Farmer-driven Research on Village Chicken Production in Sanyati, Zimbabwe

FARMER-DRIVEN RESEARCH ON VILLAGE CHICKEN PRODUCTION IN SANYATI, ZIMBABWE. Studies on village chicken production in Sanyati, Zimbabwe, were initiated in 1998. The objective was, in cooperation with the farmers, to find means to improve chicken production by decreasing mortality and increasing growth. The aim is that more chickens should reach slaughter weight. Thus, household consumption and income can be increased. The improvements will facilitate women empowerment since women traditionally are responsible for chicken management. The studies are primarily carried out as on-farm trials but on-station support trials are also conducted. The approach has been practical and multi-factorial, while improvements in management and feeding have been subjects for research. The studies are on-going and, thus, no final results are presented in this paper. All figures shown on mortality and growth should be considered as indications and trends only. However, the results so far have shown that high mortality among young chickens is a major constraint. The causes of mortality are numerous, e.g. predation, diseases, parasites and accidents.