A survey of livestock structures in south western Nigeria

Abstract

A survey involving the use of structured questionnaires and personal communication was undertaken in South Western Nigeria to identify the livestock in the area, and their housing methods. Chicken, pigs, rabbits, goats, sheep and cattle were the major animals found while the housing structures include baskets, battery cages, deep litter houses, cages, hutches, pens, sheds and yards. In about half of the sites surveyed animals kept were not provided with housing, while in the other places where they were provided the structures were poorly equipped and overstretched to cope with the population of animals kept. Wood products are the predominant materials of construction accounting for as much as 50 to 70% of the total volume of materials used in the construction of some of these structures. Others are natural fibers, concrete, wire mesh and corrugated roofing sheets. Poor waste management, decay in wood members, and pitting and cracking of concrete were some of the flaws identified. Integrated designs to reduce the burden of waste collection and increase its effective utilization, use of durable timber species and preservative treatment to further improve the length of service, and the use of good quality concrete constituents and mixture are recommended.