Comparative Studies of Gastrointestinal Helminths of Poultry in Zaria, Nigeria

Two-hundred and ten digestive tracts of local chickens reared in and around Zaria, Northern Nigeria, under the extensive native free range system of management and 203 digestive tracts of exotic chickens raised under the intensive system of management were examined for parasites. Two hundred and one (95.7%) of the local chickens were infected and 24 (11.8%) of the exotic chickens also. Among the local chickens, 12 species of nematodes and 7 species of cestodes were recovered. Only one nematode and one cestode species were recovered from the exotic chickens. The prevalence of helminth infections between local and exotic chickens was significantly different at 1%.