Assessment of Management Practices and Egg Production Performance of Sasso and Bovans Brown Exotic Chicken Breeds in Sidama Zone and Halaba Special Woreda, SNNPR, Ethiopia

Abstract

This study was conducted in the Sidama Region and Halaba Special District to assess management practices and productivity performance of Bovans brown and Sasso chicken breeds. Two districts namely Aleta Wondo and Aleta Chuko from Sidama Zone and Halaba Special District were selected depending on exotic chicken distribution. Households were selected using systematic random sampling techniques. Primary data was collected using a questionnaire survey. Data was analyzed using SPSS (Version 20). The result indicated that majority of respondents (52.2%) keep chicken for egg consumption. About 56.1% of respondents keep chickens in backyard production systems. About 63.9% of respondents rear chickens within similar houses with people. The majority of respondents (82.2%) provide supplementary feed whereas the rest of the respondents leave the chicken on only scavenging for their feed.  From supplements to chicken maize accounts major share of other feed ingredients. About half of respondents provide free water for chickens of which 55.0% of water source is tap water.  About 34.4% of respondents do not cull chicken for any reason, however rest of the respondents cull old aged, poor productive, and diseased chicken. About 50.0% of respondents never vaccinate chicken for any kind of disease. About 50.0% of respondents vaccinate chickens for Newcastle disease. Bovans brown chicken breed is faster for first mating and the first egg lay than the Sasso breed in study districts. Bovans brown chicken produces a higher number of eggs per hen per year than the Sasso breed. Egg-producing performance is ranked as first trait that makes Bovans brown preferable than Sasso. However, large body size and weight for meat production is ranked as first preferable trait for Sasso breed. In the study districts disease, feed shortage and predators are main factors challenging chicken production. Therefore, improved housing system, feeding and watering system, scheduled vaccination program needed to be promoted in the study areas. Attention needed to distribute chicken breed that better perform in specific area.