Assessment of chicken husbandry practices in selected districts of Gamo zone, Southern Nation Nationality and Peoples Region, Ethiopia

The study was conducted in two districts of Gamo zone, with the objective of describing poultry husbandry practices in the study area. A total of 120 indigenous chicken owning farmers for survey were considered in this study. Descriptive statistics, frequency procedures, general linear model, were used with SPSS version 20 to analyze the data. The study further indicated that improved (formulated) feed utilization is not practiced in the study area; the nutritional management practices were scavenging (main practice) and supplementary feeding. The common poultry feeds identified at the study area were: maize (100%), wheat (27.4%), sorghum (16.5) and leftovers (100%). According to feed source 38.6%, and 61.4% of the respondent’s gate supplementary feed material from purchasing and household. Almost all of the respondents in three districts provide water for their chickens. The survey indicated that almost all farmers provided night shelter for their chickens; the principal causes of chicken loss in the study area were reported to be diseases (56.1%) and predators (43.9%). The result of this study revealed that the purpose of rearing chicken in the study area was primarily for cash income through selling of chicken and egg and for home consumption. The average chicken owned per household was 15.40±1.24. The average age at sexual maturity for male and female chicken was 6.25±0.55 and 6.25±0.55 months, respectively. The number of clutch per hen per year, eggs per clutch and total eggs produced per hen per year were 3.66±0.97, 17.34±3.36 and 50.46±10.64 eggs, respectively. Disease and predator were the major constraints in the study areas.