Constraints and prospects of turkey production in Enugu state south-eastern Nigeria

The study was conducted to gather relevant information on turkey management, andprevalent diseases in turkeys, constraints and prospects of turkey production in Enugu state.The study was conducted in nine local government areas in the three senatorial zones of Enugu State, Nigeria covering 297 turkey keepers. A structured questionnaire was administered and information on the socio-economic characteristics of turkey producers, production patterns, management practices, prevalent diseases in turkeys and the common problems facing turkey production in Enugu State were identified and collected. The finding of the study indicated that turkey production was carried out mainly by adult female (53.0%), who were either secondary school holders (40.7%) or degree holders (26.3%). Majority (48.1%) had no previous experience in turkey production, however (52.3% involved in the business were within 36-50 years old. Turkey production in Enugu State was generally a part-time occupation as respondents were engaged in other primary occupation such as crop farming (32.6%), trading (24.6%) and civil service (18.5%). Turkeys were kept in small numbers (1-20) along with local chicken, exotic chicken, guinea fowl and ducks by a large (84.6%) number of the farmers. Majority (44.1%) of the turkey keepers in the study area adopted intensive system of management whereas a few (15.8%) allowed their turkeys to roam around. Constraints to turkey production as identified by the farmers in the study area were high cost of feed (86.5%), early poult mortality (85.2%), inadequate access to veterinary care (78.80%), unavailability and high cost of poult (74.40%), lack of management skills (63.3%) and lack of capital (61.7%).Fowl pox (69.0%) and Newcastle disease (57.6%) were the main disease problem constantly encountered and these diseases limit production in the study area. Turkey farmers affirmed that turkey production is a profitable and promising venture based on turkeys\u0027 high survival rate, ability to resist diseases and the cash generated after sale of the turkeys. In conclusion, despite the factors limiting turkey production as outlined by the respondents, turkey production has great potential in bridging the animal protein supply therefore, poultry farmers should be encouraged by government to increase their level of production by establishing reliable breeding centres in the south-east Nigeria which will ensure regular supply of day old poult, prompt disease control by employment of more veterinarians and provide soft loans to farmers.\n \n \nL\u0027etude a ete menee pour recueillir des informations pertinentes sur la gestion des dindes et les maladies repandues chez les dindes, les contraintes et les perspectives de la production de dindes dans l\u0027Etat d\u0027Enugu au Nigeria. L\u0027etude a ete menee dans neuf zones de gouvernement local dans les trois zones senatoriales de l\u0027Etat d\u0027Enugu, au Nigeria, couvrant 297 eleveurs de dindes. Un questionnaire structure a ete administre et des informations sur les caracteristiques socio-economiques des producteurs de dinde, les modes de production, les pratiques de gestion, les maladies repandues chez les dindes et les problemes courants auxquels est confrontee la production de dinde dans l\u0027Etat d\u0027Enugu ont ete identifiees et collectees. Les resultats de l\u0027etude ont indique que la production de dinde etait principalement realisee par des femmes adultes (53,0%), qui etaient soit titulaires d\u0027une ecole secondaire (40.7%), soit titulaires d\u0027un diplome (26.3%). La majorite (48.1%) n\u0027avait aucune experience anterieure dans la production de dinde, mais (52.3%) impliques dans l\u0027entreprise avaient entre 36 et 50 ans. La production de dinde dans l\u0027Etat d\u0027Enugu etait generalement une activite a temps partiel, car les personnes interrogees exercaient d\u0027autres activites primaires telles que l\u0027agriculture (32.6%), le commerce (24.6%) et la function publique (18.5%). Les dindes etaient elevees en petit nombre (1 a 20) avec du poulet local, du poulet exotique, de la pintade et des canards par un grand nombre (84.6%) des agriculteurs. La majorite (44.1%) des eleveurs de dindes de la zone d\u0027etude ont adopte un systeme de gestion intensif tandis que quelques-uns (15.8%) ont laisse leurs dindes se deplacer. Les contraintes a la production de dindes identifiees par les eleveurs dans la zone d\u0027etude etaient le cout eleve des aliments (86.5%), la mortalite precoce des dindonneaux (85.2%), l\u0027acces insuffisant aux soins veterinaires (78.80%), l\u0027indisponibilite et le cout eleve des dindonneaux (74.40%).), le manque de competences en gestion (63.3%) et le manque de capital (61.7%). La variole aviaire (69.0%) et la maladie de Newcastle (57.6%) ont ete le principal probleme de maladie constamment rencontre et ces maladies limitent la production dans la zone d\u0027etude. Les eleveurs de dindes ont affirme que la production de dindes etait une entreprise rentable et prometteuse basee sur le taux de survie eleve des dindes, leur capacite a resister aux maladies et les revenus generes apres la vente des dindes. En conclusion, malgre les facteurs limitant la production de dinde comme indique par les repondants, la production de dinde a un grand potentiel pour combler l\u0027approvisionnement en proteines animales.Par consequent, les aviculteurs devraient etre encourages par le gouvernement a augmenter leur niveau de production en etablissant des centres d\u0027elevage fiables dans le sud-est du Nigeria, qui garantira un approvisionnement regulier en dindonneaux d\u0027un jour, un controle rapide de la maladie par l\u0027emploi de plus de veterinaries et accordera des prets a des conditions avantageuses aux agriculteurs.