Assessment of Chicken Production under Farmers Management Condition in East Gojam Zone, Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia

Melese Gashu Nigatu,Melkamu Bezabih

doi:10.15580/gjabg.2014.1.1213131029

Abstract

The survey was conducted in Eastern Gojjam Zone of Amhara regional state, North Ethiopia from January to June, 2013 to generate base line information on chicken production under farmer’s management condition. Of total, 83% of respondents practiced free ranging type chicken production system with conditional feed supplementation and frequent water supply. Despite the largest concern was given for female households, males also involved in chicken management activities aiming for household consumption and income generation. The mean flock size per household was found to be 13 and 5 for local and crossbred chickens, respectively. Almost all farmers in the tested districts provided night shelter for their chickens, and majority (91%) of them have experience of culling undesired chicken from the flock. From this study, the mean number of eggs laid was 18 eggs per/hen/clutch. Most chicken keepers in the study area had experience of selecting and incubating eggs for hatching using broody hens as a sole means of natural incubation. The average number of eggs set for incubation was 13 per broody hen, from which relatively fair number (83%) of chicks were hatched and 67% were grown well. Seasonal disease outbreak (100%) followed by predators (89%) was considered the largest threat to chicken production. Moreover, traditional management (83%), limitation of improved breed availability and lack of extension and chicken health services (86.7%) were the major constraints of chicken production in the study area. Therefore, holistic extension services such as applying breed and management improvement methods, besides to supplying chicken health service strategies are highly recommended in the study area for further improvement of chicken production under farmer’s management condition.

Highlights

Poultry production is an important economic activity in Ethiopia
The productivity of birds under the rural production system is very low interims of egg production, size of eggs, growth rate and survivability of chicks (Teketel, 1986), which may be attributed to lack of improved poultry breeds, the presence of predators, the high incidence of diseases, poor feeding and management followed by farmers (Alemu, 1987)
The result of this study indicated that keeping of chickens is widely practiced in the study area

Summary

Introduction

Besides to its economic and social values, it occupies a unique position in terms of high quality protein food contribution to rural smallholder farming families in Africa and in Ethiopia (Sonaiya et al, 1999; Tadelle and Ogle, 2001) Both poultry egg and meat enrich and contribute to a well balanced diet to satisfy human needs. Their contribution to farm households and national income is still very low (2-3%) and the annual growth rates in egg and meat output were estimated about 1.0 and 2.6% as compared to the sub Saharan Africa countries, 5.7and 6.8%, respectively (Negussie, 1999) This might be due to shortage of poultry feed and nutrition under both rural smallholder and large-scale systems in the country (Tadelle et al, 2003b). The productivity of birds under the rural production system is very low interims of egg production, size of eggs, growth rate and survivability of chicks (Teketel, 1986), which may be attributed to lack of improved poultry breeds, the presence of predators, the high incidence of diseases, poor feeding and management followed by farmers (Alemu, 1987)

Methods

Results

Conclusion