Background Availability of appropriate genetics is important for the development of smallholder poultry (SHP). The biological potential of improved dual purpose chicken germplasms was evaluated in Nigeria. Methods A total of six breeds (Fulani, FUNAAB Alpha, Kuroiler, Noiler, Sasso, and Shika-Brown) were tested on-station, in deep litter houses at two test centres (Public and private facility) for 504 days. Birds were fed ad libitum for the first 140 days after which restricted feeding was practised. Result Lowest and highest hatchability of eggs set was 55% (FUNAAB Alpha) and 89% (Sasso), respectively. At 140 days, male live weights were 200%-300 % higher than the local chickens (975 g) except Shika-Brown (152%) and Fulani (135%). Lowest (p < 0.05) age at first egg was 119 days for Shika-Brown and 120 days for FUNAAB Alpha and Kuroiler. Highest hen-housed egg production was 192 for Shika-Brown, and feed intake per dozen eggs was lowest (p < 0.05) for Shika-Brown (2.9 kg) and FUNAAB Alpha (2.9 kg). Mortality rate of the locally sourced breeds (Fulani, FUNAAB Alpha, Noiler, and Shika-Brown) was significantly lower (p < 0.05) than the foreign-sourced breeds (Kuroiler, Sasso) during brooding, growing and laying. Conclusion Results from this study identified FUNAAB Alpha and Noiler as being more suitable for dual-purpose functions (egg and meat), while Sasso and Kuroiler (meat) and Shika-Brown (egg) were observed to be better suited for single purpose functions. These findings could guide the introduction of smallholder poultry-specific hybrid germplasms for the development of the smallholder poultry production systems in Nigeria.

This study aimed at determining chicken genotypes of choice and traits preference in chicken by smallholder farmers in Nigeria. Data were obtained from a total of 2063 farmers using structured questionnaires in five agro-ecological zones in Nigeria. Chi square (χ 2) statistics was used to explore relationships between categorical variables. The mean ranks of the six genotypes and twelve traits of preference were compared using the non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis H (with Mann-Whitney U test for post hoc separation of mean ranks), Friedman, and Wilcoxon signed-rank (with Bonferroni's adjustments) tests. Categorical principal component analysis (CATPCA) was used to assign farmers into groups. Gender distribution of farmers was found to be statistically significant (χ 2 = 16.599; P ≤ 0.002) across the zones. With the exception of Shika Brown, preferences for chicken genotypes were significantly (P ≤ 0.01) influenced by agro-ecological zone. However, gender differentiated response was only significant (P ≤ 0.01) in Sasso chicken with more preference by male farmers. Overall, FUNAAB Alpha, Sasso, and Noiler chicken were ranked 1st, followed by Kuroiler (4th), Shika Brown (5th), and Fulani birds (6th), respectively. Within genotypes, within and across zones and gender, preferences for traits varied significantly (P ≤ 0.005 and P ≤ 0.01). Traits of preference for selection of chicken breeding stock tended towards body size, egg number, egg size, and meat taste. Spearman's rank order correlation coefficients of traits of preference were significant (P ≤ 0.01) and ranged from 0.22 to 0.90. The two PCs extracted, which explained 65.3% of the variability in the dataset, were able to assign the farmers into two groups based on preference for body size of cock and hen and the other ten traits combined. The present findings may guide the choice of appropriate chicken genotypes while the traits of economic importance may be incorporated into future genetic improvement and conservation programs in Nigeria.

Increasing poultry product consumption trends have attracted researchers and development practitioners to look for interventions that transform the low-input low-output-based village chicken production to a high yielding production system. However, due to the intricate nature of the production system, there is a dearth of evidence that helps design comprehensive interventions at the smallholder level. Using national-level representative data collected from 3555 village chicken producers in Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Tanzania, this study examines the technical efficiency of village chicken production and investigates the main factors that explain the level of inefficiency. We applied a stochastic frontier analysis to simultaneously quantify the level of technical efficiency and identify factors associated with heterogeneity in inefficiency. We found that the level of technical efficiency is extremely low in the three countries, suggesting enormous opportunities to enhance productivity using available resources. The heterogeneity in technical efficiency is strongly associated with producers’ experience in breed improvements and flock management, limited technical knowledge and skills, limited access to institutions and markets, smaller flock size, gender disparities, and household livelihood orientation. We argue the need to adopt an integrated approach to enhance village producers’ productivity and transform the traditional subsistence-based production system into a commercially oriented semi-intensive production system.

In sub-Saharan Africa, most households in rural communities keep smallholder poultry, and are exposed to harsh socio-economic conditions caused by COVID-19 pandemic due to the vulnerability of their production systems to crisis. This study assessed the impact of COVID-19 on 525 smallholder poultry farmers in five states of Nigeria. The study was conducted 15 months after the onset of the pandemic in Nigeria using structured questionnaires focused on socio-demography, income, production systems, markets, and food security. Average household size increased from 6.9 before COVID-19, to 8.3 during COVID-19, representing a 20.3% increase in population growth. Over half (52.6%) of this increase was due to childbirths. Average monthly income before and during the pandemic was reduced from NGN 22,565 (USD 62.70) to NGN15,617 (USD 38.10), respectively. During the pandemic, there was a 28.4% increase in the number of farmers living below the international poverty line of USD 1.90 per day. In addition, reliance on chickens for food and income was significantly (p < 0.05) impacted by gender, location, household size, and monthly income. These results show that the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant effect on the livelihoods and food security of farmers, and the findings are essential in developing appropriate post-COVID-19 interventions for smallholder poultry production in Nigeria.

Abstract. Chickens kept under free-range, backyard or semi-intensive systems in the developing countries have more diverse use and benefits to rural households. Their use varies from region to region and from community to community within a region. The study investigated growth, laying performance and survivability of six improved dual-purpose breeds in five agroecologies of Nigeria represented by the following states: Kebbi (Sudan savanna/northern Guinea savanna); Kwara (northern Guinea savanna/southern Guinea savanna); Nasarawa (southern Guinea savanna/derived savanna); Imo (lowland rainforest/swamp); and Rivers (freshwater swamp/mangrove swamp). On-farm data were obtained from 2100 smallholder poultry farmers that received an average of 30 birds (mixed sexes) of any one of the following dual-purpose breeds (Fulani, FUNAAB Alpha, Kuroiler, Noiler, Sasso and Shika-Brown) randomly allocated to them. The farmers used the backyard, scavenging system of management. Body weight and mortality records for cocks were taken for 18 weeks, while body weight, mortality, egg production and egg weight data were collected for hens up to 72 weeks. Compared with the local cocks (680 g), Kuroiler (1391 g), Sasso (1398 g) and Noiler (1461 g) had over 200 % body weight at 18 weeks. Hen day egg production (HDEP) was higher in Shika-Brown (45.9 %), FUNAAB Alpha (45.8 %) and Kuroiler (45.7 %) compared with the other breeds. Fulani, FUNAAB Alpha and Shika-Brown had higher survivabilities (p<0.05) than Noiler, Sasso and Kuroiler. Ranking of the breeds for growth, laying performance and survivability was as follows: Shika-Brown/Sasso > FUNAAB Alpha/Noiler > Kuroiler > Fulani. The performance of the breeds was significantly (p<0.05) influenced by the agroecologies. The cock body weights for Fulani (1121.1 g), FUNAAB Alpha (1502.4 g) and Noiler (1459.2 g) were highest in Kebbi, while for Kuroiler (1561.0 g), Sasso (1695.9 g) and Shika-Brown (1131.6 g) cock body weights were highest in Imo. Across the states, Imo had the highest HDEP (62.8 %). Overall, the lowland rainforest/ freshwater swamp agroecologies supported the highest production performance of the breeds.