A survey of external parasites of free-range chickens and their ethno-veterinary control remedies used by resource-limited farmers in Eastern Cape, South Africa

In most rural areas, chicken infestation with external parasites poses a challenge to their productivity and associated benefits. External parasites cause anemia, thus reducing growth, egg production and may lead to death. They are mainly controlled by commercial remedies, although resource-limited farmers resort to using alternative remedies which are available and affordable. This study was conducted to document external parasites of free-range chickens and their ethno-veterinary control remedies used by resource-limited farmers. A questionnaire survey was conducted amongst ۹۳ households, ۳ of which were herbalists, in Eastern Cape, South Africa. The farmers considered several external parasites to be a problem: mites (۷۹.۶%) stick tight fleas (۶۴.۵%), lice (۱۰.۸%) and ticks (۶.۵%). Various ethno-veterinary remedies were used to control the parasites, which included ash (۲۸%), madubula (۲۶.۷%) and Jeyes fluid (۱۰%) both of which are comprised of ۱۳% carbolic acid, paraffin (۸.۴%), plants (۵.۲%), used engine oil (۲.۸%), dip wash (۲.۵%), doom spray (d-phenothrin ۰.۴%), blue death (permethrin ۰.۰۳%) (۱.۹%), diesel (۱.۹%), smoke (۰.۹%) and a few (۴.۲%) used conventional insecticides namely karbadust (carbarly ۵%) and mercaptothion ۵%). A small proportion (۷.۵%) does not use either of the remedies. The materials used by resource-limited farmers in controlling parasites were identified and documented.In most rural areas, chicken infestation with external parasites poses a challenge to their productivity and associated benefits. External parasites cause anemia, thus reducing growth, egg production and may lead to death. They are mainly controlled by commercial remedies, although resource-limited farmers resort to using alternative remedies which are available and affordable. This study was conducted to document external parasites of free-range chickens and their ethno-veterinary control remedies used by resource-limited farmers. A questionnaire survey was conducted amongst ۹۳ households, ۳ of which were herbalists, in Eastern Cape, South Africa. The farmers considered several external parasites to be a problem: mites (۷۹.۶%) stick tight fleas (۶۴.۵%), lice (۱۰.۸%) and ticks (۶.۵%). Various ethno-veterinary remedies were used to control the parasites, which included ash (۲۸%), madubula (۲۶.۷%) and Jeyes fluid (۱۰%) both of which are comprised of ۱۳% carbolic acid, paraffin (۸.۴%), plants (۵.۲%), used engine oil (۲.۸%), dip wash (۲.۵%), doom spray (d-phenothrin ۰.۴%), blue death (permethrin ۰.۰۳%) (۱.۹%), diesel (۱.۹%), smoke (۰.۹%) and a few (۴.۲%) used conventional insecticides namely karbadust (carbarly ۵%) and mercaptothion ۵%). A small proportion (۷.۵%) does not use either of the remedies. The materials used by resource-limited farmers in controlling parasites were identified and documented.

Keywords:

Chickens , control , ethno-veterinary , external-parasites , resource-limited farmers