Abstract:
A study was conducted to characterize the production systems practiced by indigenous
chicken farmers in Kisumu and Baringo Counties, with a view to assess whether the
indigenous chicken feeding practices is appropriate and adequate in order to innovate
possible ways of improving feed utilization and efficiency. A survey was conducted; feed
resources were sampled, feeding trials done and the feedstuffs analyzed. A cafeteria feeding
experiment was designed under a complete randomized design and feed intake determined
for 15 female indigenous chicken for 21 days. Feeding trial was done using locally
compounded feed and body weights for 150 chicken used during the study were measured
weekly for an eight weeks trial with molaplus probiotic feed additive. The feedstuffs
collected in the field such as omena/ochonga, kienyeji mash, rice germ, sorghum grains,
millet grains and maize grains were analyzed for proximate composition, levels of critical
amino acids and aflatoxins. On-station evaluation for feeding value for appropriate chicken
feeds formulated using the collected feedstuffs, supplemented with probiotics feed additive
and fed to 150 indigenous chicken to establish the performance of the indigenous chicken.
Data management and analysis was done using SAS 9.0 and SPSS version 17. The survey
results showed that more educated young men from Baringo are practicing indigenous
chicken production compared to those from Kisumu. There are more indigenous chicken in
Baringo which attain maturity earlier in terms of point at first lay and crow compared to
indigenous chicken from Kisumu. There are significant differences in feeding strategies and
performance of indigenous chicken among the pastoral and fishing communities in both
Counties. Incidences of lack of all the critical amino acids in feed ingredients and high
contamination level of total aflatoxins was detected in local indigenous chicken feedstuffs.
Supplementation of local feeds with 5ml of molaplus poultry additive in 1000ml drinking
water improved growth rates in indigenous chicken. The source of aflatoxins contamination
in feedstuffs in IC should be investigated and the use of aflatoxin binders in indigenous
chicken feed should be studied. Amino acids profiling of commercial feeds used by
indigenous chicken farmers in Kisumu and Baringo Counties should be done. Further
culturing should be done on Molaplus poultry microbes to define its actual probiotic
composition and also determine its other beneficial effects on blood parameters, egg and
meat qualities of indigenous chicken.
