Abstract

Poultry industry in Nigeria constitutes an important agricultural enterprise. The study was conducted to determine the awareness of disease and management practice by poultry farmers in Maiduguri metropolis. A total of 94 structured questionnaires were retrieved from the farmers. Majority of the respondents kept layers (50.00%), and most of them (36.17%) source their birds from Obasanjo’s farm. High number of the respondents (62.77%) partially vaccinated their birds and 82.98% practice intensive system of management. Commercial feed was the most widely used (86.17%) and 54.26% of them feed their birds twice a day. Disease awareness indicates that 25.53% are conversant with newcastle disease, whereas chronic respiratory disease and ectoparasitism had a low awareness (3.19%). Based on constraints in management of birds; cost of feed and diseases with 62.76% and 24.47% respectively are indicated as the most severe constraints. It is therefore recommended that Federal and State veterinary services should come to the aid of farmers in the area of provision of effective and efficient ways of prevention and control of poultry diseases in Maiduguri and Nigeria in general.

Key words: Poultry farmers, awareness, disease, Maiduguri