Favouring the fowl
Most village chicken production systems in Africa are based on the indigenous or native domestic fowl and are characterized by low levels of inputs and outputs. The main input is feed from household refuse as well as that scavenged around the village. With such low inputs, the village chicken is capable of generating cheap and readily harvestable meat and eggs for immediate home consumption and for sale. At the same time the scavenging poultry perform a useful hygiene function.
Village chicken production in developing countries is often
marginalized by policy-makers, scientists and development workers
because of its low productivity compared with commercial production
systems. Most poultry improvement programmes in developing countries
have been directed towards the introduction of specialized or exotic
breeds, cross-breeding and management intensification. Yet surveys in
developing countries have shown that farmers have preferred to
maintain their local stock, i.e. the village chicken, for social and
economic reasons.
Village chicken products are often the only source of animal protein
for resource-poor households and eggs are an essential source of
high-quality protein for sick and malnourished children under the age
of five. Estimates based on human and livestock populations in
Ethiopia showed that the village chicken provides 12.5 kg of poultry
meat per capita per year, whereas cattle provide only 5.3 kg.
The management of village chickens is complicated by the presence of multi-age individuals in the same group and high chick losses have been attributed to poor feeding, housing and health control practices. With no preferential treatment of the chicks, some starve to death because of high competition for the available scavenging feed resource. Where supplementary feeding and water is provided, the containers used may be too deep for the chicks to reach the contents. Outbreaks of Newcastle Disease (fowl pest) are the main constraint to village chicken production, causing fatalities of up to 100%. Vaccination of chicks is advisable although traditional disease control methods are also used. "To avoid the expense and difficulties of veterinarians vaccinating small numbers of chicks at different age groups, local paravets are now being trained to vaccinate when necessary," says René Branckaert of FAO. "Vaccines, with a life of 2-3 weeks, can be bought from veterinarians and farmers encouraged to pay a small sum to have chicks vaccinated at the appropriate time." Provision of safe housing also avoids the high losses of chicks due to predation - another major cause of fatalities in young stock.
In Kenya a rural poultry improvement programme, which included a cockerel exchange component, resulted in progressive improvements over the years. The success achieved was attributed to the flexibility of the project and its incorporation of participatory approach techniques and an intensive training component. Another successful rural improvement programme, including disease control and training on hygiene, housing, feeding and marketing, is reported in Burkina Faso. This project is reported to have made great achievements and credit was given to the holistic approach followed and the support received from policy makers.
In view of lessons from past rural poultry improvement programmes, a new approach should aim at increasing flock productivity instead of individual animal productivity. A new poultry network - INFPD (International Network for Family Poultry Development), which has evolved from the African Network for Rural Poultry Development (ANRPD), has been set up to address this. The new network is to encompass all aspects of family-related poultry production in Africa, Asia and Latin America and is to include other poultry species such as ducks, guinea fowls, turkeys and pigeons. Women and women's groups are also to be given further support and training in recognition of the important contribution they make towards backyard poultry production.
