Raising Free-Range Chickens in The Productive Backyard Income Generation in Family Farming

Abstract

This experience report starts from a productive backyard of the Pedrosa family, in the municipality of Ivinhema, MS. It presents the activity developed by the family formed by five mother women and four daughters who develop in the family unit and in the productive backyard various activities for the family's consumption and for commercialization such as: vegetables, fruit trees, milk production,  tilapia and free-range chickens. The family has always opted for the production of food for family consumption in order to guarantee the basic vitamins, fibers and proteins to maintain the family's nutrition and health. The raising of free-range chickens is a family tradition that passes from father to children and guarantees part of the food with products such as meat and eggs. The income comes from the sale of chickens and eggs sold directly to the consumer. And in the agroecological production of the productive backyard, chickens contribute to biological control, as well as to the increase in fertility of the system, because in the search for insects to feed on, they turn over organic matter such as leaves and straw, in this way they contribute to accelerate the decomposition process and the manure collected is composted and used in the cultivation of vegetables and fruits. Another important factor is the use of some existing plants in the productive backyard for the control of diseases in birds. Chickens are relevant components for the improvement of family income and contribute significantly to the family economy directly in food and indirectly in improving soil fertility in the productive backyard.