The Serama Club Of Great Britain

Urban Poultry

POLENTA - MAIZE PORRIDGE

The status of smallholder poultry production in the Alfred district of Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa: priorities for intervention

A survey was conducted in the Alfred District of South Africa, to evaluate the status of smallholder poultry production and identify priorities for intervention amongst ethnic rural households through participatory methods. The survey covered 180 households randomly selected by cluster sampling and data were analysed using descriptive statistics. In households where no chickens were kept, comparatively larger numbers of cattle (10) and sheep (8) were reared and gross incomes were as high as households that kept an average of 37 chickens (R787.50 vs. 825.30). The data underlined the fact that, as the average number of chickens per household increases from 10 to 40, cattle and goat numbers increased form 7 to 16 and 4 to 16 respectively. Gross income per household increased with increasing chicken numbers from R500.30 to 1036.75, whilst protein security (Kg protein intake/person/month) decreased from 4.26 to 1.17. Freely scavenging indigenous chicken contributed 16.5% of the total meat consumed but a negligible cash income to resource poor households. The average flock size per household was 17 chickens, with 39% of the respondents being female poultry owners. Chick survival ranged between 50 to 60%, with Newcastle Disease accounting for most of the losses. The major constraints to production were poor housing, poor disease control, extremely high rearing mortalities, a lack of well-organised vaccination programmes and poultry extension services. There are numerous advantages to be drawn from keeping indigenous chickens if affordable and sustainable measures can be taken to limit the impact of factors constraining production.

Poultry production has lower carbon footprint than other livestock systems

22/11/2007 12:28:00
Website EAS

Poultry meat uses less global energy than other livestock systems and intensive poultry uses less than free range and organic, according to new research.

Adrian Williams, senior research fellow at Cranfield University recently carried out a DEFRA-funded project that calculated the life cycle assessment (LCA) of different farming systems. The concept looks at the consumption of natural resources such as minerals and fossil fuel.

"Poultry is the market winner in energy performance," said Dr Williams. "The sector should give itself a pat on its back."

However, Dr Williams stressed that Global Warming Potential (GWP) varied depending on the different types of poultry farming methods.

If the egg industry was to move towards all cage production, GWP would fall by 10% while going all free range would increase it by 10%. More significant is that going organic would result in a 40% increase in GWP.

He explained the main reason was that organic chickens use more energy, having a lower feed conversion, so they eat more feed. Feed accounts for most of the energy required and is a key driving factor for poultry.

With meat, organic also comes out worst because of the longer life-span of birds, again leading to a greater lifetime feed consumption.

So what should consumers choose - low carbon footprint or high welfare, have your say in FWispace.

Impact of system changes on Global Warming Potential

	Change
Poultry meat
All reared free range	+20%
10% improvement in feed conversion	-10%
All produced organically	+20%
Eggs
Change to all free range	+10%
All barn	+10%
All cage	-10%
All organic	+40%