Australia has supported the implementation of effective village chicken production programs in Asia, Africa and Latin America, including several research projects funded by ACIAR. This investment in research and development, always in collaboration with producers, traders and other stakeholders, has been shown to increase poultry numbers, household purchasing power, home consumption of chicken products (resulting in improved nutrition for families) and the decision-making power of women. This manual is focused on developing countries. It describes husbandry practices and biosecurity measures for village chickens that can be implemented using locally available resources. These measures will lead to both increased productivity and improved protection from disease in village chicken systems. Village chicken improvement programs have the potential to contribute to each of the Millennium Development Goals and to do so for the most vulnerable families in developing countries.

"The poultry production systems of Africa are mainly based on the scavenging indigenous chickens found in virtually all villages and households in rural Africa. These systems are characterized by low output per bird. Nevertheless, over 70 percent of the poultry products and 20 percent of animal protein intake in most African countries come from this sector. Therefore, increased rural poultry production would result in a positive impact on household food security both in increased dietary intake and in income generation. ... This study coincided with the World Food Summit, held at FAO, Rome, from 13 to 17 November 1996, where delegations committed their governments and civil society to a global attack on food insecurity and poverty. Poultry, like other short-cycle animal stock, is viewed by the FAO Special Programme for Food Security (SPFS) as a crucial element in the struggle for sustained food production and poverty alleviation. The guidelines provided in this study are particularly pertinent to those countries participating in the SPFS where village chicken production will have a substantial impact on increased household food security and gender equity."--Foreword.

Recent interest in how poultry are housed and managed in order to ensure profitability, sustainability, and good levels of animal welfare, are challenging issues that commercial poultry keepers face, particularly where legislation is bringing about legal requirements for housing. This book compares and contrasts alternative housing with conventional and traditional systems for commercial poultry (laying hens, meat chickens, turkeys, waterfowl and gamebirds) with regards to welfare, disease, health, nutrition, sustainability and genotype-environment interaction.