CHAPTER ONE/INTRODUCTION

The raising of sheep and goats is one of the most important aspects of agriculture in Nigeria, and it has made a significant contribution to the expansion and development of the country’s economy. It is estimated that it contributes more than 1626,000 t per year to the provision of domestic meat. This is a significant contribution. Sheep and goats are important to the livelihood of farmers because they provide a wide variety of products and services, including: meat, milk, hide and skin, hairs, horns, bones, manure, protection, gifts, religious rituals, and medicine. Sheep and goats also play important roles in the production of wool, which is used in clothing and other products (Sertse and Wossene, 2007; Anyanwu, 1998).

Ectoparasites have a negative impact on sheep and goats, which in turn lowers their capacity to provide the products and services listed above. Ectoparasites have multiple negative effects on the health of sheep and goats, including causing them to lose weight, slow down their growth, and produce less milk. Because of the activities that they engage in, arthropod ectoparasites are capable of having a wide variety of direct and indirect effects on the hosts to which they are attached (Wall and Shear, 2001; Cornall and Wall, 2015). Ectoparasites, and ticks in particular, are significant parasites due to the voracious blood-sucking activity that they engage in, as well as their role as vectors for a number of different disease-causing agents in humans and livestock (Hashemi-Fesharki et al., 1994; Cumming, 1998). The ever-increasing risk that ectoparasites pose to the sheep and goat production industry, as well as the tanning business, calls for immediate and well-coordinated control measures (Cornall and Wall, 2015).

Information that is currently available on the distribution of ectoparasites in sheep and goats in Nigeria comes from studies conducted in Zaria, North Western Nigeria, by Schillhorn van Veen and Mohammed (1975), Mohammad and Agbede (1980), and George et al. (1992); Otesile and Obasaju (1980) conducted research in Ibadan, Southern Western Nigeria; Ugochukwu and Apeh (1985) conducted research in Nsukka, South Eastern

One of the most important aspects of animal husbandry in Gombe and the rest of the North Eastern region of Nigeria is the keeping of sheep and goats; however, the distribution, seasonal abundance, and population dynamics of ectoparasites that affect sheep and goats in Gombe and the rest of the North Eastern region of Nigeria have received little attention from researchers. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the different types of ectoparasites, as well as their prevalence and intensity, among sheep and goats in Gombe, which is located in Gombe State, Nigeria.