Challenges facing indigenous chicken production and adoption levels of biosecurity measures in selected areas of Makueni county, Kenya

Abstract

Annually Kenya produces about 20 million tons of poultry meat worth KES 3.5 billion and 1.3 billion eggs worth KES 9.7 billion. However Indigenous chicken productivity has stagnated due to limited transfer and adoption of improved technologies such as biosecurity practices by rural households. The productivity of Indigenous chicken has been decreasing in Makueni County despite development agencies, both national and international and county government investing heavily in chicken enterprise. There is also limited adoption of biosecurity measures. A survey was conducted in Kikumini/Muvau ward of Makueni sub-County and Kithungo/Kitundu ward in Mbooni sub-County. Systematic sampling were done to select the two sub-counties out of six that form Makueni county based on Agro-ecological and livelihood zoning, concentration of agricultural activities and investment levels in chicken enterprise in these sub-counties. Random sampling was used to select the two wards and simple random sampling to select households (from a source list provided by area chiefs). The objectives of the study were; i) To identify the constraints that affect the productivity of indigenous chicken in Kikumini/Muvau and Kithungo/Kitundu wards; ii) To establish the biosecurity measures practiced by indigenous chicken farmers in the two wards and, iii) To assess the socioeconomic and ecological hindrance to adoption of biosecurity measures in the two wards. To obtain primary data, the study interviewed 158 respondents (72 in Kikumini/Muvau and 86 in Kithungo/Kitundu wards). Two focus group discussions (one in each ward) were also conducted. The collected data was cleaned, and 143 questionnaires were found valid, they were coded and analyzed through Microsoft excel, version 2010 and also the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 17.0 computer software. Descriptive statistics dispersion, frequencies, means, distribution and Chi-square were conducted to compare study variables for each specific objective. In both study wards some of the biosecurity measures adopted were vaccination, fencing, and disinfection, cleaning of chicken houses and equipment and traffic control. The main constraints that have negatively affected chicken productivity as reported by 85.3% of respondents were diseases and parasites, high cost of chicken feeds, poor housing, inadequate chicken rearing skills and inadequate knowledge on biosecurity. The cold months of June-August results in disease outbreaks, bushes around the homesteads that hide predators, are some of the environmental challenges on chicken productivity. Overall the study concluded that, IC farmers in the two study wards have adopted some biosecurity measures, respondent occupation, type and safety of feeds and channel of disseminating extension messages to farmers have significant influence on adoption of biosecurity measures, while ownership of IC, ownership of land and standard of chicken house does not significantly influence adoption of biosecurity measures. The study therefore recommends that; affordable credit facility to IC farmers be developed to support them improve on biosecurity strategies and dissemination of chicken production messages to be channelled more through Radio. There is also need for development of biosecurity policy for livestock enterprises in Makueni County.