The
unprecedented population surge in Kenya has left the country with near 43
million people and continues to steadily increase. This has led to competition
and depletion of land and natural resources. In many parts of the country,
available land is shrinking, either due to urbanization or cultural land
dividing traditions. For many families struggling to make ends meet, the sale
of their land is viewed as the only option. Most households in urban areas
nowadays must depend on ¼ acre plots to meet their daily needs in times when
unpredictable climactic conditions are making it even harder to farm. The
depletion of farm land has caused harsh economic times that result in a rise in
food prices, farm inputs, and animal feeds. These factors have made the production
of enough food unattainable, aggravating hungry and poverty-stricken
households. However, small-scale farmers in urban areas can better utilize
their land through sustainable agricultural methods. These methods are
often low cost, practical, and can contribute to their daily food needs. One of
the best opportunities for small-scale farmers can be through indigenous
poultry production.
The
four main benefits of raising indigenous chickens are:
- They are easy to establish for low-income families.
- They are more prolific and unproblematic to rear on small plots of land.
- They are more genetically diverse, well adapted, and more resistant to local pests and diseases.
- They are vital for future food security, leading towards self-employment and self-reliance.
The
chicken (Gallus domesticus) is a fowl that is said to be one of the most
widely domesticated animals in recorded history. Charles Darwin considered
chickens descendants of a single wild species, the red jungle fowl, which is
found in the wild from India through Southeast Asia to the Philippines. Genetic
analyses have shown that every breed of domestic chicken can be traced to the
red jungle fowl. Scientists estimate that they were domesticated roughly 8,000
years ago in what is now Thailand and Vietnam (Encarta DVD, 2008).
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