CHICKEN PERFORMANCE, FEEDING, MAJOR DISEASE INCIDENCE, AND HYGIENE IN TWO LOW-INPUT POULTRY PRODUCTION SYSTEMS IN THE RURAL SECTOR OF FAYOUM GOVERNORATE.

The current study covered a total of 121 households located in 12 villages within 6 districts in Fayoum governorate. The data was collected during the period from March to August, 2007 through semi-structured interviews with questionnaires. Tow systems were identified: 1) the traditional backyard (38% of the sample), and 2) the landless household (34% of the sample). In addition 28% of the sample was classified as small commercial farms. The recent paper discusses only the first two systems since the third system was found to be different in nature, objectives and management level.   Most of the chickens (59 %) are dual-purpose, and were less than 6 months and aimed in general at meat production. Low performance is the major phenomenon in the rural poultry production systems where the local chickens attain maturity slowly and laying age is delayed in addition to low hatchability rate and high mortality rate of about 20 %. There was a significant difference (P< 0.01) infemale age at onset, male weight at sexual maturity, and the Length of production period between traditional and landless poultry production systems in advantage to the first. Household kitchen waste is the main type of feed given to chickens. Equal incidences of disease were observed between the two studied systems. Diarrhea was the major disease. The X2 test was significant (P< 0.05) only with regard to ways of chicken disposal, and incidence of respiratory diseases.