Performance evaluation and sustainability challenges of tropically adopted exotic chicken breeds in Northwest Ethiopia

Figures & data

Table 1. Exotic chicken holding and flock composition per household

Chicken in the area			Agro ecologies				P Value
			Highland	Midland	Lowland	Overall
			HHN= 77	HHN=130	HHN=93	HHN= 300
Chickens holding (Mean± SE)
			3.53±0.22^b	5.44±0.20^a	3.24±0.18^b	4.27±0.13	0.000**
Flock composition (Mean± SE)
	Chicks		0.30±0.10^b	1.25±0.13^a	0.20±0.07^b	0.68±0.07	0.000**
	Cockerel		0.13±0.09	0.16±0.05	0.05±0.03	0.12±0.03	0.406^ns
	Pullet		1.40±0.12^b	1.78±0.11^a	1.22±0.11^b	1.51±0.07	0.001**
	Hens		1.34±0.12^b	1.85±0.09^a	1.32±0.12^b	1.56±0.06	0.000**
	Cocks		0.36±0.06	0.38±0.05	0.44±0.06	0.40±0.03	0.603^ns
Breed distribution N (%)
	Sasso		64 (83.1)	102 (78.5)	70 (75.3)	236 (78.7)	0.460^ns
	Koekoek		13 (16.9)	29 (22.3)	10 (10.8)	52 (17.3)	0.079^ns
	Sasso-R		5 (6.5)	10 (7.7)	25 (26.9)	40 (13.3)	0.000**
	Bovans Brown		39 (50.6)	80 (61.5)	36 (38.7)	155 (51.7)	0.003**
	Fayoumi		4 (5.2)	20 (15.4)	10 (10.8)	34 (11.3)	0.080^ns
	Isa Brown		4 (5.2)	17 (13.1)	3 (3.2)	24 (8.0)	0.016**

a,b,c Means in the same row with different superscript letters are significantly different (P<0.05), SE=Standard Error, ** = highly significant (P<0.01), NS= non-significant, HHN= Household Number

Table 2. Exotic Chicken and other input supplier in the region

Agro ecologies
Input and Supplier	Highland	Midland	Lowland	Overall	χ^2	P value
	HHN= 77	HHN=130	HHN=93	HHN= 300	value
Source of foundation stock N (%)
Purchased only	70(90.9)	126(96.9)	79(84.9)	275(91.7)	10.26	0.006**
Gift only	4(5.2)	2(1.5)	13(14.0)	19(6.3)	14.37	0.001**
Both	3(3.9)	2(1.5)	1(1.1)	6(2.0)	1.96	0.375^ns
Chicken and input sources for the households N (%)
Agricultural Office	30(39.0)	57(43.8)	33(35.5)	120(40.0)	1.63	0.443^ns
Market	49(63.6)	67(51.5)	46(49.5)	162(54.0)	3.97	0.138^ns
Ethio chicken & other NGO	27(35.1)	57(43.8)	77(82.8)	161(53.7)	47.49	0.000**
Research Centers	18(23.4)	21(16.2)	16(17.2)	55(18.3)	1.80	0.407^ns
Local cooperatives	32(41.6)	113(86.9)	35(37.6)	180(60.0)	69.56	0.000**

Note: χ² = chi square, ** = highly significant (P<0.01), NS= non-significant, HHN= Household Number, N= Number of respondents, NGO= Non governmental organization

Table 3. Production and reproduction performance of exotic chickens in different agro ecologies of the study area

Performance Parameters	Agro-ecology				P value
	Highland	Midland	Lowland	Total
	HHN= 77	HHN=130	HHN=93	HHN=300
Egg production per hen per year (Mean± SE)
Sasso	118.61±3.11^a	112.87±1.99^a	102.06± 2.48^b	110.99±1.45	0.000**
Bovans Brown	127.11±1.65^b	133.49±1.85^a	109.49±1.83^c	123.29±1.16	0.000**
Koekoek	101.20±2.34	104.10±1.78	102.70±2.35	102.92±1.22	0.629^ns
Age of pullets at first egg laying in months (Mean± SE)
Sasso	5.22±0.05^b	5.11±0.05^b	5.47±0.05^a	5.25±0.03	0.000**
Bovans Brown	5.51±0.04	5.54±0.03	5.52±0.04	5.53±0.02	0.834^ns
Koekoek	5.66±0.06^b	5.65±0.04^b	5.84±0.06^a	5.71±0.03	0.018*
Age of cockerels at first mating in months (Mean± SE)
Sasso	4.39±0.12^a	4.00±0.08^b	4.2±40.11^a	4.18±0.06	0.016*
Bovans Brown	5.32±0.10^a	4.52±0.10^b	5.06±0.12^a	4.89± 0.06	0.000**
Koekoek	5.08±0.09^b	4.90±0.08^b	5.55±0.10^a	5.15±0.06	0.000**
Male age at slaughter in months (Mean± SE)
Sasso	4.37±0.12^a	4.04±0.08^b	4.40±0.11^a	4.24±0.06	0.011*
Bovans Brown	6.49±0.11^a	6.14±0.08^b	6.31±0.08^a	6.28±0.05	0.018*
Koekoek	6.10±0.13^a	5.23±0.09^b	5.90±0.08^b	5.68±0.06	0.000**

Note: a,b,c Means in the same row with different superscript letters are significant different (P<0.05), * = significant (P<0.05), ** = highly significant (P<0.01), NS= Not significant, SE=Standard Error

Table 4. Challenges of sustainable exotic chicken production

	Agro ecologies
	Highland				Midland					Lowland					Overall
Challenges	Number of HH ranking				Number of HH ranking					Number of HH ranking					Result
	1	2	3	N(I)	R	1	2	3	N(I)	R	1	2	3	N(I)	R	N(I)	R
Lack of breed supplier	20	18	8	104 (0.22)	3	58	45	27	291(0.37)	1	33	18	30	165(0.30)	2	560(0.31)	1
Poor extension services		1	4	6 (0.01)	6	-	4	4	12(0.02)	5	4	1	1	15(0.03)	6	33(0.02)	5
Disease	7	31	31	114 (0.25)	2	12	77	4	194(0.25)	3	13	66	8	179(0.32)	1	487(0.27)	3
Predator		14	8	36 (0.08)	4	-	2	35	39(0.05)	4	4	1	13	27(0.05)	5	102(0.06)	4
Formulated feed shortage	44	13	19	177 (0.38)	1	49	-	67	214(0.27)	2	27	1	48	131(0.23)	3	522(0.29)	2
Poor environment adaptable breed	7		6	27 (0.06)	5	12	-	-	36(0.05)	4	12	2	1	41(0.07)	4	104(0.06)	4
Total N				464		Total N			786		Total N			558		1808

Note: N= number of households, I = Index value, R= Rank, Index= [(3 for rank 1) + (2 for rank 2) + (1 for rank 3)] divided by sum of all weighed reasons mentioned by respondent

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available in “figshare” at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.20009492.