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| The Context |
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Who?
Targeted at ...
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The tool is aimed primarily at small scale producers of poultry. Secondarily the tool is directed to agricultural, livestock and veterinary extension and other advisory personnel (in both the public and private sectors including those NGOs with special interest in and relevant to rural and peri-urban production). As poultry keeping of this nature and at this scale is a particularly suitable enterprise for women and women's groups advisors in cooperative associations or home economics' advisors should also be part of the overall target group. The tool is also designed to provide benefits to consumers of poultry products at the downstream end of the food chain. |
When?
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The tool can be used at all times of the year as poultry production is a continuous activity. |
Where?
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Most areas of the tropics and subtropics are eminently suitable for poultry production providing sufficient attention is given to local ecoclimatic conditions and due regard is given to housing designed to overcome or mitigate any negative effects associated with the local environment. Areas of high potential and peri-urban areas near to concentrations of human population that have or are developing high demand for products of animal origin from monogastric animals are a particularly suitable target area. |
| Methods |
A study was undertaken in Zimbabwe to evaluate the potential of village poultry for meat production under an improved feeding management system that is commonly used with hybrid birds; and to evaluate the economic returns of keeping indigenous compared to those of hybrid birds.
A total of 70 day-old hybrid chicks (41
± 2 g SD average body weight) and 70 village chicks (40 ± 1.5 g SD average body weight) were kept in a deep litter shed constructed from concrete blocks and with an asbestos roof. Broiler starter feed and water were supplied ad libitum to both types of bird during the brooder phase up to 28 days. A finisher diet was provided up to 56 days. The broiler starter feed mixture comprised broiler concentrate and maize meal in a ratio of 1:1.5 whereas the finisher diet consisted of a 1:1.8 mixture of broiler concentrate and maize meal. The broiler was balanced for minerals and vitamins. Economic analyses were carried out using current feed prices in the Zimbabwe poultry industry to compare the feeding costs of both types of bird in relation to meat production.
Hybrid birds consumed significantly more nutrients than village birds at all stages of growth. At 0-28 days the hybrid birds consumed 24 per cent more feed than village birds, at 35 days 32 per cent more and at 56 days 39 per cent more. Hybrid birds drank 46 per cent more water at one week of age, 62 per cent more at 4 weeks and 73 per cent at 8 weeks of age. Village birds also drank less water per unit of feed than the hybrids. Weight gains of village birds at all phases of growth were lower than those of hybrids which were 48 per cent heavier than village birds at 7 days, 69 per cent heavier at 28 days and 70 per cent heavier at 56 days. Hybrid birds were more efficient in feed conversion ratio (FCR) at all phases of growth with a mean FCR of 2.5 ± 0.49 SD compared with 4.7 ± 1.4 SD for village chickens. A higher gross margin, net profit and return on investment were obtained from hybrid chickens compared to village birds. Feed cost per kilogram of live weight was high in village compared to hybrid chickens but the differences in return per dollar invested between the village ($1.5) and hybrid ($1.8) chickens were small. Village birds produced carcasses of good quality, as reflected by high protein (73.2 per cent) and low fat (34 per cent) whereas hybrid chickens had a high fat content (47 per cent).
In spite of the poorer physical and financial performance of the native birds both gross margin and net returns were positive, demonstrating that relative profit could still be realized from the improved feeding management of village chickens. Village fowl have valuable traits that are not found in hybrids and notably the preference that local people have for them over hybrid birds (a factor not considered in this study). Improving the feeding management of village chickens is a viable enterprise especially for resource poor farmers who may not wish or be unable to provide the high standards of management required by hybrids. |
| Resources Required |
At the farm level few resources additional to those already present are required. |
| Support |
Financial support for research will need to be made available for dissemination and diffusion of the results. Farmers will require assistance from public and private advisory services in order to ensure the technology is correctly transferred and properly used. The extension personnel themselves will need to be trained in the technology. |
| Costs |
Additional financial costs will be concentrated at the research and advisory levels. Small financial costs may be incurred by farmers. It could be expected, however, that such costs would be recovered directly in a greater quantity of marketable products. There will also be some non-financial costs to poultry producers in time expended if they mix their own rations. |
| Benefits |
Improved production of poultry from better feed management will make a positive contribution to increasing the income of small scale poultry producers. This also translates to the producer as a higher and more stable income. More widely correct employment of the tool should lead to more sustainable livelihoods. More efficient use of local feed resources that are not competitive with or less competitive than food for people has beneficial local and global effects as it reduces overall local costs to the environment and contributes to sustainable production of both crops and livestock. More assured supplies of high quality livestock products would improve the diets and the quality of life of consumers. |
| Risks |
There appear to be few risks associated with the use of the technology. |
| Alternatives |
The alternative to producing indigenous poultry products by small scale resource poor farmers is to produce hybrid birds which require higher capital costs and incur greater recurrent costs. |
| Impacts |
The overall impacts are a more sustainable production system at least cost to the environment. |
| Policy Implications |
The policy implications at national, regional and district levels are that the administrative services promote options that provide support for research and for providing producers with information on the benefits of making more efficient and maximum use of local resources. |
| References and Further Reading |
The use of oilseed cake from small-scale processing operations for inclusion in rations
for peri-urban poultry and small-ruminant production
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| A comparison of the performance of village chickens, under improved feed management, with the performance of hybrid chickens in tropical Zimbabwe |
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| The Use of Oilseed Cake from Small-Scale Processing
Operations for Inclusion in Rations for Peri-Urban Poultry
and Small Ruminant Production |
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Gueye, E,F. (1997). Senegalese poultry industry expands with various bottlenecks. World Poultry 13:10-11
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| Jalaludin, S., Sivarajasingan, S. and Oh, B.T. (1985). Some breed characteristics of the Kampung chicken. In: Proceedings of the Regional Seminar on Future Developments on Poultry Industry, Kuala Lumpar (Eds.Aini, I. Ramla, H) pp 43-45. |
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| Joseph, J.K., Balogun, O.O. and Famuyima, M.A. (1992). Carcass evaluation and organoleptic assessments of quality attributes of some selected Nigerian birds. Bulletin of Animal Health and Production in Africa 40: 97-102. |
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| Wilson, R.T. (1986). Poultry production in Sub Sahara Africa. Outlook on Agriculture 15: 121-127. |
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| Yeong, S.W. (1992). Effect of dietary protein level on growth performance of village chicken. In: Proceedings of the National IRPA. Seminar Agriculture Sector (Eds. Ho, Y. W.Vidyadaran, M.K. Abduila, Janudin, M.R. and Bahaman, A.R.) Vol. 2: pp 519-520. |
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