Nutritional and Economic Assessment: The project’s primary goal was to evaluate whether small-scale poultry production, starting with 25 chicks of the Noiler breed (composed of 60% layers and 40% broilers), can meet a family’s nutritional requirements and enhance their income sufficiently to combat malnutrition and food insecurity.

Empowerment and Child Nutrition: Empowerment of women through poultry production and its subsequent effect on the nutrition and growth of children. This aspect assessed the broader social benefits of engaging women in such economic activities. 

Scalability and Sustainability: Identify the factors critical to scaling up and sustaining small-scale poultry production among the empowered women participants, ensuring the project’s long-term impact. 

Impact on Pregnant Women and Families: Understand how small-scale poultry production influences the livelihoods and overall wellbeing of pregnant women and their families, considering the unique nutritional needs during pregnancy.

Recognizing the linkage between poverty and inadequate nutrition, C-WINS research explored the possibility of small-scale poultry production as a sustainable solution. Women from 1,200 households were reached by C-WINS in Kura and Takai LGAs of Kano State. Out of the 1,200 women, 722 were in Kura, while 478 women were in Takai. The selected participants were grouped as Control and Treatment groups. The control group comprising 600 women in the research referred to women who would not be given chicks, while the treatment group comprising 600 women who were given chicks and were trained by the research team on poultry business, given 25 noiler birds, feeds, and vaccination. The women in the control groups were given filter buckets and cups as compensation for participating in the research. This methodology tried to ascertain and compare results between the two groups.

Each woman in the treatment group received 25 noiler chicks and training on poultry management including feeding and vaccination of the chicks. C-WINS adopted a comprehensive approach, starting with the selection of participants and provision of initial resources (chicks, feed, and basic training). Data was collected in bimonthly rounds by the research team to check progress and provide continuous support, and monitoring to evaluate progress in poultry production, nutritional intake, income levels, and overall health indicators among participating families. The research team also ensured the effectiveness of the trial phase of the project with an expectation to see a significant improvement in dietary diversity and nutritional status, particularly among children and pregnant women, by incorporating poultry products into daily meals.

• Nutritional Impact:
  Small-scale poultry farming can significantly contribute to meeting the nutritional needs of families, particularly in providing high-quality protein and essential nutrients through eggs and meat. This can lead to marked improvements in the dietary diversity and nutritional status of children and pregnant women. The research found that while the control group harvested only 10 eggs per round the research team visited, the treatment group harvested 62 eggs. Women in the treatment group were able to feed their children at least one egg per day and were able to sell the surplus at N200 per one.

  Economic Benefits:
  The sale of poultry products can provide a steady source of income for families, helping to alleviate poverty and food insecurity. The project highlighted the economic viability of integrating poultry farming into household activities, especially in resource-limited settings. At the project’s inception, women in the control group had an average overall income of 49,000 naira per month, while the treatment team had an average income of 46,700 naira per month. At the final stage of the project, the control group did not record earnings difference while the treatment group reported earnings increase to 59,000 naira per month.

  Women’s Empowerment:
  Empowering women through poultry farming has great socio-economic benefits. Women in Kura and Takai LGAs of Kano state showed that active participation and leadership in this venture can enhance the status of women within their household and community, leading to better nutrition and health outcomes for children and families. As recounted by Binta Idris a mother of four, a participant in the treatment group, “I sell the eggs for 200 Naira each,”, “It doesn’t sound like much, but it adds up. With that money, I can buy other necessities for my family.”

The integration of small-scale poultry production research within the ANRiN Innovation Project faced numerous challenges, such as disease outbreaks, transit mortality, insurance issues, fluctuating feed prices, and behavioral issues among beneficiaries. To overcome these obstacles, the project team implemented several strategic solutions. They contracted veterinarians to address health issues, improved logistics to reduce transit mortality, secured fixed-price contracts with suppliers to stabilize feed costs, and enhanced supervision to ensure accurate data collection and proper resource utilization. These measures, combined with continuous training and engagement with beneficiaries, enabled the project to mitigate challenges effectively and achieve its objectives, providing valuable lessons for future interventions aimed at integrating poultry production with nutrition programs in Nigeria

Scaling up small-scale poultry production involves addressing challenges such as access to quality feed, veterinary services, market access, and sustainable farming practices. Lessons on how to effectively support the scalability and sustainability of these ventures are crucial for government ownership of such initiatives, replication and expansion. The project also emphasized the importance of community engagement and support, building local capacities, providing continuous training and mentorship, and establishing support networks which are essential for the sustained success of poultry farming initiatives. It also underscores the importance of adapting poultry farming practices to the local context, including climate, available resources, and cultural preferences, to ensure the acceptance and success of the initiative.

C-WINS submits that the research has proven that initiatives such as small-scale poultry farming are scalable and sustainable models that can be replicated in similar contexts. There are health, economic, and social empowerment benefits that are seen in the well-being and quality of life of the women who participated in the research. Integration of small-scale poultry production into community development programs is a win-win and sustainable approach to tackling malnutrition and food insecurity, leveraging the potential of small-scale poultry farming to improve nutritional outcomes, empower women, and enhance family livelihoods in vulnerable communities. These lessons learned can inform future projects and policies aimed at combating malnutrition and enhancing livelihoods through sustainable agricultural practices.