A stronger start for Melania to raise chickens

Melania Marko Majoro has raised chickens for years, but she has never been successful in doing it. She lives with her husband and six children in Tanzania’s Kasulu district. Her family are farmers, producing only enough food for them to eat. 

When done correctly, raising chickens is a valuable extra livelihood for families. They can add eggs and meat to their diets. If they have enough, they can also sell eggs or baby chicks in local markets to earn income. So for three years, Melania has tried to raise chickens to supplement her family’s farming. Unfortunately, she never succeeded. Her flock would be killed by predators or disease, and she was never able to successfully take even a single bird to market. “I have been keeping chickens for three years, but disease kills them all,” she said. “I didn’t know what to do to prevent them from death.”

Now Melania is getting another chance. But this time is different: she is finally getting the information and training she needs to keep her flock healthy. She’s one of over 1,000 farmers in the area participating in a CWS livestock program. She has joined workshops about making chicken coops out of locally-available materials. This structure will keep her chickens safe from predators. She has also learned about preventing disease transmission and keeping her flock healthy. Soon she will receive  three chickens, which for her are a fresh start. 

“I am now improving my ability to raise chickens, I understand how to build a better chicken shelter and prevent them from diseases through vaccines and local methods,” Melania says. “I expect success though this improvement, and now I will start with three chickens that will be provided by CWS to establish a poultry farm to support my family.” She and her husband will work together to make their new endeavor a success.