dc.description.abstract | The background to the study looked at the indigenous chicken production globally,
regionally and locally. The keeping of indigenous chicken has been practiced by diverse
culture where the chicken is kept for many uses including cultural, food, income, and
prestige. Owing to it low input demands with high value output, the keeping of chicken
has been practiced in many ways by smallholder farming systems depending on agro
ecological zones, social cultural factors, access to market and on the possibility for
generating income. In Kenya indigenous chicken constitute the bulk of chicken and
produces more than 71% of all poultry products. As Kenya continues to suffer food
insufficiency and high poverty level in the rural, indigenous chicken present an
opportunity for the poor to eke out a living. The statement of the problem tried to
highlight a concern on the production. of indigenous in the rural Kenya especially
Kathonzweni location in Makueni county. The vulnerable community would be expected
to take advantage of low capital investment initiative like indigenous chicken and make a
living out of it. Despite support by ministry of livestock and its partners to support
indigenous chicken farming, the numbers of chicken reared has remained low with an
average of 12 chickens per household. The study aimed to identify the gap that limit the
production of chicken in the rural area of Kenya. The purpose of the study was to identify
factors influencing the production of indigenous chicken in Kathonzweni location. The
research objectives were to identify cultural factors, land factors, management factors and
market factors influencing indigenous chicken production "in Kathonzweni location. The
research used descriptive survey d~gn. The target population was the 2050 household
heads in Kathonzweni location. i sample of 10 percent (205 sample respondents) was
taken from the population using systematic sampling technique. The researcher collected
primary and secondary data. Pre-tested questionnaire were administered to the
respondents. Data collected was mainly quantitative and it was analyzed by descriptive
analysis techniques. The descriptive statistical tools such as SPSS were used.
The study concludes that cultural f~ctors determine the ex~ent of indigenous chicken
production since the enterprise is gender skewed toward mature female. Land was found
not to limit indigenous chicken production, indeed it exists as a potential to harness in
producing indigenous chicken in Kathonzweni location. Management factors were
identified as limiting the extent to which indigenous chicken was being reared in
Kathonzweni location. Market factor were identified as encouraging the production of
indigenous chicken. The study thus recommends that concerned authorities should
consider initiatives to address the cultural and management factors that were identified as
limiting indigenous chicken production in Kathonzweni location, Makueni County,
Kenya. | en |