Parasites Of Scavenging Chickens In Penang Island
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Date
2011-08
Authors
Meor Termizi, Farah Haziqah
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Publisher
Universiti Sains Malaysia
Abstract
Scavenging chicken or ‘ayam kampung’ is of a dual-purpose type, reared for both its meat and eggs. ‘Ayam kampung’ meat is preferred by most consumers, probably due to its specific texture and taste. Most of the rural villagers raise the chickens in small flocks for subsistence, hobby or simply for pleasure. The chickens are left scavenging around the backyards and feed mainly on kitchen wastes, worms, snails, insects and vegetation. Thus, the parasitic infection is commonly high due to an increase opportunity to encounter the infective eggs, larvae, and intermediate hosts of parasites. The aims of this study were to examine the state of nutrition or body condition and the presence of internal and external parasites of 240 scavenging chickens (Gallus domesticus) obtained randomly from 12 divisions (Mukim) in Penang Island. Based on pectoral musculature examination, a high percentage of chickens showed that the pectoral muscle was poorly developed. Meanwhile, necropsy findings recovered 16 endoparasite species which parasitized these chickens were Acuaria hamulosa, Acuaria spiralis, Amoebotaenia sphenoides, Ascaridia galli, Brachylaima commutatus, Capillaria obsignata, Eimeria sp., Gongylonema ingluvicola, Heterakis gallinarum, Hymenolepis carioca, Leucocytozoon sp., Oxyspirura mansoni, Raillietina echinobothrida, Raillietina tetragona, Syngamus trachea and Tetrameres americana. Whereas, ten species of ectoparasites were recovered comprising of Goniocotes gallinae, Goniodes dissimilis, Haemaphysalis sp., Leptotrombidium sp., Lipeurus caponis, Megninia sp., Menacanthus pallidulus, Ornithonyssus sp., Pterolichus sp. and Menopon gallinae. This study also found that there was no significant difference in parasitic burdens between sex and age groups.
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Keywords
Parasites of scavenging chickens , in Penang Island