Abstract

The study was conducted in Tahtay Michew and Mereb Leke districts with the objective of characterizing the chicken production system in the two study districts. Data collection was carried out through a structured questionnaire and data gathered from different sources. A total of 80 households (40 from each district) were randomly selected for interviews in the baseline survey. Finally, all the collected data were subjected to analysis using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS version 20, 2011). The results showed that the average chicken flock size per household in the study area was 6.21, ranging from 1 to 29 in Tahtay Michew and 2 to 20 in Mereb Leke, respectively. There was a significant difference (p<0.001) between the genders of respondents. There was also a highly significant difference (p<0.001) in the selection of breed preferences in the study area. According to this study, the chicken production system was highly affected by a lack of proper management and a low availability of foundation stock. Therefore, governmental and non-governmental actors should emphasize training and awareness creation for chicken producers.

Key words: Breed preference, chicken characterization, household income, production system.