The potentials, problems and prospects of utilizing alternative feedstuffs inNigerian poultry industry were reviewed. Research findings showed thatalternative feed resources, particularly novel feed resources, were availableand could be safely used in poultry nutrition. Several researchers indicatedtheir suitability, a few envisaged the limitations to their effectiveness andsome attempted to offer hints on their improvement. Generally, there wasseemingly little scientific documentation about Nigerian cases that would havecreated the awareness for immediate adoption by prospective poultry farmers.This review therefore puts together the classifications of these feed resourceswith examples, their accessibility and safety to serve as a reorientationstrategy to achieve research and value-addition plans of transforming theNigerian livestock industry.

Family poultry (FP) production in Bangladesh comprises the production of freerange scavenging chickens and ducks of indigenous origin with or without feedsupplementation, various crossbreeds, particularly F1 of Rhode IslandRed male X Fayoumi female and small-scale commercial broilers, cockerels fromlayer strains and commercial layers reared in confinement and providedcommercial feeds. This paper reviews the current status of such a FP production,examines the way it is practiced and identifies its constraints and futureprospects in Bangladesh. Finally, the paper concludes whether such a productionsystem is worthwhile or an aimless journey for a developing country likeBangladesh. Family poultry works as a ‘standby generator’in the poultry sector, particularly at times of disaster, such as a fall in thedemand for beef and mutton. Rearing a fewer number (e.g. 5-10) of FP in a free range system, as in the case ofindigenous birds under low input and low output systems, is economical sincesuch birds derive most of their feed from scavenging. Interventions in terms ofnutritional and/or management to augment productivity must be justifiedeconomically. Since the crossbreeds and commercial hybrids are more productive,rearing such birds as FP (100 or less) must be justified by the benefit costratio. It may be concluded that FP production in Bangladesh with indigenous orcommercial breeds or hybrids in fewer numbers, could be made meaningful ifmonetary benefit supersedes the cost of production. Otherwise, it would be anaimless practise. More research is needed in Bangladesh to explore theprofitability of FP of different flock sizes under different systems ofmanagement. FP with commercial hybrids is more challenging because of theirsmall flock size which needs continuous technical support and a well plannedbiosecured environment.