Biosecurity Measures and Constraints Among Rural Poultry Farmers in Zamfara State, Nigeria

Poor biosecurity and Newcastle disease continues to be a major constraint to rural poultry production system in Nigeria. This study was conducted among 200 poultry farmers in the state with the use of questionnaire to assess the level of biosecurity and constraints among rural poultry farmers in six Local Government Areas of Zamfara State, Nigeria. Information obtained from respondents showed that, only about 12% of the farmers practice combination of hand washing and footbath in their poultry pens as well. Only about 13% of the farmers most times clean their pens and 50% of the respondents dispose carcasses by refuse dumping. Newcastle disease is reported as the most common disease and the major clinical signs were greenish diarrhoea and twisting of neck. During outbreaks the most farmers preferred to slaughter (42.5%), while the others treat (27.0%) the birds with veterinary methods. Antibiotics (25.0%), antiviral agents (4.0%) and local remedies (33.0%). Most of the respondents (53.0%) sometimes clean their poultry pen. Finally, it concluded that, the low level of commercial poultry production in the study area might be due to poor practices by the farmers. So, it is recommended that, government should put program about training poultry farmers on biosecurity, disease prevention and the adoption of modern husbandry practices suitable for the traditional poultry production system.