Gender roles and challenges of village chicken keeping among farmers in Enugu State, Nigeria

Abstract

Production of village chickens is largely in the hands of the rural farm families in Enugu State, Nigeria. Thisaffects women more than men, and may further limit the participation of women in village chicken keeping. Gender roles and challenges faced by village chicken farmers in Enugu State, Nigeria were examined. Multistage sampling technique was utilized in selecting 100 respondents. Structured interview schedule and observations were used in collecting data for thestudy. Descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage and mean scores were used in analyzing the data. Majority (93.0%) of the respondents were females. Construction of chicken house was carried out by men; while women were involved in feeding, disease control and marketing of chickens. Perceived challenges to village chicken keeping include: diseases (x=2.98), poor growth rate (x=2.94), predators (x=2.94), high mortality (x=2.56), inadequate veterinary services (x=2.33) and inadequate extension services (x=2.26). Provision of adequate housing facilities and mounting of vaccination and treatment campaigns are essential in reducing mortalities in village chicken.