Browsing by Author "Mmbaga, Naza"

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    Awareness and involvement of local communities adjacent Kihansi catchment in conservation of the re-introduced Kihansi spray toads (Nectophrynoides asperginis)
    (Elsevier BV, 2021) Sigala, Atuhombye; Ngongolo, Kelvin; Mmbaga, Naza
    Community awareness and participation in biodiversity conservation is vital for the establishment of community based conservation (CBC). However little information is available on the awareness and involvement of local communities adjacent to Kihansi catchment areas (KCA) on the conservation of re-introduced Kihansi spray toad (KST) and their habitat. This study focused on assessing the awareness and involvement of local communities adjacent to the KCA on the conservation of the re-introduced KSTs and their habitats. The study was conducted in three villages located adjacent to the Kihansi river gorge namely; Mgugwe, Udagaji and Ukami. Semi-structured questionnaires with both open and closed-ended questions were used to collect data from the respondents from villages surrounding the Kihansi Gorge through a cross-sectional survey. The awareness of local communities on the re-introduced KST was as follows; 98.9% (n = 361) had heard about KST and the variation across villages was significant (p < 0.05). In addition, 46.03% (n = 168) had ever seen the toads although only 27. 67% (n = 101) were able to identify the toads through their physical features. About 43.01% (n = 157) of people heard about KST through friends, while 33.15% (n = 121), and 23.84% (n = 87) heard from experts and local government leaders respectively with insignificant variation across the three villages (p = 0.236). The participation of local communities in conservation was low (<30%) which was related to little awareness of local communities on the re-introduced KST. Challenges such as habitat destruction, pollution, fires, and predation by invasive species have been reported to affect KSTs and their habitats. The study recommends strengthening the participation of local communities in habitat restoration, conservation education, and research activities on the re-introduced KST.
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    Chicken productivity under improved health care and management practices in Dodoma region, Tanzania
    (University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 2023) Chota, Andrew; Ngongolo, Kelvin; Ngumbi, Anna; Mmbaga, Naza; Msuta, Gilbert
    Raising chickens is an important activity in many resources constrained households in developing countries, as it is an important source of economic resilience as well as nutrition and food security. Despite its importance, the poultry industry faces many difficulties, including diseases due to low biosecurity and a lack of knowledge on proper management. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted to study the management practices that influence the performance of chickens in the households raising them in the Dodoma region of Tanzania. The results showed that 89% of respondents were vaccinating their chickens against diseases like Newcastle, fowlpox, infectious bursal disease and salmonellosis. However, many chicken farmers had incorrect information on the vaccination programs, including the frequency of vaccination and the timing of vaccinations, versus the provision of drugs for prophylactic purposes. The results showed that 29.5% of the farmers vaccinated weekly and 63.5% provided prophylactic drugs weekly. Furthermore, raising different types of chickens (OR = 1.45; p<0.01), frequency of vaccinations, (OR = 1.23; p<0.04), larger flocks of chickens (OR = 1.7; p<0.01), small number of chickens per drinker (OR = 1.64; p<0.05), and per feeder (OR = 2.4; p<0.05) were management factors associated with positive chicken performance in terms of growth rate, egg production and weight gain. It is recommended that the farmers are equipped with the necessary information on best management practices like vaccination regimes, prophylaxis timing and proper ratios of chickens per feeder and drinker.
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    Productivity and growth performance of chickens from small holder farmers in Dodoma,
    (EBSCO Open Research, 2023) Ngongolo, Kelvin; Mmbaga, Naza; Chota, Andrew
    This study focused on the productivity of chickens in terms of stocking and growth performance of chickens kept by small-scale chicken holders and the associated factors in the Dodoma municipality in three wards, namely, Nkuhungu, Chang'ombe and Mnadani. A cross-sectional survey using a semi-structured questionnaire was conducted to collect data on the perceptions of farmers raising chickens in terms of productivity. Similarly, a longitudinal survey was made by monitoring the chicks ages, ranging from 0 to 60 days (2 months). This study was used to collect data on the management performance of chicks from five selected farmers. A total of 390 individuals were interviewed, of whom 26.15% (n = 102) were from Nkuhungu, 41.28% (n = 161) from Chang'ombe, and 32.56% (n = 127) from Mnadani wards. Adult males (26 - 35 years old) (66.67%) were more likely to be involved in chicken keeping in Mnadani ward. Household size and chicken breed significantly contributed to the productivity of chickens in Dodoma, where layers production were leading. The growth performance of chicks over time was affected by the management system (e.g., free range and semi-intensive), age and sex of chickens, cleanliness, treatment regime, and flock size. In order to improve the productivity of chickens in Dodoma through the stocking rate and growth performance of chicks, we recommend that, the socio-demographic characteristics of the farmers raising chickens and other factors such as management strategies and systems be considered.