On-farm performance, farmer perceptions, and economic viability of Koekoek chickens in North Western Ethiopia

Abstract

This study was conducted in Burie district, western Amhara region of Ethiopia, to evaluate the on-farm performance, promote and disseminate koekoek chicken, and to assess farmers’ perceptions of this chicken. Twenty-five unsexed, 45-day-old chickens were provided to each farmer. Participants gained different skills and experience, mainly in feed preparation from locally available ingredients, construction of chicken houses from locally available materials, and awareness of the management of chickens and the importance of record-keeping. The average body weights of chickens were 1.29kg and 1.58kg for females and males at 20 weeks, and 1.68kg and 2.22kg for females and males at 45 weeks of age, respectively. The average age at first egg was 22 weeks, and egg production was 180/hen/year. The participants said that the adaptability, growth performance, and scavenging ability of koekoek were good; however, the disease resistance ability of the bird was low, and the breed has low market preference due to its black plumage color. Participants earned an average net income of 2760 Birr and average benefit–cost ratio of 2.37 Birr gross return. Therefore, Koekoek chickens can be a viable option for smallholder farmers in similar semi-scavenging environments. Further controlled and comparative studies are recommended to validate these findings and inform wider scaling up.