Environmental hazards in Peri-Urban poultry farming in western kenya
View/ Open
Date
2015Author
Osolo, Nyende Kefa.
Wanambacha, Wakhungu Jacob.
Obiri, John
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Poultry keeping is popular in peri-urban centres of Kenya. Poultry wastes arising from
intensive poultry units may become too large to be absorbed in the immediate areas of
production as crop plots and gardens decrease in size in urban centres leading to potential for
environmental hazards. This study was conducted in four urban centres of Bungoma, Eldoret,
Kakamega and Kisumu to evaluate the contribution of poultry wastes to environmental hazards.
Manure samples were collected from 40 randomly selected intensive poultry farms and taken
to the Kenya Bureau of Standards laboratory for microbial and heavy metal content analysis.
There was no significant variation in E.coli levels between the four municipalities (p-value >
0.353) as well as between the poultry manure types (p-value > 0.823). There was a statistically
significant interaction between manure condition and municipalities and the Salmonella levels,
F (2, 33) = 6.266, p < 0.005. There was lack of evidence to dispute the claim that the means
concentration (mg kg-1
) of mercury [F (3, 33) = 1.035, p < 0.390] as well as copper [F (3, 35)
= 0.084, p > 0.968] in poultry manures was similar across the four municipalities. This means
that the heavy metal contents in the manure in the study area was below levels that could be
considered hazardous in the manure if handled as waste. Strict hygiene and bio-security was
recommended. It was recommended that Bio-security and hygiene should be included in the
poultry extension programmes and training curricula.
Collections
The following license files are associated with this item: