FACTORS INFLUENCING THE ADOPTION OF NEWCASTLE DISEASE VACCINE AMONG SMALLHOLDER INDIGENOUS CHICKEN FARMERS IN SOME SELECTED NORTHERN STATES, NIGERIA

The study examined the factors influencing the adoption of Newcastle disease (ND) vaccine among smallholder indigenous chicken farmers in Bauchi, Plateau, and Kano States, using both descriptive and inferential statistics. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 810 respondents from the study area. Data were collected through the administration of structured questionnaires and focus group discussions (FGD), and analysed using descriptive statistics and binomial logistic regression. The results revealed that the major risks to poultry production were disease outbreaks (80.2%), theft (58.0%), and predation (42.6%). Farmers commonly used depopulation (81.5%), traditional herbal remedies (71.0%), and biosecurity practices (67.3%) the farmers commonly used depopulation (81.5%), traditional herbal remedies (71.0%), and biosecurity practices (67.3%) as their major risk-coping strategies across the study area. However, vaccination was adopted by only 14.2%, indicating a generally low level of adoption. More so, all impacts were statistically significant (p < 0.01), confirming its devastating effect on smallholder indigenous poultry production. Key factors significantly predicting ND vaccine uptake revealed significant predictors of ND vaccine adoption (p < 0.05). Specifically, education level (p