Journal of Animal Sciences and Livestock Production Open Access

Socio-economic Study of Duck Farming in the Peri-Urban Area of N'Djamena

Khadidja Hassaballah Hamid^1* and Ahamat Abdoulaye Mahamat^{2 1}National Higher Institute of Livestock of Moussoro, Moussoro, Chad
²Department of Biology, University of N’Djamena, N’Djamena, Chad
^*Correspondence: Khadidja Hassaballah Hamid, National Higher Institute of Livestock of Moussoro, Moussoro, Chad, Email:

Received: 12-Jul-2025, Manuscript No. IPJASLP-25-22744 ; Editor assigned: 15-Jul-2025, Pre QC No. IPJASLP-25-22744 (PQ); Reviewed: 29-Jul-2025, QC No. IPJASLP-25-22744 ; Revised: 21-Aug-2025, Manuscript No. IPJASLP-25-22744 (R); Published: 28-Aug-2025, DOI: 10.36648/2577-0594.9.1.39

Introduction

In a context of high urbanization and rapid population growth, the peri-urban areas of major African cities, particularly N'Djamena in Chad, are experiencing a significant transformation of their socio-economic fabric. Migration dynamics, land pressure and changes in employment are pushing populations to seek new forms of economic activity. Among these, small-scale livestock farming and more specifically duck farming, is emerging as an attractive alternative. Inexpensive, flexible and adaptable to urban conditions, this type of livestock farming constitutes an important means of subsistence for many households.

In Chad, poultry farming has traditionally been dominated by the breeding of local chickens. However, in the face of market volatility, growing demand for quality meat and dietary diversification, duck farming is gradually gaining popularity, particularly in the outskirts of N'Djamena, where access to farmland and water sources makes it possible to consider semi-intensive farming systems [1-5].

Duck farming remains a little-studied area in the socioeconomic literature in Chad. However, it offers considerable advantages: low investment costs, rapid animal growth, short-term profitability and strong adaptability to agro-urban systems. In a country where the poverty rate remains high (42.3% according to the INS, 2021) and where urban agriculture constitutes a social buffer, understanding the role and dynamics of this activity becomes imperative [6].

Furthermore, the social dimension of this activity is crucial. It often mobilizes women and young people, who are particularly affected by unemployment. Duck farming thus becomes a lever for empowerment, economic inclusion and food security. Village poultry farming represents a vital activity in developing countries, particularly for food security, income generation and poverty reduction. Duck farming is attracting growing interest in Africa due to its hardiness, resistance to disease and ability to produce meat and eggs in difficult conditions. In Chad, however, duck farming remains undervalued despite its economic potential. The objective of this study is to characterize the production and reproduction parameters of ducks in the peri-urban area of N'Djamena, while identifying the constraints and opportunities related to this activity [7-10].

Materials and Method

Study Area and Period

The study was conducted from January to February 2022 in 19 villages in the provinces of Chari Baguirmi, Hadjer Lamis and N'Djamena, located along the Chari and Logone rivers. These areas are semi-arid, with significant annual rainfall variation.

This study area has a hot and dry semi-arid climate with two seasons: a dry season and a wet season. Rainfall in this area is highly variable. The villages are spread across three provinces: Chari Baguirmi, Hadjer Lamis and N'Djamena province. Most of the selected villages are located along the Chari or Logone rivers and are home to a significant number of local duck producers (Muscovy Duck: Cairina moschata) (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Distribution of study villages.

Materials and Data Collection

The study involved 212 farmers surveyed using a structured questionnaire. The information collected covered the characteristics of farmers, farming systems, breeding practices, feeding, hygiene, animal health and production constraints.

Data Processing

Data were entered into Excel and analyzed using XL-STAT 6.1.9 software. Descriptive statistics (means, standard deviations, frequencies) and analyses of variance were performed, with a significance level of 5% [12-15].

Results

Socio-professional Profile of Breeders

The livestock breeders are mostly men (70%), with an average age of 42 ± 0.96 years (Table 1), married (86%) and literate (76%). Their main activity is agriculture (61%), with an average livestock breeding experience of 11 ± 0.52 years (Table 2).

Table 1: Distribution of breeders according to age and experience.

Other socio-professional parameters of the breeders are grouped in Table 3.

Table 2: Socio-professional parameters of duck breeders in the surveyed area.

Characteristics of the Farms

The majority (97%) practice extensive free-range farming, with a predominance of the Barbary breed (99%). The average flock is 16 ducks. The production objective is mainly self-consumption and sale (88%) [16].

Power Systems and Housing

Table 3 shows the characteristics and hygiene of the dwellings. Food mainly consists of cereals, kitchen waste and bran (66.5%). The duck houses are mostly made of beaten earth (64.4% for the walls; 62.9% for the roofs). Cleaning is carried out once or twice a month (Table 3) [17,18].

Table 3: Characteristics and hygiene of duck housing in the survey area.

Reproduction Parameters

Breeders are mainly selected from the breeder's backyard. The average age of first laying is 6.81 ± 0.09 months. The ducks have an average of 2.4 laying cycles per year with 13.5 eggs per cycle. The hatching rate is 84.6% and the survival rate to weaning is 81.5%.

Structures and Compositions of Farms

The structures and compositions of duck farms in the study area are grouped in Table 4 [19-22].

Table 4: Structures and composition of farmyards in the survey area.

Origin and Criteria for Choosing Breeding Ducks

The breeding ducks were mostly chosen from the same farmyard (Figure 2) [23-25].

Figure 2: Origin of breeding ducks.

For the selection criteria, the majority of producers in the study area choose breeding ducks based mainly on morphology rather than other criteria (Figure 3).

Figure 3: Criteria for choosing breeding ducks in the survey area.

Origin and Selection Criteria for Breeders

The majority of breeding ducks came from the same farm (97%). However, some were also purchased locally (2%) and from neighboring farms (1%). The selection criteria for the ducks were primarily based on egg-laying performance followed by good duckling behavior (Figure 4) [26].

Figure 4: Criteria for choosing breeding ducks in the farms surveyed.

Reproduction Mode and Parameters

The breeders surveyed in the study area all stated that they use the uncontrolled breeding method on their farms. Table 5 shows the breeding parameters of ducks in the study area [27-30].

Table 5: Reproductive parameters of ducks in the survey area.

Hatching Rates, Survival to Weaning and Pre-weaning Mortality

Table 6 shows the hatching rates, survival to weaning at 2 months and the pre-weaning mortality rate [31].

Table 6: The different rates.

Production constraints

Figure 5 highlights the various problems associated with duck farming in the area. The main constraints identified are diseases (diarrhea, respiratory problems), lack of feed and the absence of health monitoring (only 14% practice prophylaxis). Diseases appear on average once a year [32].

Figure 5: The major difficulties of breeding.

Discussion

The results show that duck farming in the peri-urban area of N'Djamena is largely dominated by low-input operations, practiced mainly by farmers. The breeders are mostly men. This result corroborates with that obtained in Chad in the DRC, in Kenya (Ndegwa and Kimani, 1996), in Côte d'Ivoire, in Burkina Faso. On the other hand, this result is different from those obtained in Senegal, Nigeria, Cameroon and Senegal (Nahimana et al., 2019) who maintain that this poultry farming activity is traditionally female. The breeders are mostly married. This result was observed by Ndegwa and Kimani, Mopate and Maho, Mahamat and Mouktar and Moula, Mugumaarhahama et al during their studies on local chickens. The majority of breeders in the study area are educated [33-35].

The majority of duck farmers in the study area build duck coops/shelters using local materials. The same observations were made by Youssao et al. and Dete in Benin, Tadelle and Ogle, El-Yuguda et al. and Ayssiwede et al., respectively in Ethiopia, Nigeria and Senegal. According to some authors, duck farming does not require major construction but on the contrary, farmers provide the birds with makeshift dwellings which consist of an assembly of wood or bricks topped with simply sheet metal. Traditional production systems predominate, reflecting a lack of professionalization in the sector. However, the observed reproductive parameters (age at first laying, hatching rate, number of eggs) are acceptable compared to other regions of West Africa. Health and food difficulties are the main obstacles to the development of this sector. Pre-weaning mortality, although relatively controlled, remains a critical point for productivity. Poor access to veterinary care and technical supervision limits the performance of farms. Compared to other countries (Nigeria, Benin, Ivory Coast), practices remain similar in terms of breeding methods, feeding and selection of breeders. However, low genetic diversity and the absence of improvement programs weigh on overall performance [35-38].

Conclusion

The study reveals that duck farming in the peri-urban area of N'Djamena is a traditional activity with strong socio-economic potential. Despite constraints related to health, nutrition and the environment, reproductive performance is acceptable. It is therefore necessary to strengthen technical supervision, improve sanitation practices, promote accessible inputs and structure the sector to ensure its sustainability. This sector could play a key role in food security and poverty reduction in Chad.

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