The study was conducted at Yabello district Borena zone, with the objective of assessing husbandry practices and performance evaluation of indigenous chicken populations. A total of 120 local chicken owner with three chickens were selected data collection. Descriptive statistics, a general linear model, univariate and multivariate analyses were used for data analysis. As a result, the main objectives of poultry farming in the study areas were income generation and egg production. Meat production and breeding stock were ranked lower. The traits preferred for breeding purposes were body size, growth rate, feed requirement, leg length, comp shape, chick production rate, egg size/weight, temperament scavenging ability, brooding/hatching ability, egg productivity and rearing/mothering ability. The common husbandry system practiced in study areas was the free-ranging management system with small seasonal feed supplementation. The majority of the households responded that they keep their chicken on the perches and the kitchen. Diseases prevalence and predators were the major constraints. The overall results indicated that, poultry husbandry practices plays crucial role in Rural smallholder livelihood Change dispite different constraints. As a result, there is a need to improve poultry productivity through breeding and husbandry practices to sustain its role in livelihood change.

Keywords: Poultry, Breed Selection, Husbandry, Performance Evaluation