Knowledge level and poultry farmers’ perception on poultry management practices in Niger State, Nigeria.

Abstract

This study was conducted in Niger State, Nigeria to determine the knowledge level and poultry farmers’ perception on improved poultry farming practices. Multi-stage sampling technique was employed to sample 120 poultry farmers used in this study. Data collected Data were collected through structured questionnaire complimented with interview schedule and analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics such as ordinary least square regression. Based on the findings of this study, majority (82.5%) of the respondents were still in their active and productive age (ie, between 21 – 30 years), with mean age of 35 years; less than half (45.8%) of the respondents acquired formal education, with a mean of 6 years of schooling. Majority (66.7%) were small–scale farmers with an average 657 number of birds. Farmers’ knowledge level in terms of de–beaking, vaccination, de–worming, feeding and feed formulation, watering, transportation, record keeping, finance management and medication were found to be high based on their mean score values, while knowledge level of culling, waste disposal, egg picking, packaging and marketing, bio–security principles were found to be low. Poultry famers however, perceived all aspects of management practices training received as relevant. The regression analysis revealed R2 value of 0.876 as cost of medication/vaccine, quantity of feed, depreciation on capital items and access to credit had t–value of -3.395, -11.582, 2.543, and 2.218, respectively and were found to have significant effect on the income of poultry farmers. The respondents’ indicated that unavailability of market ( =3.93), poor power supply ( =3.63), long distance to poultry farm ( =3.25) and poor access to credit ( =3.20) constitute the serious constraints faced by the poultry farmers. It was therefore recommended that training of poultry farmers on different aspect of poultry management practices should be given adequate priority in enhancing increase poultry production.