purpose This is an early maturity bird with fairly heavy body. It has a single comb of medium size. The egg shell is brown in colour while the flesh, skin and feet are yellow. The bird is a prolific layer and makes a good mother. 4. The Barred rock – Dual purpose This is a tail bird with a deep long square body. The barring (black parallel stripes of plumage) is uniform throughout the body with a grayish under colour. 5. New Hampshire red This is a hardy bird and an excellent layer which produces tinted eggs. It has a single comb of medium size. The flesh, feet and legs are yellow in colour. Poultry Keeping & Management Page 29 Activity 3.2 1. The following birds are all poultry breeds except: a) Quail b) Parrot c) Turkey d) Chicken e) Ducks 2. Which of the following characteristics are true of light poultry breeds? Tick the correct ones. a) Nervous and get upset by sudden movements b) They eat more, c) Mature early and get into production earlier d) They go ‘broody’ or try to incubate their own eggs e) Are smaller in body hence cheaper to maintain f) They have an inferior carcass g) They are quieter Compare your answers with those given at the end of this unit. You now know the various chicken breeds available in Kenya and their characteristics. Next we shall discuss incubation practices. Section 3.2: Incubation Incubation is the process of keeping eggs under favourable temperatures in order to promote embryonic growth and the hatching of young chicks. Before we look at the process of incubation, let us look at the composition of a chicken egg. Composition of a Chicken Egg A chicken egg is made up of various parts as shown in figure 3.5 below: The shell The shell membrane Albumen Chalazae Yolk. Poultry Keeping & Management Page 30 Figure 3.6: Diagram of a fertilized chicken egg The Shell This forms 12% of the egg and is largely made up of calcium carbonate which makes it hard. It protects the interior parts of the egg and has pores that allow gaseous exchange. Shell Membranes This is the inner lining of the shell. It has 2 membranes that separate at the broad end of the egg to form an air space. Albumen (egg white) The albumen makes up 55% of the egg. It is a jelly-like, colourless fluid when fresh. It surrounds the yolk and serves as a food reserve for the developing chick. Chalazae These are 2 twisted cords which hold the yolk from both ends of the egg. If the chalazae is broken the yolk shakes and is displaced from its normal position. Yolk The yolk makes up 33% of the egg. It is yellow in colour and spherical in shape. It has a germ spot which develops into a chick. A fertilized germ spot is called a plastoderm while an unfertilized one is called a plastodisa. The yolk contains food reserves for the developing chick and is rich in vitamins, fats, minerals and protein. Qualities of Eggs for Incubation Eggs for incubation should have the following qualities: They should be fertilized They should be of medium size i.e. about 55-60gms in weight Should have smooth shells Oval shaped Not cracked Clean to ensure that pores are open Shell Chalazae (dense protoplasm) Inner membrane York Air space Germ layer spot Outer membrane Albumen
Should not have abnormalities such as blood spots, meat spots, double yolk
etc.
Should not be more than 5 days old.
Egg Candling
Egg candling is a method used to check eggs for fertility and determine which ones
will hatch into chicks. It involves observing an egg through light rays, see figure 3.7
for the candling technique.
Figure 3.7: Candling technique
Candling Method
As you can see from Figure 3.7, candling is a simple method which you can do at
home using the following procedure:
Cut a small round hole on top of a cardboard box. The hole should be just
big enough to sit the pointed end of the egg
Place a torch inside the cardboard box just under the hole
Place the egg on the hole and turn on the light
You will be able to see if the egg is fertile. A fertile egg has blood veins and a
black spot inside the egg. Figure 3.8 shows you the results of ca
Unit 1
Introduction to Poultry Keeping
Welcome to the first unit in our course on poultry farming. In this unit you learn
about the advantages and disadvantages of poultry farming, the economics of
poultry keeping and what motivates farmers to keep poultry. We shall also give you
a summary of the cost of poultry production to help you assess if the business is
profitable.
Let us start by reviewing our objectives for this unit.
Unit Objectives
By the end of this unit you should be able to:
Explain the advantages and disadvantages of poultry keeping.
Assess the viability of your poultry business.
Section 1.1: Advantages and Disadvantages of
Poultry Keeping.
As you well know, poultry is kept in many rural and peri-urban homes in Kenya either
for domestic or commercial purposes. In this section we shall discuss the advantages
and disadvantages of poultry keeping.
A pedicure on the other hand, is a beauty treatment for improving the condition and
appearance of the feet and toenails. A standard pedicure starts with sanitizing the
feet. This is followed by filing and/or cutting the toenails, and soaking the feet in
warm, soapy water to which an antiseptic is added. Once the feet are softened, the
therapist then proceeds to scrub any areas of the foot which has hardened, rough
skin. Under the nail is cleaned and cuticles are gently pushed back. Nail polish is then
applied to the toenails.
Advantages of Poultry Keeping
What are the advantages of poultry keeping? Think about it for a minute and then
complete the following activity.
Poultry Keeping & Management
Page 8
We believe your list included the following advantages of poultry keeping:
Chicken can be reared in a small space
The stocks needed to start a chicken business are readily available
Chicken can be reared throughout the year
The returns on investment take a shorter time
Many people prefer to eat chicken compared to other sources of protein
Chicken feed on by-products such as, maize germ, maize bran, sunflower
seed cake, wheat bran and wheat pollard
Market for chicken meat is wide and lucrative
Growing customer base does not require advertisement CHOLESTORAL
TAKE NOTE
Advantage of Chicken Meat
You now know the advantages of poultry keeping; let us look at the disadvantages.
Activity 1.1
Advantages of Poultry Keeping (Tme: 5 mins)
Write down at least 3 advantages of poultry keeping?
Poultry Keeping & Management
Page 9
Disadvantages of Poultry Keeping
The disadvantages of poultry are not many and include the following:
Some chicken diseases can affect humans
Chicken can die of preventable diseases like New Castle, Gumboro, Fowl Typhoid, Cholera and Cholera Pox
If not well protected, chicken can be eaten by a host of predators, like mongoose, eagles, cats and snakes
As you can see, the disadvantages of chicken are not so serious because they can all be prevented. In the next section we shall discuss the economics of poultry keeping.
Section 1.2: Economics of Poultry Keeping
Before you start a poultry business, it is important to find out if it makes economic sense. In this section we shall look at the economic value of chicken and how to cost your poultry project.
Economic Value of Poultry
A poultry business provides an important supplement to income from crops and livestock. Poultry farming helps to reduce overdependence on traditional commodities whose prices are not stable. Before you continue reading, complete the following activity.
Activity 1.3
Economic Value of Poultry (Time: 20 mins)
A. Write three reasons why chicken keeping is an important economic
