Assessment of Local Chicken Management and Production Systems in Damot Pullassa Woreda of Walaita Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

The study was conducted in Damot pullassa woreda of wolaita zone, southern Ethiopia to assess local chicken production and management systems. To obtain primary data simple random sampling procedure was employed. That is four kebeles were randomly selected from the total 23 kebeles of the woreda and then from each selected kebeles 20 households, and hence a total 80 households were, included in the study and secondary data were obtained from written documents of the wereda’s Bureau of agriculture. Data were analyzed using simple descriptive statistics. The results of the study indicates that 81.5%, of the respondents were males and 75% are married additionally about 75% of respondents are illiterates. The average chicken holding per house hold was 4 heads and chicken were kept for subsistence (31.25%), income generation (18.75%) and both subsistence and income generation (62.5%). furtheremore the respondents were kept their chickens in free scavenging system and majority (81.25%) did not supplement their birds before they go for scavenging. The common supplements used in chicken feeding were maize (1^st), wheat (2^nd), and kitchen wastes (3^rd) as ranked by the respondents. Majority (81.25%) of the respondents provide water to their chicken free of choice. However, chicken production in the study area was constrained by shortage of feed (1^st) prevalence of chicken disease (2^nd), predators (3^rd), lack of capital (4^th) and poor veterinary service (5^th) as ranked by the respondents. Therefore, improved management technologies should be introduced in order to increase the productivity of the local chickens.

Keywords: free scavenging, local chicken, production system, management, Damot pullasa