Unravelling the Flock Dynamics and constraints to poultry production in a typical indigenous poultry-keeping community in Uganda

Abstract

 The efforts to promote improved poultry production in Africa and Uganda in particular are a threat to the continent’s indigenous poultry genetic resource, and the practices used by farmers to maintain these resources. In the efforts to conserve these resources, we conducted a survey among 80 farmers in a typical indigenous poultry-keeping community of Ibulanku, Busoga subregion where most of Uganda’s indigenous poultry species are hosted. The study revealed a higher female (63.3%) and youth (over 40%) participation in indigenous poultry production. Only 2.5% of farmers kept exotic birds on top of the indigenous species. Indigenous chickens were the most common poultry species, being kept by all farmers most of whom had ≥10 chickens. Housing has been embraced by all farmers although only 27.5% had a designated poultry house, with the rest using either their kitchens or family dwellings. Primarily, birds were kept for home consumption (93.8%), income generation (92.5%) and welcome for visitors (86.3%). Diseases were the most constraining factor to indigenous poultry production which the farmers mainly managed by treatment (85.7%), with some using herbal and/or human medicines. The study has revealed an improvement in management of indigenous poultry, through housing, which improves on their welfare. However, further studies should be conducted to assess the traces of human medicine residues in indigenous poultry products, and appropriate policies on use of the same formulated to safe guard the consumers.