Chicken Raising

While I was in England, I was asked a lot of questions about the work that CoDeC does, and how it impacts on the lives of the poor people. Here is a typical case study of one of its beneficiaries:

Poeuk, 48, is a subsistence farmer with eight children and an 88-year old father who lives with her. Four of her children go to school and the other four work in Thailand. She has a small house (3 x 6 metres) with palm leaf roof and walls and a bamboo floor.

She joined the savings group set up in her village by CoDeC in 2000, and she started saving 1000 riels with the group each month (US$0.25). In 2005, she was selected by the other group members to become the “Model Chicken Farmer” in her village. CoDeC staff gave her training in the techniques of chicken raising, including setting up a chicken hut, selecting the right breeds of chicken, maintenance, sanitation, feeding, monitoring animal weight, vaccinations, natural resource substances and documentation. CoDeC also gave her 245,000 riels (US$61.25). With the money, she built a chicken house (size 2.5 x 3.5 metres) with a palm leaf roof, 30 chickens, chicken feed, materials and veterinary treatments. She raised the chickens following the guidelines given in CoDeC’s technical training courses. She is now the village expert in rearing chickens, and can show other villagers how to do it. She has benefited financially from selling chickens, and has earned a total of 50,000 riels (US$12.25) in eight months. Her family has eaten 13 of the chickens and she is left with 12 of her original 30, plus many more offspring, who are all busy laying eggs.

Although most rural families keep chickens, there is a surprising level of ignorance about how to rear and treat them, which is why CoDeC has to provide training and support. So far, Poeuk’s is a success story, although a profit of $12.25 may not seem much. However, it concerns me that no contingencies have been put in place regarding bird flu. If it does strike in Cambodia, Poeuk will be greatly disadvataged.