An overview of the health and management challenges of rural poultry stock in North Central Nigeria

Objectives: Poultry production in rural areas is considered as an important source of livelihood for most rural communities. The objective of the present study was to investigate the major factors affecting production of rural poultry in three senatorial districts in North Central Nigeria namely Kwara Central, Kwara South and Kwara North.. Materials and Methods: The major factors affecting production of rural poultry were investigated using structured questionnaire to gather data on health and management practices between January to December 2014. Results: The socio-economic characteristics of respondents showed that majority of rural poultry farmers are women and illiterate, that sourced fund from their personal savings, relations and friends. The study also showed that seasonal variation and disease significantly influenced poultry production and its marketability. Conclusion: There is the need to put in place enabling environment to encourage commercialization of rural poultry production in Nigeria and globally.


INTRODUCTION
Poultry production in rural areas is an important source of livelihood for most of the people living in the rural areas.The poultry is used for using as a source of meat and ready cash in emergency needs, thus giving food and economic securities to rural people (Gueye, 2001;Gueye, 2002;Onubuogo et al., 2013).About 70% of the poultry products and 20% of animal protein intake in most African countries are originated from this sector (Kaiser. 1990;FAO, 2011;Byarugaba et al., 2012).
The poultry production systems in Africa are based on husbandry of indigenous chickens found in virtually all villages and households in rural communities characterized by low output per bird.The types of poultry that are commonly reared are chicken, duck, guinea fowl, turkey, pigeon, amongst which the domestic fowl (chicken) predominate (Das et al, 2008;Daniel, 2009;Adedeji et al., 2013).
Rural poultry are reared mainly on extensive system (scavenging).The scavenging system dominate the rural poultry sector of most African countries with very small number kept under semi intensive system (Bagnol, 2001;Sokolowicz et al., 2009).Rural poultry production is an hobby with about 85% of rural household in Sub-Sahara Africa rearing domestic fowl (chicken) or a mixture of chicken and other types of poultry while still engaging in other vocation such as trading, farming, fishing, and hunting (Gueye, 2002;Ezeokeke, 2008;Heinke, et al., 2015).
Due to inadequate care, rural poultry are exposed to theft, diseases, poor nutrition and vagaries of weather and environment, poor management practices and marketing (Omotosho, 1997;Heinke et al., 2015).

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Study area: This study covers three senatorial districts in North Central Nigeria namely: Kwara Central, Kwara South and Kwara North.Which lie on latitude 8 o 31N and longitude 4 o 35E with an average human population of 2,371,089 (FGN, Official gazette, 2007).
Ethical issue and data collection: Necessary consent was taken from the respondents before collecting data.The profile of the rural poultry owners were obtained by local interview with the respondents.Questionnaire (Annex-I) was designed to elicit data on the following (a) socio-economic factors, (b) health management practices (c) sales/marketing of rural poultry products.The individual interviewed was the one that owned the birds and was responsible for all major decision affecting the birds such as sales, culling for use in the homes, purchase of feeds and veterinary drug (if any).
About 985 rural poultry owners/households were randomly selected and visited in order to collect data through the use of structured questionnaire, the duration of this study was three months.Information obtained were analyzed and processed in descriptive statistical analysis which involved the use of statistical tool to generate frequency, distribution and percentages.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The results of the studies are as shown in Table 1-4.Generally rural birds scavenge around farms, compounds or households.A handful of grains, household waste or wheat bran was thrown out to the birds as supplement every morning, but the newly hatched chicks were usually better cared for, than the adult ones (Justus et al., 2013).They were often given broken maize and other grains apart from what was made available to the other birds.Water was provided adlibitum in plastic containers or pots around the household.Most respondents provided housing at night only, nesting places for laying birds were also frequently provided.In most cases, houses provided were either wooden, coops or baskets made with locally available material such as bricks, bamboo, cereal stovers and wood.Others allowed rural birds to roost on trees, under timber boards or under piles of firewood (Sokolowicz et al., 2013).Brooding of eggs occurred in the kitchen of most respondents or in especially elevated places above coops or in secluded places where hen and egg could be protected from rain and predators.Consumption of poultry product was limited to festive occasion, live chicken and eggs are sometimes sold at local markets when in need of cash.Due to lack of care, the rural poultry are exposed to theft, diseases, poor nutrition and vagaries of weather and environment (Adene, 1990;Aklilu, 2007;Onubuogo et al., 2013;Heinke et al., 2015).
Most respondents reared poultry as hobby which is in agreement with the findings of Sonaiya (2005).The study also revealed that scavenging system was mostly practiced by rural poultry owners with little feed supplement.It was reported by the respondents that the highest mortality rate (chicken death) was observed during raining season.This finding is similar to the work done by Halima (2007).

Table 1 .
Socio-economic factors of rural poultry farmers.

Table 2 :
Rural poultry management systems.

Table 3 :
Health management practices for owners.

Table 4 :
Sales of rural poultry products.