Evaluation and Demonstration of Chicken Cage Production Technology in and around Peri-Urban Areas of Gurage and Siltie Zone, Central Ethiopia Region

Background and Objective: Chicken production is attractive in the context of poverty alleviation and food security. It plays a great role in household income, wealth level, and food and nutritional security, especially for women and youth groups. The objective of this study was to evaluate and demonstrate the chicken cage production technology, to develop alternative chicken extension packages and to determine the economic benefits of technology. Materials and Methods: Participant households and the study districts were selected purposively. The study was conducted at Mirab azernet and Gummer districts. The experiment was conducted on 192 commercial layer chicken breeds managed under a cage housing production technology. Participant households receive training on chicken husbandry practices. Data were collected on chicken body weight, mortality of chicken, causes of mortality, age at first egg lay, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, cost of feed and medication, and egg weight at different production periods, annual egg production and farmers' perception on chicken cage production technology and the collected data were using SAS software. Results: At the ages of 12, 36, and 44 weeks, of age bovans brown chicken in cage production technology shows significant variation (p<0.05) on body weight across two districts. Survival rate of Bovan’s brown layer chicken breeds in the cage chicken production technology shows non-significant (p>0.05) variation across two locations. The egg production performance of Bovans Brown commercial layer chickens produced in the chicken cage in Mirabe Azernet District was significantly higher (p<0.05) than in Gummer District. The participant households and the nearby small-holder households in the study area accepted the chicken cage as a good chicken production technology, especially for urban areas in the study area. Conclusion: According to the partial budget analysis, bovans brown commercial layers chicken reared in the chicken cage production technology under urban farmers’ management condition with the little addition of little management practices, it was profitable and acceptable. Around urban areas, there is a shortage of land available for chicken house construction, so it is possible that rearing chickens in the chicken cage is a practical solution for urban smallholders to improve income, nutrition, and chicken management efficiency.