Abstract:
Newcastle disease was identified as the major constraint to enhanced productivity in free-range poultry. In Uganda, the use of the ND 1-2 thermostable vaccine is being promoted for Newcastle disease control in village chickens. This will eventually result into eradicating poverty in rural areas of Africa. The study was therefore conducted in Iki-Iki Sub County, Budaka district to assess factors influencing adoption of thermostable Newcastle-vaccine.
A total of 60 chicken fanners were randomly selected from the different villages in the Sub County and interviewed using a questionnaire and the corresponding answers were noted. Some research assistants were trained on how to collect the data. The information collected induced vaccine adoption factors such as, the vaccine's effectiveness, affordability, ease of availability, fanners' knowledge about the thermostable vaccine, and husbandry practices such as housing, supplementary feeding, disease management, importance of chicken in the socio-economic life of the community. The data collected was analysed using SPSS version 16 and the results presented. using tables, graphs and pie charts;
The study revealed that 58.3% were females and 51.7% of these females kept birds under free range management system due to the influence by different women groups, and associations. The study also showed that 64% kept the poultry mainly for home consumption and sale. The Study further
revealed that 61% of the respondents had chicken houses made from 'locally available materials like dried. mud. and 73.3% of the chicken houses were only used at night in order to protect the birds from bad weather, predators and also theft the results of the study also showed that 95% of the respondents vaccinated their birds with 61.4% using neighbours who had some-knowledge on the way of vaccine administration. From the study; initially, 95% of the respondents had adopted the thermostable vaccine but now, 81%, no longer use this vaccine.
The factors that influenced adoption included; availability, affordability and desire to try out a new product at 38.3%,.35% and 6.7% respectively. However, after one and half years of vaccine usage, fanners stopped using this vaccine because it killed birds instead especially the chicks, Community vaccinators and farmers should consider proper handling of the vaccine and need to be sensitized on factors which hinder effectiveness of vaccine.
