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.