The potential role of Ugandan indigenous chicken in poverty alleviation

Abstract

This paper describes the existing production characteristics of the Ugandan indigenous chickens, highlights their potential, and suggests strategies for improvement and use in poverty alleviation programmes, emphasizing the involvement of the beneficiaries in ant-poverty initiatives. The predominance of the indigenous chickens long after the introduction of the exotic strains is presented as evidence that these chickens have the potential to form the basis for improved rural poultry production and can be transformed from subsistence to semi-commercial production systems in the poor rural households. As a way forward, a practical model is presented to demonstrate sustainability and economic viability of poultry farming based on Ugandan indigenous chicken.