Abstract: This study was conducted to determine the major causes of village chickens losses and to evaluate the level of awareness on the consequence of Newcastle disease (ND) among village poultry farmers in Bauchi State, North Eastern Nigeria. Structured questionnaire was used for interviewing farmers. Results generated from 145 total respondents to questionnaire survey revealed that most of the village chicken farmers in Bauchi State are males (85.5%) while few are females (14. 5%). There was significant statistical difference (P< 0.05) among gender (sex) of total respondents. It was also determined that village chicken farmers in Bauchi State rear their flocks under the extensive system (70.3%) where birds are left to scavenge for food while few (6.2%) practice intensive system. This is thought to expose them to various types of diseases including ND. Among the village poultry reared by farmers in Bauchi State, village chickens (47.6%) are reported to dominate the flock poultry population while turkey (4.8%) is the least. Most village chicken farmers in Bauchi State, especially those living in remote villages provide shelter in forms of raffia baskets (44.8%) for their flock to roost at night and make nest for laying eggs, this is thought to predispose the birds to predators and harsh weather conditions, very few farmers construct modern poultry cages (3.4%) for their birds. The major cause of village chickens losses in Bauchi State is disease (75.9%) while the least is loss due automobile accidents (0.0%) as reported by farmers. The clinical signs of sickness in village poultry especially village chickens as reported by respondents include diarrhea (36.6%) and twisting of the head and neck (20.0%). These signs are consistent with those of clinical cases of ND infections in poultry. Village chickens disease is most prevalent during the dry harmattan season (77.2%) than the wet rainy season (22.8%). Village chicken farmers in Bauchi State usually take their birds to the market to sell (65.5%) during disease outbreaks in order to reduce economic loss, these no doubt amplify transmission of ND among poultry of different species in the same market place, however only few farmers attempt to treat sick birds using all sort of ethnoveterinary substances (8.3%) which at most times yield unsuccessful results. Most village chicken farmers in Bauchi State are not aware (68.3%) of the consequences of ND infection and they are deficient of sufficient idea on how to prevent and control ND outbreak by any reliable method. Few farmers that are familiar (31.7%) with ND plague call it various sort of local nomenclatures such as “Mekere or Chutar haukar Kaji”.
Keywords: Newcastle disease; village chicken losses; Bauchi State, North eastern Nigeria.
Title: Causes of Village Chicken (Gallus Gallus Domesticus) Losses and Level of Awareness of Newcastle Disease Consequence among Village Chicken Farmers in Bauchi State, North Eastern Nigeria
Author: J. R. Lawal, I. U. Hambali, A. M. Bello, Y. Wakil, A. Ibrahim, I. Salihu, M. S. Jajere, F. B. Mustapha, M. Mustapha, I. A. Gulani
International Journal of Life Sciences Research
ISSN 2348-313X (Print), ISSN 2348-3148 (online)
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