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Academic Research Journal of
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Academic Research Journal of Agricultural Science and Research Vol. 5(3), pp. 151-166. May, 2017. ISSN: 2360-7874 DOI: 10.14662/ARJASR2017.039 Full Length Research Survey on Poultry Production and Marketing Systems on Central Zone, Tigray Region
Mearg Fitsum†, Berhanu Belay* and Yayneshet Tesfay#
†Tigray Agricultural Research institute Axum Agricultural Research Center, P.O .Box. 230, Axum, Tigray,Ethiopia *Jimma University College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, P.O.Box 307, Jimma, Ethiopia #International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), P.O.BOX, 5689, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Corresponding author Adress:-Tigray Agricultural Research institute Axum Agricultural Research Center, P.O .Box. 230, Axum, Tigray, Ethiopia email: meargf@yahoo.com Accepted 2 April 2017
The study
was conducted in three districts of central zone of Tigray, with the aim
to assess the socioeconomic characteristics and production environments
of local chicken ecotypes. A total of 242 chicken owners were selected
for the study. The research finding revealed that village chicken
production seems to be an important activity with an average flock size
9.41 and 8.98 birds per household in midland and highland, agro ecology
with a sex ratio of 3:1.The most dominant chicken production system in
the study area was a subsistence extensive system with scavenging and
seasonal supplementary feeding of homegrown grains and household food
refusals while the remaining 8.9% don’t use supplementary feed. About
93.2%, 5% and 1.8% of respondents offer supplement every day, every
three day and every other day, respectively. About 99.2% of respondents
have regular watering troughs in midland and highland agro ecologies. A
separate house to keep chicken was practiced in 36.8% and 28.9% of the
respondents in highland and midland area, respectively. About 87.6% of
the respondents select eggs for incubation and straw was commonly used
as bedding material. About 96.7% of the respondent use broody hens for
incubation and rearing chicks. About 81% of households participate in
chicken and egg marketing as a source of income. Respondents of the
study area also have good practice of selecting eggs and hens for
incubation based on different criteria. About 93.8% of the respondents
confirmed the presence of dangerous disease outbreak in the midland and
highland agro ecologies of the study areas and access to veterinary
services appeared to be quite limited. The availability of vaccines and
veterinary drugs in the study area is generally low due to different
reasons. Predation is also an economically important constraint in
village chicken production system in midland and highland agro ecologies
of the study areas. Reproductive performance study revealed that the
overall mean age at first mating of male chickens and the age at first
egg of female chickens were 5.29 and 5.96 months. The average number of
eggs per year per hen in the study area was 69.6 eggs with the overall
number of eggs/hen per clutch 15.20 and with the overall mean of
clutches per hen per year, clutch length and inter-clutch period 4.58,
17.8 and 14.0 days, respectively. Differences between agro ecologies
were observed for hatchability where midland had the highest
hatchability (80.49), while highland district had the lowest
hatchability (70.91). The average number of chicks weaned was 8.67. The
number of eggs per year per hen in midland and highland agro ecologies
was 64.46 and 75.43 eggs. In conclusion, efforts have to be made to
improve the productivity of village birds in sustainable ways and to
shift the existing extensive production system to semi intensive one,
focusing on market oriented production with multidisciplinary support of
services like; health, husbandry, research, extension, training and
credit interventions is mandatory. How to cite this article: Fitsum M, Belay B, Tesfay Y (2017). Survey on Poultry Production and Marketing Systems on Central Zone, Tigray Region. Acad. Res. J. Agri. Sci. Res. 5(3): 151-166
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