Poultry intensification through hatchery vaccination: Implications for women’s empowerment in Nigeria and Tanzania

Background Vaccination is a strategy for protecting productivity gains in Africa’s poultry sector and supporting intensification of small scale producers. Transitions from semi-intensive to intensive systems are rare because they require infrastructure, inputs, and market access — resources women often struggle to obtain compared with men. This mixed-methods study assessed the impact of introducing hatchery vaccination of day-old chicks in medium-sized hatcheries, of welfare benefits for chicken keepers, and implications for gender equality as production intensifies. Results Over five years, the market-based intervention introduced 137 million vaccinated chicks through six hatcheries in Tanzania and 16 million through seven hatcheries in Nigeria. One larger hatchery in Tanzania, with a chick distribution model based on the Poultry Multiplication Initiative, contributed disproportionately more chicks. There was no measurable impact in Nigeria, partly because of lower sales volumes, economic volatility, and a weaker intervention pathway. In Tanzania, the program increased flock size and cash income from poultry, but not total household income. Surprisingly, producers with <200 birds also benefited, likely through access to vaccinated older chicks brooded by mother units or semi-intensive producers. Field Technicians provided extension and linked chicken keepers to hatcheries, but they were few and focused on large, existing customers. There was no impact on the empowerment scores of men or women in either country. Work balance contributed to women’s disempowerment. Qualitative findings showed that as women intensified production and sometimes out-earned husbands, men could feel disrespected and restrict business growth; alternatively, some men invested in women-founded enterprises, but at the cost of women’s control. In Tanzania, where flock sizes increased, the proportion of women achieving adequacy in autonomy over income use declined (66% to 55%), whereas respect among household members increased (43% to 63%). Although not statistically significant, these trends suggest trade-offs for women during intensification. Conclusion Hatchery vaccination can increase flock size and income under high-uptake conditions, including for smaller scale producers, particularly by engaging larger hatcheries with established distribution models. The intervention did not improve women’s empowerment or cause harm. Respect within households and women’s work balance and autonomy over income are indicators to monitor during intensification.