Evaluating interventions uptake in indigenous chicken production in a participatory research with smallholder farmers in Kenya

Abstract

Indigenous chicken production system has long been characterised by low productivity due to among other factors, poor management, inadequate and poor feeding regime, poor (or lack) of disease control measures, poor hygiene, inappropriate housing, negative attitudes, lack of technical knowledge and lack of institutional support in terms of policy and infrastructure. This research was carried out to evaluate uptake by farmers of improved management practices (interventions) and their effect on performance of indigenous chickens at farm level and consequences for farmer participation in the implementation of research activities. The research involved 200 farmers in five regions in three counties. Four villages were selected per region and10 farms in each village. Interventions housing, feed supplementation, vaccination and deworming were implemented by farmers and monitoring and evaluation carried out. Farmers used own local inputs in implementing the project interventions and recorded various project activities and outputs. The project was monitored over a span of five, 3-months long periods. 25% of farmers in the entire five regions did not have housing as a treatment in any of 5 periods. Feed supplementation had high level of use by all farmers in each period. More farmers applied deworming in later periods, 25% had vaccination in period 1, and 40% in period 5. Periods 3 – 5 generally seem to be the time most applications were done. Flock sizes rose from 10 – 20 birds per farm to 20 – 30. Farmer participatory research is a tool for technology testing and transfer and a quick and effective means of generating and disseminating information.