Discover the Spectacular LPK Chickens
In the picturesque Lamphun Province of Northern Thailand, meet the incredible Lao Pa Koi (LPK) chickens. These aren’t your typical chickens; they sport distinctive features like parrot-like beaks, striking eyes, and vibrant red combs, making them stand out. With a sturdy build and robust thighs, adult males weigh 2.2–2.8 kg, while females are a bit smaller at 1.8–2.5 kg.
But what makes LPK chickens truly fascinating is their history. Local breeders have lovingly nurtured this breed for over 40 years, creating an array of colors and shapes. Their roots trace back to a mix of a fierce Trat chicken from Eastern Thailand and a spirited indigenous hen from Lamphun Province.
Exploring the LPK Habitat
Lamphun Province, spanning 11,460 square kilometers, offers diverse landscapes for LPK chickens. While 81.53% of the land may not be their ideal home, there are pockets of moderate, low, and high suitability, covering 9.34%, 7.10%, and 2.03% of the area, respectively.
The Perfect Home
To uncover the best habitat for LPK chickens, we considered factors like elevation (100–250 m), tree canopy cover (0–5%), forest canopy height (0–5 m; shrub), distance to the main river (14,000 m), and NDVI (−0.15–0.50), which includes built-up areas, fallow lands, crops, grasslands, and agroforestry.
Predicting Potential Homes
Our impressive Maxent model excels at predicting where LPK chickens thrive, with a strong training AUC value of 0.921. We also explored the impact of various environmental factors on land suitability for LPK chickens, with elevation taking the lead at 72.0%.
In the lush forests of Lamphun, LPK chickens and red junglefowl share a captivating habitat. The elevation range of 100–250 m fosters exciting interactions, possibly leading to intriguing hybrids between LPK chickens and red junglefowl. It’s a harmonious blend of nature and culture, just waiting to be discovered.