CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO
THE STUDY
The survival of rural poultry industry in developing
countries depends to a large extent on the type of rearing methods employed and
seasonal changes in weather conditions. In nearly all African countries,
poultry production in rural areas is predominantly based on a free-range system
utilizing indigenous types of fowl, (Kitalyi, 1998; Horst, 1988). The system is
characterized with family ownership of the birds. Then birds are then left to
scavenge to meet their nutritional needs. The feed resources vary depending on
local conditions and the farming system. Housing may or may not be provided,
(Huchzermeyer, 1973; Atunbi and Sonaiya, 1994; Kuit, Traore and Wilson, 1986).
Where housing is provided, usually local materials are used for construction.
Low productivity is the main feature of this production system, which can be
attributed to low genetic potential, poor disease control programmes and poor
feeding. Recently, the highly infectious Newcastle disease (NCD) is reported to
have caused 100 percent mortality. And it has been identified as a major
poultry production constraint in the village chicken production systems of many
African Countries (Chabeuf, 1990; Olayiwole, 1984; Achiempong, 1992).Livestock
husbandry activities are minimal with some roles played by gender .The health
of the birds is not guaranteed because; there are little to no disease control
programmes such as vaccination of the birds at various stages and ages. The
birds are exposed to many disease conditions at various seasons of the year .In
most cases indigenous knowledge are used to treat/handle the poultry (Ugwu,et
al., 2009).
Disease like Newcastle and parasitic infection have been
reported to be the most devastating and prevalent poultry disease in many
developing countries especially in Africa, (Chabeuf, 1990; Chrysostome,1995;
Bell, Kane and Le Jan, 1995). Parasites are also prevalent due to favourable
environmental conditions, (Zaria, et al. 1993). In spite of low-input by rural
poultry farmers in developing countries on poultry production, free-range birds
play many socio-economic roles. In Africa, they constituted over 50 percent of
the total poultry population and contributed 30 to 80 percent of total national
poultry products (Sonaiya, 1990). Estimates based on human and livestock
population in Ethiopia showed that the village chicken provides 125kg of
poultry meat per capital per year, whereas, cattle provides 5.23kg, (Forsiddo,
1986).
In Africa, mortality of indigenous chickens under free-range
system was very high due to diseases, poor management, poor breeding system and
malnutrition, (Dipleolu, Keripe, Gbadamosi, and Gbadamosi, 1998). Also, some
diseases can appear more prevalent and devastating at certain seasons of the
year. Newcastle disease and other respiratory diseases become more prevalent in
the dry season while parasitic infections appear more during the rainy seasons.
1.2 STATEMENT OF
PROBLEM
The prevention and management of diseases outbreak and the
systems of poultry management in Sierra Leone remains the major challenge to
the maximization of profits and other benefits that could be realized from
poultry.
1.3 AIMS AND
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
Poor management system of poultry production and ineffective
diseases prevention and control has been identified as a major constraint
militating against the survivability of poultry enterprise in Sierra Leone in
general and the rural set-up in particular. The poor management of the
enterprise greatly favoured other seasonally-dependent poultry diseases that
constitute a major threat to poultry business and its profitability.
Thus, the objectives of the study were to:
(a) Identify the
common system of poultry in Sierra Leone
(b) Identify the pattern of disease outbreak and possible
causes in the systems of poultry management identified
(c) To access the
consequences in the growth and production of chicken in these (free range and
intensive) systems.
(d) To identify and access the methods of prevention and
control of the diseases in the two systems identified.
1.4
JUSTIFICATION
The population of rural poultry in Africa has been estimated
to account for more than 60 percent of the total national poultry population,
(Sonaiya, 1990a). for example in Nigeria, rural poultry accounted for about
eighty percent of the total national flock, (Awan, 1993). Despite the high
percentage, the survivability of rural poultry industry in Nigeria is very low
due to poor management techniques embarked upon by rural poultry farmers, and
outbreak of seasonally dependent diseases that can account for high chick
losses.
The management of village chicken is complicated by the
presence of multi-aged groups in the same flock. High chick mortality can be
attributed to poor feeding, house and health control practices. There was
usually no preferential treatment for the chicks, as they compete for the
available feed resource with other animals. Where supplementary feeding and water
are provided, the containers used are too deep for the chicks to reach the
contents. Predation can also be a major cause of high chick mortality because;
the young chicks are more vulnerable. Predators like hawks, rats, mongooses,
snakes, dogs, cats and foxes prey on young chick especially those in free-range
management system.
This management system can leads to failure of health
control programs due to poor administration of vaccine carriers whether food or
water as the birds are unprotected. Feeding and health improvement programmes
will only be successful if this situation is given due consideration to ensure
that the different birds are protected. The mortality rate of naturally brooded
chicks, whose only source of feed is from scavenging under free-range
conditions, is very high and often exceed 50 percent up to eight weeks of age.
(Chabeuf, 1990; Olayiwole, 1984; Achiempong, 1992).
Therefore there is a need to adopt a better system of
poultry management that reduces or prevent the loss of small chicks and the
fowls to diseases and other environmental factors that are detrimental to the
profitability of poultry management.
1.5 PURPOSE OF
STUDY
It is hoped that this research work with many other relevant
ones will not only inform but provide enough impetus to drive the needed change
we need to see that will lead to increase profitability of poultry management
in our country Sierra Leone.
1.6 ASSUMPTION OF THE STUDY
This study was based on the following assumptions:
That poultry management especially within the rural
communities could be improved through the sensitization of the major actors to
the outcomes of this research.
That diseases management in poultry could be improved upon
by properly educating everyone involved about simple ways to prevent outbreak
and by encouraging use vaccines.
That through our contact with the farms, information could
be shared and impacted by both parties for the mutual benefits of all.
1.7 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
The major constraints encountered in the course of this
research were: financial problems, bad road network leading to farms and the
farmers in charge, transport cost, logistic cost and cost of consumables, cost
of research materials were also high.