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DocumentControlling Newcastle disease in village chickens
A Field Manual
2001Also available in:
Rural poultry production is recognised as an important activity in all developing countries. However, over the past few decades, the focus has been on the production of commercial poultry in rural areas, while traditional village poultry systems have been largely ignored. Chickens in traditional village poultry systems provide scarce animal protein in the form of meat and eggs, and are available for sale or barter in societies where cash is not abundant. They are generally owned and ma naged by women and children (Guèye 2000; Spradbrow 1993-94). Village chickens also fulfill a range of other functions for which it is difficult to assign a monetary value. They are active in pest control, provide manure, are required for special festivals and to meet social obligations, they are essential for many traditional ceremonies and traditional treatment of illness (Alders 1996). Although the output of traditional village chickens in terms of weight gain and number of eggs pe r hen per year is low, it is obtained with minimum input in terms of housing, disease control, management and supplementary feeding (Tables 1 and 2). Any cost-effective strategy that increases the productivity of these birds will assist in poverty alleviation and the improvement of food security. The increased availability of village chickens and eggs should result in an improved intake of protein by the population and increased access to cash and other resources. Chickens are often es sential elements of female-headed and poor households. This is a particularly important contribution in areas where child malnutrition is common. Malnutrition has wider implications for development because protein-energy malnutrition in children inhibits their growth, increases their risk of morbidity, affects their mental development, and reduces their subsequent school performance and labour productivity (Pinstrup-Andersen et al.1993). -
Book (stand-alone)Sustainable Control of Newcastle Disease in Village Poultry 2012
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No results found.Good Practices for Family Poultry Production - GPFPP Note No 05 -
No Thumbnail AvailableBook (stand-alone)Village chicken production system in rural Africa - household food security and gender issues 1998
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No results found.This publication presents the results of a field study on village chicken production and health and an analysis of their importance in household and national economies. The research was carried out under an FAO André Mayer Research Fellowship, granted to scientists whose research inputs may contribute to FAO's global work towards improved food security. Poultry is viewed within FAO's Special Programme for Food Security (SPFS) as a crucial element in the struggle for sustained food production and poverty alleviation. In rural Africa, the poultry production systems are mainly based on scavenging indigenious chickens, which are found in virtually all villages and households. Over 70 percent of the poultry products and 20 percent of the animal protein intake in most African countries come from this sector. The author, with over 20 years experience in agricultural research and development in rural farming systems of Africa, promotes a holistic multidisciplinary approach to rural poultry production, embracing institutional and organizational capacity building. Gender issues are strongly emphasized. A model for village chicken production systems is presented, and the text is supported by a comprehensive review of the global literature on the subject. The study confirms that enhanced village chicken production forms the basis for transforming the rural poultry sector from subsistance to a more economically productive base. The material is particularly pertinent to countries par ticipating in the SPFS, where village chicken production will have a special impact in increasing household food security and gender equity.
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