Variation in the Waveform Patterns of Crowing Sounds and Qualitative Traits of Kokok Balenggek Chickens

The crowing of roosters has two primary purposes: to claim of territory and to attract females. This research aims to describe the waveform patterns of the Kokok Balenggek Chicken (KBC) crowing sound as a genetic resource of the "singing chicken" in West Sumatera Province, Indonesia, and to find qualitative markers. The analysis of the crowing sound was performed on 50 heads adult male roosters. The apparatus characterizing crowing sounds comprises a digital recorder and a stopwatch. The crowing sound is shown in waveform format. The characterization of the crowing sound was ascertained by the time sampling method. The features of crowing sounds were observed in the morning (from 05:00 to 07:00 am) for three consecutive days. The observed parameters included the number of syllables (NS), the number of crowing syllables (NCS), and the waveform pattern of the crowing sound. The qualitative traits examined were feather morphology, feather dispersion, ear lobe color, and foot morphology. The research findings indicated that NCS varied from 4 to 17 crows, with a mean of 4.1±1.8 crows. NS KBC comprises 7 to 20 syllables. The waveform pattern categorizes the crowing sound of KBC into six distinct types: Ginyang, Gayuang Luluh, Rantak Gumarang, Si Gegek Angin, Riak Ilia Aia, and Alang Babega type crow. The qualitative morphological indicators of feathers in KBC include normal feathers (100%), normal feather distribution (100%), and ear lobe hues ranging from red (74.02%), white (19.85%), to reddish-white (6.13%). The prevalence of KBC leg shape variation is 94.81%, while KBC with short legs (creeper) accounts for 5.19%. To enhance ex-situ farming initiatives in West Sumatra Province, it is recommended to cultivate KBC exhibiting standard feather morphology, typical feather distribution, red earlobe color, and conventional leg form variance.