Abstract:
This study was conducted to document medicinal plants used in management of poultry diseases among rural poultry fanners in Yabiavoko parish, Arua district, with a general objective of identifying and documenting the medicinal plants used in treatment and control of various poultry diseases. A total of 223 poultry farmers were purposively selected for the study in Yabiavoko and the data was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire, observation guide, key informant interviews and field guided walk from May to June 2018. Voucher specimens that were used to treat and control poultry diseases were collected, and botanically identified. A total of 27 medicinal plant species belonging to 24 families were identified and documented. Medicinal plants families of the 24 families were Solanaceae (.1.6.6%), Meliaceae (8.3.%), Asteraceae·(8.3%), Anacardiaeeae (8.3%) and the rest of the families taking up 4.1 percent of the plants. The major factors that limit use Of medicinal plants were; seasonal availability of the plants (29.0%), deforestation (24.7%), emergency of modern veterinary drugs (0.8%), wild fires (16.5%), Retainment of knowledge by some farmers, rareness of some plants (6.3 %), low efficacy (1.5 %) , inadequate documentation (0.4%), over-exploitation (2.7%.), poor conservation strategies (2..0%) and Climate change (2.7%). The major preperation methods for medicinal remedies were; C6h,1 extraction (71.3%), powder extract (10.7%), concoction (5.4%) decoction (5.4%.) and others (7.2%). Many medicinal plants have not been documented in Arua district, therefore documentation of these plants with their indigenous knowledge is highly needed before their extinction due to over exploitation. Further scientific research is paramount test efficacy of these medicinal plants
