The importance of scavenging chicken production in the national economy of
developing nations of Africa and its role in improving the nutritional status
and income of many smallholder farmers has been recognised by several scholars
and policy makers the world around. Scavenging chicken production is a
profitable enterprise that contributes to poverty reduction especially among the
resource challenged rural communities in most parts of the developing world. It
is particularly suitable to smallholder farmers and landless peasants due to low
capital investment, high cost efficiency, flexible production systems and low
production risks. It has also a symbolic significance within the context of
socio-cultural as well as religious functions and economically empowers the
rural youth and women. Chicken meat and eggs provide a readily available,
high-quality source of proteins, vitamins and micronutrients which are
particularly essential for children, pregnant women and nursing mothers.
Moreover, meat and egg from scavenging chicken present one of the most
environmentally efficient animal protein production systems.
The major challenges of the scavenging chicken production in Africa include high
chicken mortality due to predation and regular outbreaks of diseases notably
Newcastle disease; imbalanced nutrition due to poor quality and quantity of feed
materials; lack of organised marketing system and low performance related
genetic potentials. The growing demand for scavenging chicken products in urban
areas, identification and promotion of ethno-veterinary medicines, developing
locally made and appropriate housing structures, selection among the scavenging
chickens, organising farmers to increase bargaining power and shortening the
marketing chain are considered as the major opportunities for the improvement of
scavenging chicken production in Africa. The significance of indigenous chickens
for farmers in African countries combined with many consumers’ preference for
their eggs and meat suggests that these genetic resources are promising options
for food security in the rural communities.
