Environmental Effects of Poultry Production In Edo State, Nigeria

This study was designed to investigate the environmental hazards associated with poultry production among poultry farmers in Edo State. To carry out the investigation, a total of 366 respondents made up of 122 poultry owners, 122 poultry farm workers and 122 poultry farm neighbours were randomly selected. Multiple regression and chi-square tests were the statistical tools used for the analyses. The results of the study revealed that only 12.3% of the farms were located at least 500 metres away from living houses as recommended by Environmental Protection Agency. The major complaint about poultry farms by neighbours (74.6%) were bad odour with majority of the farmers (55.7%) and workers (51.6%) adopting the use of covering of nose for protection from bad odour. The regression analysis indicated that age of the complainant had negative and significant relationship with frequency of environmental hazard complaint (b=0.387, P<0.05). The relationship between distance of poultry farms and living houses on hazard complaint was also negative and significant (b=-0.418, P<0.05). The significance and negative relationship between the poultry farms and number of complaint was also confirmed by chi-square test (χcal2 = 121.3 ≥ χtab2 =15.1). The study concludes that the environmental hazard posed by the establishment of poultry farming is high in Edo due to the fact commercial poultry houses are located too close to residential houses. The study then recommends the need for Edo State Ministries of Health and Environment to ensure that the poultry farms are located at least about half a kilometer far from the living houses. The huge waste generated by the poultry farms in Edo State can also be converted to inorganic manure using modern recycling facilities.