Build a small business for families in Cambodia

Dear Donor

I visited our local partner CDI at Battambang late November 23. This was a great opportunity to meet local chicken farmers and see how they are doing. Working in such remote areas is challenging. Even collecting simple data about breeding success can be difficult. Such a visit makes me humble every time and happy with what has been achieved up to now.  Since my last report, when breeding just started, an impressive flock has grown from the initial breeding stock. Overall figures are:

• a. Total eggs laid: 1066 eggs
• b. Total eggs hatched: 689 chicks 
• c. Total chickens died: 229 chicks/chickens (1/3)

These figures are very promising. Some chicken farmers, the lucky ones where the hens felt comfortable from the beginning, expect to start selling in January. But from the visit it became clear that not all farmers are doing well. Two families already stopped and moved to nearby Thailand in search of paid work. One farmer has only about 20 chicks whereas another family already has a flock of 100 healthy chicks running around the place. Our lcoal partner CFI is analysing the root causes for the differences. In any case, another training for the chicken farmers will be set up, and some kind of knowledge sharing between the farmers.

Sadly when back home, I learned that one family’s flock has been struck with bird flu. Overnight, they lost more than 40 chicks, half of their breeding, despite vaccination. We are currently working out how to get them restarted.