A survey or indigenous tswana chicken fanners in Kgatleng agricultural district in Botswana

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to determine the production and marketing parameters of indigenous Tswana chickens in Kgatleng Agricultural District in Botswana. Data was collected through a structured questionnaire from five of the sixteen extension areas of this district. A total of 100 farmers i.c. 20 from each extension area, chosen at random were interviewed. Most farmers were predominantly women (84%), older than 35 years (78%) and with primary (58%) education. The majority of farmers (99%) interviewed practiced traditional farming system, characterised by chickens scavenging with occasional supplementation (97%), free access to clean water (100%) and no housing in most cases (87%). Most farmers (76%) kept 1-20 chickens per household and used a mating ratio of I cock: 10 hens. Most hens (94%) laid 11-15 eggs per clutch per hen and most (75%) hatched all eggs from which 6-10 chicks per clutch per hen reached sexual maturity. The common disease that farmers could identify was Newcastle (79%), while mites (100%) was the common external parasite identified as negatively affecting production of chickens in the area. None of the fanners (0%) kept any records and they exhibited limited knowledge of modem chicken fanning and improved management. There were no organized markets of indigenous chickens. Most farmers (85%) sold chickens whenever there was financial need and also when chickens had multiplied to reduce the costs of inputs. Research on indigenous Tswana chickens should be carried out to increase their productivity and explore marketing strategies in order to benefit the people of Botswana.