Lack of best-performing breed was the main chicken production problem, & keeping improved breeds boosts chicken meat and egg production. An experiment targeted with adaptation & performance evaluation of the Koekoek breed was conducted in the Hammer district. A purposive sampling method was used to select kebele & households. After the provision of training the poultry house was constructed. Vaccination was provided for economically important diseases & 21 pullet chickens were distributed to each 25 households. The commercial feed was used initially, then home-prepared feed in addition to scavenging. The trial chickens were managed for 18 months. Mortality (19.8%) was the collective effect of predator, disease, stress, & injury with overall survival of 80.2%. The average body weight was 1.95 & 1.33 Kg for males & females at the age of 175 & 208 days respectively. The average yearly egg production & egg weight was 145 & 47.2 gram, respectively. The breed was preferred due to its egg production, body weight, scavenging, & less disease exposure. However, the veterinary vaccines, awareness gap of keepers, absence of breed, & feed shortage were the main factors. So, the breed showed good adaptation, performed well & highly preferred defending the hindering factors. Therefore, there should be strong awareness creation, the accessibility of the breed should be secured by extension, & feed trial experiments should be recommended to know the full genomic potential of the breed.
agro-pastoralist, breed, chicken, dual-purpose, koekoek
Abadi, T., Gebretsadik, D., Gebremedhin, K., Tsigab, T., Zenebe, M., & Desta, D. (2020). On-farm Evaluation and Demonstration of Koekoek chicken under farmers conditions in Northwestern Tigray, Ethiopia. International Journal of Veterinary Science and Research, 6(1), 064-067. https://www.peertechzpublications.org/articles/IJVSR-6-156.php.
Adicha, A., & Mengistu, B. (2022). Determinants of Agro-pastoral households’ diversification of income in Hamer District, South OMO Zone, Southern Ethiopia. Journal of Agriculture and Aquaculture, 4(4).
Begna, R., Masho, W., Wondimu, W., Tilahun, Y., Bekele, T., Tadesse, B., & Negash, H. (2023). Participatory evaluation and demonstration of productive performance of Bovans Brown chicken under village production system in Menit Shasha Woreda, West Omo Zone, Ethiopia. The Scientific Temper, 14(3), 799–805. https://doi.org/10.58414/SCIENTIFICTEMPER.2023.14.3.36.
Belay, S., Resom, M., Yemane, H., & Amare, H. (2018). Production performance evaluation of koekoek chicken under farmer management practice in Tigray region, northern Ethiopia. International Journal of Livestock Production, 9, 232-237. https://doi.org/10.5897/IJLP2017.0436.
Biratu, K., & Haile, S. (2016). Demonstration and performance evaluation of “potchefstroom koekoek” chicken package at Jimma zone, South Western Ethiopia. Journal of Biology, Agriculture and Healthcare, 6(15), 53-58.
Central Statistical Agency (CSA). (2016). Agricultural sample survey: Report on livestock and livestock characteristics (private peasant holdings), volume II. Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Central Statistical Agency. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Central Statistical Agency (CSA). (2017). Agricultural sample survey: Report on livestock and livestock characteristics (private peasant holdings), volume II (pp. 9–12). Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Getiso, A., Yilma, M., Mekonnen, M., Jimma, A., Asrat, M., Tera, A., & Dako, E. (2016). Demonstration and Evaluation of Dual Purpose Chicken “Potchefstroom Koekoek” Packages at Areka areas, SNNPR, Ethiopia. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/wffdocs/52.
Gobena, E. G. (2020). Adaptation and performance evaluation of Potchefstroom Koekoek chicken breeds under farmer’s management practice in Debub Ari and Bena-Tsemay districts of South Omo Zone, Ethiopia. Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, 19.
Gonta Gobena E., & Urge, P. (2021). Assessment of Smallholder Chicken Production Practices and Evaluation of Local Feed Resources in Two Districts of South Omo Zone, Ethiopia (Doctoral dissertation, Haramaya University).
Goraga, Z., Caron, L., Wilbert, C., & Brockmann, G. A. (2016). Characterization of village chicken production systems and challenges across agro-climatic zones in Ethiopia. International Journal of Livestock Production, 7(11), 94–105. https://doi.org/10.5897/IJLP2016.0320.
Hailemariam, A., Taye, A., Miglas, H., Edea, C., Amare, A., Habte, T., ... & Ibrahim, D. (2018). Evaluation and Demonstration of Potchefstroom Koekoek Chicken in and Around Mehoni areas of Southern Tigray Zone, Ethiopia. Global Journal of Science Frontier Research: D Agriculture and Veterinary, 18(3).
Hassen, A. S. (2019). Demonstration and performance evaluation of dual-purpose chicken “Potchefstroom Koekoek” under agro-pastoral management conditions at Asayta districts of Afar regional state in Ethiopia. International Journal of Veterinary Science Research, 5(1), 019-024. https://dx.doi.org/10.17352/ijvsr.000036.
SPSS Inc. (2020). Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) for Windows (Version 16.0) [Computer software]. Chicago, IL: SPSS Inc.
Tadesse, D. T. (2012). Management practices, productive performances, and egg quality traits of exotic chickens under village production system in east Shewa, Ethiopia (Doctoral dissertation, Addis Ababa University).
Urgesa, L. (2023). Review on Poultry Production System, Trends and Development Strategies in Ethiopia. Journal of Aquaculture & Livestock Production. SRC/JALP-138. DOI: doi. org/10.47363/JALP/2023 (4), 125, 2-5.
