GASTROINTESTINAL PARASITES COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH LOCAL CHICKEN (Galus galus) IN KAFIN HAUSA TOWN, JIGAWA STATE, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

Chicken is one of the most intensively reared of the domesticated species and one of most developed and profitable animal production enterprise. However, chicken production is hindered by many problems among which parasitic diseases are most important. In this present study, a total of five (5) parasites species were identified, among which two are nematodes (Ascaridia galli and Capillaria species.), two are cestodes (Rallietinea species and Davinea proglottina) and one is Eimeria species. The percentage of the parasites identified obtained showed that D. Proglottina has the highest percentage (49.38%), followed by Capillaria species (24.38%), follows by A. Galli (13.90%), Rallietinea species follows by (8.02%) and Eimeria oocyst has the lowest percentage (4.32%). The majority of the species identified in this study have been reported as potentially pathogenic for poultry, inducing ulcerations and nodule formations and varying degrees of enteritis leading to diarrhoea, anorexia, depression, emaciation and death if untreated. Moreover, the result of this study showed that 64 samples out of 100 are infected with at least one parasite, and thus, it was concluded that gastrointestinal parasites especially helminthes are commonly attacking local chicken in Kafin Hausa area of North-western Nigeria and may have consequent effect on productivity.

Keywords: Ascaridia galli, Chicken, Gastrointestinal, Kafin Hausa, Parasites