Chicken Identification and Roles at Kirikongo
The identification of chickens has been hardened by the osteological similarities that the chicken posses with other birds. The study finds the chickens understudy to possess similarities with the local francolins’ category of fowls and the helmeted guinea fowls. The similarities made it hard for the researchers to identify the chickens, which were their target population. The researchers had to widen their scope to determine the structural differences that would enable them to distinguish chicken from the other categories of birds.
The guinea fowls, just like the chickens, were domesticated by the people residing in the area of study. A researcher could be expecting to visit homes to acquire a sample of the chickens to be included in the study. But walking into a home falling within the ecological niche and finding out that the locals domesticated both varieties of birds complicated the research. More time and resources had to be invested in identifying the appropriate subjects for the study.
In the ecological niche, all the birds were present; however, the chicken population was the least. The researcher undergoes the pain of distinguishing between the birds available, spending more time than they expected, only for the researcher to find out that the distribution of the chicken was the least in the ecological niche. In this case, we can say that the chicken was a rare variety or even in danger of extinction. The research posits that the chickens were offered in the sacrificial system in the environmental niche identified, significantly reducing their numbers. Sacrifices are an ordeal that the local people did in a regular interval, threatening the species’ perseverance over time.
Chicken played vital roles in society at Kirikongo. They were used as a form of sacrifice, as there were immense activities that involved animal sacrifice. Although they use other animals for sacrifice, the chicken is preferred since they are easy to care for, and their reproduction rate was high. They made them efficient to use for sacrifice.
The chicken was also preferred in ceremonies to gift friends and family because they have a low value of the economic currency. Affordable by most people in society. Chicken keeping is a better option as it promoted equality among the members of the community. Unlike the other livestock, everyone could afford chicken, which had high economic value bringing about inequality.
They also use chicken in maintaining a rich spiritual life as they were quickly acquired and did not bring about wealth differences among society members. They export chicken for exchange products. The members of the society do barter trade to acquire other goods that they do not have. Their general use is for consumption purposes. The community take the eggs from chicken and meat as food as they are easy to keep, and they reproduce quickly. They are also versatile, expanding the range of events where sacrifices can be made due to their convenience. They have hence shaped the long-term development of ritual systems dependent upon the chicken.
They are also a source of wealth as they are easy to obtain when they are required to fulfil the people’s ritual practices in society. Chicken play a significant role in the community of Kirikongo, and they are a high-value bird to rear.