The study was conducted in Tahtay Michew and Mereb Leke districts with the objective to characterize the production system of chicken in the two study districts. Data collections were carried out through a structured questionnaire, and data collection from different sources. A total of 80 households (40 from each district) were randomly selected for interview for baseline survey. Finally, all the data collected were subjected to Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS version 20, 2011) was used. The results showed that the average chicken flock size per household in the study area was 6.21 and ranging from 1-29 and 2-20 chickens in Tahtay Michew and Mereb Leke respectively. There was significant different (p<0.001) between the gender of respondents. There was a highly significant difference (p< 0.001) on selection of breed preference in the study area. According to this study the chicken production system was highly affected by lack of proper management and low availability of foundation stock. Hence, governmental and non- governmental actors should give emphasis on training and awareness creation to chicken producers.

Keywords: Breed preference, chicken characterization, household income, production system