Plants used for ethnoveterinary treatment of free-range indigenous chicken diseases in Ghana

Abstract

Background: Indigenous chickens raised in free-range production systems constitute a significant source of poultry products, particularly in rural communities. The free-range system exposes indigenous chickens to diseases, with access to veterinary services constrained by the remoteness of most rural settlements. Ethnoveterinary practice is used to manage indigenous chicken diseases in Ghana. This study aimed to take an inventory of the plant species used to treat indigenous chicken ailments and determine their cultural importance in the Adaklu district of the Volta region.

Methods: Ethnoveterinary data on botanicals used for treating chicken diseases were gathered from 120 respondents in the Adaklu district of the Volta region. The cultural significance of species for ethnoveterinary purposes was evaluated using quantitative ethnobotanical indices.

Results: A total of 36 plant species from 25 botanical families were identified to be used for treating chicken ailments. Word frequency of ailments using WordItOut revealed that Newcastle Disease (ND) symptoms, commonly associated with free-range indigenous chickens, were the most common conditions. Mangifera indica and Gymnosporia senegalensis were the most culturally important and versatile plant species applied to treat symptoms associated with Newcastle Disease.

Conclusions: Most plant species cited in this study can be grouped as belonging to fringes of cultural practices due to their infrequent number of mentions and low cultural importance indices. The study recommends documenting indigenous knowledge about ethnomedicine recourses in local communities before they are relegated to fringes of cultural practices.

Keywords: Volta region, Newcastle Disease (ND), Mangifera indica, Gymnosporia senegalensis, idiosyncratic knowledge, perceived efficacy