Local or Indigenous Chicken Production: A Key to Food Security, Poverty Alleviation, Disease Mitigation and Socio-Cultural Fulfilment in Africa

Abstract

Political instability, economic crises, war, food insecurity or hunger, poverty, diseases, pestilence and religious and socio-cultural crises are problems confronting and militating against African development. The role of local or indigenous or rural/scavenging chicken in food security, alleviating poverty, disease mitigation and meeting the socio-cultural fulfilment towards ensuring political, economic and socio cultural stability in Africa is hereby reviewed. The Local or indigenous chicken of any country are better adapted to local conditions as they are hardy, can thrive under minimal supply of feed, more resistant to local pests, parasites and diseases than the exotic breeds or hybrids. The potentials of local or indigenous chickens include 460–1,840 g mature body size in 30 weeks 40–200 eggs production per annum and egg weight of 29–45 g per egg. Meat and eggs from local chicken are very palatable, taste better with strong flavour, have low cholesterol and are nutritious as they furnishes energy, essential amino acids, vitamins and other micro nutrients of animal source to the poor rural and urban dwellers and sick people at cheaper, affordable and manageable quantities. They are preferred delicacies for entertainment besides their therapeutic values. Income or money from the sale of local chicken and eggs are often used to pay for other needed commodities, services and obligations (seed, salt, cloth, fuel, medicine, school fees and books, transport fare, taxes etc.); and it encouraged cash flow, savings, investments and insurance against absolute poverty. Satisfaction in African religious/ spiritual and socio-cultural values cannot be attained except local chicken and eggs were used to entertain visitors, make sacrifice or rituals to appease gods and during family celebration or traditional ceremonies. Other roles of local or indigenous chicken production in pest and weed control, as sanitizing agent and converter of household waste and left over grains to meat and eggs, in healing, recreation, local timing and as sources of manure for gardening cannot be under estimated.