Assessment of the Nutritional Status of Local Scavenging Chicken under Farmer Management Conditions in Ada’a District, East Shoa
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2008-06
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Abstract
The study was conducted in Aad’a woreda East Shoa Zone of the Oremia Regional State from mid September 2007 to mid February 2008 with the following objectives. To assess the types and relative abundance of feeds consumed by scavenging local chicken, to determine the nutritive values of the scavenged and common supplement feeds and to determine the seasonal effects on the scavenged feed resources types and relative abundance at smallholder farmers level. A single visit multiple subject questionnaire survey was used to collect data on household demography characteristics, poultry production system, feeding, housing practice. Data were also generated through chicken crop content identification and quantification, supplement feed identification and quantification, laboratory analysis of chicken crop contents and common feed supplements. A total of 210 households from two peasant associations (105 from each) were included in the study. A total of 208 chickens purchased from selected peasant associations were slaughtered and their crops dissected, crops contents were analyzed. The majority (84.3%) of the households were headed by males. The average age of the household heads was 41.28 years; the average family size was 6.55 persons per house hold. All the selected households were engaged in mixed crop-livestock production. Women did most of the poultry production activities. Even in men headed households chicken were owned by women. The average poultry flock size was 12.13 ± 4.46 across the study area. Layers were larger in number compared to other sex and age groups. Eighty five percent of the households were offering one or other type of feed as a supplement to their scavenging chicken. The commonly offered supplements were wheat, wheat threshing leftover, maize, barely, wheat bran, boiled tef, “injera”,When the occurrence of the total crop content was significantly (P<0.05) higher in the harvesting than non-harvesting season. The main components of the crop contents were grains, kitchen wastes, green forages, insects (worms) and others. The occurrence of insects and green forages significantly higher (P<0.05) in the crop content of layers than growers. The occurrence of kitchen wastes, insects (worms) and green forage in the chicken crop content was significantly higher (P< 0.001) in the non-harvesting than the harvesting season. The occurrence of grains was significantly higher (P<0.05) in the harvesting than non-harvesting season. The occurrence of dry matter and crude fiber in the layer’s crop content was significantly higher (p<0.001) in the harvesting season than non-harvesting .Calcium and
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phosphorous levels showed the reverse pattern. Grower’s crop contents also showed the same pattern. The over all mean chemical composition (in %) of the crop contents were dry matter: 91.78 (0.12); ash: 6.28 (0.22); crude fiber: 5.14 (0.14); crude protein: (14.26); ether extract: 5.73(0.30); nitrogen fiber extract: 66.93 (0.63); calcium: 0.65 (0.04); phosphorous: 0.32 (0.01) and computed metabolisable energy (ME kcal/kg) 3510.14 (31.90). Except metabolisable energy concentration all nutrients were below the standard requirement. For egg production and optimum growth, protein to energy and calcium to phosphorous ratio were too low. In general the chemical analysis of crop contents of scavenging chickens showed that, except metabolisable energy, all other nutrients were below the requirement levels and varied with season and type of bird. Scavenging poultry should be provided with supplementary feed rich in nutrients that were deficient in scavenge able feed resource base. Further studies should focus on the amino acid profiles of crop contents
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Smallholder, ; scavenging chicken, crop content; season, supplementation