Abstract

Christopher Njuguna K, Lucy W. Kabuage and Eric K. Bett

Indigenous chicken (IC) boosts the livelihoods of many smallholder famers in Kenya. IC constitutes 80% of poultry population in Kenya and kept by over 80% of the smallholders’ rural households. To increase IC productivity, use of brooders remains an option. Brooders enhance chick’s separation, reduce predation prospects, boost controlled temperatures and reduce trampling. However, information on determinants of adoption and use intensity of brooders among smallholder IC farmers in Eastern and Western Kenya remained scanty. Therefore, the study aimed at filling this gap. A total of 384 households were sampled using stratified random sampling procedure. A structured questionnaire was used to collect primary data. Secondary data was accessed from Makueni and Kakamega livestock offices. Descriptive analysis and Double-Hurdle econometric model were employed using STATA 13. Results revealed that farm size, training on poultry production and awareness of IC significantly influenced adoption decision. On the other hand, education level, household size, farm size, training on poultry production, distance to the training center and awareness of IC determined use intensity of brooders. We recommend that policymakers should target factors influencing adoption and use intensity of brooders. More infrastructures and extension agents should be deployed to boost information dissemination on brooding technology.