Characterization of production systems and development of breeding objectives for indigenous chicken in Rwanda

Abstract

Poultry production is one of the animal production enterprises with a promising future in Rwanda as 80.1% of all Rwandese raise chickens. Indigenous chickens (IC) are the most numerous and important species of poultry as they are found in most rural households in Rwanda. Currently, IC potential is underutilized due to the lack of well-defined production and breeding practices; the farmer, marketer and consumers’ breed preferences and traits of economic importance are unknown. The objectives of this study were to characterise the IC production systems in Rwanda, to identify the breeding practices and traits of economic importance and to develop a bio-economic model and estimate the economic values for traits of economic importance. Data were collected using the structured questionnaires administered to farmers, marketers and consumers from November 2015-January 2016. Data were analysed using SAS and SPSS software. The production systems in all districts studied were mainly extensive (FRS) with minimum provision of supplementary feeds. Semi-intensive (SIS) and intensive (IS) systems were also practiced at low extend. The main challenges facing IC production were diseases outbreaks, lack of investment capital and predators were the major challenges. Indices for the traits perceived by farmers as of primary economic importance were egg yield (0.093), disease tolerance (0.091), high growth rate (0.089), prolificacy (0.088), high body weight (0.087) and egg fertility (0.083). The most importance traits considered by the marketers were body weight (BW), disease tolerance (DTOL), plumage colour (PCOL), egg yolk colour (EYC), meat quality (MQ), growth rate (GR) and egg yield (EN) whereas for consumers, meat quality, egg yolk colour, egg yield, body weight and growth rate were considered. The results from the model show that IC can be utilised profitably under free range system. A negative profit was observed in semi-intensive and intensive systems. The economic values for EN, live weight for grower (LWg), live weight for cock (LWcock) and live weight for hen (LWhen) were positive in all three production systems. Economic values for fertility (FER) and hatchability (HA) were Frw 185.21 and 171.42, –68.16 and –63.08, and -427.10 and –395.295 in FRS, SIS and IS, respectively. An increase of 1% in EN resulted in an increase in revenue of Frw 61.21, 112.12 and 143.95 in FRS, SIS and IS, respectively. Economic values for LWhen increased by Frw 1225.00, 1312.50 and 1662.50 while the revenues from LWcock increased by Frw 350.00, 375.00 and 475.00 of the total profits in the respective production systems. one percent increment in LWg resulted in a profit of Frw 187.02, 270.49 and 431.23 in FRS, SIS and IS. This study has presented the possibility of genetic improvement of productive and functional traits of IC in Rwanda.