Traditional herbal preparations for indigenous poultry health management in Western Kenya

Abstract

Conventional disease prevention methods are geared towards birds in confinement and not free range in an indigenous poultry production system. However, the existing indigenous technical knowledge inherited from past generations has sustained the local poultry production system. This knowledge is passed on verbally and is hardly documented. The study reportedly collected information on traditional preparations (e.g herbs) in Kimilili and South Wanga of Bungoma and Butere/Mumias districts respectively. Its objective being to document existing plant material (herbs) and any other traditional preparations used for poultry health management in rural poultry production systems. The study confirmed the existence of vast local knowledge for indigenous poultry health management. The preparations are usually more than one-plant parts whose amounts are not specific. They usually target symptoms of diseases, which were encoded into specific diseases. Aloe Vera, pepper, sisal and neem were the most used medicinal plants. Parts used included leaves, barks, and roots. Some specific concoctions were said to prevent or treat specific diseases. For example Aloe Vera was said to treat Newcastle, Croton megalocarpus was said to treat coryza sinusitis, Combretum mole was said to treat intestinal worms.