Resource Use Efficiency In Poultry Egg Production In Maiduguri And Environs Of Borno State, Nigeria

Poultry enterprise is significant to Borno State and the Nigerian economy as whole because it provides a good source of animal protein in form of meat and eggs. The study estimated resources use efficiency in poultry egg production in Maiduguri and Environs of Borno State, Nigeria. The specific objectives were to: examine the socio-economic characteristic of poultry farmers; examine the poultry egg production system practiced by farmers; and estimate the efficiency of resource used in poultry egg production. Purposive sampling technique was employed for the study. Ten (10) wards were purposively selected out of the existing fifteen (15) wards in the area. These are areas where poultry egg producers are predominantly found. From each of the ten (10) wards, five (5) poultry egg producers were randomly selected, giving a total sample size of fifty (50) respondents for the study. Data were obtained with the aid of structured questionnaire administered to fifty (50) poultry egg producers. Descriptive statistics and multiple regression model were used as analytical technique. The finding shows that majority (82%) of the respondents were male, 68% were married, 62% were within the age group of 31-35 years, while 42% had between 11-20 persons in their households in the study area. The result also indicates that 46% of the respondents had secondary education, 58% of the respondent had between N51, 000- N100, 000, while 52% of the respondents had flock sizes ranging from 101-200. The finding shows that 26% of the respondent practised free range system, about 40% practised battery cage system while, 34% practised deep litter system of poultry production in the study area. The total sum of the elasticties of poultry egg production of the resources was 1.748. The finding also reveals that the ratios of the MVP to the MFC were less than unity (1) for all the inputs. It was recommended among others that: poultry egg producers should reduce the quantities of farm inputs such as family labour, hired labour, flock size, feed, depreciating cost of equipment and operating expenses to ensure increase in poultry egg production; and extension agents in the state should be properly trained and provided with all necessary technological packages required to teach and guide farmers on improved poultry egg production. Keywords: Resource Use,  Efficiency, Poultry Egg, Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeri

Mortality in Sahelian goats in Nigeria

The cause of mortality in sahelian goats was investigated in three local government areas of Borno State (Kukawa, Maiduguri and Mongonu) that are known for high goat production. A total of 150 selected flocks (50 flocks from each of the local government areas) were administered questionnaires through spot visits and interviews of the flock owners. On the whole, 644 (21.8%) goats died between May 1996 and April 1997 out of the 2956 goats in the 150 flocks. Mortality (41.4%) was higher in kids