Preliminary survey of ectoparasites of chicken in Awka, south-eastern Nigeria

A total of 4650 domestic chickens, comprising 1410 cocks (30.3 %), 2550 hens (54.8 %) and 690 chicks (14.8 %), displayed for sales between February and May 2008 at Eke-Awka market in Anambra State, south-eastern Nigeria were systematically examined for ectoparasites. Most of the cocks originated from the North while the hens and chicks were raised on nearby farms in Anambra and Enugu States. Overall, ectoparasites infested about 40.5 % of the chickens examined. The wing louse, Lipeurus caponis moderately infested 1935 chickens (41.61 %). The shaft louse, Menopon gallinae, extensively infested 2205 (31.90 %), while the fluff louse, Gonoicotes gallinae, lightly infested 471 (7.07 %) chickens. The sticktight flea, Echidnophaga gallinacea, attacked the head region of 3087 (69.37 %) while the symptoms of scaly leg mite, Knemidocoptes mutans, was observed on 1679 (27.70 %) of the birds, respectively. Market survey revealed a depreciation of about 10 to 20 % in the selling prizes of the affected chickens, a positive indication that ectoparasites on chickens are associated with financial losses incurred by operatives of the poultry industry in Nigeria.