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.
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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?
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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 activity.
1. __________________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________________
3. ____________________________________________________
B. Use the space provided below to write down one compelling reason why you are interested in chicken farming.
Compare your answers with the information given in the following section.
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The economic value of poultry is one of the reasons why farmers take an interest in poultry farming. The following is the economic value of poultry keeping:
Provides income from the sale of chicks, meat and fertilized and unfertilized eggs;
The feathers are used to make stuffing for pillows mattresses and quilts
It supplement other incomes from livestock and crops
Poultry droppings are used as livestock (ruminant) feed, as it is a rich source of non-protein nitrogen and provides protein
Poultry manure increase soil fertility and can be sold as fertilizer
Poultry droppings make excellent slurry for biogas production plants
The by-products of a hatchery are used to make livestock protein supplements.
It can generate foreign exchange earnings through the export of poultry products
Used for recreation and also in poultry competitions and shows. In some communities they are kept for their crowing ability.
Use in special festivals, traditional ceremonies, as a gifts, and in traditional medicine.
We hope you now appreciate the economic value of poultry. Let us now estimate the cost of poultry production so that you can determine its profitability.
Economics of Poultry Production
Before you start a poultry business, it is important to determine whether it is profitable and sustainable. There are two costs of production that you should take into consideration. These are:
Fixed costs
Variable costs
Your profits will be greatest if you are able to keep your variable costs to a minimum. Let us look at each type of cost in further detail.
Fixed costs
These are the costs that remain constant throughout the management of one flock. These include the following:
Cost of day – old chicks (approximately 12%)
Housing depreciation
Depreciation of equipment
Depreciation of birds (laying birds) this does not apply to broilers.
Miscellaneous e.g. insurance of building and equipment
Variable costs
These are those costs that vary depending on the number of chicken you have. They include the following:
Feed costs – is the major item that takes 73% or over
Labour cost – 7%
Mortality – 5% throughout the growing period
Fuel for brooding and litter – 2%
Veterinary and pharmaceutical costs – 3%
Transport and marketing costs – 10%
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To help you understand how to calculate the profitability of your poultry project, we have worked out the production cost of 100 layers in Table 1.1 below.
Table 1.1: Estimated cost of 100 layer birds
APPENDIX III: ESTIMATE COST OF 100 LAYER BIRDS ITEM QUANTITY COST (Kshs) Cost of Chicks @ Ksh 100 10,000 Day 1 (vitamins + antibiotics + liquid + glucose) 800
Feeds Day 1 - 8wks. Feed with CHICK MASH 1 chick takes 2kg for 8wks (2kg x 100) = 200kg = 3 bags 9450 9th wk - 18th wks. Feed with GROWER MASH Average feed intake is 7kg for 2.5 months 7kg x 100 = 700kg/70 = 10bags A bag costs ksh 2650 = 10 x 2650 26,500 From 18th week Feed with LAYERS MASH 1 bird takes an average of 150g/day = 100 x 150 = 15kg/day For the birds to feed themselves we give them an allowance of 1 month. If 15kg /day, 1 week = 15 x7 = 105kg/70 = 1.5bags per week For 1 month = 1.5 x 4 = 6 bags x 2850 17,100
Vaccines Day 1 Gumboro Day 7 Gumboro Day 14 Gumboro Day 21 NCD + 1B Day 28 Gumboro Day 35 NCD + 1B 8 – 10 weeks Fowl pox F/Typhoid 380 380 380 350 380 350 420 400 3,040
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Miscellaneous {Estimates} Feeders Waterers Wood shavings Source of heat Labour Vitamins & drugs 10,000 TOTAL COST FOR 100 LAYERS 76,890
In addition to costing your project you should keep the following points in mind:
To succeed in poultry farming you must make decisions based on sound economic principles.
To achieve a good profit in layers each bird should produce 200-220 egg per year.
In both broiler and egg production you should keep the mortality of birds as low as possible.
You should organize and manage your labour well in order to achieve the highest possible income returns.
You have now come to the end of this introductory unit. We hope you now understand the advantages, disadvantages and economic value of chicken farming.
Unit Summary
In this unit we have learnt that poultry keeping has many advantages. We saw that poultry keeping is requires a low investment, does not require a big space and has good returns on investment. We also considered the disadvantages of poultry keeping which included the risk of diseases and predators. Lastly, we looked at the economic value of chicken farming and noted that it includes income from the eggs, meat, feathers and chicken droppings, among others. We also looked at the costing of a chicken project.
In the next unit we shall discuss poultry housing.
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Unit 2
Poultry Housing
Introduction
Poultry housing is a very important part of your poultry farm as it protects the birds
from predators and rough weather conditions. A comfortable poultry house is also
important for efficient production and convenience of the poultry farmer. In the last
unit you learnt about the advantages, disadvantages and economic value of poultry
keeping. In this unit you will learn the requirements of a good poultry house, how to
identify a suitable location for a poultry house, and the different types of poultry
house systems that you can adopt. As usual, we shall start by reviewing our
objectives for this unit.
Unit Objectives
By the end of this unit you should be able to:
Describe the requirements of a good poultry house;
Identify a suitable size for a poultry house and a good site for construction
Determine the most suitable poultry production system for your project.
Section 2.1: Requirements of a Good Poultry
House
The following are the requirements for a good poultry house:
a) Protection: ensure that the poultry is protected from extreme weather
conditions, such as, high winds and droughts. Also protection from
predators, e.g. hawks, owls, mongoose, wild cats etc.
b) Good Ventilation: the house should have good ventilation, that is, able to
supply oxygen and remove carbon dioxide and dampness. A damp
atmosphere favours the development of pathogen and retards the activity of
the birds. High temperatures may cause deaths or drop in egg production,
low shell quality, and reduced weight gain. A combination of high
temperatures and high humidity may kill young chicks. To protect birds from
the cold, you can use old feed bags as curtains to cover the chicken wire at
night.
c) Ease of cleaning: it should be easy to clean and facilitate parasite and
disease control. All the interior fittings should be removable or easy to clean.
d) Sunlight: this is in order to maintain the heat of the flock (VHD). The sun also
has disinfecting value and is important to the birds.
e) Economical construction: it should use cheap, durable and locally available
materials.
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f) Accessibility: the house should be convenient in relation to other buildings in the surrounding area. It should be tall enough for a grown-up person to work in there.
g) Spacious: always ensure that your poultry have enough space to run around. This will help you to avoid frequent loss of your birds due to suffocation and contamination.
h) Safe: ensure that your poultry house does not have sharp edges that can injure the birds;
i) Floor: the floor should be cemented or made of concrete for ease of cleaning;
j) Disinfection: a disinfectant dip should be placed at the door of each house to prevent entry of diseases agents into the flock house;
k) Storage: a separate room should be constructed to keep feeds and other equipment in a safe place protected from weather and contamination by humans and rodents.
Perches
Perches are timber frames on which birds perch for rest. They are important for chickens to rest on during the night. It is the natural behaviour of chicken, such as layers and indigenous table birds to sleep above the ground in trees. A one meter perch can roost five adult birds. The perches should be removable to facilitate cleaning. Perches are best made of bamboo or round sticks to accommodate for the size and structure of the birds’ feet. If the sticks are too big or too small, the birds
Baby chicks need a feed of the highest quality. That is one that is especially high in good quality protein (e.g. soybean meal, fishmeal) to match the protein found in meat and eggs
Chicks also need a source of feed energy (wheat bran, cassava, cereal grains) to make them grow well
Chicks also need other nutrients (minerals and vitamins) but only in small amounts
A specialist person formulates (puts together) diets suitable for chickens. That person should also give you good advice on what to and how to feed your poultry
If some feedstuffs are available locally, farmers who receive the right advice may want to mix their own ingredients
First there is a need to get in a stock of the raw materials (ingredients). You will need to weigh out the ingredients or have containers which will hold known weights of different feedstuffs
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The feedstuffs must be thoroughly mixed with a shovel or in a home-made mixer. It can be made from a drum. Also a cement mixer can be used.
Do not store your feed for too long
Weevils will quickly destroy your feed
Ingredients and the mixed feed must be stored in a dry place and safe from birds and rats
6.1 Choice feeding
Sometimes it is better to let the birds select their own feed and balance their diet themselves. This is called choice feeding or self-selection. Feed ingredients are not mixed together but are placed in separate feeders (about 3) and the chickens in this way make a choice. There are only certain situations where this can be done, usually when the birds are on the ground or the floor.
Sometimes a grain balancer ration is available from the feed mill. This special feed (high in protein) will allow local ingredients to be used and the balancer meets those
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nutrients that are still deficient in the locally - available ingredients. This allows the birds to select a complete diet.
7. HEALTH AND DISEASE PREVENTION
Chickens are fragile and can get sick very easily especially when young
There are two major sources of disease.
Diet if not correctly formulated can result in the bird getting a metabolic disease due to a nutrient deficiency (vitamins or minerals) in the diet
Other diseases are caused by minute organisms called bacteria and viruses. It is often necessary to treat the chicks as soon as they hatch with a vaccine which allows them to resist the disease if it occurs. This is normally done at the hatchery. Newcastle disease is present in many countries and chickens need to be vaccinated more than once (see section 7.1)
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Remember that “prevention is better than cure!”
Many diseases can be prevented by keeping your poultry house very clean
Overcrowding of birds can cause disease
Do not allow other poultry on to your farm (e.g. neighbour’s scavenging chickens)
Do not allow other poultry farmers to enter your shed
Place a foot bath with a disinfectant in it or limestone outside the door of your poultry house
Have a special pair of boots/shoes that you will use only when you are working in your poultry house
Leave sufficient time between batches of birds to clean the house and get rid of diseases that need to have a bird (host) to survive
Remove old litter, dirty bags and contaminated rubbish and dump them far away but in a responsible place that will not contaminate the environment
Discard damp, old feed. It can grow mould which can produce toxins. They can kill or make your chickens sick
All in-all out systems in which all birds are the same age help to reduce disease out breaks
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External parasites such as mites, lice and fleas can make your poultry feel uncomfortable. This will affect their growth rate and egg production
Insecticides are used to treat the infected birds. A dust bath will also help to reduce these external parasites
Internal parasites such as different worms and minute protozoa causing coccidiosis can be prevented by medication
This is done routinely by adding a coccidiostat to the mixed feed for broilers
Remove immediately sick birds and bury dead birds.
Never eat or sell sick birds; they will make your family and others ill
7.1 Newcastle disease
There are two diseases that are particularly dangerous in many low-income countries. Newcastle disease (ND) is endemic (always there) in many countries and becomes active particularly at the start of the wet season. It can wipe out entire village flocks although a few individual birds often do survive. There are now ND vaccines that will withstand the heat for a short period (thermostable) of time. Vaccination is most effective by eye drop and birds should be vaccinated a month before expected outbreaks by a trained person. There is also a need to treat the birds at intervals through out their life. This is a specialised area and the poultry keeper will need help from experts but it is well worth the effort and the vaccine is not expensive.
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