Livestock production in central Mali: ownership, management and productivity of poultry in the traditional sector.

A survey of small-scale poultry production in an urban and two agropastoral systems covered 381 households. Less detailed information was also obtained from a small sample in a transhumant pastoral system. More households owned poultry in the rice (89.5%) than in the millet (81.1%) or urban (57.1%) systems. Domestic fowl were commonest in all systems followed by pigeons, Guinea fowl and then ducks, although the last were absent from the millet zone. Most families kept only one species but there was more diversification in the rice system. Flock sizes were largest in the rice system for fowls, Guinea fowl and pigeons while duck flocks averaged more birds in the urban area. Females predominated in all species except pigeons where sex ratios were about equal. Management practices in relation to housing, feeding, health care and consumption and marketing are described. Productivity figures relating to egg production, egg size, hatchability, growth and mortality are provided.