PREVALENCE OF GASTROINTESTINAL PARASITES OF CHICKENS IN AKURE, ONDO STATE, NIGERIA.
Table Of Contents
Thesis Abstract
ABSTRACT
A survey of gastrointestinal parasites of chickens was carried out in Akure, Ondo state, Nigeria
between January and July, 2015. A total of three hundred and twenty seven (327) chickens of
different breeds were examined for gastrointestinal infections. Faecal samples obtained from
these chickens were prepared for microscopy using flotation technique. The results showed that
67 (20.5%) of the 327 chickens examined were infected with various gastrointestinal parasites.
It was further observed that the highest prevalence of gastrointestinal infection (36.7%) was
recorded among the chickens that were kept in semi-intensive management system while the
lowest prevalence was recorded among those kept in intensive management system. Laboratory
screening of the faecal samples for parasites revealed three types of protozoa Eimeria spp.
(7.7%), Histomonas meleagridis (0.6%) and Giardia lamblia (0.3%). Five types of nematodes
were also observed among the chickens, these included Ascaridia galli, (7.0%), Heterakis
gallinarum (1.8%), Capillaria spp. (0.9%), Syngamus trachea (0.6%) and Trichostrongylus
tenuis (1.6%). Of all these parasites, Eimeria spp. was the most prevalent (7.7%) while Gardia
lamblia was the least prevalent (0.3%). The average parasite burden per fowl was found to be
2 and majority of the encountered parasites species were those of the subjects’ small intestines.
Thesis Overview
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Poultry farming is the practice of raising domesticated birds such as chicken, turkey, ducks,
quails and geese, as a subcategory of animal husbandry for the purpose of farming meat or eggs
for food (Anon, 2011). Chickens, turkeys, ducks, and geese are birds of primary importance,
while guinea fowl and squabs are chiefly of local interest. The term “poultry” is a collective
name given for a group of birds reared or hunted for useful purposes. It refers to domestic fowl
in general, e.g. chickens, turkeys, ducks or geese, raised for meat, eggs or feathers. It applies to
them being generally alive or dressed (killed and prepared for sales). Domestic chickens, Gallus
gallus domesticus are one of the most widely domesticated fowls and by far the most developed
and profitable animal production enterprise. They are descended from the wild red jungle fowl
of South-east Asia belonging to the species Gallus gallus, which has, over thousands of years,
been subjected to extensive breeding for size, colour, conformation and egg-laying ability. The
poultry industry occupies an important position in the provision of animal protein (meat and
egg) to man and generally plays a vital role in the national economy as a revenue provider.
Poultry meat accounts for 34% of global meat consumption. The worldwide average per capita
consumption has nearly quadrupled since the 1960s (11kg in 2003 compared with 3kg in 1963)
(FAO, 2009). The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO)’s
assessment of the worldwide average per capita poultry meat consumption for 2015 was 13.8kg,
of which around 12kg are chickens. Poultry is by far the largest livestock group, consisting
mainly of chickens, ducks and turkeys. The Nigerian agricultural sector is responsible for the
production of food and livestock with poultry accounting for 80% of the production (Udoh and
Etim, 2007). This means that the poultry subsector is the most commercialized of all the
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subsectors. The types of poultry that are of commercial or economic importance given the trade
in poultry, however, are chickens, guinea fowls and turkeys, amongst which chickens
predominate. Chickens constitute about 90% of the poultry population in Nigeria (Omodele and
Okere, 2014).
The breeds of chickens are generally classified as American, Mediterranean, English, and
Asiatic. The American breeds of importance today are the Plymouth Rock, the Wyandotte, the
Rhode Island Red and the New Hampshire. Chicken breeding is a controlled propagation of
domestic animals in order to improve desirable qualities. It is an outstanding example of the
application of basic genetic principles of inbreeding, line breeding, and crossbreeding, as well
as of intensive mass selection to effect faster and cheaper gains in broilers and maximum egg
production for the egg-laying strains (Encyclopædia Britannica, 2013). All over the world, more
than three hundred breeds of the domestic chicken species (Gallus domesticus) exist. However,
there are basically three types of chicken: the layers, the broilers and the cockerels. Geographic
Information System (GIS) analysis showed chicken production in Nigeria as: Broilers 15.2%,
Breeders 6.77%, Layers 75.3% and Cockerels 2.73% (Omodele and Okere, 2014).
Consequently, poultry farming is generically used to refer to chicken farming in Nigeria
because it provides the most poultry meat for delicacies and no tribe or religion in the country
forbids chicken meat. Since domestic chickens are sources of ready cash and meat to local
communities and a nation as a whole, their potential could be enhanced through improved
management and disease control. Profitable livestock and poultry production in Nigeria is
majorly constrained by parasitism. Parasitic diseases come first among other diseases that cause
reduction in productivity of rural poultry. However, these diseases are often overlooked because
clinical symptoms are rarely apparent (Adebisi, 2007). Gastrointestinal parasites which invade
the host birds possess morphological and physiological features which enhance their adaptation
to long living and existence in their hosts. These parasites constitute a major factor limiting
productivity of the poultry industry by affecting the growth rate of the host resulting in
malfunctioning of organs and eventually death (Soulsby, 1982).
1.1 Justification of Research
Improved poultry management practices are responsible for the reduction in incidence of
parasitic infections. The enormous expansion in the commercial poultry production sector has
been possible through improved management in terms of management procedures such as total
separation between different age groups, introduction of the "all in - all out" system, efficient
housing systems, routine vaccination programmes, proper feeding and avoidance of predators
(Thrusfield, 1995). However, parasitic diseases continue to be of great importance in deep-litter
and free-range commercial systems. In traditional systems throughout the world a number of
parasites are widely distributed and contribute significantly to the low productivity. The most
commonly mentioned parasites are Eimeria spp., Ascaridia galli and Heterakis gallinarum
which are mainly due to the many studies carried out on these parasites.
Currently, there is a paucity of information regarding the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites
of chickens in the study area despite their numerous importance. This is rather unfortunate
because for a fast growing economy like Nigeria, there is a need to continually revalidate
existing data on the health of chickens at regular intervals. In addition, as co-factors in other
poultry diseases, the knowledge of the prevalence of these parasites is essential in understanding
the epidemiology and control measures. The current study was carried out to investigate the
prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites of chickens in the tropics of Southwestern Nigeria.
1.2 Research Questions
The questions this research is meant to answer include:
(i) Are gastrointestinal parasites of domestic chickens prevalent among poultry in
Akure?
(ii) In which age range, breed and sex of chickens in Akure are gastrointestinal parasites
most prevalent?
(iii) In which poultry management system are gastrointestinal parasites most prevalent,
intensive, semi-intensive or extensive?
(iv) What activities of poultry owners contribute to the acquisition of infections in the
study area?
1.3 Aims and Objectives of Research
The aims and objectives of this study are to:
(i) determine the gastrointestinal parasites found in domestic chickens in parts of
Akure, Nigeria.
(ii) evaluate the prevalence, species composition, and parasite burden (intensity) of
gastrointestinal parasites found in domestic chickens in Akure, Nigeria.
(iii) evaluate, based on bird sex, breed, and poultry management system, the prevalence
of gastrointestinal parasites of domestic chickens in Akure.
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