Global Journal of Science Frontier Research: D Agriculture and Veterinary Volume 16 Issue 2 Version 1.0 Year 2016 Type : Double Blind Peer Reviewed International Research Journal Publisher: Global Journals Inc. (USA) Online ISSN: 2249-4626 & Print ISSN: 0975-5896 Study of Indigenous Chicken Production System in Bench Maji Zone, South Western Ethiopia By Getachew Bekele, Kefelegn Kebede & Negassi Ameha Gambella University, Ethiopia Abstract- Indigenous chickens in Ethiopia are found in huge numbers distributed across different agro ecological zones under a traditional family-based scavenging management system. This indicates that, they are highly important farm animals kept as a source of animal protein and income to most of the rural populations. Religions and cultural considerations are also amongst the reasons for keeping chickens by resource poor farmers in Africa. Similarly, households in Ethiopia keep birds for household consumption, sale and reproduction purposes including other social and cultural roles. Ethiopia, with its wide variations in agro-climatic conditions, possesses one of the largest and the most diverse plant and animal genetic resources in the world. Therefore, this study was conducted from September 2013 to May 2014 in nine selected kebeles and South bench Woreda’s located in Bench Maji Zone of South western of Ethiopia with the objective to describe indigenous chicken husbandry practices and production system. Keywords: indigenous, production, clutches, broodiness, hatchability. GJSFR-D Classification : FOR Code: 309999p StudyofIndigenousChickenProductionSysteminBenchMajiZoneSouthWesternEthiopia Strictly as per the compliance and regulations of : © 2016. Getachew Bekele, Kefelegn Kebede & Negassi Ameha. This is a research/review paper, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 Unported License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/), permitting all non commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Study of Indigenous Chicken Production System in Bench Maji Zone, South Western Ethiopia Getachew Bekele α, Kefelegn Kebede σ & Negassi Ameha ρ Abstract- Indigenous chickens in Ethiopia are found in huge numbers distributed across different agro ecological zones I. Introduction under a traditional family-based scavenging management system. This indicates that, they are highly important farm ndigenous chicken productivity is low as compared to animals kept as a source of animal protein and income to exotic breeds with average annual egg production of 2016 most of the rural populations. Religions and cultural 60 eggs. Low productivity is also due to low r I ea considerations are also amongst the reasons for keeping hatchability and high mortality of indigenous chicken. Y chickens by resource poor farmers in Africa. Similarly, This initiates the government to modernize poultry households in Ethiopia keep birds for household consumption, production by introducing exotic breeds and 211 sale and reproduction purposes including other social and encouraging more productive technologies. This cultural roles. Ethiopia, with its wide variations in agro-climatic indiscriminate introduction of exotic genetic resources, conditions, possesses one of the largest and the most diverse before proper characterization, utilization and plant and animal genetic resources in the world. Therefore, conservation of indigenous genetic resources is thought this study was conducted from September 2013 to May 2014 V in nine selected kebeles and South bench Woreda’s located in as the main cause of the loss of indigenous chicken II genetic resource (Halima, 2007). Disease (Serkalem et Bench Maji Zone of South western of Ethiopia with the ue ersion I s objective to describe indigenous chicken husbandry practices al., 2005), predation (Halima, 2007), market system s and production system. The study involved both questionnaire (Bogale, 2008), management and production system I survey and a participatory group discussion. A total of 180 (Fisseha, 2009; Fisseha et al., 2010a) are major XVI indigenous chicken owning farmers and 660 chickens (180 constraints of chickens in scavenging production cocks and 480 hens) aged more than 6 month were system of Ethiopia. considered under field condition. Significant (p<0.05) Provision of animal protein, generation of extra differences were found among the districts in traits. The cash income and religious /cultural considerations are frequency of egg set to broody hen/year was 1.95 in north- ) amongst the major reasons for keeping village chickens D bench, 1.98 in sheko and 2.10 in south-bench, average ( number of eggs set to broody hens was 12.11 in north-bench, by rural communities (Alders et al., 2009). Nearly all rural and peri-urban families in developing countries keep a 11.72 in sheko and 11.27 in south-bench of which the average percentage of hatchability was 77.97% in North bench, 75.51% small flock of free range chickens (Jens et al., 2004). in Sheko and 80.92% in South bench. The average number of The total chicken population in the country is estimated Research Volume clutches per hen per year of village chicken were non- to be 50.37 million (CSA, 2012/13). The majorities (99 %) significant (P<0.05) among the study districts. North-bench of these chickens are maintained under traditional chickens had (3.65) mean number of clutch per hen per year, system with little or no inputs for housing, feeding or sheko (3.67) and south-bench (3.64) chickens, respectively. Frontier The number of eggs per clutch found in the current study was health care (Tadelle and Ogle, 2001). This indicates that 14.43, 14.74 and 14.81 in north-bench, sheko and south- traditional chicken production is practiced by every bench respectively. Generally developing appropriate family in rural Ethiopia because they provide protein for Science production programs for village conditions requires defining the rural population and generate family income. the production environments, identifying the breeding Therefore, this study was aimed to generate the relevant of practices, production objectives, trait preferences of rural information regarding the indigenous chicken farmers and unique characteristics of indigenous chicken production system of Bench Maji Zone. Hence, the ecotypes were observed in the study area. objective of this study was to describe indigenous Journal Keywords: indigenous, production, clutches, broodiness, chicken husbandry practices, and production systems hatchability. of indigenous chicken type’s in Bench Maji Zone. Global aterials and ethods II. M M Description of the Study Area: This study was conducted in Bench Maji Zone (BMZ) which is located in the south western part of Ethiopia. BMZ is found at distance about Author α: Departement of Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Gambella University. e-mail: [email protected] 561km from Addis Ababa and 842 km from the regional Author : School of Animal and Range Sciences, Haramaya capital Hawassa. It is bordered with Keffa Zone in North, σ ρ University, Dire dewa Ethiopia. Debub Omo in North East, Sheka Zone in South West, ©2016 Global Journals Inc. (US) Study of Indigenous Chicken Production System in Bench Maji Zone, South Western Ethiopia with Gambella and South Sudan Republic in South temperature varies from 15.10C - 27.50C. The mean direction (BMZARD, 2014). Agro-ecologically, BMZ, annual rainfallranges from 400-2000 mm (BMZARD, consists of 52 percent lowland (500-1500 m.a.s.l), 2014). Bench MajiZone has 10 districts from which this 43percent intermediate highland (1500-2300 m.a.s.l) study involved threedistricts; namely North-bench, and 5percent highland (>2300 m.a.s.l). It has an altitude Sheko and South-bench. ranging from 500-2500 m.a.s.l. The mean annual 2016 r Yea 22 V II ue ersion I s s I XVI ) Map of the study area D ( a) Sampling Techniques for Data Collection d) Descriptive Statistics A rapid field survey was made prior to the actual Statistical analysis system (SAS) version 9.2 survey work to explore the available knowledge about (2008) was used to carry out descriptive statistics Research Volume the type, distribution and utility of chicken types. The variables of the identified indigenous chicken data on distribution and numbers of indigenous populations production systems. chickens were taken from office of Agriculture and Rural e) Univariate Analysis Development (BMZARD) of each district in the zone Frontier A general linear model procedure (PROC GLM) before starting the field work. Then three districts and a of the SAS was employed for quantitative variables to total of nine peasant associations (PAs) were selected detect statistical differences among sampled indigenous based on the information gathered through the rapid Science chicken populations. For mature animals, sex and field survey to the main road and consultations with of location of the experimental indigenous chickens were Woreda’s Agricultural experts and extension agents. A fitted as fixed independent variables. The effects of total of 180 households (60 from each district) were class variables and their interaction were expressed as sampled for interview from the selected PAs. Journal Least Square Means (LSM) ± SE. Mean comparisons b) Data Collection Procedure were made using Turkey’s studentized range test The data were generated through observation, method at P<0.05. Global administering a structured questionnaire organizing group discussion