Project Overview
Information Products
Commodities
- Agronomic: taro
- Fruits: bananas, papaya
- Animals: poultry
- Animal Products: eggs
Practices
- Animal Production: feed rations
- Crop Production: cropping systems
- Education and Training: demonstration, youth education
- Pest Management: biological control, sanitation, weeder geese/poultry
- Production Systems: integrated crop and livestock systems
- Soil Management: chicken tractors
Summary:
The focus of this project “Comparative Benefits of using Chicken Tractors in Banana
Plantations of American Samoa” will be to build on current literature demonstrating
the environmental and economic value of chickens in sustainable agriculture.
There is considerable research evidence that chicken tractors contribute to the
economic viability of small-scale vegetable garden operations. Previous WSARE
Funded projects illustrate the benefits to pest control, soil improvement and economic
benefit through reduced input costs and increase returns from egg production.
However, no work seems to have been done on small banana production units. In
fact, anecdotal information is mixed on whether or not bananas are or are not lethal to
chickens. Current on-line social media posts are mixed but seem to indicate that
bananas are not a problem in chicken diets and research from the Philippines indicates
benefits from feeding bananas to broiler chickens.
Through this project I will demonstrate the use of chicken tractors in my banana
plantation and compare the results to a banana plot owned by my brother but not
using chickens. Daily and weekly measurements will be taken and analyzed by my
technical advisor and will include: size and quality measures of the banana bunches,
egg production and feed costs for chickens, and pest observations. Considering the
density of banana plantations, 4 small chicken tractors will be built for the banana
plots rather than 1 or 2 larger ones. Each will be 4 feet wide by 6 feet long to hold 6
chickens each. The project will take place over 18 months. Outreach and
demonstrations will be organized by the advisor and will include her school classes,
other farmers and agents of the local Department of Agriculture and the Land Grant
program.
Project objectives:
1. To demonstrate the use and benefits of chickens in ‘chicken tractors’ within
the banana plots
2. To explore the benefits in the form of reduced disease incidence; reduced
fertilizer use; improved weed and insect control in the banana plots and the
added value of the eggs produced
3. To compare those benefits to neighboring untreated plantations under the
same general local circumstances.