Study on Chicken Breeding Typology and Practices in the Case of the Djôrô Region in Burkina Faso

Abstract

Chicken farming in the Djôrô border region of Burkina Faso is characterised by differences in management, production practices and market orientation. The aim of this study was to analyse the typologies of chicken farming systems in the border areas of Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, and Ghana. A total of 120 farmers were interviewed. The data collected covered the structural characteristics of the farms, farming systems, management, production, and organisation. The results identified three farming types: Type 1 (traditional system), Type 2 (intermediate system), and Type 3 (improved system). Recorded zootechnical performance indicators showed that local hens reached sexual maturity at approximately six months of age and produced an average of 12 eggs per laying cycle. Natural incubation was the most common method (adopted by 97%, 94%, and 61% of Type 1, Type 2, and Type 3 farmers, respectively). Artificial incubation was practised only by Type 2 and Type 3 farmers, with adoption rates of 6% and 17%, respectively. Health management relied on modern treatments (73.68%), supplemented by local traditional medicine knowledge using plants such as Khaya senegalensis and Azadirachta indica. The results indicated an exchange of chickens and production inputs among the three countries. Unit selling prices for chickens ranged from 3,578 FCFA to 4,027 FCFA, depending on the farming type. This study reveals specific characteristics of chicken farming in border areas that should be taken into account in policies aimed at developing the sector.