Abstract
Poultry production is a major component of the livestock sector in Nigeria and continues to expand rapidly; however, it is still constrained by low productivity. A farm survey was conducted to provide a baseline assessment of poultry production (products generated, farm costs, and revenue), pharmaceutical use, and related challenges faced by farmers on 44 commercial poultry farms in Oyo and Kano states of Nigeria. Live spent layers, eggs, and used beddings were the most frequently sold products for revenue. Antibiotic products were widely used, the most reported were Doxygen, Tylosin, and Conflox. Overall, 40% of farms used feed additives (including toxin binders, minerals, and vitamins) and 12% used coccidiostats. Access to pharmaceutical products was a key challenge and appeared to disproportionally affect farmers in the northern part (Kano) of Nigeria. Other challenges included perceived antibiotic ineffectiveness, high cost of drugs, and long distances to pharmaceutical suppliers. Challenges related to vaccine use were unavailability, distance to the supplier, and health issues interfering with the vaccination schedule. Study findings highlight the need for improved access to veterinary pharmaceuticals, particularly in the northern states. Further investigations into the causes of antibiotic ineffectiveness and strategies for distribution of high-quality, effective pharmaceuticals are also necessary.
Highlights
The aim of the current study was to improve our understanding of poultry production, pharmaceutical product use, and the related challenges on commercial poultry farms in Kano and Oyo states of Nigeria
This study was part of a larger project in commercial poultry farms in Kano and Oyo states of Nigeria, which includes two further related papers that: (i) examined baseline parameters on poultry health, management practices, and the related challenges [9], and (ii) investigated flock protection based on antibody titres and characterised circulating strains of Newcastle disease virus (NDV), infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV), and infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) strains in the poultry flocks [8]
The current study was a cross-sectional survey amongst commercial poultry farms that collected baseline data on poultry production, pharmaceutical product use and the related challenges experienced by these farmers
Summary
There are limited data available on pharmaceutical products used for disease prevention and treatment on commercial poultry farms in Nigeria. Data on the overall pharmaceutical products and the challenges related to pharmaceutical product availability and use experience of poultry farmers are lacking. Despite the size of the poultry sector in Nigeria, data on poultry products produced on the farm, farm costs, and revenue are still limited. Together, these data would be useful to the poultry industry and policy makers in identifying appropriate interventions and in guiding decisions and policy aimed at improving poultry productivity
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