Traditional poultry production: The role of women in Kaura-Namoda local government area, Zamfara State, Nigeria

Poultry production has a high priority because poultry meat has better energy and protein conversion ratio than many other animals. Traditional poultry is a well-known livestock enterprise in northern Nigeria and women contribute immensely to agricultural production but still their contribution to the country's development remains largely not documented. This study therefore, aimed at assessing the role of rural women, their contribution and constraints to traditional poultry production in Kaura-Namoda local government area, Zamfara State-Nigeria. Sixty (60) women poultry keepers were randomly selected from twelve villages of four districts selected at random and administered with questionnaires to collect relevant data on socio-economic characteristics, management system adopted, output and constraints of poultry production. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The result revealed that majority of the respondent were young (26-35 years) and married with no formal schooling whose kept between 11 to 20 bird with ratio of 1:2 of cock to hen. Extensive management system is practicing by the majority of respondent also; recorded more than 40 eggs laid by their hens with farm returns of N2000.00 to N5000.00 ($12.5 to $31.25) per week and sales their produce at market. Majority of the respondents provide local oral leaf and bark extract of mahogany and solanaceous plant for disease control while some uses local trap in controlling rodents, debeaked their birds to avoid cannivalism. Transportation, pest and diseases, weather changes, poor extension services and low capital are some of the constraints of poultry production in the study area. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]