Integrated poultry-fish farming: a way to increase productivity benefits

Abstract

The integration of aquaculture with poultry results in a more efficient use of resources than is possible with aquacul-ture farming alone. Other benefits of diversification include a reduction in the risk of total crop failure, additional sources of food and extra income for poor farmers. Integrated fish-livestock farming has long been in practiced in sub-tropical climates—particularly China and Taiwan—but not in tropical countries (Sharma and Olah 1986). This study was undertaken to: (i) evaluate the economic benefits or integrating fish with livestock farming; (ii) determine species' ratios and combinations that would result in optimum productions; and (iii) assess the viability of integrating egg-layer poultry with fish culture in a tropical country.