Project Abstract

Project Overview

<p> </p><p><b>INTRODUCTION</b></p><p><b>1.1 &nbsp; &nbsp; <br></b><b>Background<br>of the study</b></p><p>The<br>survival of rural poultry industry in developing countries depends to a large<br>extent on the type of rearing methods employed and seasonal changes in weather<br>conditions. In nearly all African countries, poultry production in rural areas<br>is predominantly based on a free-range system utilizing indigenous types of<br>fowl, (Kitalyi, 1998; Horst, 1988). The system is characterized with family<br>ownership of the birds. Then birds are then left to scavenge to meet their<br>nutritional needs. The feed resources vary depending on local conditions and<br>the farming system. Housing may or may not be provided, (Huchzermeyer, 1973;<br>Atunbi and Sonaiya, 1994; Kuit, Traore and Wilson, 1986). Where housing is<br>provided, usually local materials are used for construction. Low productivity<br>is the main feature of this production system, which can be attributed to low<br>genetic potential, poor disease control programmes and poor feeding. Recently,<br>the highly infectious Newcastle disease (NCD) is reported to have caused 100<br>percent mortality. And it has been identified as a major poultry production<br>constraint in the village chicken production systems of many African Countries<br>(Chabeuf, 1990; Olayiwole, 1984; Achiempong, 1992).Livestock husbandry<br>activities are minimal with some roles played by gender .The health of the<br>birds is not guaranteed because; there are little to no disease control<br>programmes such as vaccination of the birds at various stages and ages. The<br>birds are exposed to many disease conditions at various seasons of the year .In<br>most cases indigenous knowledge are used to treat/handle the poultry (Ugwu,et<br>al., 2009). Disease like Newcastle and parasitic infection have been<br>reported to be the most devastating and prevalent poultry disease in many<br>developing countries especially in Africa, (Chabeuf, 1990; Chrysostome,1995;<br>Bell, Kane and Le Jan, 1995). Parasites are also prevalent due to favourable<br>environmental conditions, (Zaria, et al. 1993). In spite of low-input by rural<br>poultry farmers in developing countries on poultry production, free-range birds<br>play many socio-economic roles. In Africa, they constituted over 50 percent of<br>the total poultry population and contributed 30 to 80 percent of total national<br>poultry products (Sonaiya, 1990). Estimates based on human and livestock<br>population in Ethiopia showed that the village chicken provides 125kg of<br>poultry meat per capital per year, whereas, cattle provides 5.23kg, (Forsiddo,<br>1986).In Africa, mortality of indigenous chickens under free-range system was<br>very high due to diseases, poor management, poor breeding system and malnutrition,<br>(Dipleolu, Keripe, Gbadamosi, and Gbadamosi, 1998). Also, some diseases can<br>appear more prevalent and devastating at certain seasons of the year. Newcastle<br>disease and other respiratory diseases become more prevalent in the dry season<br>while parasitic infections appear more during the rainy seasons.</p><p><b>1.2<br>STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM</b></p><p>The prevention and management of<br>diseases outbreak and the systems of poultry management in Sierra Leone remains<br>the major challenge to the maximization of profits and other benefits that<br>could be realized from poultry.</p><p><b>1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY</b></p><p>Poor management system of<br>poultry production and ineffective diseases prevention and control has been<br>identified as a major constraint militating against the survivability of poultry<br>enterprise in Sierra Leone in general and the rural set-up in particular. The<br>poor management of the enterprise greatly favoured other seasonally-dependent<br>poultry diseases that constitute a major threat to poultry business and its<br>profitability.</p><p>Thus, the objectives of the<br>study were to:</p><p>(a) Identify the<br>common system of poultry in Sierra Leone</p><p>(b) Identify the pattern of<br>disease outbreak and possible causes in the systems of poultry management<br>identified</p><p>(c) To access the<br>consequences in the growth and production of chicken in these (free range and<br>intensive) systems.</p><p>(d) To identify and access<br>the methods of prevention and control of the diseases in the two systems<br>identified.</p><p><b>1.4<br>RESEARCH HYPOTHESES</b></p><p>For the successful completion of the study, the<br>following research hypotheses were formulated by the researcher; </p><p><b>H0:<br></b>there<br>are no pattern of disease outbreak and possible causes in the systems of<br>poultry management identified</p><p><b>H1:<br></b>there<br>are pattern of disease outbreak and possible causes in the systems of poultry<br>management identified</p><p><b>H02:</b>there<br>are no methods of prevention and control of the diseases in the two systems<br>identified</p><p><b>H2:</b>there<br>are methods of prevention and control of the diseases in the two systems<br>identified</p><p><b>1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE<br>STUDY</b></p><p>This<br>study will be of significance to students of different higher of learning as it<br>would enlighten them and the entire nation. Finally, this study will also help<br>to serve as literature (reference source) to the public, individuals and<br>corporate bodies into what to carry out on further research on assessment of<br>commonly identified disease in the 2 common poultry management</p><p><b>1.6 JUSTIFICATION</b></p><p>The population of rural<br>poultry in Africa has been estimated to account for more than 60 percent of the<br>total national poultry population, (Sonaiya, 1990a). For example in Nigeria,<br>rural poultry accounted for about eighty percent of the total national flock, (Awan,<br>1993). Despite the high percentage, the survivability of rural poultry industry<br>in Nigeria is very low due to poor management techniques embarked upon by rural<br>poultry farmers, and outbreak of seasonally dependent diseases that can account<br>for high chick losses.The management of village chicken is complicated by the<br>presence of multi-aged groups in the same flock. High chick mortality can be<br>attributed to poor feeding, house and health control practices. There was<br>usually no preferential treatment for the chicks, as they compete for the<br>available feed resource with other animals. Where supplementary feeding and<br>water are provided, the containers used are too deep for the chicks to reach<br>the contents. Predation can also be a major cause of high chick mortality<br>because; the young chicks are more vulnerable. Predators like hawks, rats,<br>mongooses, snakes, dogs, cats and foxes prey on young chick especially those in<br>free-range management system.This management system can leads to failure of<br>health control programs due to poor administration of vaccine carriers whether<br>food or water as the birds are unprotected. Feeding and health improvement<br>programmes will only be successful if this situation is given due consideration<br>to ensure that the different birds are protected. The mortality rate of<br>naturally brooded chicks, whose only source of feed is from scavenging under<br>free-range conditions, is very high and often exceed 50 percent up to eight<br>weeks of age. (Chabeuf, 1990; Olayiwole, 1984; Achiempong, 1992).Therefore<br>there is a need to adopt a better system of poultry management that reduces or<br>prevent the loss of small chicks and the fowls to diseases and other<br>environmental factors that are detrimental to the profitability of poultry<br>management.</p><p><b>1.7<br>SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY</b></p><p>The<br>scope of the study covers the assessment of commonly identified diseases in the<br>2 common poultry management. The researcher encounters some constrain which<br>limited the scope of the study;</p><p><b>a)<br>AVAILABILITY OF RESEARCH MATERIAL:</b><br>The research material available to the researcher is insufficient, thereby<br>limiting the study &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; </p><p><b>b) TIME:</b><br>The time frame allocated to the study does not enhance wider coverage as the<br>researcher has to combine other academic activities and examinations with the<br>study.</p><p><b>c)<br>Organizational privacy</b>: Limited Access to the selected<br>auditing firm makes it difficult to get all the necessary and required<br>information concerning the activities. </p><p><b>1.8<br>DEFINITION OF TERMS</b></p><p><b>DISEASE:<br></b>A disease is a particular abnormal condition<br>that affects part or all of an organism not caused by external force and that<br>consists of a disorder of a structure or function, usually serving as an<br>evolutionary disadvantage.</p><p><b>POULTRY: </b>Poultry<br>are domesticated birds kept by humans for their eggs, their meat or their<br>feathers. These birds are most typically members of the superorder Galloanserae,<br>especially the order Galliformes</p><p><b>MANAGEMENT: </b>Management is the administration of an organization, whether it is a<br>business, a not-for-profit organization, or government body</p> <br><p></p>