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.
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.
Poultry Keeping & Management
Page 10
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%
Poultry Keeping & Management
Page 11
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
Poultry Keeping & Management
Page 12
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.
Poultry Keeping & Management
Page 13
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.
Poultry Keeping & Management
Page 14
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 may fall. Perches can also be square and flat: 5-10 cm broad. Figure 1.1 below shows a picture of a perch.
Figure 1.1: Chicken perch
Nesting Boxes
Chicken need areas where they can lay their eggs. You should allow one nesting box for 4-5 hens. The nests should be large enough to make the birds comfortable. They should be placed in a dark and private place in order to discourage egg eating and cannibalism. The floor of the nest should be covered with soft dry grass or wood shavings to prevent egg breakage. The advantages of laying nests are:
Poultry Keeping & Management
Page 15
Eggs laid in the next boxes are cleaner
It reduces the problem of egg breakage
Egg eating by the hens is reduced
Removal of eggs by the farmer is easy and time saving.
The nests for brooding must be individual and should be placed in a dark and quiet place. They should also be easily removable. Figure 1.2 shows an example of nests.
Figure 1.2: Nests for laying and brooding
You are making very good progress! Before you continue, review what you have learnt by completing the following activity.
You now know the requirements of a good poultry house. Next we shall look at sizing and location of a poultry house.
Activity 2.1
Qualities of a good poultry house
Which of the following are NOT good qualities of a chicken house? Identify them with a circle.
Well ventilated house
Dark and dump
Easy to clean
Difficult to access
Economical to construct
Leaking roof with big open cracks in the walls
Compare your answers with those given at the end of this unit.
Poultry Keeping & Management
Page 16
Section 2.2: Sizing and Location of a Poultry House
Sizing a Poultry House
The size of a poultry house is very important as it helps you to avoid overcrowding. Overcrowding results in vices such as cannibalism and stress due to discomfort. An ideal poultry house is open-sided to allow natural ventilation and has an east-west orientation to minimize the amount of sunlight directly entering the house. The house should be rectangular in shape and the walls not higher than three feet (3ft). The walls of a poultry house can be made of off-cuts, iron sheets or bricks. While the windows should be covered with wire mesh or chicken wire. To reduce the risk of rodents gaining entry into the poultry or flock house, you should clear all the vegetation around the flock house.
Figure 2.3: A model poultry house for 500 chickens
The house should provide adequate space for the flock. The ideal stocking density is one square foot per bird. When calculating the floor space, consider the internal fittings such as the dropping boards, perches, nest- boxes, feeding troughs, etc. Table 2.1 below gives you the minimum floor space per bird.
Table 2.1: Minimum floor space per bird
Number in flock Light breeds Heavy Breeds 10 – 50 4 Sq. ft 5 sq.ft 100-150 3 ½ sq.ft 4 ½ sq.ft 100-150 3 4 150 and over 2 ½ 3 ½ Broilers 1sq.ft/bird NB: The larger the flock the less is the relative space requirement per bird.
Foot bath
Iron sheet roofing
Wire mesh windows
20
50
12
Poultry Keeping & Management
Page 17
Location of a Poultry House
A poultry house should be located on well drained land and should also be protected from high winds.
As a way of reflecting on what you have just learnt, complete the following activity.
You have come to the end of this section on poultry house sizing and location. In the next section we shall discuss poultry management systems.
Section 2.3: Common Poultry Production Systems
1. Extensive or Free Range System
This is the simplest and oldest method of rearing chicken. Birds are allowed to move freely in a fenced ground which has a simple house to provide shelter at night, see figure 2.4. The Laying nests are located inside the house while the feed and water troughs are placed outside under a simple shelter to protect them from rain.
Figure 2.4: Free or extensive range system
Activity 2.2
Sizing a Poultry House (Time: 10mins)
The floor space of a poultry house should allow 3-4sq feet per bird. If you want to keep 1000 birds, how much floor space would you allow in your design?
_______________________________________________________________
Compare your answer with the one given at the end of this unit.
Poultry Keeping & Management
Page 18
What are the requirements of the extensive system?
1. Land: the land must be large, well-drained with trees for shade.
An external fence is required to restrict chicken from straying. 100 birds require 0.4 of hectare.
2. Runs (partitioned areas): the land should be partitioned to allow rotation. This reduces diseases and parasites.
3. House: the house is constructed to provide shelter and an area for laying nests. It should be easy to move form one run to another.
Advantages
These include:
Cannibalism and egg eating are reduced because the birds are not crowded and are free within the run.
No need to provide grit as birds picks it from the soil.
Less feed is used as birds pick insect and grass.
Manure is evenly spread to the runs, this helps vegetation to regenerate.
Birds are of good body size and stamina.
Disadvantages
These include:
A lot of land is needed which may not be available if you intend to keep a large number of birds;
Birds can be stolen or eaten by predators;
Eggs get lost in the runs;
Eggs get dirty.
2. Intensive Systems
In this system, the flocks are kept inside the house entirely with no access to the land outside. There are two types of intensive systems: the deep litter and battery system.
A. Deep Litter Systems
In this system, birds are kept in large pens and on floors covered with litters like straws or saw dust up to a depth of 8-12 inches. This system is suitable for producing fertile eggs when cocks and hens are kept together and for raising chicks and broilers, see Figure 2.4 below.
Figure 2.4: A deep litter housing system.
Poultry Keeping & Management
Page 19
Requirements for deep litter systems
1. Site: the site should be located in a well drained area;
2. House: the roof should be leak proof, made of aluminium sheets, corrugated iron sheets or asbestos. A grass-thatched roof is not good as it harbours pest and require frequent replacement.
3. Ventilation: the wall on the leeward side should be open from 60-90cm above the ground and covered with wire mesh. Good ventilation is important so as to reduce heat, humidity and harmful gases.
4. Floor: the floor is covered with litter, such as, saw dust, wood shaving, crushed maize cobs, and coffee and rice husks, chopped dry grass, etc. The litter should be turned regularly and more added as it becomes contaminated with droppings. Turning or stirring the litter encourages the multiplication of micro-organisms. These breaks down the hen’s dropping and eventually convert the litter into a mass of fine, dry, friable material which is normally odourless and comparatively hygienic. Turning is done either with the help of a fold, or by throwing grains regularly on the litter. As the chicken scratch for the grains, they turn the litter. When introducing new litter mix with a little of the old so as to introduce bacteria which help the litter to decompose. The depth of the litter should be kept between 15-30cm.
5. Feeders and waterers: these should be clean and well distributed to avoid overcrowding of birds and contamination of the feed and water.
6. Roosts: you should provide timber frames on which the bird perch for rest. You should allow 22.5cm – 30cm per bird and 1-1.2m high. The roosts should be moveable in order to avoid dampness caused by the accumulation of droppings in one spot.
7. Nests: are laying boxes: these should be large enough to make the birds comfortable. They should be built in a dark place in order to discourage egg eating and cannibalism. The floor of the nest should be covered with soft dry grass or wood shavings in order to prevent egg breakages.
There are two types of nests: the individual nests and the communal nests:
The individual nest accommodates one bird at a time. It measures 25-30cm wide, 30-35cm high & 30-36cm deep
The communal nest accommodates many birds at a time. Its door is 20x20cm.
Advantages of Deep Litter System
Many birds can be kept in a small area (high stocking rates);
Labour requirement is low as one person can care for many birds;
The system can be used to rear breeding stock;
Birds are safe from predators and thieves;
There is fast accumulation of manure;
Less loss of eggs as in free range;
Ammonia produced by decomposing organic matter in the litters acts as a disinfectant against coccodiosis.
Poultry Keeping & Management
Page 20
Disadvantages of Deep Litter System
Incidences of pecking, egg eating, cannibalism, feather plucking are high;
There is an accumulation of pests and pathogens in the litter. Dry litter causes respiratory problems;
It is difficult to know a poor layer as birds lay eggs in common nests;
Eggs may become dirty especially if laid on the floor;
Litter may be difficult to find in some areas.
B. Battery Cage System
In this system, birds are confined entirely in cages throughout their laying period, see figure 2.5.The cages are made of wire mesh. In each cage 1-3 birds are kept. The cages are arranged in rows which are then arranged in tiers, that is, a row is built over another. Cages have tiers varying from 3-6 in numbers with slanting floors to allow the eggs roll easily into the tray. The lowest tiers are normally 60-90cm above the floor. This height allows easy cleaning of the floor. The water troughs and feeder are fitted above the front side of the cages from one end of the row to the other. Eggs are collected from a tray behind the tiers. The cages are 45cm wide and at the front 45cm high and 57.5cm deep.
Figure 2.5: Battery cage system
We hope that your answer included the following causes of direct contamination:
touching infected skin, or
being in close contact with a person who is infected or who is sneezing, and/or coughing.
Advantages of Battery System
Higher egg production due to less energy wastage by birds;
Accurate egg records can be kept because it is easy to know which bird has laid;
Cannibalism and egg eating are minimized;
Eggs are clean because the hens do not step on them;
Less labour is needed especially where mechanization is practiced
It is easy to identify sick birds quickly;
Birds do not contaminate food and water thus there is no re-infection with worms and coccodiosis;
Culling or handling is easy as hens are restricted to a small place;
Broodiness is discouraged as the birds are not able to reach eggs;
A large number of birds can be kept in a small place;
There is greater efficiency in the control of diseases and parasites.
Poultry Keeping & Management
Page 21
Disadvantages of Battery System
A high initial capital is required in addition to the house;
It requires increased level of management;
In case of a disease outbreak, it can spread very fast;
Birds develop bruises on combs, breast and toes.
3. Semi Intensive System
The semi intensive system can be divided into two: the fold system and the house and run method.
A. The Fold system
In this system, birds are confined in small structures called an ark or fold. A fold unit measure 3.5m long by 1.5m wide and 1.5m high. This is enough to hold 10-15 hens.
One third of the fold is roofed to provide shelter. The rest of the fold is left open but it is enclosed with wire mesh. The unroofed part is used for sunning and exercise. The folds should be moved daily to a fresh ground to reduce build
