A survey of major constraints limiting commercial poultry production in and around Gombe metropolis

Abstract

In a survey of major constraints limiting commercial poultry production in Gombe metropolis, 2,121 poultry cases were presented at the Gombe State Veterinary Clinic between January 1995 and December 2004. Out of the total number of cases presented, Newcastle disease (ND) accounted for 14.66%, chronic respiratory disease (CRD) 12.31%, fowl typhoid (FT) 12.02%, coccidiosis 10.81%, fowl pox (FP) 10.33%, fowl cholera (FC) 8.63%, nutritional disorders 8.49%, ectoparasitism 7.49% while helminthosis accounted for 7.07%. Based on the analysis of 110 questionnaires administered to poultry farmers, ND was found to be the most prevalent accounting for 19.1% of the total, FP accounted for 15.7%, and helminthosis accounted for 2.2%. The results suggest that infectious, non-infectious, and parasitic diseases constituted the major constraints to successful commercial poultry production in Gombe State. Keywords : Poultry production, constraints, Gombe State, Nigeria. Nigerian Veterinary Journal Vol. 27 (2) 2006: pp. 75-78