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Effect of Agricultural Extension on Farmers’ Adoption of Improved Poultry Hatchery Practices

Abstract

Poultry production is an important agricultural enterprise that contributes to food supply, employment, household income, and livelihood development. Effective hatchery management is essential for obtaining healthy and viable chicks and improving the efficiency of poultry production. However, poor hatchery practices can result in low hatchability, weak chicks, high embryonic mortality, contamination, and financial losses. Agricultural extension can provide farmers with relevant technical information and practical guidance on improved hatchery practices. This study will examine the effect of agricultural extension on farmers’ adoption of improved poultry hatchery practices. It will assess farmers’ access to agricultural extension services and determine the extent to which extension support influences their adoption of recommended hatchery practices. The study will also examine the major sources of hatchery information available to farmers and identify challenges affecting their adoption of improved practices. The study will focus on farmers’ adoption of improved practices such as selection of quality hatching eggs, proper egg storage, incubation temperature and humidity management, egg turning, hatchery hygiene, equipment sanitation, ventilation, candling, monitoring of embryo development, proper handling of newly hatched chicks, and disease prevention. It will also consider farmers’ frequency of extension contact, participation in hatchery training, access to demonstrations, and availability of technical advisory materials. A quantitative research approach will be adopted for the study. Data will be collected from poultry farmers using structured questionnaires designed to measure their access to agricultural extension services and adoption of improved poultry hatchery practices. The data will be analysed using descriptive statistics, adoption-level assessment, correlation analysis, and regression analysis to determine the relationship between agricultural extension and farmers’ adoption of recommended hatchery practices. The study is expected to reveal that farmers with greater access to agricultural extension services may demonstrate higher levels of adoption of improved poultry hatchery practices. Extension contact, training, and practical demonstrations may improve farmers’ application of appropriate egg selection, incubation management, hygiene, temperature and humidity control, candling, and chick handling practices. However, inadequate hatchery equipment, limited extension contact, financial constraints, unreliable power supply, and insufficient technical information may continue to affect adoption. The study will be useful to poultry farmers, agricultural extension agents, hatchery operators, farmer organisations, agricultural development agencies, policymakers, poultry development programmes, non-governmental organisations, and researchers. It may provide useful information for strengthening extension programmes and improving farmers’ technical capacity in poultry hatchery management. The findings may also support efforts to improve hatchability, chick quality, poultry productivity, and farmers’ income. The study concludes that agricultural extension is important for promoting farmers’ adoption of improved poultry hatchery practices and strengthening poultry production efficiency. It is therefore recommended that agricultural extension agencies provide regular training, practical demonstrations, farm visits, and technical advisory services on improved hatchery management. Farmers should also be encouraged to participate actively in extension programmes and adopt appropriate hatchery practices to improve chick quality and reduce hatchery-related losses.

Keywords: Agricultural extension, farmers’ adoption, poultry hatchery, hatchery practices, poultry farmers, chick production, egg selection, incubation management, hatchability, hatchery hygiene, temperature management, humidity control, candling, chick quality, poultry production.