Research
Demonstration and Evaluation of Dual Purpose Chicken Potchefstroom Koekoek Packages at Areka Areas, SNNPR, Ethiopia
The demonstration was conducted in Wolaita zone, Boloso Sore district at Areka and around Areka areas. Pparticipants (farmers) were selected purposively on the basis of willingness to construct poultry house; to cover all the associated package costs and record the required was selected. Survival of chicks during the first 8 weeks of brooding using hay-box at the farmers management condition was 79.8% (359 were survived out 450). On average about 93.1% of the chicken were survived to the laying age while mortality reduced from 20.2% to 6.9% . The average age at first egg laying recorded at each farmers was 142 days and average weight of eggs at first laying was 40.2g. The average weight of male and female chicken at 20 weeks of age was 1.5kg and 1.1kg respectively. Field day was arranged when they were at the age of 20 weeks and 135 (120 male and 15 female) farmers and 65 (60 male and 5 female) researchers, experts and government officials from regional to woredas levels were participated on field day and awareness creation was created as a result all participants got a conviction to consider the technology as a viable agricultural venture.
Assessment of Village Chicken Production Systems In Kambata Tambaro and Wolaita Zones, SNNPR, Ethiopia
The study was conducted in four woredas (Damot Gale,Of a, Angacha and Hadero Tunto) the first two of them found in Wolaita zone and two of them in Kambata Tambaro Zone of SNNPR, Ethiopia respectively. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in the study areas to assess village chicken production systems, productive and reproductive performance of village chicken and identifying constraints to village chicken production. Stratified random sampling technique was used to select 240 farming households and administer a pre-tested and structured questionnaire. The results showed that the mean age of interviewed farmers was 37.8±9.3 years; average family size & chicken owned per household were 6.8±2.4 persons and 8.6±1.7 heads, respectively. There was no significant differences (p≥0.05) found among the four woredas in all the above traits. The average number of clutch and eggs per hen per year of local chicken in the study areas were 4±0.87 and 12.9±3.47 respectively.
