A descriptive cross sectional study was carried out by Nusirat Elelu of the University of Ilorin in Nigeria and co-authors there and at Aromokeye Veterinary Clinic in Ilorin to assess certain management and health practices in some selected poultry establishments in Ilorin, Kwara state with the view to improving poultry production.

In their paper in International Journal of Poultry Science, they explain that structured questionnaires were distributed via the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Kwara state chapter.

The mean age of respondents was 47.93(±12.397) years. The majority (60.5 per cent) of the respondents were large holder farmers with greater than 200 birds; deep litter (48.7 per cent) was the most practiced management system.

Almost half (48.5 per cent) of the respondents administered all the recommended vaccines.

Commercial feed was the most widely used (68.4 per cent).

Veterinarians (39.5 per cent) and retail vendors (39.5 per cent) were the source of poultry stock.

About 35.1 per cent did not use any form of protective clothing on farms.

A total of 36.8 per cent of respondents disposed waste by use as manure.

Of the respondents, 42.1 per cent routinely consulted a veterinarian.

Coccidiosis, reported by one-third (33.3 per cent) of respondent, was identified as the most common disease, followed by infectious bursal disease (IBD; 24.2 per cent) and Newcastle disease (NCD; 21.2 per cent).

Veterinary clinics (35.1 per cent) and fellow farmers (32 per cent) were the most important sources of information on poultry.

The Chi-square analysis revealed management system (p<0.0001) and number of birds kept (p<0.006) significantly determined the method of waste disposal while age (p<0.0001), length of being in profession (p<0.03) and number of birds kept (p<0.0001) determined the reasons for veterinary consultation.

Elelu and co-authors conclude that their study gives an overview of the types of poultry management system in Ilorin. Recommendations are therefore made for strengthening of PAN as well as improve biosecurity as a means of disease prevention.

Reference

Elelu N., Z. Jaji, A. Badiru, F. Olowoleni and A.G. Ambali. 2012. Assessment of management and health practices in some selected poultry establishments in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. International Journal of Poultry Science. 11(8):524-528.

Further Reading You can view the full paper by clicking here. Find out more information on the diseases mentioned in this article by clicking here.