EFFECT OF FEED SUPPLEMENTATION AFTER SCAVENGING ON GROWTH AND SLAUGHTER PERFORMANCE OF COCKERELS IN A VILLAGE CHICKEN SYSTEM IN BURKINA FASO

S.R. Kondombo, R.P. Kwakkel, M.W.A. Verstegen, M. Slingerland. Dept. of A.J. Nianogo, Institut de l’Environnement et de Recherches Agricoles, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

Abstract

A small feeding trial was conducted in a village in Burkina Faso, West Africa. The study aimed to identify an adequate feeding strategy for village chickens in order to maintain a certain rate of growth during the end of the rainy season.

For that, effects of four feeding strategies (treatments) on village chicken cockerel growth and slaughter yields were examined in four households. In treatment 1, birds had to find their daily ration by scavenging only. In treatments 2,3, and 4, birds received in the late afternoon after scavenging, a supplementation with red sorghum, artisanal beer by-product, or a free-choice combination of both, respectively.

The results showed that only scavenging could assure a weight gain of 5.9 g/d and no differences were observed with the groups that received either one of the supplementations. On the basis of crop contents analyses, cereals were the main component (54%) of scavenging feedstuffs for village chickens. Protein seems to be limited for and increase in gain.

Keywords: free range, village chickens, supplementation

Introduction

Village chicken production systems in West Africa are mainly characterised by a free-range system in which birds find themselves the main part of their daily ration by scavenging. Nevertheless, they sometimes receive supplementation of available feedstuffs. In order to study the effect of supplementation (red sorghum or artisanal beer by-product) on village chicken growth during the end of the rainy season (October to September), a small feeding trial was carried out in one village of Burkina Faso in West Africa. The study aimed to identify an adequate feeding strategy for village chickens.

Materials and Methods

In this study, the effects of four feeding strategies (treatments) on village chicken cockerel growth and slaughter yields were examined in four households (regarded as orthogonal blocks). In treatment 1, birds had to find their daily ration by scavenging only (T1). In treatments 2, 3, and 4 (T2 to T4), the cockerels were supplementary fed in the late afternoon after scavenging, with red sorghum (energy source), artisanal beer by –product (protein source), or a free-choice combination of both, respectively.

Each treatment was replicated once in four households. Each experimental unit consisted of 5 to 8 cockerels, with a mean body weight of 756.3  12.6 g, and housed in one little barn (1.00  1.00 m). The birds received preventative treatment and were adapted to their barns and treatments during one week (pre-experimental period). The duration of the trial was 28 days and at the end, 3 to 4 birds per treatment in each household were slaughtered after scavenging an crop contents were examined.

Results and Discussion

The study indicates that scavenging feedstuffs can assure cockerels ‘ weight gain of 5.9 g/d and no significant difference (P 0.05) was observed with the cockerels that had received supplementation (Table 1). A mean dressing percentage of 63.15 was found in our study and there were no significant differences (P 0.05) between the treatments. The range of dressing % observed in our study was consistent with the range reported by Dessie (1986), who indicated dressing 5 ranging from 64.6 to 66.7 % for village chicken hens.

Treatments

Parameters / T1 / T2 / T3 / T4 / SE
Body weight gain in 28 days (g) / 164 / 171 / 185 / 155 / 16
Daily body weight gain (g/d) / 5.9 / 6.1 / 6.6 / 5.5 / 0.6
Dressing (%) / 61.0 / 64.3 / 65.5 / 61.5 / 1
Intake of supplement per day (g/d) / - / 39.2a / 6.3b / 28.2c / 0.7

Mean values in the same row with different superscripts are significantly different at

P 0.05.

T1: only scavenging T3: scavenging + artisanal beer by-product

T2: scavenging + red sorghum T4: scavenging + free-choice of both

The results of the crop contents analyses showed that cereals (54%) and insects + worms (22%) were the main scavenging resources for village chickens during the period of the trial. Thus, if seems that scavenging feedstuffs are mainly a source of energy and any village chickens supplementation should be done with a source of protein during this period. This is supported by the data whereas no extra body weight gain is obtained if scavenging is supplemented with red sorghum (energy). On the other hand, the artisanal beer by product (protein) could have increased body weight gain, but it seems to be not attractive for the birds as is suggested by the low intake. Dessie (1986) hypothesized that a strategic supplementation could be a suitable intervention to improve performance of village chicken systems.

Reference

Dessie, T., 1986. Studies on village poultry production systems in the central Highlands of Ethiopa. Msc-thesis of the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.