Production performances of exotic chickens under village production system

The study was conducted with the objectives of assessing management practices and production performance of exotic chickens under smallholder farmers' production system in selected districts of Silte Zone, Central Ethiopia.Three districts were selected purposively based on potential of exotic chicken production and peasant associations were selected in simple random sampling technique.Finally a total of 270 respondents (90 from each peasant associations) were selected in systematic random sampling methods to administer questionnaires.The primary data was obtained through interviews, field observation, and focused group discussions.Collected data were analyzed using SPSS 21.The study disclosed the majority of the respondents' rear their chicken in house that share with people and the main feed recourse was scavenging in the fields and as a supplementary feeds grains, industrial by products and kitchen wastes were used in the districts.The breed Bovine Browne (BB) was superior for the number of eggs per year per hen than Saso breed (SSB) and Keokuk breeds (KB).KB was superior for average age at first egg lying than SSB and BB in the study areas.On other hands, the performance of the three breeds compared to other findings were lower on similar exotic chickens because of the lower in supplementary feeding, health care and housing practices used by the farmers.Hence, better housing system, improving the health of chicken, practicing supplementary feeding could be used to enhance production and productivity of the chickens.