Indigenous chicken production in Fiji Islands: knowledge, constraints and opportunities

Abstract

Objective: The objective of the study was to understand and document socio-economic characteristics, production parameters, challenges and management practices used by Fijian households which keep indigenous chickens.Methods: A survey involving 200 households was carried out in coastal and inland communities of Fiji’s wet and semi-dry ecoregions. Data on the influence of ecoregion and location of households relative to the sea on management practices, challenges and productivity of indigenous chickens were analyzed using logistic regression and general linear model of SAS software.Results: Irrespective of location relative to the sea and ecoregion, households indicated that they kept indigenous chickens for food and income generation. The Welsummer was the most (p>0.05) preferred breed. Households in the semi-dry inland communities had the largest (p<0.05) flocks compared to those in semi-dry coastal communities and the wet region. Chickens in the semi-dry region performed better (p<0.05) than those in the wet region in terms of number of clutches per year and mature live weight. Predators and feed shortages were the biggest challenges faced by households in all areas. The mongoose was ranked as the most (p>0.05) common predator followed by domestic dogs. Most households in the wet ecoregion’s coastal communities housed their chickens at night, whereas communities in semi-dry ecoregion housed their chickens most of the time (p<0.05). In all regions, no households sold their chickens to commercial markets (p>0.05). Households in semi-dry ecoregion were more likely (p>0.05) to sell their chickens at the local market place.Conclusion: The productivity of local chickens in Fiji is low because of feed shortage, predators such as the mongoose and lack of market linkages.

Nutritional status and growth performance of Fijian local chickens and their crosses with broilers under different production systems

“…The study was contacted at the Fiji National University (FNU) crop farm in Koronivia. Koronivia is situated in Naitasiri district located at 18°0243.1 S and 178°3150.7 E and 11m above sea level (Zindove et al, 2022). Naitasiri district is located on Fiji's largest island, Viti Levu.…”

“…Naitasiri district is located on Fiji's largest island, Viti Levu. It experiences a tropical climate characterized by rainfall throughout the year, totaling about 3500 mm (Zindove et al, 2022). The average temperature is around 27°C.…”

A comparative review on Ayam Cemani chicken — A comparison with the most common chicken species in terms of nutritional values, LCA, price and consumer acceptance

“…The strains are the results of one person’s or one organization’s breeding program (Skinner and Hady 2018 ). Not all the hundreds of chickens species are reported, informal or local breeds not officially recorded are excluded (Bett et al 2014 ; Zindove et al 2022 ).…”

Nutritional status and growth performance of Fijian non-descript local chickens and their crosses with broilers under different production systems

“…Local chickens, which are commonly referred to as indigenous chickens, are regaining their popularity in many regions due to appreciation of their desirable traits such as adaptability to low-input scavenging production systems and highly desirable meat and eggs (Dessie et al 2011 ). For example, local chickens in the Pacific region, Africa and Asia are known for producing tasty eggs and highly nutritious meat (Rashid et al 2004 ; Zindove et al 2022 ; Ranasinghe et al 2024 ). Some of the reported meat characteristics of meat from local chickens include lower pH than broilers ranging from 5.5 to 6 (Rashid et al 2004 ; Ranasinghe et al 2024 ), low fat content ranging from 0.5 to 3% (Raphulu 2019 ; Ranasinghe et al 2024 ) and crude protein ranging from 20 to 25% (Rajkumar et al 2017 ; Raphulu 2019 ).…”

“…Some of the reported meat characteristics of meat from local chickens include lower pH than broilers ranging from 5.5 to 6 (Rashid et al 2004 ; Ranasinghe et al 2024 ), low fat content ranging from 0.5 to 3% (Raphulu 2019 ; Ranasinghe et al 2024 ) and crude protein ranging from 20 to 25% (Rajkumar et al 2017 ; Raphulu 2019 ). Although high mature weights ranging from 1.2 to 2.5 kgs have been reported (Zindove et al 2022 ; Ranasinghe et al 2024 ), the local chickens are characterized by slow growth rates (Batkowska et al 2015 ) which is one of the biggest concerns of most chicken producers.…”