You are encouraged to grow your own vegetables and fruits as they are important for your family and cheap. Manure not only provides plant nutrients but importantly organic matter for the soil, This allows the soil to breathe
8.3 Record keeping
It is essential that you keep good records of feed used, dead birds, weight of birds at the end. These records will then be used to determine if you made a profit or a loss.
[A broiler record sheet is given at the end of this manual. The trainer will work through an example with you]
Little mention has been made here of vaccination of chicks. This is normally done at the hatchery.
[END OF UNIT IV]
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UNIT V
9. COMMERCIAL EGG PRODUCTION
There are several choices of how you house your hens for egg production:
in group battery cages (expensive but saves floor space)
indoors on the floor (barn hens or deep litter)
free-range out-of-doors during the day
large groups or colony cages indoors (see later)
For replacement or point-of-lay pullets (young hens not yet in lay) there are two options
the farmer can purchase hybrids or pure bred chicks from a hatchery (expensive) or
the farmer can hatch and raise his own chicks
9.1 Hatching chicks
The farmer:
can have a flock of breeder hens with one rooster for about 8 hens.
will need nest boxes with litter and placed in a secure, dry place
will store the fertile eggs in a cool place for no more than 8 days
will allow a broody hen to incubate the eggs or your own small incubator (expensive and needs a reliable power supply although there are kerosene or paraffin heated incubators. (See section 9.2)
water and feed should be placed close to the broody hen in an isolated place
the nest should have a 2 cm layer of sand then 2 - 3 cm of litter on top at day 21 eggs will hatch out
Half will be females. The farmer must decide what to do with the males. They will grow much slower than broiler chickens but can be given a lower - quality feed than broilers after 3 - 4 weeks of age. It still may not be profitable to grow and sell them. Mother and chicks must be kept separate from the main flock of adult hens until about 4-5 weeks old.
9.2 Artificial incubation
A reliable power supply is essential for satisfactory egg incubation. A thermostat is needed to control the temperature at 39.5 oC and the relative humidity needs to be > 50%. Small-scale poultry breeders have successfully built small incubators to hatch 50 - 100 fertile eggs. A light bulb (s), controlled by a thermostat, provides heat although heating coils are also used. A tray of water on the floor of the brooder keeps the humidity above 50%. The eggs are turned 3 - 4 times a day. Ideally this should be done by marking the egg so that one complete turn is achieved each day but the eggs should not be rotated end to end.
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A homemade incubator
Paraffin or kerosene incubators used to be common many years ago. Heating is provided by a burning wick in a lamp similar to a conventional kerosene lamp for lighting purposes. The warm air is flowing constantly into and out of the incubator chamber. A damper controls the amount of warm air that enters or escapes from the chamber to outside is set manually once the temperature has stabalised at 39.5 oC at egg level so there is always need for an accurate thermometer.
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9.3 Pullets
They are usually raised indoors in the same way as broilers. They grow slowly and may need brooding until 4-6 weeks old. They are then given more space than broiler chickens. If there is an out doors fenced area, they can go there during the day.
They should be given 500 g of broiler starter feed for the first 4-6 weeks. When this feed is used up it is replaced with a lower-quality pullet-rearing diet until 17 weeks of age. They are then given a layer diet which is high in calcium (3%) and phosphorous (0.5%). This is needed so that they can lay eggs with hard shells. Pullets will now be transferred to their layer house as they will shortly come into lay.
9.4 Battery cages
can hold 1-5 hens per cage (50 x 40 cm x 45 cm high for each hen)
are expensive but can be made from local material
hens may peck one another and may need to have their beaks trimmed (a specialized job)
can scratch one another if claws are long with loss of feathers from the back
must be given a high-quality layer diet
will lay more eggs and eat less feed than hens in any other housed system
may be in future welfare issues as birds have little space. This worries the public
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9.4.1 Small scale semi-commercial cage unit
This is designed for a household wanting to keep only a few hens and have eggs for their family and to sell
a single cage unit of 3 compartments holding 12 layers. See trainer’s manual (10.3.1)
cage on legs or on a stand or legs constructed cheaply from bamboo
can be moved easily out of rain and bad weather to a safe place
thatched roof or without a roof if kept under cover
bamboo feeders and home-made drinkers (see illustrations 4.1, 4.2)
hens must receive high-quality feed to lay 9 - 10 eggs /day
system sustainable if 5 eggs sold and 4 - 5 eggs consumed by the household
money from egg sales is used to buy more feed
hens sold after 12 months for eating or force moulted (see section 9.7 )
money from egg and hen sales used to buy replacement birds or layer chicks and grown to pullets but starting these 20 weeks before selling old hens
9.5 Barn hens
hens kept indoors and on the floor with adequate floor space
house must be well constructed and safe from thieves
feeders, drinkers, perches and nest boxes must be provided
floor litter is necessary and later used for fertilizer or compost on gardens
some eggs will be laid on the floor and some of these will get dirty(should be cleaned)
green feed (grass, cassava, sweet potato tops) can be given to hens
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9.6 Free range
similar to the barn system except allowed outside
need a docile (quiet) breed who will not fly over the surrounding fence
hens are allowed to scavenge in a secure outdoor enclosure during the day
allowed to go indoors at any time. Floor space 7 - 8 hens per square metre
locked up at night
house similar to that for barn hens with nest boxes, drinkers and feeders
Drinkers are also provided in the outside enclosed area. Space per bird in the house is a little less than for barn hens
Advantage: free range system is that hens can scavenge for some of their feed and pick up some essential nutrients. Hens need green feed and there should be two separate outdoor pens which can be rotated. One will be rested to allow the grass to grow back. Sunlight provides birds with vitamin D.
Disadvantage: hens will eat a little more feed and lay fewer eggs than a battery (caged) hen. They are more likely to pick up a disease (parasites) outside. The hens will not get much nourishment from the pasture and if raining will stay indoors
EXERCISE
Do you understand the different systems of housing poultry? If not write down what you do not understand about them and what you do understand about them
What system of keeping hens do you prefer. Why, and why will it suit you best?
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Do you have the skills available in your village and the building materials locally to build a layer house and layer cages. Explain?
Are you interested in the small-scale 12 hen unit? Do you have space and the money to get started? What do you not have?
9.7 Force moulting
This is to stop old hens from laying for about 4 weeks.
Reasons:
replacement pullets are expensive
egg production drops when hens get old (i.e. production is less than 1 egg/2days (uneconomical)
egg shells will get thin and break when birds get old
may be economical to put hens through a second laying cycle
hens are put out of lay by feeding a poor-quality diet for 3 - 4 weeks when about 60-70 weeks old but must always have water
very few hens will be now be laying. They are then put back on a layer diet and will come into lay 2-3 weeks later
eggs will now have sound, hard shells
hens will lay more eggs than before and for at least the next 20 weeks
will lay large eggs
Disadvantage: hens are out of lay for about 3 - 4 weeks during moulting and come into full lay over the next 3 - 4 weeks so there will be loss of income
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9.8 EGG QUALITY
9.8.1 Internal
eggs get stale quickly in hot weather
store eggs in a cool place
when the egg yolk spreads into the white the egg is stale
a stale egg may not taste different from a fresh egg
some people like eggs with a deep orange-yellow yolk
others like the yolk a pale yellow colour
colour can be measured with a yolk colour fan
there are sometimes blood spots in the egg yolk but we are not sure why
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9.8.2 External quality
eggs can be misshapen, soft-shelled, with pimples and rough surfaces
egg breakage occurs easily especially if the hens are old
these eggs are classified as seconds and fetch a much lower price in the market
dirty eggs, blood stained eggs and fly marks on the shell make the eggs unattractive to the customer should be cleaned before selling or eating
consumers prefer eggs that are either white or brown shelled but both have the same nutritional value
[END OF UNIT V]
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UNIT VI
10. RECORD KEEPING
It is essential that you keep good records of feed consumed, eggs produced, bird deaths and removal of sick hens and non layers. A sample record sheet is given so that you can know accurately how your flock is performing.
[Example of a layer record sheet at the end of this manual]
11. CONCLUSION
Keeping poultry is not easy. It is a learning process. You should start slowly and expand as you gain experience. You may have set backs but you must persevere and seek advice when you have problems and need help. If you are kind to your birds and treat them well they will respond.
12. FEASIBILITY STUDY
Before you decide that you want to become a poultry farmer you must undertake a feasibility study that is researched thoroughly into all aspects of meat production or egg production to determine if you are going to make a profit. Otherwise you may be wasting time and money. When you have done your research you can then make a business plan. Your business plan will allow you a better chance of borrowing money from the bank to get your enterprise started. The most important question is, do you have a market for your produce?
Some of the questions you need to ask are given below.
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Chick costs
How much are day old layer chicks or point of lay pullets?
How much are day old broiler chicks?
Where can you buy them from?
How far away is the supplier from you?
Does the supplier deliver?
If the chicks are delivered, how much will it cost?
If no delivery, how will you collect them and what will it cost?
Broiler costs
It may be possible to buy young chicks from a farmer who broods chicks for sale. This is also an opportunity for an enterprising farmer who has an incubator
Can you buy 3-week-old or 5-week old broilers? If so where?
How much do 3-week-old or 5-week old broilers cost?
Do they deliver and charge. Is there a minimum number?
How much will it cost me to transport them if they don’t deliver?
Layer costs
What is the cost of point-of-lay (16-18 weeks) pullets?
Do they deliver free or charge?
How much do they charge?
If no delivery, how much will it cost me to pick them up?
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Feed costs
Where is there a supplier close to me?
How much per bag and size (kg) for broiler starter?
How much per bag and size (kg) for broiler finisher?
How much per bag and size (kg) for pullet finisher?
How much per bag and size (kg) for layer feed?
Does the supplier deliver. If so at what charge?
If not, how will I get the feed and cost?
Equipment and water
Where can I get medical supplies and vaccines?
Where can I get medical advice?
Where can I get floor litter?
How much will it cost?
Where will I get water from?
Do I have sufficient for drinking water and cleaning equipment and my own house?
Market survey questions
Where will I sell my broilers?
Who will I sell them to? (neighbours, schools, local market, local shop, processing plant, middle man)
Who else is selling chickens in your area?
How much are they charging per bird or per kg?
What age are they selling them at?
Why will people buy from you?
What will you charge per bird/kg?
How many birds can you sell per week or month?
How do you know that you can sell that many?
Egg sales
Where will you sell your eggs?
Who will you sell them to? (neighbours, schools, local market, shop)
How much will transport be?
How much will you charge for 12 eggs mixed size?
Who else is selling eggs and as mixed or graded?
How much do they charge for 12?
How many can you sell per week?
How do you know that you can sell that many?
Is there a market for boiled eggs?
There is often strength in numbers and the concept of community farming, in several different forms, has great appeal. It allows the very poor and often landless farmers, to derive income from keeping poultry by pooling resources. Examples are the well established organisation of cooperatives and the concept of community ownership
13. COOPERATIVES
A cooperative is an organised group of like-minded producers who combine to form a farmers’ group or partnership. Members share responsibilities and any profit or loss. They speak with a single voice and can purchase feed, equipment, chicks, building material and other supplies more cheaply. Eventually storage facilities can be established and a supply shop set up. The group can also have a strategic plan to reduce competition between individuals, set prices for poultry products and generally work to help one another to establish an industry on a firm footing. Trainers should provide as much assistance as possible to the farmers in establishing a working group that will spearhead the formation of a cooperative. The cooperative may eventually expand into other areas of commerce where the farmers can trade other farm produce in addition to poultry.
14. COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP
This is similar to, but less rigid than a cooperative and is run by a committee representing a district or village community. For example, the committee may be responsible for raising point - of - lay pullets. These they sell at 17 - 18 weeks to individual egg producers and the profits are distributed amongst the community. The committee might purchase and run an incubator, and sell the chicks for meat or egg production at different ages. Or the committee may manage a small broiler or egg farm along commercial lines.
In both cases there is opportunity to buy large numbers of chicks and bags of feed. This is usually attractive to the supplier and cheaper for the community. The concept of community farming is to empower people, mainly women, who have no opportunity as individual poultry keepers, to improve their circumstances and to alleviate poverty. Once formed, It can be extended to bio-security programs, vaccination programs against diseases, purchase of medical and other supplies, marketing of meat birds and eggs, dissemination of information, training programs and exchanging information, and greater opportunity to obtain micro-credit. This is critical to allow expansion of the family enterprise. There is a key role here for the poultry trainer who can assist in orchestrating the group by providing advice and guidance.
