Constraint and Opportunity of Village Chicken Production in Ethiopia

Abstract

The higher chicken ownership of women was observed in all of the three agro-climatic zones Feeding, watering, cleaning, house construction, treating sick chicken, and buying and selling live chicken are common activities in poultry farms. Approximately 80% of the chicken populations in Africa are reared in free scavenging systems. Small holder farming families, landless labourers and people with incomes below the poverty line are able to raise chicken with low inputs and harvest the benefits of eggs and meat via scavenging feed resources. In most African countries, the rural chicken population accounts for more than 60% of the total national chicken population. Ethiopia is more responsible for chicken rearing in both male and female headed households, while men are responsible for crop cultivation and other off-farm activities. In a number of African countries, approximately 80% of the chicken flocks are owned and largely controlled and managed by rural women. In male headed households, the wife and husband are coowners of the chickens but sometimes children own some chicken in the flock and are allowed to sell their chicken and eggs to cover expenses for school or to purchase clothes. The proportional contribution of poultry to the total animal protein production of the world by the year 2020 is believed to increase to 40%, the major increase being in the developing world. However, most communities lack the required husbandry skills, training and opportunity to effectively improve their household chicken production.