Aim: To document the use of indigenous plants
used by family poultry rearers to treat and
control diseases and parasites in 15 villages of
Botswana.
Materials and Methods: A total of
1000 family poultry rearers in 15 villages were
interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Data
were also collected through direct observation,
village walks, interview of passers-by, group
interviews, and meetings with key informants
(i.e., traditional leaders, extension agents and
chairpersons of village development committees).
Results: The ethnoveterinary practices in
15 villages of Botswana were identified and
documented. Nineteen plant species representing 15
families were used by family poultry rearers to
treat and control poultry diseases and parasites.
Most frequently used plants were from Fabaceae,
Asteraceae and Liliaceae. Both human and
veterinary medications (e.g., vicks, disprin and
Compral tablets, blue stones, potassium
permanganate, veterinary drugs and vaccines) were
used in health management. Sixty-six percent of
the respondents said they used traditional
remedies to control and treat diseases, 19% did
not use vaccines or remedies, 2% used vaccines
while 13% used drugs to control and treat
diseases.
Conclusion: Ethnoveterinary
medicine predominates in family poultry
healthcare. Scientific investigations should be
carried out to ascertain the effectiveness of
identified plant species used in health management
of family poultry.
Keywords: diseases,
documentation, ethnoveterinary medicine, family
poultry, parasites
