ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING, NUTRITION AND HEALTH MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AMONG SMALLHOLDER SHEEP FARMERS IN EJIGBO LOCAL AREA, OSUN GOVERNMENT STATE, NIGERIA. 1 2 1

• B. O. Alabi

  Department of Animal Science, Osun State University, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria. Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Osun State University, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria. Correspondent author: banwo.alabi

  Author

• A. O. Busari

  Department of Animal Science, Osun State University, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria. Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Osun State University, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria. Correspondent author: banwo.alabi

  Author

• E. Ogunleti

  Department of Animal Science, Osun State University, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria. Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Osun State University, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria. Correspondent author: banwo.alabi

  Author

This study assessed the housing, nutrition and health management practices among smallholder sheep farmers in Ejigbo Local Government Area of Osun State, Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select one hundred and twenty smallholder sheep farmers as sample for study. Data were collected with structured interview schedule. Data were analysed with both descriptive and inferential. The results of the descriptive analysis showed that majority of the smallholder sheep farmers were middle-aged married male farmers and traders with low level of formal education. Furthermore, most of them sourced their breeding flock from open market, rear West African dwarf (WAD) sheep, practice free range system, fed their animals with cassava chips, employed self-medication, using herbs in the treatment of their diseased animals and sell their animals directly.The results of inferential statistics revealed a significant difference in breeds of sheep kept and method of treatment of diseases. There is a positive and significant relationship between the religion and sheep keeping, farmers' household size and their flock size, sheep keeping experience and flock size. This study concluded that poor livestock management practices among smallholder sheep farmers could limit the performance and profitability of the sheep enterprise; hence smallholder sheep farmers should be encouraged to adopt improved livestock management practices to increase their productivity. peri-urban areas (Momoh and Ochaba, 2002). Statistics have shown that more than half of Nigeria's livestock is traditionally managed. About 99.75% of cattle, 99.97% of goats, 99.84% of sheep, 90.75% of pigs and 86.17% of chickens are traditionally managed (Njoku, 2005). Therefore, adequate attention must be given to the traditional livestock industry in any attempt to raise the level of meat production in the country. Shaib et al (1997) stated that in order to bridge protein deficiency gap in the diet of an average Nigerian, there is need to increase the production of domestic animals, especially small ruminants, which are often the conventional sources of animal protein in the diet of the average Nigerian. Introduction In Nigeria, small ruminants which represent about 63.7% of total grazing domestic livestock are widely distributed in rural, urban and peri-urban areas. There are estimated national population of 22.1 million sheep (FDLPCS, 1992; Ajala et al, 2008). Small ruminants play significant roles in the nutrition, social and economic life of Nigerians. In most cases, the small ruminants are not kept strictly to provide meat for the household, or as a regular source of cash income. The importance of scavenging sheep is rather as a savings account or insurance policy, that is, they are sold when extra cash is needed. They also play a specific role in social life, when at weddings and other festivities they are presented as gifts or slaughtered as ceremonial meat (Ajala et al, 2008). The major threats to livestock production and productivity in Nigeria, especially small ruminants such as sheep and goats include housing, health, feeding, high incidence of pest and diseases, parasite infestation, high mortality rate and fluctuating market prices (Doma et al., 1999; Ajala, 2004). High economic losses arising from stunted growth, debility, poor reproductive performance or death in affected animals limit the level of economic returns from small ruminants' enterprise (Jawara, 1990). Similarly, parasite infestation and diseases have significantly reduce economic value of the small ruminant enterprise According to Ajala (2004), it has been reported that small ruminants dominated the cultural life and system of Nigeria's peasantry. Olaloku (1999) posited that the Nigerian livestock industry is structured in such a way that 80-90% of the nation's livestock are dominated by small-holders and other traditional groups. The main contributor to the meat industry in Nigeria is the subsistence animal husbandry; which consists of small herds and flocks that are kept in the rural, urban and 7

1. B. O. Alabi, Department of Animal Science, Osun State University, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria. Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Osun State University, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria. Correspondent author: banwo.alabi

   Department of Animal Science, Osun State University, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria. Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Osun State University, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria. Correspondent author: banwo.alabi

2. A. O. Busari, Department of Animal Science, Osun State University, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria. Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Osun State University, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria. Correspondent author: banwo.alabi

   Department of Animal Science, Osun State University, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria. Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Osun State University, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria. Correspondent author: banwo.alabi

3. E. Ogunleti, Department of Animal Science, Osun State University, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria. Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Osun State University, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria. Correspondent author: banwo.alabi

   Department of Animal Science, Osun State University, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria. Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Osun State University, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria. Correspondent author: banwo.alabi

• PDF