Assessment of factors affecting adoption of exotic chicken breed production in North Western Zone of Tigray, Ethiopia

Abstract

Exotic chicken breeds were promoted and disseminated in the rural and peri-urban parts of Ethiopia, to improve the productivity of the poultry to increase the income of farmers. The study was conducted to explore the factors affecting adoption of exotic chicken breed in Tselemti and Tahtay Koraro districts of North Western zone of Tigray region, Ethiopia. A multi-stage random sampling technique was followed to select 264 respondents from the six randomly selected Kebelles of the two districts. Primary data were collected using semi-structured interview questionnaire from the respondents. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression model were used for analyzing the collected quantitative data. The results of the logit model indicates that family size, sex of the household head, education status of the household head, livestock holding size, extension contact, availability of exotic chicken breed, distance to the nearest market and availability of training on poultry production could play a significant role on the probability of exotic poultry breed adoption. Thus, the dissemination of different exotic chicken breeds needs to be supported with giving training to the farmers before intervention of the technology, extension backup on how to manage and awareness creation on the benefits of exotic chicken breed and giving focus in delivering and making available the chicks of exotic poultry breeds to the farmers.

Study on the status, adoption, and economic role of disseminated improved chickens and their production constraints

“…There was no ad-libitum (always) supplementation practice due to the absence of intensive poultry production. In agreement with Teklemariam (2017), the chicken keepers provided supplementary feed to all groups of age together three times per day (59.1%), twice per day (17%) and once per day (18.6%) and as the report of Nigatu and Bezabih (2014) stated, the chicken keepers in the area supplemented their chicken once, twice and more than twice per day 56.7%, 34.4% and 8.9 %, respectively. Grain feed provision (77.9%) was the most dominating feeding form and the habit of feed processing for supplementation was not commonly used practice in the study districts unless there were chicks that couldn't feed row grains.…”

“…Still, there is no distribution of Broiler (meat type) chicken breeds in the Malle and Jinka districts of the South Omo Zone. Likewise, the improved chicken breeds such as the Bovan Brown, Rhode Island Red, and Koekoek were the most common poultry breeds that disseminated in Northwestern zones of Tigray (Teklemariam, 2017). The same author also reported that currently, pure exotic breeds such as Rhode Island Red and White Leg Horns are not available in commercial markets of Ethiopia.…”

“…The same author also reported that currently, pure exotic breeds such as Rhode Island Red and White Leg Horns are not available in commercial markets of Ethiopia. The most preferred and accepted breed of improved chicken breed in the Tselemit districts of the Tigray region was Bovans Brown due to its high egg production and adaptability than other disseminated breeds (Teklemariam, 2017).…”

“…The chicken keepers that practice any supplemental feed provision believe that the chickens are animals that lay eggs through scavenging and supplying kitchen waste; buying supplemental feed for the chickens was not their common habit. Similarly, 4.9% of chicken keepers let their chickens scavenge without any supplemental feed provision (Teklemariam, 2017). The village poultry production practice in Ethiopia is characterized by scavenging and occasional feeding with grains and kitchen refusals (Fikadu, 2021).…”

“…Coherently, the majority of chicken keepers in Northwestern Tigray zones used grain feeds and kitchen leftovers as supplemental feed of chicken (Teklemariam, 2017) and grains such as maize, sorghum, and sunflower are the common and sustainable feeding resources of chicken in Debub-Ari South omo zone, Ethiopia (Elias et al, 2022).…”