Energy efficiency and use of a parametric method for poultry production in Kwara State, Nigeria

Abstract

Abstract Analysis of input-output was done to investigate energy utilization pattern and efficiency in selected poultry farms in Kwara State, Nigeria. The poultry farms used for the study were grouped into three as group I (small), II (medium) and III (large) respectively based on number of birds. Energy used in chemicals, chicks, electricity feed, fuel, labour, and wood shaving as inputs and eggs, poultry meat and litter as outputs were determined. The result has shown that that diesel and feed accounted for the biggest proportion of all energy inputs in the farms. Energy consumption of the farms was found to be 28006.41, 26450.19 and 21894.39 MJ (1000 bird)−1, respectively. The energy output was 179766.54, 193670.10 and 223307.50 MJ, respectively (1000 bird)−1. Impacts of renewable and indirect sources of energy were greater than that of nonrenewable and direct energy. The rate of return to the scale was estimated at -0.04, suggesting that a 1% rise in each of the power inputs would result in a 0.04% reduction in the production. R2 was found to be 0.81 for the estimated model. Therefore, energy inputs (independent variables) can capture about 81% of layer yield variations in the poultry farms.