Timing fresh Azolla supplementation in improved indigenous chicken: growth cost tradeoffs under Kenyan production scenarios

Abstract

Fresh Azolla may reduce purchased-feed requirements, but its economic value depends on the balance between feed savings, production costs and live-weight losses. This scenario analysis compared commercial feeding throughout a 20-week cycle (T1) with partial grower-feed restriction and fresh Azolla supplementation after week 12 (T2) or week 8 (T3). Projected performance summaries were combined with an itemized enterprise budget and deterministic sensitivity analysis. Final body weights were 1,778, 1,746 and 1,689 g, respectively; commercial feed requirements were 7.01, 6.09 and 5.72 kg per bird placed. At an assumed fresh Azolla cost of KES 12/kg and sale price of KES 550/kg live weight, recalculated production costs were KES 455.8, 442.0 and 442.2 per kilogram sold. Budget surpluses were KES 154.1, 173.0 and 168.3 per bird placed. Feed constituted 67.8% of the control budget, while labour accounted for 54.9% of Azolla production expenditure. The modeled cost advantage disappeared above approximately KES 21.8/kg fresh Azolla for T2 and KES 19.2/kg for T3. Later supplementation retained more live weight with a similar unit production cost. These conditional projections identify priorities for field evaluation; they do not establish feeding efficacy, survival effects or an optimal switching age.