Village Chickens Research Articles

Survey study for diseases of house chickens in villages of Kirkuk governorate

This research included (436) infected case of house chickens were diagnosed in villages of Kirkuk in the period (January 2015 to December 2015).The study showed that Newcastle Disease still the most important diseases in poultry of Iraq, with a high percentage of (35.3%) from total cases. The incidence of other diseases were as follow: Parasitic infestations manifested in chickens as Ectoparasites (15%), Fowl pox (14.4%), Internal parasites (13.3%), Bumble foot (7.3%), Fowl Typhoid and Pullorum Disease (6.9%), Necrotic enteritis (4.8%), the low incidence with Fowl cholera (3%) was recorded .

Perceptions of livestock value chain actors (VCAs) on the risk of acquiring zoonotic diseases from their livestock in the central dry zone of Myanmar

ObjectivesThe Central Dry Zone (CDZ) is one of the most important livestock production areas of Myanmar. However, there is an eminent lack of information on the attitudes and traditional beliefs of local farmers and livestock supply chain actors in CDZ of Myanmar on the public health implications. A modified data collection instrument of the Health Belief model was developed to investigate attitudes, beliefs and barriers to the application of recommended zoonotic disease prevention.Study designCross-sectional study.MethodData analyses were conducted considering a two-phase multilevel mixed effect binomial generalized linear models modelling approach.ResultsThe availability of information about zoonosis to supply chain actors influenced their confidence to implement preventive actions (OR = 1.5, p = 0.045 for cattle diseases; OR = 1.5, p = 0.022 for village chicken diseases). Supply chain actors were more likely aware of zoonosis transmitted by cattle compared to livestock farmers (OR = 0.3, p = 0.005 for cattle farmers), while people not rearing or trading small ruminants and/or poultry were less likely to be aware of the zoonotic risk associated with these animals (p < 0.005). Information on zoonosis transmitted from small ruminants was mainly promoted through farmers (p = 0.032), while information on zoonotic diseases that can be obtained from chickens was disseminated through farmers, local authorities and the media. Nevertheless, appropriate hand hygiene measures (i.e. cleaning of hands after touching, cutting, cooking meat) (OR = 7.7, p < 0.001 for zoonotic small ruminant diseases; OR = 1.6, p = 0.073 for zoonotic village chicken diseases) and treating of sick animals (OR = 7.3, p < 0.001 for small ruminant zoonotic diseases; OR = 2.2, p = 0.031 for village chicken zoonotic diseases) increased the confidence of small ruminant and village chicken owners to prevent these zoonotic infections.ConclusionsThe findings from this study indicate that while gender and the availability of information on zoonotic risks play an important role on the perceived threat of zoonoses, the practice of prevention methods influenced the confidence of value chain actors (VCAs) on zoonoses prevention.

Applying the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) in Village Chicken Farmers’ Commercialisation Intention – Evidence from North Western Zambia

Purpose: This paper contributes to the smallholder agriculture commercialisation literature by applying the Theory of Planned Behaviour in a developing country context. The study examines the Influence of Attitude, Subjective norms and Perceived behavioural control on the Commercialisation scaling-up Intent among smallholder village chicken farmers in North-western Zambia. Furthermore, the mediating role of commercialisation practices Intention is examined. Design/methodology/approach: Based on a quantitative correlational design, primary sample data were collected using a structured questionnaire from 556 village chicken smallholder farmers from two farming blocks in North-western Zambia. The data were analysed using statistical correlation and regression models. Findings: The findings indicate that attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control as well as commercialisation practices Intention have unique positive significant effects on Commercialisation practices intention (CPI). Further, CPI in turn positively Influences Commercialisation scaling-up intention (CSI). Research limitations/implications: Notwithstanding the research limitations such as the study being cross-sectional and based on one district in Zambia, the findings have important implications. For policymakers and enterprise support institutions, understanding the socio-psychological factors of smallholder farmers are important before introducing any interventions to promote the commercialisation of the village chicken. Additionally, for scaling-up to occur, farmers need to be encouraged to adopt commercialisation practices in management, investment and marketing. This would increase the chances of transitioning from subsistence to commercial farming. Originality: The study is among the first to apply the theory of planned behaviour in the village chicken value chain in the under-researched Zambian context.

Assessment on backyard chicken feeding practices and health management in Fogera district Amhara region, Ethiopia

The study was conducted in Fogera District of South Gonder Zone of Amhara Region of Ethiopia, with the study objective of generating baseline information and assessment on backyard chicken feeding practices and health management system of chicken in Fogera District. Two Kebeles (Quar Abo and Quar Michel) were selected purposively and a total of 15 households were randomly selected per each Kebele and totally, 30 randomly selected households from two Kebeles were included in the study area. The data collected was analyzed by using Microsoft exce. The highest proportions of respondents, about 53.33% were male whereas the remaining (46.67%) were female. In the study area (40%) of the house hold young age from (20-40), 42-62 age of house hold has 43.33% whereas>62 age of house hold has 16.67%. The result of the study indicated that the dominant flock structure in the study area were layers which account (6.73±2.89), pullets (3.96±2.31), cocks (2.46±1.70), cockerels (1.25±0.53) and chicken (3.33±1.98).The important of chicken production was household consumption (13.33%), income generation or sell (40%) and 46.67% for both consumption and selling purpose their chicken and egg during holidays. Our survey result showed that the highest proportion of respondents provided supplementary feed like, maize (20%, Rice (60%) and sorghum (20%) in addition to scavenging and the rest were scavenging only. The common feed source in the study areas are scavenging (13.33%), scavenging with supplementary feeding (23.33%), purchase from the market (26.67%) and 40% other like use at home. We conclude village chicken play a vital role in the human livelihoods and contribute to food security of the rural communities. In the study area the respondents most of the time feeding system in the ground within the group, so better to use the Federer place and provide feeds by separating of chicken based on the age.

Seroconversion study of thermostable NDI-2 vaccine at the free-ranging village chickens in two localities of South-central Niger

Seroconversion study of thermostable NDI-2 vaccine at the free-ranging village chickens in two localities of South-central Niger

Effects of Using Black Soldier Fly Larvae Meal (Hermetia illucens L) as a Source of Protein on Boosting Performance, Carcass Quality, and Nutrient Digestibility of Village Chicken

Effects of Using Black Soldier Fly Larvae Meal (Hermetia illucens L) as a Source of Protein on Boosting Performance, Carcass Quality, and Nutrient Digestibility of Village Chicken

The Peculiar Characteristics of the Marketing System of Indigenous Village Chickens

For smallholder farmers, indigenous village chickens (IVCs) serve as a source of food, income, and ritual items. In practice, there is a high demand for IVC products, and when this demand is coupled with low investment in production inputs, it makes IVC production a rewarding rural business. Regardless of a lot of complaints about its efficacy, the marketing system of IVCs remains a viable transaction method and perfectly matches the extensive production system. This study documented the marketing system of IVCs operating in smallholder settings using a cross-sectional study. There is high volatility in the demand for IVC products, which is attributable to the demographic structure of the community and the weak purchasing power of consumers. The market price of live birds is fixed in line with the specifics of the multifaceted demand of the local community. Agroecology significantly affects the age at which the birds reach marketable size (t = 3.508, df = 113, p = 0.001, 95% CI -1.9359 to -0.5384). There is an inclined tendency to sell live birds rather than eggs (x-squared = 46.512, df = 1, p-value = 9.104e-12) and most of the home-hatched birds are sold out. Due to the involvement of hundreds of millions of smallholder farmers that are living in rural areas, millions of actors are needed to execute the market transaction, which significantly reduces the income accrued by smallholder farmers and the utility of consumers.

Community biosecurity: A new approach to reduce infectious diseases including avian influenza in commercial poultry

To reduce the load of infectious diseases including avian influenza, a community involving poultry biosecurity model was piloted in Bogura, a northern district of Bangladesh from 2013 to 2017 for developing flock immunity in breeder farm and the community reached chicken like a win-win situation. The experiment started by selecting a commercial breeder farm where about 30,000 poultry were kept and had a record of being affected by avian influenza. The activities were the assessment of the poultry population within a kilometer radius of the breeder farm, providing health care services by a trained poultry health worker, vaccinating all village native chickens in the area above against Newcastle disease (ND), and Fowl pox, monitoring the level of antibody after vaccination against ND, and identifying the causes of sickness and mortality. When any bird died with clinical signs of AI, all surviving birds from that flock were purchased and culled off that household poultry immediately (spot culling), and proper disinfection was done by supervising the health worker. Affected farmers are provided compensation by the breeder farm. The results showed that the overall flack immunity against ND in the 3rd year was 90% at the community level, whereas on the breeder farm, it was 95% and 97% respectively against ND and AI in the selected area. However, the village chicken mortality due to infectious disease was significantly reduced, and no mortality was recorded due to ND or Fowl pox. The poultry population in that area increased twice at the end of the project. There were 13 cases of A/H5N1 confirmed by rRT-PCR from village chickens in those surveyed areas, and no positive case was perceived on that commercial breeder farm. From the study, it was concluded that community biosecurity has a positive role in reducing infectious diseases, including avian influenza, in commercial farming. Bang. J. Livs. Res. Vol. 29 (1&amp;2), 2022: P. 62-66

Seroprevalence and risk factors associated with Newcastle disease in backyard chickens in West Kordofan State, Sudan.

Newcastle disease (ND), a major constraint to poultry production worldwide, is a highly contagious disease of many species of domestic, exotic, and wild birds caused by ND virus (NDV). Epidemiological studies are lacking regarding ND in village chickens, including the traditional and intensive production systems used in Sudan. However, it is necessary to develop appropriate strategies to control the disease. Therefore, this study aimed to estimate the flock- and bird-level seroprevalence of NDV in backyard chickens in West Kordofan State, Sudan, and to identify the risk factors associated with ND in the study area. The seroprevalence of the circulating NDV and bird-level risk factors associated with ND was determined in backyard chickens from March to October 2017, in six villages (Alnowara, Alleait, Geibaish, Baiad, Sougoh, and Alnuhoud) in the Geibaish and Elnuhoud localities of West Kordofan State. Using the hemagglutination-inhibition test, the bird- and flock-level seroprevalences of antibodies to NDV were estimated as 20.6% (78/378) and 45% (18/40), respectively. Bird-level NDV seropositivity in backyard chickens was significantly associated with the reason for raising chickens, type of housing, contact with neighboring poultry, contact with wild birds, and chicken mortality caused by infectious diseases (p ≤ 0.05). This study indicated that NDV is circulating in backyard chickens and may act as a potential source of infection for other birds and thus persistence of ND among local traditionally managed chickens in the areas of West Kordofan State. Risk factors contributing to ND occurrence are important for designing appropriate prevention and control strategies.

Empowerment of Super Village Chicken Breeder Groups in Baruga District

Watubangga Subdistrict is one of the subdistricts in Baruga District, Kendari City which has a very potential area for the development of livestock businesses, specifically the super free-range chicken business. The service aims to provide understanding to the Mahika Mandiri livestock group regarding Strengthening Capacity and Group Dynamics, Maintenance Management, Housing and Sanitation, and Technical Guidance on Making Hatchery Machines and Their Use with the duration of the service from September to October 2022. The results of the service can provide benefits regarding strengthening capacity and group dynamics, changing the way farmers manage maintenance, housing and sanitation, and livestock groups that are members of the Mahika Mandiri group can make hatching machines and how to use them.

Sosialisasi dan Pelatihan Pemeliharaan Unggas Lokal di Kelompok Wanita Tani Kejora Sawahlunto

This activity aims to realize a growing livestock business in Kelompok Wanita Tani (KWT) Kejora in Sawahlunto that can generate profits to increase household incomes for KWT Kejora partner groups. The implementation of this activity was carried out in three stages; the first was the delivery of material and distributing questionnaires, the second stage was training and modeling, and the third stage was post-training assistance. The service activities in the form of socialization and training on local poultry farming at the KWT Kejora Sawahlunto have been carried out well. The result of this activity was that this activity was attended by 20 group members and accompanied by field officers from the Food Security, Agriculture, and Fisheries Service of Swahlunto City. Group members generally know about local poultry farming (village chicken) but do not know how to raise chickens properly and do not know the factors that affect the sustainability of the livestock business. Therefore, this group must continue to be accompanied so that the sustainability of the group's business can develop and increase the household income of group members.

Addition of Papaya Leaf Flour (Carica Papaya) in Feed to Feed Consumption, Daily Body Weight Gain and Feed Conversion for Superior Kampung Chicken, Balitnak

The aim of the study was to know the effect of papaya leaf flour (Carica Papaya) as an additional feed in the superior village chickens for balitnak feed on daily body weight gain and fee conversion. The experiment used 80 superior five week old native chickens. They were fed control diet + 0% papaya leaf meal (P0), control diet + 10% papaya leaf meal (P1), control diet + 11,5% papaya leaf meal (P3) for 30 days. The control feed contained 21% crude protein and energy metabolism of 3000 kcal kg. The study used a quantitative method with a completely randomized design with 4 treatments and replications. The results showed that the ration had an effect (P&gt;0,05) on feed consumption. The coclusion of the study showed that the addition of papaya leaf flour contect (Carica Papaya) up to 13% as a feed additive in high-yielding native chickens had no effect on daily body weight gain and fedd.

Penggunaan mikroorganisme lokal (MOL) bekicot terhadap kelayakan usaha ayam kampung super

This study aims to determine the value of Return Cost Ratio, Benefit Cost Ratio, and Break Event Point of Super Village Chicken rearing, which was substituted with MOL from Snail at several levels. The research location is at Radja Unggul Ranch which is in the Jember State Polytechnic environment. Data collection method using interviews with farmers at Radja Unggul Ranch who maintain super free-range chickens. The data taken include fixed costs, variable costs, income, and length of maintenance. Data obtained were then analyzed by R/C Ratio, B/C Ratio, and BEP. The results of the study using the MOL from Snails in the maintenance of Kampung Super chickens showed that the R/C value &gt; 1, the B/C value &gt; 0, while the lowest BEP value in the feed treatment was Treatment 3 (P3) with a MOL of 15 ml/kg. The results of these calculations show that using MOL Snail substitute feed to maintain Super Kampung Chicken is profitable for farmers.

Genetic variation of LEI0258 locus at major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region in Ethiopian indigenous village chicken

&#x0D; Indigenous chickens are locally adapted to environmental challenges and provide subsistence to millions of farmers in Africa. However, their productivity remains low compared to exotic strains. Efforts are being made to combine the local adaptation of indigenous chicken with productive traits of exotic chicken. Understanding the link between genetic diversity and environmental challenges leads to marker-assisted breed improvement programs for sustainable chicken production at smallholder level. Genetic variation at LEI0258 VNTR locus located within the MHC region has been linked to infectious disease resistance/susceptibility in commercial breeds. The aim of this study was to investigate allelic variability, genetic diversity and genetic relationships of 24 chicken populations in Ethiopia. Here, the diversity at LEI0258 in 236 chickens from 24 Ethiopian indigenous chicken populations using the major Histo-compatibility Complex linked LEI0258 marker is reported. A total of 236 DNA samples were genotyped by capillary electrophoresis from 24 chicken populations. The number of alleles, allele frequency, and heterozygosity levels were used to measure genetic variation at LEI0258 locus in Ethiopian indigenous village chicken. Twenty-nine LEI0258 alleles were observed using capillary electrophoresis that ranged from 185 to 569 bp with no significant difference in allele frequencies between populations. The number of alleles ranged from 179 (Meseret) to 569 (Batambie), with an average of 9.6 alleles per population. Allelic polymorphism was further evaluated through genotyping by Sanger sequencing. Twenty-three DNA samples with different fragment sizes were re-amplified and their alleles sequenced to depict polympormisms based on the combination of two repeat regions at 12 bp and 13 bp, respectively, and flanking regions with SNP and indels. The repeat region at 12 bp appeared 2 to 18 times, whereas the region at 13 bp appeared invariant in all populations. Sequence relationships revealed two distinct groups of alleles. The number of indels and mutations were 33 and 17, respectively. From capillary electrophoresis, the fixation coefficient of the sub-population within the total population (FST), inbreeding/fixation/ coefficient of an individual in a sub population (FIS) and total inbreeding /heterozygosity deficit/ coefficient of an individual within the total population (FIT) in the locus was 0.03, 0.08 and 0.11, respectively. Three percent of the genetic diversity was due to differences among populations, where as 8% and 89% were variations among individuals and variations within individuals, respectively. Despite the overall low genetic differentiation, both fragment and sequencing analysis revealed high allelic and genetic variability across the 24 populations. The high diversity at LEI0258 in Ethiopian indigenous village chicken populations supports the importance of the MHC region in relation to the disease challenges faced by smallholder poultry farmers across Ethiopia. We recommend that breed improvement programs ensure the maintenance of this diversity by selecting breeding stock as diverse as possible at the LEI0258 locus.

Striving to be resilient: the role of crop-poultry integrated system as a climate change adaptation strategy in semiarid eastern Kenya

Climate change continues to pose significant challenges to food security and livelihoods of smallholder farmers specifically in semi-arid regions. One approach that holds prospects for climate risk management is climate-smart agriculture (CSA). CSA has concentrated on crop practices with little attention to livestock especially indigenous (village) chickens as a potential practice that can be combined with crop agriculture. This study considers the adoption of three CSA practices: improved maize seeds (IS), soil management (SM), indigenous chicken (IC) enterprise and their various combinations. Using survey data collected from 300 farming households in semiarid Kenya, we estimate the impact of integrated crop-poultry system adoption on food security and farm income using multinomial endogenous treatment effect models. Robustness checks are conducted using alternative identification strategies. Results show that, generally, the adoption of IS, SM, IC and their combinations reduces the number of months without enough food and increases farm income. When we consider the magnitude of the impacts, interesting results emerge when a combination of the CSA practices are considered. The highest impact is observed with the joint adoption of SM & IC and IS &IC. Broadly, the empirical findings suggest that integrated systems (in our case crop-poultry integration), deserve both policy and research attention as they provide synergistic benefits that improve climate resilience and household welfare.

First report of gastrointestinal nematodes and coccidia parasites from free-range chickens in Mafeteng district, Lesotho.

Free-range chickens are an integral part of poultry production in many developing countries. In the Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho, the majority of the population own free-range chickens, which serve a variety of purposes including being a source of meat, eggs and use for cultural rituals amongst others. However, there is lack of scientific studies on occurrence of parasitic infections on free-range chickens in Lesotho. The aim of this study was to document common gastrointestinal parasites infecting free-range chickens in four villages of Mafeteng District in Lesotho. A total number of 462 pooled faecal samples were collected from various households in HaKubutu (n=114), HaMatjeka (n=120), HaMpalipali (n=120) and Thabang Villages (n=108) which were subjected to microscopic examination using McMaster technique. The prevalence of gastrointestinal parasite infection was as follows: Eimeria tenella (12.8%), Ascaridia galli (10.4%) and Heterakis gallinarum (5%). The prevalence for H. gallinarum and Ascaridia galli were comparatively higher during the hot-wet season (7.1% and 2.8% respectively) than the cold-dry season (3.2% and 1.9% respectively) and varied significantly (P<0.05). For E. tenella, the oocysts per gram were slightly higher in the cold-dry season than the hot-wet season. Polymerase chain reaction only amplified DNA from six (29%) adult A. galli worms of which two amplicons were successfully sequenced. The obtained cytochrome C oxidase subunit 1 partial gene sequences displayed 98-100% identity with South African A. galli isolates. This is the first scientific study on prevalence and molecular characterization of nematodes and coccidia species infecting free-range village chickens in Lesotho. The findings can be used to review management of gastrointestinal nematodes and protozoal parasites of free-range chickens in Lesotho.

Ecological niche modelling as a tool to identify candidate indigenous chicken ecotypes of Tigray (Ethiopia)

The Tigray region is an ancient entry route for the domestic chickens into Africa. The oldest African chicken bones were found in this region at Mezber, a pre-Aksumite rural farming settlement. They were dated to around 800–400 BCE. Since then, the farming communities of the region have integrated chicken into their livelihoods. The region is also recognised for its high chicken-to-human population ratio and diverse and complex geography, ranging from 500 to 4,000 m above sea level (m.a.s.l.). More than 15 agro-ecological zones have been described. Following exotic chicken introductions, the proportion of indigenous chicken is now 70% only in the region. It calls for the characterisation of indigenous Tigrayan chicken ecotypes and their habitats. This study reports an Ecological Niche Modelling using MaxEnt to characterise the habitats of 16 indigenous village chicken populations of Tigray. A total of 34 ecological and landscape variables: climatic (22), soil (eight), vegetation, and land cover (four), were included. We applied Principal Component Analysis correlation, and MaxentVariableSelection procedures to select the most contributing and uncorrelated variables. The selected variables were three climatic (bio5 = maximum temperature of the warmest month, bio8 = mean temperature of the wettest quarter, bio13 = precipitation of the wettest month), three vegetation and land cover (grassland, forest land, and cultivated land proportional areas), and one soil (clay content). Following our analysis, we identified four main chicken agro-ecologies defining four candidates indigenous Tigrayan chicken ecotypes. The study provides baseline information for phenotypic and genetic characterisation as well as conservation interventions of indigenous Tigrayan chickens.

Host response to successive challenges with lentogenic and velogenic Newcastle disease virus in local chickens of Ghana

Newcastle disease (ND) is a highly contagious viral disease that constantly threatens poultry production. The velogenic (highly virulent) form of ND inflicts the most damage and can lead to 100% mortality in unvaccinated village chicken flocks. This study sought to characterize responses of local chickens in Ghana after challenging them with lentogenic and velogenic Newcastle disease virus (NDV) strains. At 4 wk of age, chicks were challenged with lentogenic NDV. Traits measured were pre- and post-lentogenic infection growth rates (GR), viral load at 2 and 6 d post-lentogenic infection (DPI), viral clearance rate and antibody levels at 10 DPI. Subsequently, the chickens were naturally exposed to velogenic NDV (vNDV) after anti-NDV antibody titers had waned to levels ≤1:1,700. Body weights and blood samples were again collected for analysis. Finally, chickens were euthanized and lesion scores (LS) across tissues were recorded. Post-velogenic exposure GR; antibody levels at 21 and 34 days post-velogenic exposure (DPE); LS for trachea, proventriculus, intestines, and cecal tonsils; and average LS across tissues were measured. Variance components and heritabilities were estimated for all traits using univariate animal models. Mean pre- and post-lentogenic NDV infection GRs were 6.26 g/day and 7.93 g/day, respectively, but mean post-velogenic NDV exposure GR was −1.96 g/day. Mean lesion scores ranged from 0.52 (trachea) to 1.33 (intestine), with males having significantly higher (P < 0.05) lesion scores compared to females. Heritability estimates for the lentogenic NDV trial traits ranged from moderate (0.23) to high (0.55) whereas those for the vNDV natural exposure trial were very low (≤ 0.08). Therefore, in contrast to the vNDV exposure trial, differences in the traits measured in the lentogenic challenge were more affected by genetics and thus selection for these traits may be more feasible compared to those following vNDV exposure. Our results can form the basis for identifying local chickens with improved resilience in the face of NDV infection for selective breeding to improve productivity.

Ecological niche modelling for delineating livestock ecotypes and exploring environmental genomic adaptation: The example of Ethiopian village chicken

In evolutionary ecology, an “ecotype” is a population that is genetically adapted to specific environmental conditions. Environmental and genetic characterisation of livestock ecotypes can play a crucial role in conservation and breeding improvement, particularly to achieve climate resilience. However, livestock ecotypes are often arbitrarily defined without a detailed characterisation of their agro-ecologies. In this study, we employ a novel integrated approach, combining ecological niche modelling (ENM) with genomics, to delineate ecotypes based on environmental characterisation of population habitats and unravel the signatures of adaptive selection in the ecotype genomes. The method was applied on 25 Ethiopian village chicken populations representing diverse agro-climatic conditions. ENM identified six key environmental drivers of adaptation and delineated 12 ecotypes. Within-ecotype selection signature analyses (using Hp and iHS methods) identified 1,056 candidate sweep regions (SRs) associated with diverse biological processes. While most SRs are ecotype-specific, the biological pathways perturbed by overlapping genes are largely shared among ecotypes. A few biological pathways were shared amongst most ecotypes and the genes involved showed functions important for scavenging chickens, e.g., neuronal development/processes, immune response, vision development, and learning. Genotype-environment association using redundancy analysis (RDA) allowed for correlating ∼33% of the SRs with major environmental drivers. Inspection of some strong candidate genes from selection signature analysis and RDA showed highly relevant functions in relation to the major environmental drivers of corresponding ecotypes. This integrated approach offers a powerful tool to gain insight into the complex processes of adaptive evolution including the genotype × environment (G × E) interactions.

Seroprevalence of Newcastle disease virus antibodies in village chickens in the three senatorial zones of Plateau State, Nigeria

The most common cause of death in village chickens is Newcastle disease (ND). A study was conducted to evaluate the seroprevalence of ND in the three senatorial zones of Plateau State using the haemagglutination inhibition (HI) test. Blood samples were collected from 389 village chickens of various ages and sexes that were maintained on extensive system of management in nine Local Government Areas (LGAs) across the three Senatorial zones. The overall seroprevalence of ND virus antibodies in village chickens was found to be 36.8% which differed statistically (p &gt; 0.05) between LGAs, with the highest prevalence of 8.7% (CI: 6.3–11.9) and lowest prevalence of 1.5% (CI: 0.7–3.3) in Bokkos and Qua’an Pan LGAs, respectively. Also, seroprevalence of NDV antibodies differed significantly (p &gt; 0.05) between the three senatorial zones, with 17.5% (CI: 14.0-21.6) in the Northern senatorial zone and 6.7% (CI: 4.6-9.6) in Southern senatorial zone. In the three senatorial zones of Plateau State, this study found prevalence of ND virus antibodies in village chickens. There is a need to increase awareness regarding the importance of vaccinating village chickens to protect them.