Nigerian Journal of Rural Sociology Vol. 15, No. 2, March 2015 USE OF ENDOGENOUS KNOWLEDGE IN TREATING PESTS AND DISEASES OF SMALL RUMINANTS IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF 1Omotara, O. A. and 2Olutegbe, N. S. 1 Department of Agricultural Education, Osun State College of Education, Ila , Osun state 2Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, University of , Ibadan E-mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT This paper examined the use of endogenous knowledge in treating pests and diseases of goats and sheep in Obokun Local Government Area of Osun State. Multi stage sampling technique was used to select one hundred and twenty rearers of small ruminants in the study area. Data were collected through a structured interview schedule and analysed using frequency counts and chi-square. Majority (88.3%) of the respondents were female, while 60.0% had one form of education or the other. The mean age was 50.7±16.5years. The most used method in treating pests of small ruminants were adding shea butter oil and salt in treating mange ̅ 1.23 ± 0.67 , hand picking of tick ̅ 1.08 ± 0.76 and rubbing the body of animal with palm kernel oil and salt for lice 0.45 ± 0.77 , while those of diseases include treating helminthiasis with lime orange and grinded pawpaw seed ̅ 1.51 ± 0.63 , using solution of charcoal and bitter leaf for diarrhoea ̅ 1.30 ± 0.64 , and treating catarrh with tobacco snuff and pepper ̅ 1.26 ± 0.63 . Larger proportion (71.7%) of the respondents were categorized as high level users of endogenous methods. Educational level, marital status and sex do not significantly affect the level of use of endogenous knowledge. Endogenous knowledge is still relevant in managing common pest and diseases of small ruminants in the rural areas. It is therefore recommended that the knowledge be documented and incorporated in preventive and curative medicine for ease of passage from generation to generation so as to prevent it from extinction.

Keywords: Endogenous knowledge, small ruminants, ectoparasite and endoparasite, animal diseases, animal Pests.

INTRODUCTION Interestingly, endogenous practices still form Small ruminant animals constitute the most the building blocks on which the foundations and reared livestock among the farm families in development of pharmaceutical industry lie, and because of their ability to convert forages, crop and unless they are understood in their entirety, household residues into meat, fibre, skin and milk. sustainable development may become difficult to Nigeria has a population of 34.5 million goats and attain. The dearth of information on the use of these 22.1 million sheep (Ajala and Adesehinwa, 2008). endogenous knowledge in treating pests and Sheep and goats play significant roles in the social diseases of small ruminants has therefore and well-being of people in developing countries in necessitated this study. This study thereby terms of nutrition, income and intangible benefits investigated the use of endogenous knowledge in such as insurance against emergencies and savings. treating pests and diseases of small ruminants in It is of importance in ceremonies and cultural Obokun local government of Osun state. The purposes (Kogsey, 2004). specific objectives are to: Pests and diseases portend a major risk to 1. Examine the socio economic characteristics of livestock development in Nigeria. The maintenance the small ruminants’ farmers in the area and sustenance of the health of farm animals 2. Identify the sources of information on constitute a major challenge to efficient livestock endogenous methods used in treating pests and production among the rural livestock farmers as diseases pests and diseases affect productivity, increase cost 3. Investigate the uses of endogenous methods in of production, reduce the quantity and quality of treating pests and diseases in the study area. animal products and cause great loss to farmers. 4. Determine the effectiveness of using Small ruminants farmers, majority of whom endogenous methods in treating pests and reside in rural areas hardly take up veterinary diseases of goats and sheep in the study area. treatment of their affected animals, as they often consider it as too expensive to bear and most of the Hypotheses of the study times are not available (Fabusoro et al ., 2007: There is no significant relationship between Oluwafemi, 2009). They thereby result to ethno- selected socio-economic characteristics and the use veterinary treatment to save the lives of their of endogenous knowledge. diseased animals. However, the rural farmers have their own endogenous methods of preventing and METHODOLOGY managing animal diseases. Such knowledge and The study was conducted in Obokun Local practices are rarely documented and are usually Government Area of Osun state, Nigeria. The study passed down orally from generation to generation. area is located on coordinates of 7 o47’00N, 4o43’0E with a land mass area of 527 square

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Nigerian Journal of Rural Sociology Vol. 15, No. 2, March 2015 kiIometers and a population of 116,511 at the 2006 in treating pests and diseases of goats and sheep, census. The study area shares border with Ila local prompting them to either use it more or less. government in the east, local government in the north, local government in the west and Table 1: Socio-economic characteristics of the Atakumosa local government in the south all in respondents Osun state Nigeria. The major towns in the study Variables Freq Perc Parameters area include; Ibokun (headquarter), Esa-Oke, Imesi Age (years) Ile and Otan-Ile. < 22 2 1.7 Mean The area has rainforest vegetation and rainfall 23 – 42 46 28.3 =50.7± 16.5 of about 200cm per year. The set-up of the study 43 – 62 34 28.3 area is mainly rural and the inhabitants are 63 – 82 38 31.7 predominantly farmers who practice mixed Sex cropping and mixed farming. Major livestock in the Male 14 11.7 area include: goats, sheep, poultry, rabbits and pigs. Female 106 88.3 The population of the study consists of livestock Marital farmers in the area rearing small ruminant animals. status A multi-stage sampling technique was used for Single 4 3.3 the study. The local government area was stratified Married 96 80.0 into towns and villages. Six villages were randomly Divorced 4 3.3 selected in the local government area namely; Widowed 16 13.3 Iponda, Ikinyinwa, Idominasi, Ilase, Ilahun and Educational Ilare. Two communities were purposively selected level from each of the villages as a result of the Non formal 48 40 predominance of small ruminant production and ten Adult 4 3.3 respondents were then selected from each of the 12 education community to give a sum of one hundred and Primary 32 26.7 twenty respondents. Secondary 36 30.0 Primary data used for the study were collected Tertiary - - through the administration of interview schedule Livestock tailored towards realizing the objectives of the reared study. Data were analysed using frequency counts, Goat 120 100 percentage, means and standard deviation, while Sheep 36 38.3 chi square was used to draw inferences. Livestock farming RESULTS AND DISCUSSION experience Socioeconomic characteristics (years) Results in Table 1 reveal that higher proportion Less than 10 46 38.3 Mean (60%) of the respondents were above 42years. The 11 – 20 36 30.0 =17.3 ±10.1 mean age was 50.7years ± 16.5. This shows that 21 – 30 24 20.0 they will still be agile and have strength to take 31 – 40 12 10.0 care of the animals. Age could also be of advantage 41 – 50 2 1.7 in terms of experience on the use of endogenous Flock size knowledge. Larger proportion (88.3%) of the 5 - 10 48 40.0 Mean respondents were female. Females had time to take 11 – 15 26 21.7 =14.4±6.11 care of animals. Over one-third (40%) of the 16 – 20 32 26.7 respondents had no formal education, 26.7% had 21 -25 10 8.3 primary education while 30% have secondary 26 -30 2 1.7 education. 31 – 35 2 1.7 The level of education is expected to have influence on the use of endogenous knowledge. All Sources of information on endogenous the respondents were engaged in rearing of goat knowledge used in treating pests and diseases of while only 38.3% engaged in rearing of sheep. small ruminants They engaged in subsistence form of rearing and Table 2 shows that 85.0% of the respondents the mean of the flock size was 14.4 ± 6.1. The source of information on endogenous knowledge mean of the livestock farming experience was 17.3 used was from family and relatives, followed by ± 10.1 which indicates that majority of the friends 74.2% while the least was obtained from respondents had longer experience of rearing small printed materials and television respectively. This ruminants and by implication would have known finding is in support of Fullas (2010) who observed how effective the use of endogenous knowledge are that similar to traditional knowledge ethno-

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Nigerian Journal of Rural Sociology Vol. 15, No. 2, March 2015 veterinary medicinal plant knowledge is not Pests Endogenous method used Mean documented, it is simply transferred verbally from Tick Hand picking, Use pin to 0.45 generation to generation and thus risk the danger of detached and add kerosene extinction. The low proportion in printed materials, to the surface radio, and television is an indication that Lice rubbing / bath the body of 1.08 endogenous knowledge in treating small ruminants the animal with palm kernel in the area has not been adequately documented. oil and salt Mange Scrap the surface with oil Table 2: Sources of information on endogenous palm frond and use husk of 1.23 knowledge used in treating pests and diseases of maize to apply a mixture of small ruminants shea butter oil and salt. Sources Frequency Percentage Rank Used engine oil can also be Friends 89* 74.2 2nd applied in lieu. Family and 102 85.0 1st Diseases relatives Pet des petit Drench with extract of 0.58 Extension 22 18.3 3rd bitter leaf and lime orange agents Foot and Grind the fruit of 0.83 Printed 08 6.7 6th mouth Adansonia digilata (Ose) materials diseases with alligator pepper, paste Radio 18 15.0 4th it to the affected area Television 10 8.3 5th Mouth Drench the animal with 1.18 * Multiple responses foaming palm oil Source: Field survey, 2015 Pneumonia Drench the animal with Aframomumm elegnata 0.30 Use of endogenous method in treating pests and (Ata ire) and Iyere. Soak diseases of small ruminants Khaya senegalis (Oganwo) Table 3 indicates that the most used stem bark and give its water endogenous knowledge in curing pests of sheep to drink and goats were applying shea butter oil and salt for Anthrax Drench with bitter leaf and 1.17 the treatment of mange x1.23 ± 0.67 , rubbing the lime orange body of the animal with palm kernel oil and salt for Brucellosis Drench with bitter leaf and 0.99 lice x 1.08 ± 0.76 and hand picking of tick lime orange x 0.45 ± 0.77 . The table further reveals that the Bloat Give the animal palm oil to 0.19 most used endogenous knowledge in treating drink diseases of small ruminants were drenching the Diarhoea Drench the animal with 1.30 animal with extract of bitter leaf and lime to mixture of charcoal and eliminate helminthes x 1.51 ± 0.63 , drenching bitter leaf or bitter leaf and small ruminants with charcoal and bitter leaf to momordica charanta cure diarrhea x 1.30 ± 0.64 and inserting tobacco (Ejirin), Squeeze siam weed snuff and pepper into the nose of the animal to and drench the animal. ward off catarrh x 1.26 ± 0.63 . Foot rot Rub the affected part with 0.73 The implication of this is that rural farmers are hot ash and lime orange still using endogenous method in treating their (citrus aurantifolia) animals because of its effectiveness and this Mastitis Squeeze the leaves of corroborates with the findings of Ibe and Martins Spondias monbim (iyeye) 0.22 (2005) who observed that the medicinal plants used and drench the animal. under traditional system were found to be effective Massage the udder with the in treating quite a lot of problems of the digestive leaves too tracts, some reproductive problems and skin Cough Drench the animal with diseases. Also Jegede et al (2007) reported that palm oil /palm kernel oil 1.20 most of farmers treated their animals by themselves (adin eyan) / lime orange. using traditional method in rural communities. This Give Bridelia ferruginea is possible because most farmers have experience (ira) stem bark soak in of raising animals for years. They are able to water to the animal to drink identify, diagnose and treat animals using local Conjuctivitis Drop water from soaked 0.19 method available to them. cassava tubers into the eye of the animal Table 3: Distribution of respondents based on the Cattarh Put a little tobacco snuff use of endogenous methods in treating pests and and grinded pepper in the diseases of small ruminants nose of the animal, Give a 1.26

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Pests Endogenous method used Mean grounded bark of Bridelia Perceived effectiveness of endogenous method ferruginea (ira) and pepper used in treating pests and diseases of small with locust (iru) for the ruminants animal to eat The study (in Table 5) reveals that all the Helminthes Drench with bitter leaf and endogenous methods used by the respondents to lime orange, Drench with a 1.51 treat the pests and diseases of small ruminants in mixture of grinded dry the study area were perceived effective, with none pawpaw seeds and palm falling below a pre-determined mean of 2.0 by their kernel oil .Ocimum rating. The Table further uses the weighted mean of gratisimum (Efirinnla) are each method to rank these methods in order of often used. priority. The study therefore reveals that the most effectively treated pest-related challenges were Level of usage of endogenous knowledge in those of treatment against mange. x 2.42 ± 0.50 , treating pests and diseases of goats and sheep by scraping the surface with oil palm frond and As shown in Table 4, the level of usage of using husk of maize to apply a mixture of shea endogenous method in treating pests and diseases butter oil and salt. This was followed by lice was high (71.7%) among the respondents. This x 2.40 ± 0.67 , rubbling / bathing the body of the may be due to its effectiveness, accessibility, animal with palm kernel oil and salt. availability and affordability. The findings is in Those of diseases were helminthes x 2.66 ± consonance with Kone et al ., (2012) and Jabbar et 0.51 and diarrhea x 2.60 ± 0.49 , drenching the al ., (2005) that ethno-botanical remedies are animal with mixture of charcoal and bitter leaf. economical, safe, and generally have no problem of This was followed by cough x 2.47 ± 0.56 .The drug resistance, easily available, simple to prepare use of shea butter oil and salt for the treatment of and administer and at free of cost to the farmers. mange agrees with the findings of Kolawole (2007) Therefore, small ruminants’ farmers have reasons who reported the use of palm oil and salt in treating to be using endogenous methods despite a wide mange while the use of tobacco leaves to cure network of veterinary medicine. catarrh and lice aligns with the reports of Moreki et al .,(2010).The use of bitter leaf plants in treating Table 4: Distribution of respondents on level of diarrhoea and elimination of worms agrees with usage of endogenous knowledge in treating pests that of Chah, et al ., (2009) and the use of Bridelia and diseases of goats and sheep ferruginea stem bark for the treating of cough Level of use Freq Perc Mean Std dev aligns with that of Adeola, et al ., (2014). Low ≤ 14.4 34 28,3 14.4 2.72 High ≥ 14.5 86 71.7

Table 5: Distribution of perception on effectiveness of endogenous method used in treating pests and diseases of small ruminants Target health challenge VE E LE NE Mean Tick 33.3 56.7 10.0 0.0 2.23 Lice 50.0 40.0 10.0 0.0 2.40 Mange 41.7 58.3 0.0 0.0 2.42 Diseases Pet des petit 5.0 90.0 5.0 0.0 2.00 Foot and mouth diseases 21.7 66.7 8.3 3.3 2.07 Mouth foaming 26.7 73.3 0.0 0.0 2.27 Pneumonia 12.5 82.5 5.0 0.0 2.08 Anthrax 6.7 78.3 6.7 0.0 2.08 Brucellosis 20.0 76.7 3.3 0.0 2.17 Bloat 12.5 77.5 8.3 1.7 2.01 Diarrhoea 59.2 40.8 0.0 0.0 2.60 Foot rot 34.2 60.8 5.0 0.0 2.29 Mastitis 13.3 80.0 6.7 0.0 2.07 Cough 46.7 53.3 0.0 0.0 2.47 Conjuctivitis 11.7 83.3 5.0 0.0 2.07 Cattarh 40.8 55.8 3.3 0.0 2.38 Helminthes 67.5 30.8 1.7 0.0 2.66

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Nigerian Journal of Rural Sociology Vol. 15, No. 2, March 2015 Categorisation of respondents based on Family, relatives and friends were the major perceived effectiveness of endogenous method sources of endogenous knowledge in treating pests used in treating small ruminants and diseases of small ruminants and these Table 6 reveals that over half (56.7%) of the endogenous knowledge were not adequately respondents perceived the endogenous method used documented. The level of usage of endogenous in treating pests and diseases of ruminants as highly method by the respondents as well as the effective and this justifies the reasons why its level perception of its effectiveness was high. of usage was also high (71.7%) in the area of study. Educational level, marital status and sex did not The finding agrees with that of Ogunlela (2007) significantly affect the level of usage of who argued that most of the drugs that feature in endogenous methods in treating pests and diseases pharmaceutical industry derive their origin from of small ruminants. one or more plant products with different parts The study therefore recommended that having uses in the treatment of human and animal endogenous knowledge must be well documented ailments. Medicinal plants are thus best described and centers for alternative medicine should be as the bedrock of pharmaceutical industry. established in each state of the federation. The rural livestock farmers are making use of Exchange of knowledge on endogenous methods their indigenous medicinal plants that have been should be encouraged by extension agents through tested and trusted in curing pests and diseases their programmes and incorporated into preventive ravaging their farm animals. Plants contain and curative medicine for ease of passage from antihelminthes, antimicrobials, acaricides, generation to generation in order to prevent it from multivitamins, mineral supplements and going into extinction. anticoccidials thus its continuous usage in treating pests and diseases of animal.. REFERENCES Adeola, A.O., Adewole, S.O. and Olofintoye, L.K. Table 6: Distribution of perception scores of 2012. Studies on Ethno-veterinary Practice respondents on effectiveness of endogenous in Ruminants in Ekiti State Nigeria. method used in treating small ruminants Research Journal of Agriculture and Level of Freq Perc Mean Std dev Environmental Management. 3 (12):632 - effectiveness 645. Low (≤ 38.2) 52 43.3 38.2 2.23 Ajala, M.K. and Adesehinwa, A.O.K. 2008. High ( ≥ 38.3) 68 56.7 Analysis of Pig Marketing in Zango-Kataf of Local Government Area of Kaduna Socio-economic characteristics of the State Nigeria. Nigeria Tropicultura 26: respondents and level of use of endogenous 229 – 239. knowledge Chah, J.M, Igbokwe,E.M. and K.F. Chah Table 7 shows that there was no significant 2009.Ethno-Veterinary Medicine Used in relationship between age, sex, educational level and Small Ruminant Health in the Eastern level of use of endogenous knowledge. This Guinea Savannah Nigeria. Nigeria implies that whether one is young or old, male or Livestock Research For Rural female, literate or non-literate does not affect the Development 21 (12) usage of endogenous knowledge in the study area. Fabusoro, E., Lawal-Adebowale, O.A. and This may rather be a question of its accessibility, Akinloye, A.K. 2007. A Study of Rural availability and affordability of these materials and Livestock Farmers’ Patronage of services required. Veterinary Services for Health Care of Small Farm Animals in Table 7: Chi-square analysis of relationship OgunState.Nigerian Journal of Animal between socio economic characteristics of the Production. 34 (1): 132 – 138. respondents and levelof use of endogenous Fullas, F. 2010. Ethiopian Medicinal Plants in knowledge Veterinary Health Care: A mini review . Ee Variable X2 Df p - value Decision– JRIF 2 (1): 48 – 58. Remark Sex 0.267 1 0.411 Ibe, A.E.,Martin,Not Significant I.N. 2005.Accept null Identification, hypothesis Marital status 0.131 3 0.069 NotCollection Significant and Accept Domestication null hypothesis of Educational level 0.222 3 0.118 NotMedicinal Significant Plants in Acc Southeasternept null hypothesis Nigeria. Federal University of Technology CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS Owerri,Imo State, Council for the Based on the findings of the study the Development of Social Science Research following conclusions were drawn: The in Africa. respondents were in their productive age with a Jabbar, A., Akttar, M.S..Muhammad, G., Lateef, mean of 50.7. Larger proportion of the respondents M., 2005. Possible role of Ethnoveterinary were female with a mean flock size of 14.4. Medicine in Poverty Reduction in

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