Product Utilization, Constraints and Opportunities of Village Chicken under Traditional Management System in Gantaafeshum District of Eastern Tigray, Ethiopia

Abstract

A survey was conducted on product utilization, constraints and opportunities of village chicken in Gantaafeshum district of Eastern Tigray, Ethiopia.  Data were collected from a total 160 chicken owners by using semi-structured questionnaire. Utilization of eggs as a nutritional food (40%) and medicine (68.1%) was practiced out of the total respondents. Mostly eggs and birds were used for sale and replacement, respectively. About 56.4, 31.9 and 11.7% of eggs produced were used for sale, hatching, and consumption, respectively. The farmers’ sale their chicken mostly when there is an instant cash need in the house (64.4%), when disease outbreak occurs (12.5%) and during the major crop planting season (23.1%). Predation and disease were the main constraints of chicken production followed by shortage of capital, lack of extension service and market distance. It was concluded that efforts have to be made on predator and disease control, improved management, access to credit services and creating market linkage.

Keywords: Product utilization, Indigenous chickens, scavenging, traditional management