| dc.description.abstract | ABSTRACT
Local Chicken keeping is an important enterprise in improving socio-economic livelihoods, however there is little information on the status of local chicken enterprise in the Albertine region of Uganda. Despite the Local Chicken has socio-economic importance, its information on local chicken enterprises is limited. This study assessed the status of Local Chicken enterprise to the livelihoods in the Albertine belt, a case study of Hoima municipality. The study specifically determined the contribution of local chicken enterprise to the livelihoods of agricultural households, understood the socio-economical characteristics of local chicken households in Hoima municipality and also accessed production and market characteristics of local chicken farmers in Hoima municipality. A pre-test structured questionnaire was administered to the farners and to collect data concerning contribution, socio economic, production and marketing characteristics of local chicken farmers in the surbs of Hoima municipality. This was accomplished by use of a snow bowling and transit walk sampling techniques; at least 10 local chicken farmers were sampled from each of the seven villages within Hoima municipality. A total of 80 respondents were surveyed. The study found that, 62.5% of local chicken farmers were female, 52.5% were aged between 35-60 years since they were elders and had access to resources, the major source of income among household farmers was crop farming (48.8%), local chicken farmers used 37.6% of their money from chicken enterprise for sustaining their domestic needs. The study indicates that local chicken production has ability to increase farmers income as well as their welfare as in the study farmers use their money from the sale of local chicken products for sustaining their basic needs at home. Local chicken enterprise being a women dominated enterprise especially in Hoima municipality, it indicates that women are moving towards self employment rather than remaining housewives. In addition, there is a greater indicator that women are running out of poverty because of their active participation in the agricultural enterprises including local chicken enterprise. Local chicken enterprise being most significant contribution to self employment among women, there is need to increase the number of flock size through use of proper production systems among local chicken household and provision of mini hatcheries at village level that could collect and use local eggs to increase number of chicks that are hatched. | en_US |
