Abstract
The study was undertaken to assess the contribution of chicken, duck and goat keeping to rural livelihoods of the poor. To analyse socioeconomic characteristics, profitability of goat, chicken and duck rearing, impact on livelihoods and factors influencing the livestock rearing were the main objectives of the study. Three participatory farm management approaches such as (i) Participatory Livelihood Assessment (PLA), (ii) Impact Assessment (IA) and (iii) Action Research (AR) were employed to achieve the objectives of the study. From 10 villages altogether 110 farmers were chosen for conducting PLA, and 90 households were selected from 6 villages for IA study. Finally, 32 women farmers, in which, 13 rearing goat, 10 rearing duck and 9 rearing chicken were selected for conducting AR. The PLA findings showed that chicken was the most and goat was the second preferred animal for rearing. In the study areas, 36.0 percent households were "very poor" and 37.0 percent were "poor" of total households. About 43.0 percent family members of poor households had primary education while this was about 15.0 percent for very poor households. Among the very poor households one fourth had goat and about 52.0 percent reared chicken and ducks. The IA results showed that agriculture was the main occupation for about 34.0 percent rural households. Despite owning limited agricultural and homestead land, a significant number of households were engaged in non-farm activities. There was little difference in socio-economic status between livestock and non-livestock households. The average loan taken for livestock enterprises was Tk 3,700 per household. There was no significant difference between livestock and non-livestock households but difference emerged between male and female headed households. AR results demonstrate that 47.0 percent women were moderately young. About 65.0 percent of them were illiterate and 84.0 percent women were housewife. All AR households had own homestead having 7.1 decimal land while only 12.0 percent households had own cultivable land. Annual per household gross margins were Tk 2336, Tk 997 and Tk 781 for goat, chicken and duck rearing, respectively. More experienced women got the highest return from chicken but the highest returns from duck and goat were earned by middle aged women. The women who were mainly involved with household activities got more return. A significant difference was observed in the return from chicken, duck and goat. Goat keeping households earned relatively higher return than chicken and duck rearing household due to lower mortality rate of goat than poultry birds in the study areas. Goat keepers mainly repaired their dwelling houses because they got a good amount at a time while duck and chicken rearing households purchased daily household needs from their regular income from eggs. They also spent their earnings from livestock for paying school fee, for purchasing human and animal drugs and clothes. Duck and chicken households increased their eggs consumption due to own production. Chicken, duck and goat keeping also offered 24 days annual employment opportunity for family members especially for the women. The women made savings, which helped to improve their social status. The activities related to livestock production and marketing increased the women mobility and social networks. They adjusted the livelihood strategies without any disinvestment of their household assets. As a result of knowledge gained from AR, the women became more confident and increased their stock as continuation of further livestock production after the end of the project. The policy initiatives considering credit repayment at flexible terms, extension on veterinary services to the remote areas, supply of animal feeds and drugs during natural disasters, and fund for further adaptive research, to introduce new improved breed of poultry, would contribute to reduction of poverty rate in rural areas of Bangladesh.