Chicken parasites and local treatments used against them in Mbeere District, Kenya

Abstract

Poultry is the most kept livestock and almost every household in villages has about 5-20 indigenous chicken reared under free range management system. Seventeen (17) farmers in Mbeere District, Kenya were interviewed using questionnaire to evaluate constraints, types of parasites and local treatments used. The main constraints were diseases (88.0%) and parasites (70.6%). Ectoparasites commonly encountered were ticks and fleas, at prevalence rate of 47.1% each; and mites and lice at 17.6% each. Endoparasites occurred at a rate of 29.1%. Majority (71.0%) of the farmers treated against endoparasites, using mainly piperazine citrate (35.3%). Others (82.4%) controlled ectoparasites using cabaryl (53.0%), cooking oil (11.6%), ectomin (11.6%), while 23.5% did not know the type of treatment they had given. Sixty five percent (65.0%) of the respondents used herbal medicine, such as Aloe-vera (29.4%), pepper (17.7%), ‘’mikau’’ (11.7%) and‘’githongu’’ (Solanum incanum) (11.7%). Majority of the farmers controlled for ecto- and endo-parasites