Back to contents

Abstract

 This study was focussed on ways to improve the livelihood and income of Cambodian women in rural remote areas.

A review of the literature indicated that rearing of chickens could be a good solution for women to enhance their income under conditions of limited land for cultivation. A study was therefore conducted during three months with farm households in Beng village, Kampong Speu province. Twelve women, from different families were selected, among them four windows. Each family received 5 chickens (4 hens and 1 cock) of a local breed, weighing about 1 kg per each. The chickens were kept in the semi-scavenging system, being confined in the evening when they had free access to paddy rice, rice bran and water spinach . 

The average length of the production cycle (laying, incubating and raising the chicks) was 71 days, during which time an average of 8 eggs (range 6 to 13) were laid. All the eggs were incubated naturally with a hatching rate of 74% (range of 58 to 88%) and a survival rate to 2 weeks of 64% (22 to 87%). The average feed costs per 71 day cycle were Riel 10,400. Assuming 5 cycles per year and that 4.5 kg of paddy rice is used to supplement each chick to reach a sale value of Riel 10,000 at 3 months of age, then the net benefits would range from a loss of Riel 64, 000 (-USD16.00) to a profit of Riel 392,800 (USD82.50).

The second study was with earth worms cultured on fresh cow manure. Two experiments were carried out at the Ecological Farm of the University of Tropical Agriculture Foundation in Chamcar Daung, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.  In the first experiment (June to October 2001), the treatments were four seeding rates (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5% of earth worms in the fresh manure) of adult Red worms (Eisenia foetida) added to fresh manure derived from cattle fed mainly on untreated rice straw. There were four replications of each treatment which was applied to 10 kg fresh manure in plastic baskets (39 litre capacity) lined with nylon mesh. The trial lasted 3 months and samples of the substrate were taken at monthly intervals to estimate numbers of eggs and worms. Experiment 2 was a repeat of experiment 1 and was carried out from March to June 2002 but with only four seeding rates (0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0%). 

The rate of increase in worm biomass was inversely related with the seeding rate in both experiments. The maximum population of earth worms was reached within 2 months in both experiments. In the first experiment, the highest earth worm concentrations were with seeding rates between 15 and 25 g per 1 kg of manure. In the second experiment, the concentrations of earth worms at the end of the second month were similar for all seeding rates. The yield of “worm humus” after 3 months was about 65% of the original weight of manure and was not affected by the seeding rate. The concentration of organic matter in the dry matter of the substrate decreased significantly from the end of the first month to the end of the second month, but there was no further change by the end of the third month. 

It is considered that availability of substrate became a limiting factor to worm growth and reproduction in both experiments after the second month.  Future experiments should focus on rates and intervals of providing fresh substrate.

Keywords:  Local chicken, feed resources, scavenging, income, livelihoods, indigenous knowledge, women,  earth worms, cow manure, seeding rate, humus.