Birds Of Prey In Relation To Poultry Production And Health

Abstract

Birds of prey play important but differing roles in relation to the poultry industry. On one hand some of the like the kites and the hawk prey on the chick of indigenous birds and other birds kept in the open while others like the crow and others may introduce disease into domestic flocks and humans through their presence contacts in the homes. Marabou stocks, eagles, gulls, may also spread disease to domestic birds. To prevent the birds from getting access to the poultry, fences are erected and houses have to be bird- proofed increasing cost of production. Furthermore, stringent measures in biosecurity procedures associated cost of drugs and chemicals increase cost of production. On the other hand birds of prey play a positive role in poultry production by removing vermin like rodents and snakes, making it possible to rear more birds. In summary they play a role as agents of • disease transmission to poultry • influence production (chick mortality, housing costs) • increased measures in farm biosecurity and biosafety (they remove rodents etc) • reservoirs of disease from the environment to animals and humans