Traditional Poultry Research Articles

Assessing the adoption rates of improved technology in traditional poultry farming: Evidence from rural Togo

The adoption of improved agricultural technologies is known to significantly improve incomes, create more wealth, alleviate poverty and contribute to rural development in many developing countries. The Government of Togo, through the National Programme for Agricultural Investment and Food Security (PNIASAN) and the Agricultural Sector Support Project (PASA), and with financial support from the World Bank and help from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), provides assistance to smallholder farmers in improved technology adoption in traditional poultry farming (ITTPF) for wealth creation, food security and poverty alleviation. However, for any technology or emerging agricultural practices, awareness and exposure are necessary conditions for their adoption. And because these two factors are not distributed randomly in the population of potential adopters, not taking them into account will lead to estimates of population adoption rates that are not informative of the true demand for the technology, and to inconsistent estimates of the parameters of the adoption model. In this study, we evaluate the adoption rates of ITTPF among farmers in Togo. Data was collected from 400 farmers in 2014, prior to the introduction of ITTPF, and again five years later. This data was then analysed using inverse propensity score weighting and parametric estimation of adoption regression models. The results of the estimates indicate that the average treatment effect (𝐴𝑇𝐸), which represents the mean potential adoption rate of the population, is 57%, the average treatment effect on the treated (𝐴𝑇𝐸𝑇), which represents the mean potential adoption rate in the exposed subpopulation, is 60%, the population mean joint exposure and adoption rate (𝐽𝐸𝐴) is 13%, and the population selection bias (𝑃𝑆𝐵) is 3%. The sample adoption rate (𝐽𝐸𝐴) AfJARE Vol 17 No 3 (2022) pp 206–223 Soviada

Antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activity of plant species used in traditional poultry ethnomedicine in Zimbabwe: A first step to developing alternatives to antibiotic poultry feed additives

Ethnopharmacological relevanceGlobal interest in phytogenic feed additives as alternatives to antibiotics in feed has been spurred by the banning of antibiotic growth promoters by several countries. Suitable plant extracts for development of phytogenic feed additives should have therapeutic value and should also be safe. Aim of studyThe aim of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial, antioxidant and anti-lipoxygenase activities as well as cytotoxicity of selected plant species used in poultry ethnomedicine in Zimbabwe. MethodsAntibacterial activity was determined against three ATCC strains (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella Enteritidis) and two clinical strains isolated from chickens (Escherichia coli and Salmonella Gallinarum) using a two-fold serial microdilution assay. Qualitative antibacterial bioautography was also carried out using the ATCC strains. Antioxidant activities of crude acetone and methanol extracts were determined using free radical scavenging assays whilst anti-lipoxygenase activity was evaluated using a ferrous oxidation-xylenol orange (FOX) assay. Cytotoxicity was evaluated using a tetrazolium-based colorimetric assay (MTT assay) on Vero monkey kidney cells. ResultsErythrina abyssinica had the best antibacterial activity against both ATCC strains and clinical strains with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ranging from 0.02 to 0.156 mg/ml. Aloe greatheadii, Adenia gummifera (leaves), Senna singueana and Aloe chabaudii had moderate activity against the poultry pathogens. Bioautography showed that all ten plant species have antibacterial activity against the tested microorganisms with E. abyssinica and S. singueana having prominent bands of inhibition against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. The acetone extract of S. singueana and the methanol extract of Euphorbia matabelensis had the most powerful antioxidant activities with mean IC50 values of 1.43 μg/ml and 1.31 μg/ml respectively in the ABTS assay which were comparable with those of the positive controls (ascorbic acid and trolox). Bobgunnia madagascariensis, A. chabaudii, E. abyssinica and Tridactyle bicaudata extracts had reasonable antioxidant activity. The S. singueana extract had the most potent anti-lipoxygenase activity with a mean IC50 value of 1.72 μg/ml. The cytotoxicity results showed that only the acetone extracts of A. greatheadii and S. singueana were relatively safe at concentrations that were active against the tested microorganisms (selective index >1). Regarding anti-lipoxygenase activity, extracts of B. madagascariensis, S. singueana, T. bicaudata and E. matabelensis were more active than toxic (selective index >5) indicating anti-inflammatory potential. ConclusionsThis study showed that S. singueana had a cocktail of therapeutic activity and supports further investigation of this plant species for development of phytogenic poultry feed additives. Other plant species with noteworthy biological activities include B. madagascariensis, E. abyssinica, A. greatheadii, T. bicaudata and E. matabelensis.

Agricultural R&D investments and development goals in subSaharan Africa: Assessing prioritisation of value chains in Senegal

We look at the prioritisation of agricultural value chains (VCs) for the allocation of R&D resources that maximise development outcomes (poverty, growth, jobs and diets) in Senegal. This study used (a) the rural investment and policy analysis (RIAPA) computable general equilibrium (CGE) model; (b) the perpetual inventory model (PIM), and (c) information on the elasticities of VC total factor productivity (TFP) with respect to R&D knowledge stocks (KS) to discuss the value chain priority allocations of R&D resources. The results indicate that no value chain is the most effective at improving all outcomes. The most effective value chains to be efficiently supported through R&D investments are traditional export crops, groundnuts, rice, poultry, sorghum/millet and cattle. Other promising value chains with potential effects at scale include vegetables, oilseeds and fruits. Future modelling needs to focus on deepening the standardisation and integration of R&D investments in this framework and bring together other factors and complementary agri-food system (AFS) investment dimensions that are relevant to sustainable and inclusive agricultural growth.

Screening for the Probiotic Activities of Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated from the Gastrointestinal Tract of Traditional Poultry in Côte d'Ivoire

In the view to overcome the problem of antibiotic multi-resistance of pathogens encountered in poultry farming, the most appropriate strategy was suggested to be the use of probiotic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the probiotic properties of LAB isolated from gastrointestinal tract of Ivorian traditional chickens for potential application as probiotic in broiler production. So, after a preliminary screening for pH 2.0 tolerance, the probiotic characters like tolerance to bile salt, hydrophobicity, auto and co-aggregation properties, antimicrobial activity and antibiotic susceptibility were evaluated. The results showed that amongst the 90 LAB investigated, a total of 15 isolates were able to grow after 90 min exposed to pH 2.0. The resistance of these 15 isolates to 0.3% bile salt was more than 50%. A test of their adhesion ability to host epithelial cells using cell surface hydrophobicity produced a range of 50.25% to 92.57%. The isolates had weak auto-aggregation ability and high coaggregation with the pathogens Salmonella enteritidis and Escherichia coli. They had wide spectrum inhibitory activity against challenging zoonotic and foodborne pathogens. Furthermore, all the five selected strains showed resistance to Colistin while 60-80% resistance was demonstrated against Oxacillin, Gentamicin and Kanamycin. Based on above characteristics, the LAB strains Pediococcus acidilactici JK148 and Lactobacillus pentosus JK151 which showed excellent probiotic potentials were selected as chicken probiotic candidates.

Sustainable Use of Macrotermes spp. to Improve Traditional Poultry Farming through an Efficient Trapping System in Burkina Faso.

Simple SummaryIn West Africa, termites are commonly used as protein feed for poultry by smallholder farmers who trap them by placing containers filled with organic matters on termite tracks. The objective of this study conducted in Burkina Faso was to test and improve the technique to increase the availability of termites for traditional poultry farmers. The study focused on termites of the genus Macrotermes and found that the quantity of termites trapped varied with the containers’ types, substrates placed in the container, habitats, harvesting times, duration of trap deposition, and season. These results allow to provide information to farmers on how to optimize the trapping of Macrotermes species and increase the quantity of termites available as protein source for their poultry.This study aimed to promote the use of termites as feed in traditional poultry farming by developing sustainable and inexpensive termite trapping techniques. Various tests were carried out in Burkina Faso to improve the traditional technique of trapping termites of the genus Macrotermes using a reversed container filled with organic matters. We studied the effect of containers’ types, substrates, habitats, harvesting times, duration of trap deposition, and season on the quantity of termites trapped. Calabashes and terra cotta pots trapped more termites than iron boxes, but calabashes were quickly destroyed by termites. The quantity of termites harvested increased proportionally with the volume of the pot and was higher in a cultivated habitat than in a forest, despite the higher number of termite mounds in the forest. The quantity of termites harvested was lowest in the cold-dry season and highest during the rainy season, however, sizeable amounts of termites were collected throughout the year. Among six substrates and mixtures of substrates tested, maize cobs trapped the highest number of termites and cow dung the lowest. The best time of harvest varied among seasons and, if substrates are abundant, it is more efficient to empty the containers on a daily basis.

Optimization of Meat and Poultry Farm Inventory Stock Using Data Analytics for Green Supply Chain Network

The traditional meat and poultry farms use a fixed quantity of supply, which creates an imbalance between demand and supply. Due to this imbalance, a huge amount is spent on balancing the requirements. There is an inequality among demand and supply since typical meat and poultry farms use a fixed amount of supply. A lot of money is spent trying to balance the requirements because of this mismatch. In addition, when connecting and building the meat and poultry farm system, the procedure ignores the impact on the environment. The owner’s primary goals are to retain massive profits and raise reliability. The classical method neglects the effect on the environment while linking and designing the meat and poultry farm system. The main aim of the owner is to increase the quality and maintain the maximum profit. This paper deals with the meat and poultry farms in two folds. In the first step, the IoT based system is implemented for the traceability and demand‐supply monitoring. The second steps include optimization of the supply network to reduce the carbon emission from the transportation. Both steps take data analytics as an input to process the final result for the farm to run and optimize. Effective inventory optimization algorithms have been shown to be able to evaluate a significant portion of previous sales data and anticipate inventory future demand by taking seasonality and lead times into account. Revenue, productivity, and customer satisfaction are just a few of the business variables that these strategies may affect. Finally, the comparison is done with the traditional farm and supply chain on the points of demand‐supply balance, cost, carbon emission, and wastage. It is found that the farms using data analytics to optimize the overall system perform better and with 37% more efficient than the traditional systems.

Adoption Rates Assessment of Improved Technology in Traditional Poultry Farming: Evidence from Rural Togo

Adoption Rates Assessment of Improved Technology in Traditional Poultry Farming: Evidence from Rural Togo

Determinants of Farmers' Participation in the Agricultural Sector Support Project for the Adoption of Improved Technology in Traditional Poultry Farming: Evidence from Rural Togo

Determinants of Farmers' Participation in the Agricultural Sector Support Project for the Adoption of Improved Technology in Traditional Poultry Farming: Evidence from Rural Togo

Typology and Characterization of Traditional Poultry Farming Systems in Togo

Typology and Characterization of Traditional Poultry Farming Systems in Togo

Reverse Genetics and Its Usage in the Development of Vaccine Against Poultry Diseases.

Vaccines are the most effective and economic way of combating poultry viruses. However, the use of traditional live-attenuated poultry vaccines has problems such as antigenic differences with the currently circulating strains of viruses and the risk of reversion to virulence. In veterinary medicine, reverse genetics is applied to solve these problems by developing genotype-matched vaccines, better attenuated and effective live vaccines, broad-spectrum vaccine vectors, bivalent vaccines, and genetically tagged recombinant vaccines that facilitate the serological differentiation of vaccinated animals from infected animals. In this chapter, we discuss reverse genetics as a tool for the development of recombinant vaccines against economically devastating poultry viruses.

Extensive and Improved Traditional Poultry Farming in Togo: A Comparative Analysis of Socioeconomic Characteristics of Farmers

Since 2014, the Agricultural Sector Support Project (PASA) has been assisting smallholder farmers in Togo with the adoption of Improved Traditional Poultry Farming Technique (ITPFT) in rural areas for wealth creation, food security and poverty alleviation. This paper focuses on comparing the socioeconomic characteristics of beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries of PASA subsidies. Both random and purposive sampling techniques were used to select 400 farmers. The sample consisted of 86 project beneficiaries and 314 non-beneficiaries. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data. Results of analysis indicated that there is a significant difference in socioeconomic variables such as self-financing capacity, level of education, membership in cooperative societies, household size, farm size, and annual sale of poultry between project beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries prior to the implementation of PASA. Descriptive statistics show that five years after the implementation of PASA, the annual poultry sales per farmer ranged from 0 to 1700 birds for beneficiaries and from 9 to 200 birds for non-beneficiaries. The turnover per farmer ranged from US $ 0 to US $ 42409 and from US $ 33 to US $ 996 for beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries, respectively. The profit per farmer ranged from US $ 0 to US $ 25446 for beneficiaries and from US $ 26 to US $ 797 for non-beneficiaries. The magnitude of the standard deviations of the potential outcome variables among beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries suggests that adoption rates of ITPFT may vary from one farmer to another. As a result, compared to non-beneficiaries, beneficiaries experienced a greater increase in potential outcomes five years after the implementation of PASA. Failure to comply with improved production technique on certain farms, despite receiving subsidies, is a factor that could negatively impact the effective, efficient, and optimal achievement of the project’s expected results. Further research will concentrate on determining the added value of PASA through the use of appropriate and thorough econometric adoption and impact assessment methods.

Backyard poultry flocks in France: A diversity of owners and biosecurity practices

Over the past few years, the number of backyard poultry flocks has been increasing in France. A mandatory step to improve backyard poultry management is to assess health risks by characterizing the flocks and understanding the owners’ motivations for keeping poultry and their husbandry practices. A survey of backyard poultry owners was conducted in France to gather information about their motivations for owning poultry, flock characteristics, and breeding and biosecurity practices. The survey was completed by 1,160 owners. The major motivations for owning poultry flocks were egg consumption (93.3 %), recycling (72.4 %) and having pet animals (53.2 %). Most owners had already heard about avian influenza (96.7 %), but were less aware about other diseases such as Newcastle Disease (41.6 %), salmonellosis (79.1 %), or campylobacteriosis (18.6 %). Owners mainly kept only egg-layers (78.4 %), and the median size flock was five egg-layers. Owners gave eggs to their relatives, occasionally or regularly, in 86.6 % of the cases. Contacts with other family poultry owners were frequent (68.9 %) and biosecurity practices were poorly implemented: 50 % of owners did not wash their hands systematically after visiting the flock and more than 60 % of owners did not wear specific shoes. Drawing from the survey data, five profiles of family poultry flocks were identified with multiple correspondence analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis. The profiles, based on flock characteristics and owners’ practices and motivations, illustrate the heterogeneity of the backyard poultry sector: 1) urban poultry, 2) traditional poultry, 3) student poultry, 4) pet poultry and 5) hobby poultry. Urban poultry consisted of recently constituted (< 2 years old), small (< 3 birds) flocks of layers, and traditional poultry of older, medium-sized flocks belonging to retired and older people. These two profiles were characterized by limited contacts (direct or indirect) with other flocks and owners. Student poultry consisted of younger owners (<30 years old) with flocks over 5 years old. Pet poultry consisted of recently established, medium-size flocks of layers located in both rural or urban environments. Hobby poultry consisted of dedicated owners who breed and sell poultry and participate in exhibitions and poultry shows. Pet and hobby poultry profiles were characterized by greater knowledge of diseases and biosecurity practices, more bird movements, and reported more frequent clinical signs. The observation of different profiles can help target veterinary and public health education messages to prevent disease transmission in backyard poultry flocks in France.

Using Thermochemical Materials as a Heat Source for Poultry Egg Incubation

This study aims to use one thermochemical storage materials system as a heat source for poultry egg incubation. Three types of activated thermochemical storage materials (TCMs) were used as an energy storage medium. These materials are Silica gel self-indicating (blue/pink), commercial white Silica gel, and Natural Zeolite. An open thermochemical system was applied inside a poultry egg incubator. The TCMs were humidified by the vapor produced from the evaporation of the water by an ultra-sonic humidifier at atmospheric pressure. The thermal recovery process aims to release the stored energy in TCMs. Two types of poultry egg incubator used during this study. The first one was the traditional poultry incubator (electricity incubator). The traditional egg incubator dimensions were 57×66×59 cm with capacity of 125 hen egg- 76 hatching. The second one was the prototype of a thermochemical poultry egg incubator. The thermochemical poultry egg incubator contained sensors to control and measure the temperature and humidity inside the incubator. The designed incubator egg dimensions were 56x39x28.5 cm, with a capacity of 25 eggs. The total heat losses by the wall and ventilation were 9.8 and 1.5W, respectively. The heat production by 25 eggs due to metabolic activities was 3.65 W. The total energy needed for the incubation process was 36.09W. The container of storage material with dimensions of 35x35x5 cm with 3.5 kg capacity allocated inside the incubator. The container's surface is covered with aluminum sheet with 0.5 mm thickness supplied with fins. The egg tray is placed on the aluminum sheet, and the eggs were placed horizontally in the tray. The energy consumption for traditional and thermochemical incubators for 21 days was 19.25 kWh and 11.2 kWh, respectively. The energy saving by thermochemical prototype incubator was 41.8%. The percentage of hatchability for traditional and prototype incubator was 80.9% and 71.4%, respectively.

Identifying Images of Dead Chickens with a Chicken Removal System Integrated with a Deep Learning Algorithm.

The chicken industry, in which broiler chickens are bred, is the largest poultry industry in Taiwan. In a traditional poultry house, breeders must usually observe the health of the broilers in person on the basis of their breeding experience at regular times every day. When a breeder finds unhealthy broilers, they are removed manually from the poultry house to prevent viruses from spreading in the poultry house. Therefore, in this study, we designed and constructed a novel small removal system for dead chickens for Taiwanese poultry houses. In the mechanical design, this system mainly contains walking, removal, and storage parts. It comprises robotic arms with a fixed end and sweep-in devices for sweeping dead chickens, a conveyor belt for transporting chickens, a storage cache for storing chickens, and a tracked vehicle. The designed system has dimensions of approximately 1.038 × 0.36 × 0.5 m3, and two dead chickens can be removed in a single operation. The walking speed of the chicken removal system is 3.3 cm/s. In order to enhance the automation and artificial intelligence in the poultry industry, the identification system was used in a novel small removal system. The conditions of the chickens in a poultry house can be monitored remotely by using a camera, and dead chickens can be identified through deep learning based on the YOLO v4 algorithm. The precision of the designed system reached 95.24% in this study, and dead chickens were successfully moved to the storage cache. Finally, the designed system can reduce the contact between humans and poultry to effectively improve the overall biological safety.

An Overview of Traditional Small-Scale Poultry Production in Low-Income, Food-Deficit Countries

Poultry production is an activity that is engaged in by a majority of traditional small-scale farmers around the world. The percentage of participants engaged in this enterprise exceeds all those participating in other forms of domestic livestock production. Domestic fowl (“chickens”) are overwhelmingly the main species around the globe world but at least eight other species of bird are reared with regional preferences for one or the other type. A multitude of breeds or varieties are present within species which provide a genetic resource of truly inestimable value and whose genes need to be conserved for posterity. Output of live birds, meat and eggs is low in the mainly extensive or semi-intensive production systems but input costs (labour, feed and medicines) are also low. Poultry contribute to poverty alleviation, household food security, create opportunities for employment and are an asset that can be rapidly converted to income. Women and children are often the principal beneficiaries of small-scale production both as managers and owners. Housing is often rudimentary, the mainly scavenged feed is of inadequate quantity and quality and health interventions are minimal except for vaccination against the plagues of Newcastle Disease and Avian Influenza. Marketing of surplus birds or product sales is largely informal but the system is quite appropriate for the sector. Official policies relating to traditional production are often minimal. There are opportunities for improved production and thus for contributing to human welfare in training of owners in management and in improving nutrition and health of the birds.

Performance evaluation of the parents of the improved backyard poultry germplasm in sub-tropical condition of North Eastern Hill Region of India.

Productivity of traditional backyard poultry in developing countries can be enhanced by introduction of improved germplasm of backyard chicken which is adaptable to diverse ago-climatic condition. The growth and reproductive performance of parents of improved backyard chicken (Vanaraja and Srinidhi) were evaluated under intensive production system in humid sub-tropical region of North East India. We also evaluated the growth performance and mortality in terminal crosses of above parents until 6 weeks of age. At day 0 and at 25 weeks of age, body weight of Srinidhi male parent was significantly (P<0.05) higher than Vanaraja male parent. During brooding stage, mortality was 15.7% in Srinidhi male parent, 14.5% in Vanaraja male parent, 13.9% in Srinidhi female parent, and 8% in Vanaraja female parent. Hen-day egg production (HDEP) of Vanaraja female parent varied from 0.2 at 25 weeks to 54.9% at 54th weeks of age. In Srinidhi female parent, HDEP reached 60% at 35 weeks and peaked 63.9% at 39 weeks of age. Srinidhi female parent has significantly (P<0.05) lower age at first lay. Average annual egg production was significantly (P<0.05) higher in Srinidhi female parent (202 eggs vs. 137 eggs). Egg weight at 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, and 50 week of age was significantly (P<0.05) higher in Vanaraja female parent. Egg shape index and yolk index at 40 weeks of age were significantly (P<0.05) higher in Srinidhi female parent. Fertility of Vanaraja female parent was significantly (P<0.05) lower in winter. In case of Srinidhi female parent, fertility was significantly higher (P<0.05) in winter as compared to summer. In case of terminal crosses, body weight at 6 weeks of age was significantly (P<0.05) higher in Vanaraja as compared to Srinidhi. Cumulative mortality during brooding phase was 9.2 per cent in Vanaraja and 9.6 per cent in Srinidhi. In conclusion, parents of Vanaraja and Srinidhi are suitable and well-adapted birds in humid sub-tropical condition of North East India. These birds could be introduced in the region on large scale for up-scaling of traditional backyard poultry.

A New Variant Among Newcastle Disease Viruses Isolated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2018 and 2019.

Newcastle disease (ND) is a highly transmissible and devastating disease that affects poultry and wild birds worldwide. Comprehensive knowledge regarding the characteristics and epidemiological factors of the ND virus (NDV) is critical for the control and prevention of ND. Effective vaccinations can prevent and control the spread of the NDV in poultry populations. For decades, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has reported the impacts of ND on commercial and traditional poultry farming systems. The reports were preliminary clinical observations, and few cases were confirmed in the laboratory. However, data on the phylogenetic, genetic, and virological characteristics of NDVs circulating in the DRC are not available. In this study, the whole-genome sequences of three NDV isolates obtained using the next-generation sequencing method revealed two isolates that were a new variant of NDV, and one isolate that was clustered in the subgenotype VII.2. All DRC isolates were velogenic and were antigenically closely related to the vaccine strains. Our findings reveal that despite the circulation of the new variant, ND can be controlled in the DRC using the current vaccine. However, epidemiological studies should be conducted to elucidate the endemicity of the disease so that better control strategies can be implemented.

The Livability of Bovans Brown Parent Layers Raised in Commercial Breeder Farm, Ethiopia

In order to meet its chicken meat and egg demand for its growing population and produces export surpluses, Ethiopian poultry sub-sector should move away from the traditional scavenging family poultry system (TFP) to the improved semi-scavenging family poultry system (IFP) and increase the scale of specialized poultry. The Bovans brown (BB) genetics are one of familiar exotic breed in Ethiopia. A prospective cohort study was conducted to estimate their livability and evaluate body weight and age as predictors of livability. There is direct proportional trend in body weight increment with slight difference with the standard. Both sex groups showed excellent growth with percent uniformity of 96.7% for males and 95.3% for females. Overall, 161 chickens died with the total weekly chicken death rate ranged from 0.00% to 1.79% varying from 0.00% to 3.14% in males and from 0.00% to 1.57% in females. On the other hand the percentage of cumulative mortality was 9.91% (46/510) for male chicken and 2.94 (115/4020)% for female and 3.69% (161/4530) for all. The mean mortality of chicken was 4.24 per week being 2.42 for males and 6.05 for females. The loss of female chickens exceeded that of male chickens, CV of 2.38 for the former and 1.82 for the latter. Using regression analysis, the identified significant predictors of mortality were age in weeks (Coef. = -0.78; p = 0.011) and body weight in gram (Coef. =-0.0086; p = 0.006). As both parameters get increased, mortality of chicken on the contrary got reduced. The overall livability of bovans brown breeder chicks at the end of rearing period was 96.45% (90.98% for males and 97.14 for females). Bovans brown parent stock layer chicks demonstrated excellent performance and livability.

Socio-economic Situation of Poultry Farmer and the Local Chicken Production System of the East-Coast of Madagascar

Traditional family poultry farming is the most dominant in Madagascar, with 95% of farmers raising mostly local breed chickens. The objective of this study is to characterize the socio-economic aspect and the local poultry production system on the east coast of the large island. All 316 smallholder farmers with plus one adult chicken heads in the district of Fénérive-Est were included. Simple economic calculations were also made to assess the profitability of the poultry farm. The main results found that local chicken farming is an activity under the responsibility of men with an average age of 41.95±10.84 years old. Most of these smallholder farmers are limited to the education level at secondary school (35%) and primary school (34%) level. On average, a household owns 22,89±23,14 heads of local chickens. Livestock products are intended for sale (74 to 76% male and 37 to 40% female), self-consumption (3 to 5% male and 2% female) and socio-cultural events (12% male and 2 to 4% female). The losses due to diseases (more than 60%), theft (23%) and financing (12.3%) were the main problems in chicken production system. However, traditional poultry production is beneficial to smallholder farmers with 62.85% profit margin. Adequate research and a contribution from the State in this sector are essential to improve the living conditions of the farmers on the east coast of Madagascar.

Design and prototyping of a low-cost, energy efficient eggs incubator in developing countries: A case study of Cameroon

Farming in general and poultry in particular is a back bone to Africa's development and self-sufficient in term of food. However, in a country like Cameroon, traditional poultry accounts for more than 70%. Due to this situation, more than 43% of newly hatched chicks do not survive thereby causing a lot of loss both financially and in terms of availability of chicken as food. This paper aims to bring a solution to this problem. The paper deals with the prototyping of an energy efficient eggs incubator in view of providing a solution to the poultry sector in developing countries. The system hardware is composed of an enclosure, mechanical and electronic parts. The enclosure is made of plywood, aluminum and glass wool in order to minimize the heat loss across the multi-layered wall. The mechanical part comprises of electronically controlled mechanical jacks. The electronic module is constituted of a temperature and humidity generator and measurement circuits, a control circuit, a communication module and a microcontroller in charge of monitoring and controlling the operation of the system. Using Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) controller, the mathematical modeling of heat transfer permitted the optimization of energy efficiency of the system. The system has a capacity of 600 eggs. The eggs were incubated at a temperature of 37.5°C and a humidity of 45.5% after a preheating stage of 30 min. The developed incubator system gave a hatching rate of 87.27%.