Department of Animal Science
URI for this collectionhttps://rps.wku.edu.et/handle/123456789/45805
Department of Animal Science
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Item EVALUATION OF PRODUCTION AND REPRODUCTION PERFORMANCE, EGG QUALITY AND CARCASS CHARACTERSTICS OF INDIGENOUS CHICKEN UNDER TRADITIONAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN KAFFA ZONE, SOUTHWESTERN ETHIOPIA(WOLKITE UNIVERSITY, 2024-01) ADDISU GEBREYESUSThe study was conducted in three purposively selected districts of Kaffa Zone in South Western Ethiopia People’s Regional State with the objective of evaluating production and reproduction performances, egg quality traits and carcass characteristics of local chickens reared under traditional production method. Total of two hundred fifty-five (255) households were selected purposively from nine kebeles of different agro-ecology in the districts by the agriculture and natural resource office, development agents and kebele committees based on potentails for indigenous chicken’s populations, production experiences, accessibility and representativeness of the area. Three kebeles from each district of the each agro-ecology types were selected based on altitude levels, presences of indigenous chickens’ and the experience of chicken production selected by district agriculture and natural resource office experts, kebele Development agents and by kebele representatives’. And the proportion of HH number was determined by the number of populations with in the specific sampling area and interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires. Total of two hundred seventy (270) fresh eggs were collected from each kebeles of every agro ecology types. Total of eighteen (18) representative indigenous chickens (9 male and 9 female) and three (3) male and three (3) female chickens per district were used for carcass yield evaluation. The results shown flock size per household was 10.72 with 1:2.3 cocks to hen ratio. Themean age of cockerel at first mating and pullet at first egg laying in the study area (Chena, Bita and Cheta) and agro-ecology (high-land, mid-land and low-land) were (5.63 and 6.35) and (5.51 and 5.92) months, respectively. The average number of eggs per clutch and the annual egg production per year in the study area and agro-ecologies (high-land, mid-land and low-land) were (13.83 and 47.6,) and (13.9 and 45.83), respectively. The mean number of eggs incubated, hatchability and survivability in the study districts (Chena, Bita and Cheta) were (11.62, 80.3% and 64.8%) and agro-ecologies (high-land, mid-land and low-land) were (11.61, 9.4 and 80.82%), respectively. The study outcomes of the areas shown variations in production and reproduction performances, egg quality traits and carcass characteristics among the studied xv districts and agro-ecologies. Indigenous chickens generally can best fit with low management inputs under scavenging production systems in terms of their productive and reproductive performances. Therefore, additional studies should be conducted to assess more about the effects of different agro-ecologies and districts on indigenous chickens under scavenging production system which were not covered in this study.