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Effect of Extension Services on Farmers’ Adoption of Turkey Egg Incubation Practices

Abstract

Turkey egg incubation is an important aspect of turkey production because proper incubation practices influence egg hatchability, poult quality, survival, and the overall productivity of turkey enterprises. Appropriate incubation involves proper selection and handling of fertile eggs, maintenance of suitable temperature and humidity, regular egg turning, sanitation, ventilation, and careful monitoring throughout the incubation period. Extension services can provide farmers with technical information and practical guidance needed to understand and apply recommended turkey egg incubation practices. This study will examine the effect of extension services on farmers’ adoption of turkey egg incubation practices. The study will assess the extent of farmers’ access to extension services and determine how such services influence their adoption of recommended turkey egg incubation practices. It will examine farmers’ exposure to extension visits, training, demonstrations, advisory services, and educational materials relating to turkey egg incubation. The study will also assess farmers’ adoption of practices such as selecting suitable fertile eggs, proper egg storage before incubation, incubator sanitation, temperature and humidity control, egg turning, ventilation, candling, and appropriate handling of newly hatched poults. The study will focus on extension services, farmers, turkey egg incubation, fertile egg selection, egg storage, incubator management, temperature control, humidity management, egg turning, ventilation, candling, hatchability, poult management, and poultry production. Information will be obtained on farmers’ knowledge and application of recommended incubation practices and the sources of technical information available to them. The study will also identify challenges such as inadequate extension contact, limited access to incubation equipment, high operating costs, unreliable electricity, and insufficient technical knowledge. A quantitative research approach will be adopted for the study. Data will be collected from turkey farmers through structured questionnaires designed to obtain information on access to extension services and adoption of turkey egg incubation practices. The collected data will be analysed using descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percentages, mean scores, and standard deviations. Inferential techniques such as correlation and regression analysis may also be used to determine the relationship between extension services and farmers’ adoption of recommended incubation practices. The study is expected to reveal that extension services may have a positive effect on farmers’ adoption of turkey egg incubation practices. Farmers who receive regular extension training, demonstrations, farm visits, and advisory information may demonstrate greater knowledge and improved application of fertile egg selection, incubator sanitation, temperature and humidity management, egg turning, ventilation, candling, and hatch management practices. The study may also reveal that inadequate extension coverage, limited access to suitable incubators, high equipment costs, unreliable power supply, and insufficient technical knowledge could constrain adoption. The study will be useful to turkey farmers, agricultural extension agents, poultry development agencies, veterinary professionals, policymakers, researchers, and other stakeholders involved in poultry production. It may provide useful information for strengthening extension programmes on turkey reproduction and hatchery management. The findings may also assist relevant organisations in developing practical training programmes that address farmers’ incubation challenges and improve hatchability, poult quality, and the productivity of turkey enterprises. The study concludes that extension services are important for improving farmers’ knowledge and adoption of appropriate turkey egg incubation practices. It is therefore recommended that agricultural extension agencies and poultry development organisations should provide regular practical training, demonstrations, farm visits, and advisory services on fertile egg selection, egg storage, incubator sanitation, temperature and humidity control, egg turning, ventilation, candling, and poult handling. Extension programmes should also promote access to appropriate incubation equipment and technical support to improve hatchery performance and sustainable turkey production.

Keywords: Extension services, farmers, turkey production, turkey egg incubation, fertile eggs, egg selection, incubator management, temperature control, humidity management, egg turning, hatchability, candling, poult management, poultry extension, hatchery management.