Challenges and Opportunities of Small Scale Poultry Production System in Jigjiga Zone, Somali Regional State, Ethiopia

This study was done with the objective of assessing the current poultry production system, feed resources and provides valuable information for researchers, producers, instructors and policy makers in Ethiopia. The review was done deeply with original research findings of different scholars working on poultry. This study revealed that there are three poultry production systems classified based on the input, flock size, health and bio-security measures (village poultry production, small scale and commercial production systems). The main poultry feed resources in the country are household wastes, cereal grains and their by-products, industrial by products, oil seed cakes and non-conventional feed resources. There is shortage of commercial feed resources and processing meals thought it is expensive. In conclusion, the most common production system practiced in the major farming community is the village production system with irregular supplementation of cereal grains Therefore, investors and government institutions should avail the concentrate feeds with affordable price to improve the production and productivity of poultry in Ethiopia.

The study examined climate change and small scale poultry production in selected local government area of Kwara State, Nigeria. A sample size of 100 poultry farmers were selected using multi stage sampling technique with the aid of a structured questionnaire, and analyzed using descriptive and inferential Statistics. The result of the study showed that dehydration of birds was the most challenging effect of climate change on poultry production perceived by poultry farmers with the mean value of 4.77. Giving plenty of water and providing heat source in poultry house were the mostly used adaptation strategy with 99% and 86% respectively. Double-log function was the lead equation with R-square (0.7882) and Feed, stock capacity, hired labour, depreciation, adaptation strategies, and age were the significant variables that affects adaptation strategies. The probability of farmers choosing management/medication adaption strategies against climate change increased with the farmers’ years of experience and number of birds, the severe constraints faced by poultry farmers in the study area include high cost of feed and limited capital. The study recommends involvement in cooperatives by poultry farmers in order to be kept abreast with new innovations and have easy access to loans to better their poultry production.

Poultry production is an important livestock sector in Serbia. It accounts for about 12% of the total value of country's livestock production. Providing relatively cheap food of high quality it is nowadays of particular importance due to economic transition problems and the consequent economic crisis that the country has faced since the beginning of the 1990s. However, despite the sector's importance, poultry production has actually had no institutional support for many years, and the poultry population, as well as broiler meat and table eggs production, has significantly declined over the last two decades. The sector is characterized by insufficient level of concentration, specialization, vertical integration and efficiency. It is estimated that small-scale farms and backyard poultry production in Serbia account for more than half of poultry meat production and two thirds of egg production, with a significant seasonal impact on local markets. The following paper gives an overview of both commercial and small-scale poultry production in Serbia and examine the major economic constrains to and opportunities for poultry sector improvement needed in view of Serbia's prospective EU integration.

The objective of this study was to document and understand the perceptions and opinions of small-scale poultry producers who market directly to consumers about microbial food safety risks in the poultry supply chain. Between January and November 2014, we conducted semi-structured, in-depth interviews with a convenience sample of 16 owner-operators of Maryland direct-market commercial poultry farms. Three overarching thematic categories emerged from these interviews that describe: 1) characteristics of Maryland direct-market poultry production and processing; 2) microbial food safety risk awareness and risk management in small-scale poultry production, slaughter and processing; and 3) motivations for prioritizing food safety in the statewide direct-market poultry supply chain. Key informants provided valuable insights on many topics relevant to evaluating microbial food safety in the Maryland direct-market poultry supply chain, including: direct-market poultry production and processing practices and models, perspectives on issues related to food safety risk management, perspectives on direct-market agriculture economics and marketing strategies, and ideas for how to enhance food safety at the direct-market level of the Maryland poultry supply chain. The findings have policy implications and provide insights into food safety in small-scale commercial poultry production, processing, distribution and retail. In addition, the findings will inform future food safety research on the small-scale US poultry supply chain.

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to identify the main obstacles and the health management system of the Wayu Tuka districts' poultry production system. The area's consenting study participants created and distributed a semi-structured questionnaire. Out of the 100 responders, 37%, 34%, and 29% were from the district's Migna Kura, Bonaya Molo, and Gute Badiya kebeles. Of the participants, 29 (29.0%) were female, while the remainder (71%) were male. The majority of participants kept at least one chicken in their houses, mostly to produce eggs and meat. In the research area, more than half of the respondents (57 percent) stated they favored the unusual varieties of chicken. Of the respondents in the study area, 44% used backyard management systems, and 56% used semi-intensive systems to manage their chickens. Regarding the frequency of cleaning the chicken buildings, half of the respondents reported doing it daily, while 36% reported cleaning them just twice a week. Most respondents claimed to have access to the marketing system and to use local shopkeepers to sell their products at doorsteps and village markets. Even though 56% and 43% of poultry owners, respectively, vaccinated and dewormed their animals, just 42% of them took care of the health and biosecurity of their chickens. In response to questions on the actions taken for the sick hens, most respondents consult veterinarians, 15% sell the sick birds, and 14% treat them with conventional medications. The research area's village poultry production faces several key obstacles, including disease and predator outbreaks, inadequate healthcare, subpar nutrition, and inadequate marketing information. Thus, in addition to hands-on instruction, ongoing training in better home design, appropriate feeding practices, and disease and predator management should be provided.

Poultry production system plays an important economic, nutritional and socio-cultural role in the livelihood of households in Delta State, Nigeria. Our present knowledge of the effect of climate change variables on poultry sub sector is significantly inadequate, unclear and thus attracting empirical investigation in recent times. This study drives its significance from the current global and national debates on climate change and its impact on livestock production system, particularly among poultry production systems. This study investigates the effects of climate change variables on poultry production system in Delta State, Nigeria (2008 -2018). A ten year (2008-2018) time series data were collected on climate variables (temperature, humidity rainfall and sunshine duration) were elicited from NIMET website. Also 10 year time series data on poultry egg and broiler production were collected from FAOSTAT. Collected data were analysed with the relevant statistical tools (descriptive statistics and inferential statistics). The result shows that poultry meat output range from 26,000 to 273000 tonnes with a mean of 200,738.63 tonnes. Poultry egg output ranges between 489,288 tonnes to 660,000 with a mean of 591,327.45 tonnes. Multiple regression result shows that climate variable s explained 60.2% of the variation in poultry production. Test of hypothesis reveals that temperature and rainfall are the most significant climate variable (P≤0.05) that influenced poultry production. It was recommended that strategic climate change actions such as regulating poultry house temperature, should be practiced by poultry farmers in order to generate better output of eggs and broiler.

Aims: This study was undertaken to measure the efficacy of an extension training program associated with small-scale poultry and rabbit production projects in Alexandria Governorate, Egypt.
 Study Design: The study was applied using two levels of the Donald L Kirkpatrick model through Action Research approach. The presented content of training program to trainees included important knowledge and skills of three topics which are broilers, ducks and rabbits to success small-scale production projects.
 Place and Duration of Study: 52 trainees were considered as a purposive sample, who attended all sessions of the extension training program in the agricultural administration at Khurshid, Alexandria Governorate, during April 2018.
 Methodology: A structured questionnaire was designed to collect data from participants before and after implementation of the training program to measure approval level of trainees toward the training program elements and their knowledge and skills level.
 Results: The results revealed that majority (61.53%) of trainees had medium level of acceptance towards the extension training program components. Consequently, there was a significant improvement in the knowledge and skills levels of trainees after executing the extension program concerning broilers, ducks and rabbits production for promoting small- scale production projects. Findings also showed that deficiency of knowledge and experience related to poultry production, insufficient extension training programs, unavailability of proper site for establishing the project and getting its licenses, non-provision of capital and lack of veterinary services, in that order, were the most severe constraints of trainees affecting poultry production projects.
 Conclusion: This training program succeeded by increasing and improving the knowledge and skills of participants regarding poultry and rabbits production, which reflect on encouraging them to establish such income-raising projects.

Pig and poultry production systems have reached high-performance levels over the last few decades. However, there is still room for improvement when it comes to their environmental sustainability. This issue is even more relevant due to the growing demand for food demand since this surplus food production needs to be met at an affordable cost with minimum impact on the environment. This study presents a systematic review of peer-reviewed manuscripts that investigated the environmental impacts associated with pig and poultry production. For this purpose, independent reviews were performed and two databases were constructed, one for each production system. Previous studies published in peer-reviewed journals were considered for the databases if the method of life cycle assessment (LCA) was applied to pig (pork meat) or poultry (broiler meat or table eggs) production to estimate at least the potential effects of climate change, measured as CO2-eq. Studies considering the cradle-to-farm gate were considered, as well as those evaluating processes up to the slaughterhouse or processor gate. The pig database comprised 55 studies, while 30 publications were selected for the poultry database. These studies confirmed feeding (which includes the crop cultivation phase, manufacturing processes, and transportation) as the main contributor to the environmental impact associated with pig and poultry production systems. Several studies evaluated feeding strategies, which were indicated as viable alternatives to mitigate the environmental footprint associated with both production chains. In this study, precision feeding techniques are highlighted given their applicability to modern pig and poultry farming. These novel feeding strategies are good examples of innovative strategies needed to break paradigms, improve resource-use efficiency, and effectively move the current productive scenario toward more sustainable livestock systems.

A cross sectional study was conducted to assess major causes of chicken mortality and associated risk factors from November 2013 to May 2014 in Bahir Dar Zuria District, Ethiopia. One hundred respondents were selected using simple random sampling technique. Data collected using questionnaire survey and from laboratory investigation of parasites were analyzed using STATA version 11. Among all respondents, 63 and 37% of the respondent used extensive/backyard and small-scale intensive poultry production systems, respectively. All respondents provided housing for their chicken under small-scale intensive system, while 96.8% provided housing under extensive production system. All small-scale intensive producers and 88.8% of extensive producers practiced house cleaning practices. About 56 and 5% of the respondents provided water as free accesses in small scale intensive and extensive production systems, respectively. Provision of commercial feed was practiced only by small scale intensive poultry producers. Presence of diseases, feed shortage, predators and bad weather condition/extreme weather condition/ were identified as the major causes of chicken mortality. Among diseases Newcastle diseases, Infectious bursal diseases and coccidiosis were cited in their order of importance. Among 69 fecal samples collected 44 (69.84%) were positive for nematodes, cestode and protozoal parasites. High mortality rates were recorded in both production systems. A 50% under extensive and 36% under small-scale intensive production systems, poultry producers dispose dead birds due to different diseases by throwing elsewhere near the farm/backyard area. Among all respondents, 24% vaccinated their chicken, whereas 76% did not practice vaccination to common diseases. Thus, poultry improvement program in the area should focus on minimizing and ultimately avoiding constraints of poultry sector to see the required performance at the expected level. Key words: Chicken mortality, production systems and management practices.

The microbiome profiles of poultry production systems significantly impact bird health, welfare, and the environment. This study investigated the influence of broiler-rearing systems on the microbiome composition of commercial and backyard chicken farms and their environment over time. Understanding these effects is vital for optimizing animal growth, enhancing welfare, and addressing human and environmental health implications. We collected and analyzed various samples from commercial and backyard farms, revealing significant differences in microbial diversity measurements between the two systems. Backyard farms exhibited higher alpha diversity measurements in soil and water samples, while commercial farms showed higher values for litter and feeder samples. The differences in microbial diversity were also reflected in the relative abundance of various microbial taxa. In backyard farms, Proteobacteria levels increased over time, while Firmicutes levels decreased. Campilobacterota, including the major poultry foodborne pathogen Campylobacter, increased over time in commercial farm environments. Furthermore, Bacteroides, associated with improved growth performance in chickens, were more abundant in backyard farms. Conversely, pathogenic Acinetobacter was significantly higher in backyard chicken fecal and feeder swab samples. The presence of Brevibacterium and Brachybacterium, associated with low-performing broiler flocks, was significantly higher in commercial farm samples. The observed differences in microbial composition and diversity suggest that farm management practices and environmental conditions significantly affect poultry health and welfare and have potential implications for human and environmental health. Understanding these relationships can inform targeted interventions to optimize poultry production, improve animal welfare, and mitigate foodborne pathogens and antimicrobial resistance risks. IMPORTANCE The microbiome of poultry production systems has garnered significant attention due to its implications on bird health, welfare, and overall performance. The present study investigates the impact of different broiler-rearing systems, namely, commercial (conventional) and backyard (non-conventional), on the microbiome profiles of chickens and their environment over time. Understanding the influence of these systems on microbiome composition is a critical aspect of the One-Health concept, which emphasizes the interconnectedness of animal, human, and environmental health. Our findings demonstrate that the type of broiler production system significantly affects both the birds and their environment, with distinct microbial communities associated with each system. This study reveals the presence of specific microbial taxa that differ in abundance between commercial and backyard poultry farms, providing valuable insights into the management practices that may alter the microbiome in these settings. Furthermore, the dynamic changes in microbial composition over time observed in our study highlight the complex interplay between the poultry gut microbiome, environmental factors, and production systems. By identifying the key microbial players and their fluctuations in commercial and backyard broiler production systems, this research offers a foundation for developing targeted strategies to optimize bird health and welfare while minimizing the potential risks to human and environmental health. The results contribute to a growing body of knowledge in the field of poultry microbiome research and have the potential to guide future improvements in poultry production practices that promote a sustainable and healthy balance between the birds, their environment, and the microbial communities they host.

Poultry production, health and wellbeing are highly dependent upon formulation of balanced rations in terms of energy, protein, and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). Among all, minerals are required in fewer quantities, but they are very important to maintain the productivity in poultry. Minerals present in the feeds are less bioavailable and additional supplementation is obligatory to meet the physiological demands of poultry. Conventionally, minerals are supplemented as inorganic salts, which are less absorbed and, thus, a major proportion is excreted to the surroundings creating environment issues. Nano-minerals and organic mineral chelates are other alternative to be used as livestock and poultry feed supplements. Though organic minerals are more bioavailable than inorganic salts, their high cost limits its use. In contrast, nano-minerals are relatively easy to synthesize at a lower cost. Nano-minerals are of the size from 1–100 nm and due to such small size, there is an enormous increase in surface area and thus their biological responses. The biological response studies have signified better retention of nano-minerals as compared to inorganic salts, and consequently leached less to the environment preventing possible pollution. Apart from these, nano-minerals have been shown to enhance growth, egg production and quality, immune-modulation and antioxidant status, and at the same time economize the production by reducing the supplemental dose of minerals and improving the feed conversion ratio. Some nano-minerals and other nanoparticles have strong antimicrobial effects, which have been shown to reduce pathogenic microorganisms in the gut. Nano-minerals seem to be less toxic than conventional mineral sources. Though less, few studies have indicated toxic effects of nano-mineral supplementation at higher dose of application, which should be validated by more programmed studies. Nanotechnology in poultry production system is still in its budding stage and more detailed studies are warranted to validate, establish and search for new effects of nano-minerals as they sometimes produce effects beyond expectation. This review highlights the biological responses of nanominerals on poultry production performance, quality of meat and eggs, tissue retention, immunity, antioxidant activity and antimicrobial actions compared with their conventional mineral sources.

The global animal productivity should proportionally increase to meet the food needs of a growing population. This article presents an overview of the current and promising nano-applications in poultry and livestock production systems that could offer opportunities for improved efficiencies and productivity. Some basic information on nanotechnology and the economics of nanotechnology is provided. Poultry and animal production systems, current situation and available tools and techniques are presented in parallel with animal health care, animal nutrition, animal shelter and food processing nano-applications and their advantages. These applications are directly or indirectly related to the human food chain and may affect the food safety and food quality. Lastly, the expected risks and hazards related to nano-application in poultry and livestock production systems that can affect animal, human and environment are described. It is concluded that nanoapplications have the potential to provide smarter solutions for various applications in the poultry and livestock production systems, which can help in reducing costs and enhancing the final product quality. However, concerns over safety of some nano-applications hamper their immediate implementation. Extensive risk assessments should be conducted to ensure the safety of the nanoproducts before making them available for animal or human use.

The high susceptibility of poultry to disease outbreaks makes a comprehensive biosecurity technology a necessary practice in poultry farms to protect the farms from both intentional and unintentional threats from biological agents. Therefore this study evaluated the awareness and practice of biosecurity measures in small scale poultry production in Ekiti State, Nigeria. A total of 80 respondents were randomly selected for the study. Data were obtained with the aid of a pre tested structured questionnaire. The result shows that the most practiced biosecurity measures in the study area are the ones relating to regular clearing of the poultry environment, regular washing of the feeding and drinking troughs while the least observed one is the quarantine of the new birds. Also the result of the regression analysis shows that the level of education, farm size, formal training in poultry production and number of extension visits all have significant positive influence on the sampled farms' biosecurity control score while age, number of household labour, and distance from the nearest poultry farm shows significant negative influence on the farms' biosecurity control score. Equally, the result of the likert rating scale shows that the poultry farmers have a good knowledge of biosecurity measures with overall biosecurity knowledge index of 3.22. The study therefore recommends among other things the intensive sensitization of the poultry farmers through workshop and field days seminars by appropriate agents on the

Chickens are widely kept and make up the largest share in terms of numbers compared to other farm animal genetic resources. The total number of poultry in Ethiopia is estimated to be more than 60.04 million, but its production and productivity are limited. Therefore, this review aims to analyze and summarize data on Ethiopia’s poultry production and marketing system for future improvement. The majority of the Ethiopian poultry farming system was extensive or traditional, with little supplementary feeding practice. Local chickens produce 18 to 60 eggs/year/hen, while exotic breeds produce an average of 250 eggs/year/hen with an average weight of 60 grams of eggs. Chickens and their products are used for income, home expenditure, and consumption. Extension service for the improvement of livestock production in general and poultry production, in particular, found to be weak. There was a higher price of chicken and eggs during the festival than other times. The major problems in poultry production in the country are disease and lack of animal health services, predators, shortage of supplementary feed, and lack of improved poultry housing systems. A better understanding of those constraints and worthy prospects about village chicken production and marketing is an important aspect of improving chicken production.

Ethiopia has considerable livestock resource and poultry population is second ranked preceded by Cattle. Besides their important and numbers, little is known about their production systems, population growth, egg utilization trends and development strategies in Ethiopia. The Ethiopian poultry population is almost entirely composed of indigenous chicken and recent estimates showed that poultry 81.7%, 10.9%, and 7.4% are indigenous, hybrids and exotic, respectively. The distribution of poultry population in Ethiopia is diverging from region to region. Oromia region has the largest number of poultry population followed by Amhara, South Nation and Nationality People of Ethiopia (SNNP). Poultry production system in Ethiopia is indigenous and an integral part of farming system. Based on the objective, breed, flock size, housing, feeding, health, biosecurity level and technology used, the poultry production system in Ethiopia can be classified into extensive or scavenging, semi-intensive, small-scale intensive and large scale commercial poultry production system. The extensive scavenging and small-extensive scavenging systems are the dominant forms of poultry production in Ethiopia. The poultry population growth over the year almost stagnant because of high poultry mortality due to lack of adaptation of introduced exotic poultry, diseases, predators prevalent in the scavenging production systems and limited expansion of commercial poultry production both in terms of number of operators and volume of operation. The poultry sector did not have a clear roadmap guiding its development until the recent production of the LMP. The future study should be attention onto expansion of large scale commercial poultry production system, constraints of poultry population growth, adaption of introduced exotic poultry breeds and the reason for eggs sale and household consumption fluctuated.