**4. Methods used**

#### **4.1 Study design**

The study used an explorative descriptive design to gather, unpack and document the medicinal plants used to cure, heal, treat and control indigenous village chicken diseases in rural communities. Systematic literature search and empirical evidence from Vhembe district of Limpopo province, South Africa provided data for the study. Pragmatic approach review of literature was followed in this study. Pragmatic approach goes beyond identifying and understanding chickens' ailments to proposing possible actionable treatment interventions that enhance effective use of EVPs [23]. This approach is considered appropriate in this work for its methodological rigor and objectivity in review and analysis of information [24]. It is used in this chapter to offer tools that describe, explain, predict, interpret and understand the usage, application and sustainability of medicinal plants/herbs and other traditional methods used in the control and treatment of indigenous village chicken ailments [23].

#### **4.2 Data collection**

Data was sourced empirical and from literature. Literature was reviewed in multiple-levels through searching for related publication in database sources (Web of Science, Ebscohost and Science Direct) and search engines (Google Search, Google Scholar). Literature published between the year 1990 to 2022 on the EVPs and medicinal plants used to treat and control indigenous village chicken ailments was used. Ethnoveterinary Practices, Ethnoveterinary Medicine (EVM), medicinal plants/herbs, indigenous chickens, village chickens, and rural poultry production were the key search words/phrases for randomly selected articles in published literature. Through snowballing by reviewing the citations in each of the identified relevant articles, more relevant literature was sourced.

A semi-structured interview guide was used to collect data from indigenous chicken farmers in Thulamela local Municipality of Vhembe district in South Africa. Postgraduate students pursuing various degree programmes at the University of Venda were recruited and trained to serve as research assistants. The study was piloted to test the data collection tool prior to the actual full-scale collection of data. Participants with similar characteristics to the study participants were used for the pilot test. The purpose was to check the usability and applicability as well as to enhance the validity and reliability of the data collection tool. Minor errors observed during the pilot study, were noted and the data collection instrument was revised. Face to-face interviews were then conducted with the smallholder farmers owning chickens. The interviews were administered to the smallholder farmers via reading the questions, recording answers, and explaining to the respondents in the local language, viz. *Tshivenda*. Demographic data, prevalent chicken diseases, medicinal plants/herbs and traditional methods used to treat and control the chickens' ailments were gathered. Moreover, data on techniques of medicinal plants/herbs harvesting, parts used, preparation method and administration were collected. Data was triangulated through consultations with key informants in the form of extension officers and traditional leaders. Similarly, the results of the empirical study were presented at conferences (Society for Medicinal Plants and Economic Development Conference). The

conference had representatives from the Limpopo Province Department of Agriculture Executive Managers, extension officers, advisors and researchers in the field.

#### **4.3 Analysis procedure**

**Figure 1** illustrates the analysis procedure followed in this chapter. In both cases of data collection, data was analyzed thematical by first identifying the indigenous chicken disease ailments, and EVPs used. This process was aided by Atlas-ti (Version 8) a sophisticated qualitative data analysis software. The software is recommended for large texts such as in document review and it has a network diagrams capability that joins family of codes for easier analysis and drawing conclusions. Sources and harvesting methods of medicinal plants/herbs, parts used, preparation techniques and medicine administration are also observed. The chapter also unpacked the sustainability of the herbs and different EVPs used in the control and treatment of chickens' ailments based on availability, regeneration, and harvesting techniques.

#### **4.4 Demographic information**

A total of 103 articles related to EVPs in the production of indigenous chickens were found in the literature search conducted. Only 21 were considered relevant according to the search criteria and hence used in the study [3, 6, 8–12, 15, 17, 18, 21, 25–33]. Pertaining the empirical study, **Table 1** shows the demographic information of the household heads responsible and directly involved in taking care of the birds in the empirical study are presented. It is also worth noting that the responsibility of taking care of chickens is also shared with the rest of the family members. This depends on one's availability and for skills and knowledge transfer purposes. Females accounted for 70% (42) of the farmers and slightly above half (51.7%) of all the farmers were above the age of 50 years. Thus, fewer youth and children participated in day-to-day chicken farming activities. However, they are an integral part of the process. Their least representation was influenced by the time and days of the data collection process in which majority will be at school or working elsewhere.

**Figure 1.** *Analysis framework of the study.*


#### **Table 1.**

*Demographic information of indigenous village chicken farmers (n=60).*
