in this review. The keywords used to search articles online were as follows: South African indigenous chicken; extension status; conservation; genetic resources; genetic markers; effective population size; inbreeding; and characterization. This systematic review found that there is less information in the Domestic Animal Diversity Information System regarding South African indigenous and village chickens, suggesting a lack of reporting in this system. Moreover, our review confirmed that most South African indigenous chickens are threatened and, hence, require interventions such as assisted reproductive technologies and other strategies in order to improve efficiency.

Artificial insemination (AI) is a widely used technique to enhance genetic diversity and breeding efficiency in livestock such as cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs. Sheep are important in developing the livelihoods of poor farmers by reducing poverty and promoting sustainable agriculture and food security. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore the challenges and perspectives associated with cryopreserving ram semen to conserve indigenous sheep ecotypes. Indigenous sheep populations are vital for meat production in challenging environmental conditions, where feed is limited and land is scarce. However, concerns have emerged about the decline in indigenous sheep populations, mainly due to the growth of composite breed production. Composite breeds, which are preferred for their faster growth rates and larger body size, reduce the capacity of indigenous sheep to survive in environments affected by climate change. This decline highlighted the importance of assisted reproductive technologies, such as AI and semen cryopreservation, in preserving the genetic resources of indigenous sheep before they become extinct. While AI and semen cryopreservation have been successful in livestock species such as cattle and pigs for genetic preservation, results in sheep have been less successful. Ram semen quality and fertility are often compromised by the freezing and thawing process. Ram spermatozoa produce high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and are sensitive to cold shock, leading to oxidative stress, cellular damage, and conception rates of 30-50%. Adding antioxidants, such as polyunsaturated fatty acids and plant extracts, to semen extenders can reduce ROS production and mitigate oxidative damage, thereby improving sperm quality and functionality during cryopreservation. Despite these advances, optimizing freezing and thawing protocols and addressing knowledge gaps are necessary to enhance semen preservation outcomes.