Rearing small livestock has been established as a promising pathway out of poverty for rural farmers in developing countries. In this study personal interviews were conducted with 113 owners of pigs, goats and chickens in Uganda to find out why the farmers choose to rear these animals, what opportunities existed and what challenges/limitations they faced regarding livelihood improvement. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics including frequency tables to summarize the data and cross tabulations to determine relationships between variables. Relationships between variables were examined using Chi square tests.

The major reasons given for why pigs were reared were all financially focused. Goats and chickens were reared for other reasons in addition to money. Only chickens were reared with eating and serving guests as a major reason. The farmer’s objectives and resources dictated the choice of animal species and number of animals reared. The marketing structure did not favor the farmers. Many farmers (49.9%) determined the asking price based on size and appearance of the animal. The price varied depending on the farmer’s need for the money and what the buyer was willing to pay. Farmers rarely slaughtered their animals to eat; they more frequently consumed products like eggs and milk. Points where intervention might improve the livelihood of these farmers are highlighted.