New publication: An analysis of the Impact of Newcastle Disease Vaccination and Husbandry Practice on Smallholder Chicken Productivity in Uganda
Our Monitoring and Evaluation unit has published a new study on the impact of ND vaccination and husbandry practice on smallholder chicken productivity in Uganda. The study was published in the Journal of Preventive Veterinary Medicine (March 2020) and it answers two key questions:
Question 1: Does ND vaccination have a substantial effect on chicken flock production measured by sales, consumption and gifting of chickens and eggs?
Answer: ND vaccination was identified as a significant contributor to flock productivity with an increase of 57% after other management practices that affect flock productivity had been considered, which is generally greater than increases in off-take observed elsewhere in Africa.
Question 2: Can poultry husbandry improvements also lead to a substantial improvement in production measured by the number of birds produced? (Husbandry improvements considered included supplementary feeding, housing and parasite control)
Answer: The ownership of a poultry house had a significant effect of a 37% increase on numbers of birds produced. Deworming and supplementary feeding did not affect the numbers of birds produced, but the weight of the birds was not considered.
This is consistent with results from other studies and enforces the need for vaccination against ND and key diseases for improving the livelihoods of rural communities.
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