Ethno-Veterinary Care amongst the Nomadic Fulani Herdsmen in Southern Zone of Adamawa State, Nigeria

The ethno-veterinary care amongst the nomadic Fulani herdsmen in Southern Zone of Adamawa State, Nigeria was investigated. Purposive sampling technique was used to select four out of the eight Local Government Areas of the Zone, while a total of 227 nomads were randomly selected proportionately to the number of registered members from each of the Local Government Area selected. It was found that nomadic Fulani herdsmen utilize 51 plants species and other traditional practices and beliefs in the treatment of common livestock ailments such as foot and mouth disease, Streptothricosis, Bloat, Bovine ephemeral fever, Black quarter infections among others. Method of preparation and administration found to include direct feeding of the plant part, grinding to powder and mixing with feeds or direct external application of the plant paste or oil extract on the affected part. The farmers also use incantations and other beliefs in the treatment of cattle ailments. Deforestation due to human activities that led to the depletion of the herbs and lack of government recognition were among the constraints in the utilization of the traditional knowledge. It was concluded that livestock herders in Southern Zone of Adamawa State use a variety of medicinal plants and other traditional technologies for treatment of cattle diseases. The traditional knowledge underlying this kind of science has not been explored to the benefit of livestock farmers, to cause significant improvement in their wellbeing. It was therefore recommended that effort on the development of cheaper veterinary services and input in the State should focus more on the abundant traditional resources such as flora and culture.