Management and Marketing System of Local Chicken in Boloso Sore Woreda, Wolaita Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

The study was conducted in Boloso Sore Woreda Wolaita Zone, Southern Ethiopia to assess local chicken management and marketing system. A stratified random sampling technique was used to stratify the agro-ecological zones to select 6, 20 and 3 from (high lands (“Dega”), mid altitude (“Woyna dega”) and lowland (“Kola”) respectively. Fifteen households from each kebeles were selected purposively based on the intensity and experience of poultry production. The result of the study indicated that about 85.92 and 14.08% of the respondents were males and females headed respectively and about 82% were married. The average chicken holding per household was 3.79 heads. The chickens were kept for subsistence (home consumption), income generation and both for subsistence and income generation according to 19.25, 25.25 and 55.5% of the respondents respectively. Furthermore, the majorities (79.5%) of the respondents were kept their chickens in free scavenging system and majority did not supplement their birds before they go for scavenging. The common supplements used in chicken feeding were maize, wheat, kitchen wastes according the rank obtained from the respondents. Majority (79.5%) of the respondents provide water to their chicken free of choice. However, the respondents’ ranked shortage of feed was the first constraints challenging poultry production. Similarly, prevalence of disease, predators, lack of capital and veterinary service are the major constraints affecting their chicken production and productivity in the order of rank. Therefore, improved management technologies to overcome shortage of feed and disease control should be introduced in order to increase the productivity of the local chicken.