Livestock are vital to the livelihoods of 70% of the world’s rural poor, providing protein and micronutrients, cash income, draught power, social status and financial security as a form of savings. Family poultry have a special place as they are frequently the only livestock under the control of women, require low investment, assist with pest control, provide manure for fertiliser, contribute to both poverty alleviation and food security. Importantly, poultry are frequently the only livestock under the control of women, and improvements in their production can also strengthen women’s status in the household and in the community by increasing their social standing and their financial autonomy.