A multivariate probit analysis for indigenous chicken ownership at household level: The case of Alice communal area, South Africa

Abstract

African indigenous chickens (IC) though commonly kept by households in rural areas for consumption and sale, their contribution to rural livelihoods is generally overlooked. Literature suggests that IC production plays a vital role in rural communities of South Africa as an important source of animal protein and income. Despite these claimed benefits, production of indigenous chickens in Alice and other parts of South Africa’s rural areas is very low. This study used a cross-sectional survey of 120 households who keep IC in Alice communal area. The multivariate probit model was employed to investigate the factors that determine the choice of indigenous chicken owned by rural households. Results reveal that, gender, age, household size, association membership, access to formal markets, access to veterinary services, access to informal credit, access to formal credit and diversity score drive ownership of different indigenous chickens at household level. Thus far, the paper argues that, promotion of ownership of indigenous chicken at household level calls for strategic institutional alignment and a clear understanding of social demographic characteristics of the targeted community, which should be supported by several awareness campaigns and client based selection of indigenous chicken breeds of socio-economic importance to the household.