Strategies to optimize the use of scavengeable feed resource base by smallholders in traditional poultry production systems in Africa: A review
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Date
2006
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
African Journal of Agricultural Research
Abstract
Traditional poultry production accounts for about 80% of the poultry population in Africa. Such poultry
species are kept by smallholders, mostly in free-range and in backyard systems for food security,
income and socio-cultural purposes. Flock productivity is low compared to high input systems due to
sub-optimal management, lack of supplementary feeds, low genetic and diseases. Scavenging system
provides most of the scavengeable feed resource base (SFRB) for rural poultry. However, the quantity
and quality of SFRB for scavenging poultry varies with season, altitude, climatic conditions, farming
activities as well as social, management and village flock biomass. In the present review, diets
consumed by scavenging poultry indicates to contain on average low nutrient concentration of protein
(100 g kg DM-1), energy (11.2 MJ kg DM-1) and minerals such as Ca (11.7 g kg DM-1) and P (5 g kg DM-1).
This low concentration indicates that the amount of nutrients from SFRB alone cannot support optimal
growth and egg production of scavenging poultry. Thus such nutrients which can not optimally
supplied by SFRB should be provided as supplementary feeds. However, quantitative assessment of
SFRB and nutrient concentrations could provide the best strategies to optimize the available SFRB for improving rural poultry productivity.
Description
Journal article
Keywords
Traditional, Rural poultry, Free-range, Backyard, Scavenging, Scavengeable feed resource, Nutrient, Composition