EVALUATION OF FOWL CHOLERA RELATED MORTALITY IN SMALL POULTRY FARMS IN OWERRI WEST IMO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study was conducted in Owerri west Local Government Area of Imo State. in the tropical rain forest zone of Nigeria. The data was collected through the use of closed ended questionnaires and organized informative oral interview with selected poultry farm owners. The questionnaires carried questions such as literacy, occupation, production system, and knowledge of fowl cholera. Field visits to the poultry houses and discussions were also used for investigation for the purpose of the study. The data obtained from the distributed questionnaires were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results of avian pasteurellosis in Owerri west during the study showed that the overall mean percentage of mortality was 12.5± 1.88 with Umuguma having the highest mortality with 20.69± 2.90 and lowest in Obinze, Okolochi and Okuku with 6.90± 1.98 From the findings, most farmers were not adequately equipped to mitigate the spread of this disease and in extension prevents the increase in mortality rate of these birds.