HATCHERY STATUS, OPERATIONS, MANAGEMENT AND CONSTRAINTS IN SOUTHWESTERN NIGERIA

Abstract: With the global population expected to rise from 6 billion to over 8.5 billion by 2025, the demand for animal protein could potentially double. Consequently, the production of day-old chicks presents a profitable opportunity in the poultry industry. For a nation with over 190 million people, reliance on imported day-old chicks is unsustainable. Hatcheries, or “poultry maternity centers,” play a crucial role in this industry by producing chicks for rearing. This study assessed the status, operations, management, and constraints of hatcheries in the southwestern states of Nigeria (Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, and Oyo). Using a multi-stage random sampling technique, respondents were selected from three senatorial districts in each state, totaling 360 respondents. Descriptive statistics, including frequency counts and percentages, were employed for data analysis. Findings indicated that hatchery owners were predominantly males (100%), aged 31-40 years (58.3%), married (51.6%), with 11-15 years of experience (60.0%), household sizes of 1-5 (73.3%), and tertiary education (80%). Many owners viewed hatcheries as an investment (66.7%), had access to commercial bank loans (66.7%), operated on a small scale (66.7%), and had production capacities of 1,000-10,000 chicks per day (66.7%). They used imported equipment (66.7%) and had hatchers and setters available (93.3%). Awareness of local fabricators of hatchers and setters was high (71.7%), with semi-automation (81.7%) and reliance on public power supply (66.7%) being significant factors (P>0.05). Electricity supply (68.3%) and finance (65.7%) were major constraints. The study concluded that local machine fabrication, genuine spare parts, stable electricity, access to soft loans, and skilled manpower training are crucial to addressing hatchery challenges in the study area. Keywords: Hatchery, status, operations, management, constraints. Title: HATCHERY STATUS, OPERATIONS, MANAGEMENT AND CONSTRAINTS IN SOUTHWESTERN NIGERIA Author: Folorunso O.R., Sule, K, Bakre, A.A International Journal of Novel Research in Life Sciences ISSN 2394-966X Vol. 11, Issue 4, July 2024 - August 2024 Page No: 23-31 Novelty Journals Website: www.noveltyjournals.com Published Date: 15-August-2024 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13325062 Paper Download Link (Source) https://www.noveltyjournals.com/upload/paper/HATCHERY%20STATUS%20OPERATIONS-15082024-1.pdf