Journal of Petroleum & Environmental Biotechnology

Abstract

Coping with Climate Change Challenges by Feeding Indigenous Chickens under Intensive Systems in Namibia

Petrus NP, Mpofu I and Shikongo-Nambambi MNNN

Floods that have hit Northern Communal Areas (NCAs) of Namibia in recent year pose feeding and other challenges to indigenous chicken. Indigenous chickens constitute a major source of livelihoods among rural farmers. The objective of this study was to determine the potential of intensive feeding of high and low plane of protein nutrition to indigenous chickens as one way of coping with environmental challenges caused by annual floods in the NCAs. Adequacy of protein inclusion in the diet is a viable option for improving the growth of small rural owned chickens. Two hundred and four indigenous chickens were subjected to two levels of plane of nutrition namely high and low plane of protein nutrition. At the low level, the protein was 18% in the 1-8 week age group, 16% in 9-22 week age group and 12% in the 23-36 week age. Feeding at high plane of protein nutrition was as follows; 23% in the 0-8 week age group, 20% in the 9-22 week age group and 16% in the 23-36 week age group. The control group was fed according to the Namibian poultry industry standards. The results showed significant and highest responses between the treatments in weeks 1-8 of age. Between 9-22 weeks, chicken mortality lowest at 5.6% in the high plane of nutrition group compared to 14.4% in the low plane of nutrition. The birds in control group consumed significantly (P<0.05) less feed than those fed with the high and low protein diet. Intensive feeding has a potential of alleviating nutritional stress of indigenous chickens under adverse environmental conditions. Farmers however, have to respond by cropping more intensively for the feed resources to be available.