Assessment of the Post-Harvest Chicken Egg Handling Practices in Gamo and Konso Zones of South Ethiopia

Year : 2025 | Volume : 14 | Issue : 03 | Page : 61 69
    By

    Tafesse Kanko Karra,

  • Ayano Abera Gage,

  • Mekete Manjura Suntebo,

  1. Poultry Associate Researcher, Arba Minch Agricultural Research Center, Livestock Research Directorate, Arba Minch, South Ethiopia
  2. Poultry Associate Researcher, Arba Minch Agricultural Research Center, Livestock Research Directorate, Arba Minch, South Ethiopia
  3. Poultry Associate Researcher, Arba Minch Agricultural Research Center, Livestock Research Directorate, Arba Minch, South Ethiopia

Abstract

The study was conducted starting from September to December 2024 in two districts of South Ethiopia with the objective of assessing the prevailing post-harvest chicken egg handling practices, storage materials, duration of storage, and marketing in the rural household. An aggregate of 120 family units were selected randomly from selected peasant area and interviewed by pre-tested questionnaires. The collected data were analyzed by Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS, 2010) version 20, software. Producers in the area kept few to large chickens flock size to fulfill multiple roles, generating income, and ensuring household food security. The flock size in Karat zuria, and Boreda was 3.39±0.30 and 3.22±0.23 chickens per household, respectively. The average number of eggs produced by indigenous chicken per year in an average of four production clutches was 58.76±0.69 and 61.05±0.75 eggs in the Karat Zuria and Boreda woreda, respectively. Most respondents stored eggs for about 7–14 days and more than 14 days was also common before being used up in both districts. Plastic materials were widely used as eggs storage containers. Frequently, eggs produced at home were used for marketing rather than consumption and incubation in both districts. Purchased eggs’ quality was evaluated typically by shaking. Due to suitable weather conditions, better hatchability, fewer disease and parasite infestations and better feed resource availability, most of the respondents (61.54%) performed egg incubation during the dry season in Boreda. A greater proportion of the respondents in both districts were selling their chicken eggs at village markets depending on their personal money requirements. The majority of respondents prefer eggs from the local chicken than exotic chicken. In the end, family poultry producers’ egg handling practices plays a significant role in the quality of the egg from farm to fork in the chicken farming community. However, consumers have been getting fewer quality eggs from chickens due to traditional ways of egg handling practices that require further investigation to evaluate and recommend the best storage material and duration

Keywords: Egg handling, storage containers, storage duration, chickens, South Ethiopia

[This article belongs to Research & Reviews : Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology ]

How to cite this article:
Tafesse Kanko Karra, Ayano Abera Gage, Mekete Manjura Suntebo. Assessment of the Post-Harvest Chicken Egg Handling Practices in Gamo and Konso Zones of South Ethiopia. Research & Reviews : Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology. 2025; 14(03):61-69.
How to cite this URL:
Tafesse Kanko Karra, Ayano Abera Gage, Mekete Manjura Suntebo. Assessment of the Post-Harvest Chicken Egg Handling Practices in Gamo and Konso Zones of South Ethiopia. Research & Reviews : Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology. 2025; 14(03):61-69. Available from: https://journals.stmjournals.com/rrjoast/article=2025/view=234722


References

Aberra Melesse, Zemene Worku, and Yosef Teklegiorgis. 2013. Assessment of the prevailing handling and quality of eggs from scavenging indigenous chickens reared in different agro-ecological zones of Ethiopia. Journal of Environmental and Occupational Science, 2(1):1–8.
2. Abraham Lemlem and Yayneshet Tesfay. 2010. Performance of exotic and indigenous poultry breeds managed by smallholder farmers in northern Ethiopia. Livestock Research for Rural Development, 22 (7).
3. Alemu Y, and Tadele D. 1997. The Status of Poultry Research and Development in Ethiopia, Research Bulletin No.4. Poultry Commodity Research Program Debre Zeit Agricultural Research Center, Alemaya University of Agriculture, Ethiopia.6 p.
4. Birtukan Tsegaye, Tilahun V. Gudina and H. N. Alemseged. 2014. Evaluation of management practices and marketing systems of village chicken in Ethiopia. African Journal of Tropical Agriculture, 2 (10): 105–110.
5. Boreda Woreda Agriculture and Natural Resource Management Office. 2019. Annual Report, Boreda, Gamo Zone, Ethiopia.
6. CSA (Central Statistics Agency). 2017. Report on livestock and livestock characteristics, Agricultural Sample Survey 2016/17 (2009 E.C.). Statistical Bulletin No.585, Vol. II. Addis Ababa.
7. Emília Hanusová, Cyril Hrnčár, Anton Hanus, Marta Oravcová. 2015. Effect of breed on some parameters of egg quality in laying hens. Acta fytotechn. Zootechn, 18(1): 20–24.
8. FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization). 2014. Family poultry development − Issues, opportunities and constraints. Animal Production and Health Working Paper. No. 12. Rome.
9. FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization). 2019. Poultry Sector, Ethiopia. FAO Animal Production and Health Livestock Country Reviews. No. 11, Rome, Italy.
10. Fisseha Moges, Abera Mellesse and Tadelle Dessie. 2010. Assessment of village chicken production system and evaluation of the productive and reproductive performance of local chicken ecotype in Bure district, North West Ethiopia. African Journal of Agricultural Research, 5(13): 1739–1748.
11. Halima, H. F. W. C. Neser, E. Van Marle-Koster and A. De Kock. 2007. Village-based indigenous chicken production system in north-west Ethiopia. Tropical Animal Health and Production, 39:189–197.
12. Juliet R. Roberts. 2004. Factors affecting egg internal and egg shell in laying hens. A review: Journal of Poultry Science, 41(3):161–177.
13. Kassa, B., Tadesse, Y. Esatu, W. and Dessie. T. 2021 On-farm comparative evaluation of production performance of tropically adapted exotic chicken breeds in western Amhara, Ethiopia. Journal of Applied Poultry Research, 30:100194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.japr.2021.100194.
14. Konso Zone Agriculture and Natural Resource Management Department. 2022. Annual Report, Konso Zone, Ethiopia.
15. Melkamu Bezabih Yitbarek. 2014. Performance Evaluation of Local Chicken at Enebsie Sar Midir Woreda, Eastern Gojjam, Ethiopia. Global Journal of Agriculture and Food Sciences Research, 1 (2):1–8.
16. Nigussie D, Van der Waaij LH, Dessie T, and Van Arendonk JAM. 2010. Production objectives and Trait preferences of village poultry producers of Ethiopia: implications for designing breeding schemes utilizing indigenous chicken genetic resources. Tropical Animal Health and Production, 42: 1519-529.
17. Shishay Markos, Berhanu Belay, and Tadelle Dessie. 2015. On-Farm Performance Evaluation of Three Local Chicken Ecotypes in Western Zone of Tigray, Northern Ethiopia. Journal of Biology, Agriculture and Healthcare.
18. Singh M, Mollier RT, Paton RN, Pongener N, Yadav R, Singh V, Katiyar R, Kumar R, Sonia C, Bhatt M, Babu S, Rajkhowa DJ and Mishra VK. 2022. Backyard poultry farming with improved germplasm: Sustainable food production and nutritional security in fragile ecosystem; Frontice Sustainable Food System, 6:962268. doi: 10.3389/fsufs.2022.962268.
19. Sisay Lemma, Temesgen Terefe, Bezahegn Abebe. 2019. Assessment of the Prevailing Chicken Egg Storage Materials and Length at Rural Household in Different Agro Ecology of Eastern Ethiopia. Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, 8(2): 54-63. doi: 10.11648/j.aff.20190802.15.
20. Sonaiya, E.B. 2004. Direct assessment of nutrient resources in free-range and scavenging systems. World’s Poultry Science Journal, 60 (4): 523–535.
21. Tedelle Dessei and Ogle B. 2001. Village Poultry Production Systems in the Central Highlands of Ethiopia. Tropical Animal Health and Production, 33(6): 521–537.

Regular Issue Subscription Original Research
Volume 14
Issue 03
Received 11/10/2025
Accepted 04/11/2025
Published 24/12/2025
Publication Time 74 Days
142

Login


My IP

PlumX Metrics