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Lamwo, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Poultry farmers in Lamwo district are grappling with huge losses following an outbreak of Coccidiosis that ismainly affecting chicken.
The outbreak has been reported in Locken East, Locken West, Palwal, Ongako, Alenyo and Tadi villages in Wangtit parish, Padibe East Sub County and in the neighbouring Dec, Lagot and Onguu villages in Katum Sub County.
Lucy Acayo, a poultry farmer in Locken village who lost over 70 chickens to the disease, says the high mortality rate has severely impacted her only source of livelihood since selling chicken is her major source of income.
She says her chicken presented with bloody and white diarrhoea, high levels of mucus, drooping wings, loss of appetite and weight loss. Acayo says despite being advised to vaccinate her birds and the high costs of the vaccines, this didn’t help her as the disease wipe out all my chickens within two weeks.
James Ojuku, the Community Farmer’s Field facilitator attached to Padibe East Sub County, says the farmers are to blame for the failure to vaccinate their birds frequently. He, however, says the use of Amaranthus, spinach, garlic, Cassia and Aloe vera can organically control the disease.
Jonathan Okech, a farmer says most of his colleagues are reluctant to using modern vaccines for fear of the cost involved. He says they are now relying on herbs and medicinal plant extracts for poultry disease management.
According to Okech, farmers normally use leaves and wild fruits obtained from the Solanum poison apple is locally known as Ocok as an immediate remedy to repulse disease among their birds. Okech says upon harvesting the poison apple fruit, the farmer pounds the fresh leaves and wild fruits which are then soaked in water and left to settle for some time to get the desired mixture before they are administered to the birds.
Dr. Stanley Avudraga, the Lamwo District Veterinary Officer, says it has been observed that farmers rarely use vaccines to control poultry diseases. He says the department is striving to ensure a change of mindset among farmers.
Dr. Avudraga says the most efficient prevention method against coccidiosis is vaccination. Coccidiosis is a parasitic disease of the intestinal tract of animals caused by coccidian protozoa. It disease spreads from one animal to another by contact with infected faeces or ingestion of infected tissue. Diarrhoea, which may become bloody in severe cases, is the primary symptom.
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