Farmers Review Africa Sept/Oct 2018 FRA - September - October 2018 digital 5 | Page 25

FEATURE Use of Indigenous Knowledge System in the Rearing of Indigenous Chicken By Innocent Mhangarai M ost small-scale farmers who tie together traditional knowledge in a bid to ensure maximum output as well as sustenance of their livelihoods have a competitive advantage. This is because traditional facts comprehend the intelligence, data and philosophy of societies that is passed from one generation to another. Indigenous Knowledge Systems refers to cultural practices and traditional remedies used by a certain community. The surviving Indigenous Knowledge Systems inherited from the past has persistently driven the indigenous chicken production. IKS is a means that can not only help to crack indigenous difficulties as well as a reserve to help produce more and improved nourishment, but also serves to stop conflict, manage homegrown undertakings and thus contributes to universal answers. Indigenous knowledge plays a vital role when it comes to the rearing of indigenous chicken in SubSaharan African countries. This is because IKS makes up the social assets of the underprivileged as well as their chief ability to capitalize in the fight for continued existence to produce food and to accomplish control of their lives. As such, their living becomes completely dependent on explicit abilities and such intelligence. As such, it is safe to assume that IKS is interwoven with the culture of these societies. Indigenous Chicken Indigenous chickens play an integral role in the lives of rural women in terms of food security and deficiency mitigation. These chicken have the ability to fight diseases and utilize low quality feeds. Moreover, since this particular breed is flexible in modern day changes in consumer preferences, their products tend to be highly favored by households. However, ethnic understanding, practices and expertise are necessary for early cautioning, uncovering and communal defense means against infections. The indigenous ecotypes of birds differ in physique, feathers color and routines. These chickens are resilient and grow well under severe conditions with negligible inputs. They get most of their feed from hunting and irregularly benefit from kitchen and other household litters. Eggs and chicken meat contributes a lot to the protein nourishment of the rural societies. At night, chickens find shelter in undeveloped enclosures, frequently elevated from the ground, which provide security from adverse weather conditions and night predators. Traditional significance of indigenous chicken Indigenous chicken play a dynamic role through their influence to ethnic and societal life of smallholder farmers. They are given as contributions when there are events in the community and in most cases they belong to women. Chicken are also reserved for special September - October 2018 | 23