Assessment of the factors affecting indigenous chicken production to farmers' livelihood in Ntara Sub County, Kitagwenda District

Abstract

This cross-sectional study explored factors affecting indigenous chicken production to famers livelihood in Ntare sub county. The specific objectives of the study were: to determine gender participation in indigenous chicken rearing, importance of keeping indigenous chicken, factors influencing indigenous chicken production and, challenges faced in rearing indigenous chicken in Ntare Sub County. Semi structured questionnaires were administered to a total of 150 respondents selected by Krejcie and Morgan method with which 105 were females and 45 were males. The study found out that most respondents had flock size 31-50 (54%) chickens. Treatment of chicken (45%) and decision making on the utilization of money from the sale of the chicken (33%) were majorly done by men while women were mostly marketers (57%), buying of chicken feeds (49%) and selling of the indigenous chicken (54%). Indigenous chicken was the major source of income (62%) to most respondents. Majority of the respondents strongly agreed that use of low-quality feeds (71%) was the major factor influencing indigenous chicken production followed by counter feit drugs on the market (43%) and poor hosing system (39%). Attack from wild animals (24%) was the major challenge faced in rearing indigenous chickens followed by diseases (16%) and high cost of feeds (13%). Since indigenous chicken provided income to most respondents, there is need to shift from free range rearing to deep litter rearing of chicken so that farmers can have many birds and when sold improves their livelihood.