Profit and Resource Use Differential in Battery Cage and Deep Litter Housing Systems for Medium Scale Poultry Egg Production in Rivers State, Nigeria
C. C. Akpanibah *
Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria.
D. I. Ekine
Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria and Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Rivers State, Nigeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Profit is the interest of any business enterprise and it wholly depends on how best input resources are harnessed. This study examined profit and resource use differential in battery cage and deep litter housing systems for medium scale poultry egg production in Rivers State. Multi-stage sampling procedure was employed to select 180 farmers comprising 90 battery-cage and 90 deep-litter farmers. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics, costs and returns model and resource-use efficiency model. The results showed majority of the farmers (58.9%) were male for battery cage and (63.3%) were female for deep litter systems with a mean age of 31 and 33 for battery cage and deep litter systems respectively and mean years of farming experience of 13 years for battery cage and 9 years for deep litter systems. Egg production under both housing systems was profitable with a Net Farm Income of 1,662,919.76 for battery cage and 1,653,500.31 for deep litter farmers, showing a negligible profit difference. Battery cage farmers are more resource use efficient than the deep litter farmers. The study recommends quick accessibility of credit to farmers, alternatives to cereals used for feed formulation, free poultry housing investment decision by intending poultry egg farmers and routine hygiene practices by farmers.
Keywords: Poultry egg production, medium scale, housing systems, resource use efficiency, profit