Challenges of Village Poultry Production and Marketing System in Eastern and South-eastern Zones of Tigray, Ethiopia

A survey was done aiming to assess the village chicken production and marketing system challenges in eastern and southeastern zone of Tigray region. Two peasant associations were selected from each district and 178 households having more than two chickens were interviewed. In the study districts, 50% of farmers assured the presence of an economically important disease, the Newcastle disease confirmed a major killer by 73.9% farmers and 75% of them approved its occurrence during dry season. Farmers treat their sick chicken (50.8%), while 14.4% took to the clinic but 10.8% farmers slaughter sick chickens for home consumption. About 60.8% of farmers have no access to veterinary services though 58.6% of them got advisory services from the extension agents. Similarly, based on the study, the major cause of loss of chickens were disease, predator and accidents. In addition, the rank of major chicken production system constraints were feed shortage followed by predator and lack of capital and the major predators were eagles, wild cat and honey burger. Farmers sell their chicken at the local market (94.2%) and in the nearby areas (2.9%) transporting on foot (94.2%) and by car (5.2%). The major criteria of farmers to buy chickens were hand weighing (54.5%), plumage color (9.1%), hand weighing and shank color (9.1%), and hand weighing, plumage color and age (27.3%), and transport their chickens to the market by embracing by hand (41.7%), hanging upside down (49.7%), by coop and car(2.9%) and by basket (1.1%). Similarly, eggs were sold in the local market (86.3%) and local market and neighborhood (6.3%) and transported mixing eggs with straw (56.1%), eggs with grain (19.9%), in plastic container (16.4%), and eggs with grain and straw (7.6%). The major chicken and egg marketing problems were price fluctuation with season, lack of capital and price depend on plumage color. Farmers rear chickens for income generation followed by consumption and hatching, while, eggs were used for income generation and hatching. Therefore, there is a need to strategically construct separate house for chickens, improve their husbandry practices, and create access to veterinary services and provide vaccination.