Ibrahim M, Abase A
The study was conducted on the “Chicken Production and Marketing Practices at Worabe town, Silte Zone, Ethiopia”. The objectives were to assess the chicken production and productivity, and marketing practices. A total of 72 households participated in the study. The study revealed that the overall mean flock size per household were 8.39±0.50 of which 7.43±0.45 were local chicken. The overall average age at laying and clutch cycle/bird/year was found to be 6.69±0.07months and 3.67±0.08 cycle/year, respectively. The majority of the households provided water and supplementary feed to their chicken. Maize or mixture of Sorghum and Maize and “Tikur kocho” (E.ventricosum) were the common feeds for supplementation. The sources of supplementary feed were both household harvest and purchase (75.2%). The women were mostly responsible to make decision on off-take of the eggs (95.2%), chicken (94.2%), and own the income from sale. About 43.1% households select breeding cock based on body size, color, double comb, yellow smooth shank and activeness. The past hatching performance was the main selection criteria while mothering ability was also considered. Mostly eggs and birds were used for sale and replacement, respectively. About 55.8, 34.9, 9.3% of eggs produced were used for sale, hatching and consumption, respectively. Eggs were sold only for money by 53.5% of respondents and other methods were for money and exchange for consumables in the same village shops and sold for money similar village. Predation and disease were the main constraints of chicken production. About 90.8, 9.2% of respondents indicated number of birds population decreased and increased, respectively.
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