Factors influencing indigenous chicken production in Kathonzweni location,makueni county, kenya

Abstract

The background to the study looked at the indigenous chicken production globally, regionally and locally. The keeping of indigenous chicken has been practiced by diverse culture where the chicken is kept for many uses including cultural, food, income, and prestige. Owing to it low input demands with high value output, the keeping of chicken has been practiced in many ways by smallholder farming systems depending on agro ecological zones, social cultural factors, access to market and on the possibility for generating income. In Kenya indigenous chicken constitute the bulk of chicken and produces more than 71% of all poultry products. As Kenya continues to suffer food insufficiency and high poverty level in the rural, indigenous chicken present an opportunity for the poor to eke out a living. The statement of the problem tried to highlight a concern on the production. of indigenous in the rural Kenya especially Kathonzweni location in Makueni county. The vulnerable community would be expected to take advantage of low capital investment initiative like indigenous chicken and make a living out of it. Despite support by ministry of livestock and its partners to support indigenous chicken farming, the numbers of chicken reared has remained low with an average of 12 chickens per household. The study aimed to identify the gap that limit the production of chicken in the rural area of Kenya. The purpose of the study was to identify factors influencing the production of indigenous chicken in Kathonzweni location. The research objectives were to identify cultural factors, land factors, management factors and market factors influencing indigenous chicken production "in Kathonzweni location. The research used descriptive survey d~gn. The target population was the 2050 household heads in Kathonzweni location. i sample of 10 percent (205 sample respondents) was taken from the population using systematic sampling technique. The researcher collected primary and secondary data. Pre-tested questionnaire were administered to the respondents. Data collected was mainly quantitative and it was analyzed by descriptive analysis techniques. The descriptive statistical tools such as SPSS were used. The study concludes that cultural f~ctors determine the ex~ent of indigenous chicken production since the enterprise is gender skewed toward mature female. Land was found not to limit indigenous chicken production, indeed it exists as a potential to harness in producing indigenous chicken in Kathonzweni location. Management factors were identified as limiting the extent to which indigenous chicken was being reared in Kathonzweni location. Market factor were identified as encouraging the production of indigenous chicken. The study thus recommends that concerned authorities should consider initiatives to address the cultural and management factors that were identified as limiting indigenous chicken production in Kathonzweni location, Makueni County, Kenya.