Free-ranging fowls are likely to become infected with cestodes through ingestion

infected with cestodes through ingestion of their arthropod intermediate hosts. In the present study, Raillietina sp. was recovered in relatively small numbers compared to Nigerian indigenous chickens that were reported to harbour more tapeworms than ascarids. Similarly, indigenous chickens from southern Ethiopia were reportedly infected with various types of tapeworms. The presence of cestodes in the chickens in this study suggests the presence of the intermediate host, and warrants treatment with an anticestodal anthelmintic. It was noteworthy that no Capillaria spp., Syngamus trachea or Tetrameres spp. were recovered. This may have been partly because the chickens were sampled during a dry period when the eggs and their infective larvae are destroyed by the extremely high ground temperatures. Furthermore, the former 2 species are more prevalent in warm, humid environments. This emphasises the need to sample the chickens during the wet season in order to understand the population dynamics of the parasite. The results of this study contrast markedly with a report from Zimbabwe in which numerous tetrameres were found in the proventriculus. These authors also failed to demonstrate the presence of Capillaria spp. Since backyard chickens are a source of meat in rural populations in Botswana, it is imperative to boost the productivity of indigenous chickens through government-financed projects in the rural areas. It is anticipated that deworming the indigenous chicken population would improve weight gain and carcass quality. A government subsidy for anhelmintics included in the FAP (financial assistance package) loan scheme may render this exercise affordable.