Ton-Li Investment

WHENEVER THINKING OF POULTRY FARMING, SEVEN THINGS YOU MUST NEED TO KNOW:

1. Market research

It is very important to critically look at the demand that needs to be met. Is there high demand for table eggs, out grower chicken or broiler meat? Most start-up farmers go by what a friend or relative or neighbouring farmer is doing and hope to reap the benefits.

It is important that you take your time to talk to clients or potential customers and listen to them. Do a survey on restaurants, hotels, open air or takeaway eateries, supermarkets and delis and collect as much data as possible.

Ask questions about seasonal trends of products that you intend to bring into the market. Sometimes your assumptions may not match your survey results or outcome, so be ready to change your original plans and make new decisions.

2. Farm location

A poultry farm can be located on any dry land anywhere in the country as it is not dependent on any weather patterns. However, the ideal location would be outskirts of urban or peri-urban cities where there is ready market for both meat and eggs. Construct your farm where there is access to all weather road, away from riparian land that experience occasional flooding and landslide.

3. Housing system

The most common housing system in this country is deep litter, where the entire floor is covered by wood shaving and the other equipment like nest boxes, feeders and drinkers are centrally located. It is best suited for all types of birds and conforms to animal welfare requirement.

The free-range type is common for Sasso chicken with a bit of housing at night and scavenging in an open enclosure. In organic farming, the chickens are most of the time on free range scavenging and are on restricted commercial feed with no use of antibiotics and any additive.

4. Demand for building

The most ideal house in this region must be open sided rectangular shaped structure, with roof made of iron sheet or locally available waterproof material. The long side of the house must be on an East-west orientation to reduce direct sunlight on the chicks.

Side walls should be 1-2 feet high made of bricks, iron sheet or block and the rest covered by wire mesh and chicken netting at 6-7 feet high.

5. Choice of breed and supplier

If you want to keep commercial layers, choose type of breed which is hardy with low mortality rate, fast growth rates, high peak production, long peak period and good persistence (like isa brown). If it is for both meat and egg production, look for a breed of high feed conversion efficiency, and of good tasty and tender quality meat (like Noiler).

6. Optimal health protection

Threats to your flock will include but not limited to protozoal and parasitic diseases, bacteria, yeast and mold and viral infections. You will need good rearing conditions that include proper brooding, temperature control, ventilation and humidity as well as quality water and adequate feed supply all the time.

Biosecurity is pivotal to your success; the premises must be highly sanitised within and around the site with limited flock visits to only authorised personnel. Vaccination schedule must be followed to the letter and must be chosen based on efficacy and administered professionally.

7. Record keeping

Anything that cannot be counted cannot be measured. Most farmers ignore the value of good record keeping. Feed being the highest production cost in poultry production, means that it must be weighed to the level of grammes fed/bird/day, and weight sampling must be done on weekly basis to establish production efficiency.

Village Chicken Farming for Beginners

Questions first timers ask:
1. Can my hens lay eggs without a c**k?

Yes they can lay unfertilized eggs. The laying of eggs depends on the diet you are feeding your hens not on the c**k. However, if you want the eggs to hatch you need a c**k. You need 1 c**k against 10 hens.

2. Can I feed my chickens gaga (maize bran) only?

Asking this question is more like asking, “Can I eat nshima without relish?” Don’t feed your chicken maize bran (gaga) only. Maize bran contains carbohydrates/ fibre, your chicken need proteins and other nutrients for them to grow healthy. Just like you need balanced diet to grow healthy.

3. So what can I feed my chickens?

You can make your own simple feed. The main component is maize (meal size 3) or you can still use gaga, you need one more ingredient from the following; broiler concentrate, sunflower or sunflower cake, soya beans or fish meal, to add to your maize meal or gaga.

4. Where can I get the components mentioned on answer number 3?

Broiler concentrate is found in shops where they sell feed. Sunflower cake is available from those people who make cooking oil, you can buy soya beans from farmers near your area. If you have land, just plant to reduce on costs. And fish meal is available in markets from those marketeers who sell dry fish.
Note: If you are keeping a small number of chickens like 15 chickens, I advise you to buy fish meal, soya beans or sunflower, because broiler concentrate can be expensive for you.

HOW TO GET 300 CHICKS PER YEAR WITH 10 HENS

Many people would want to venture into poultry farming but have no idea how.Poultry farming especially chicken farming isn't difficult to start.You don't even need to start with many chicken.
Most youths leave their fertile lands and other rural areas in search of employment in Africa only to be disappointed by lack of jobs.Chicken farming can can be your salvation from poverty.Embrace it.It is the simplest agricultural investment and I will tell you why. I will pass on information here free of charge.Don't pay me a single thebe.My reward is to see you succeed.
Today I will give lessons on how you as a farmer can be successful in your chicken project and multiply your flock of chicken.You can rise from nothing to something.From grass to grace.
How do you go about it?You can start with 10 hens and 2 c**ks.You need to programme these hens to hatch chicks at the same time.
* Provide each hen with its nest.Use a plastic basin with grass,wood shavings or old clothes.
*Place one unfertilized egg in each basin or even boiled egg.This is to trick them so that they can start being broody.Be sure to dust the nest with an insecticide powder (carba dust) to keep out parasites.
*Mark the eggs placed there with a pencil.Be sure to remove eggs that are laid but leave the marked eggs in the nest.The collected eggs should be stored in a cool,dry place not in the kitchen or cupboard.Be sure to write the date of laying on the eggs with a pencil.
*Normally one bird will start sitting on the marked egg(boiled egg/unfertilized egg) overnight.Leave it for 10 days while it's waiting for others to start incubating or sitting on eggs.
*After 10 days give all hens that would have started sitting on eggs 12 eggs each to incubate.The eggs must have been laid recently.
Leave the hens which may not have started incubating alone.You can eat the old eggs or sell them.When choosing the eggs for incubation make sure they are not too small