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» Remove the chicks from the brooder when they are 8 weeks old. At this time they are big enough to be taken to the main poultry house. We hope you now understand how to prepare the brooder to receive chicks and how to take care
Figure 4.1: Behaviour of chicks under different brooder conditions
As you can see in Figure 4.1 the chicks respond to changes in temperature and draught in the following ways:
At high temperature the chicks move away from heat source
At low temperature the chicks crowd around the heat source
Normal or optimum temperature
Draught from one side
Too cold
Very hot
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At normal or correct temperature the chicks are evenly spread in the brooder
If there is drought from one side the chicks crowd in one corner.
4. Light: the brooder should have enough light to allow chicks to see food and water. You should use a dim or dull light as bright lights can cause blindness in the chicks and influence toe pecking.
5. Feeders: make sure you have a sufficient number of feeders so that the chicks can feed without overcrowding. Clean them every morning before feeding the chicks to avoid infection. The design of the feeders should ensure that the chicks do not contaminate the feed with their droppings. The various types of feeders are shown in figure 4.2 below.
Linear chick feeder Tube feeder
Figure 4.2: Types of feeder.
6. Drinkers or Waterers: provide the chicks with clean and safe water and ensure that they do not step on the drinker or defecate in the water. The watering containers should have pointed tops to discourage the chicks from perching on top. Figure 4.3 below shows a variety of drinkers used in the brooder.
Figure 4.3: Waterer/Drinker
7. Corners: most brooders are round so that there are no sharp corners. Corners encourage overcrowding and suffocation. If your brooder has sharp corners, you should fit cardboards at each corner to round it up.
We hope you now understand the two brooding methods used by farmers. Next let us look at the general management of a brooder.
4.2: General Brooder Management
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In this section we shall discuss what you need to do before and after the chicks arrive. We shall start by looking at the preparations you should make before the chicks arrive.
Preparation Before Chicks Arrive
If you adopt artificial brooding method, you should make the following preparation before your chicks arrive:
Prepare the brooder 2-3 days before chicks arrive;
Ensure the brooder and all equipment are clean and well disinfected;
Examine the heating equipment and test to make sure it is functioning properly;
Spread 100-125mm litter which has been sterilized in the sun over the floor to act as insulation and to absorb moisture from droppings. The litter can be made of sawdust, wood shaving, groundnut shells, broken maize cobs etc.;
Spread gummy bag on the floor of the broods. This prevents the chicks from eating saw dust (litter);
Spread some food on the gummy bag and some placed in the feeders. This helps the chicks to know where the feed is after they eat up all the feed on the floor.
When chicks have learnt where to eat from the gunny bad is removed.
Warm the brooder to a temperature of 32-350C some 24 hrs before the arrival of the chicks.
On collecting the chicks, inspect them to ensure that:
the chicks are uniform
the chicks are alert
the chicks have no deformities
the chicks do not have any sign of infection.
Transport the chicks in well-ventilated boxes without direct exposure to sunlight, wind or rain.
General Brooder Management after Arrival of Chicks
Once the chicks arrive in the brooder, you should ensure the following:
Start by giving them wholesome drinking water, vitamins, glucose and liquid paraffin. This provides the chicks with energy and helps them to overcome the stress caused by travelling. Liquid paraffin assists in the passage of faeces and prevents pasting.
Feed them on chick mash for the first 8 weeks. Chick mash has 20-22% D.C.P and Vitamin A and D in addition to other feed substances. The high amount of protein & Vitamin A helps in faster growth.
Check on the chicks regularly for the 1sttwo weeks
Follow a regular vaccination programme, that is, vaccinate against new castle and fowl typhoid
Ensure the temperature is well regulated at all times. Chicks should not be chilled or overheated, since this may result in:
Increased mortality
Dehydration
Retarded growth
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Poor flock uniformity.
Dust the chicks with an appropriate insecticide to control parasites.
Control coccidiosis by giving coccidiostat to chicks through water or feed.
In the 6th week, introduce perches for the chicks to perch on.
Introduce grit (sand) in the brooder to help in the digestion of the feed.
Introduce Growers Mash in the 7th week. This should be introduced gradually with a ration of ¼ growers mash mixed with a ¾ ration of the chick mash. By the 9th week the chicks should be feeding on growers mash only.
Provide security against thieves and pests e.g. cats and dogs that eat chicks.
Remove the chicks from the brooder when they are 8 weeks old. At this time they are big enough to be taken to the main poultry house.
We hope you now understand how to prepare the brooder to receive chicks and how to take care of the chicks during artificial brooding. Before you proceed to the next section complete the following activity to remind yourself the important points.
In the next section we shall look at the specific management of pullets, layers and broilers.
4.3: Management of Pullets, Layers and Table Birds
Once chicks leave the brooder they are taken to the poultry house. Their subsequent
Activity 4.2
Broader management
1. List 4 things you should check in the brooder before the chicks arrive.
i There is enough light
ii The temperature is at least 32o to 35o C
iii There are sufficient feeders and drinkers for the number of chicks
iv The litter is warm and it has absorbent qualities
2. List 4 things you should check when collecting chicks:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
3. Write down four things you should do to ensure that chicks are comfortable in the brooder.
i.
ii
iii
iv.
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management depends of the type of chicken, that is, whether they are pullets, layers or table birds. We will discuss at the management of each type individually.
Management of Pullets
A pullet is a female which is one year of age or younger and has not yet completed the first laying period. Pullets can be reared under free range, deep litter or battery systems.
Before their arrival, the poultry house should be properly cleaned and disinfected.
If the pullets are reared under the deep litter system, you should spread clean and dry litter 10cm – 15cm above the floor. Spread the little evenly avoiding the corners in order to prevent the pullets from crowding in the corners at night. Crowding as we mentioned before causes death due to suffocation or crushing.
If the pullets are reared in a free-range system, they only need shelter or housing at night, when it is raining or when it is too hot.
Factors to observe in pullet management
You should observe the following factors when managing pullets:
Do not expose pullets to increasing day lengths from 8-20 weeks of age as this can stimulate the pullets to start laying eggs at prematurely
Isolate or cull abnormal or sick birds that have poor development of feathers and vaccinate.
Visit the pullets often for close supervision and identification of diseases which need immediate attention
Where possible, construct roosts either along the sides of the house walls or in the middle of the house to reduce soiling of the litter
Feed the birds on growers mash which contain 16-17% D.C.P
Green vegetation which growers can peck to keep themselves busy is hanged at various points in the house
Soluble grit (oyster shells) should be provided towards the end of grower’s stage.
Management of Layers
Layers are birds which are kept for eggs. They start laying eggs at the age of 20-21 weeks. In the first 1-2 weeks the eggs produced are very small in size but they normalize from the third week onwards. You should manage them as follows:
Vaccinate them every six months against new castle and fowl typhoid.
Provide enough floor space, roosts, feeders and drinkers
Ensure each hen receives 120gms of layers mash feed per day
Keep the litter as dry as possible especially if you practice the deep litter system;
Collect eggs twice a day at noon and in the evening
Hang green leaves in the poultry house to keep the birds busy and prevent cannibalism.
Cull the hens which do not lay or which have cannibalistic behaviour.
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Activity 4.3
Management of Pullets, Layers and Table Birds (Time: 20 mins)
List at least 3 differences between layers and table birds.
Type of Chicken Main Differences Between Layers and Table Birds Layers 1. 2. 3. Table Birds 1. 2. 3.
Compare your answers with those given at the end of this unit.
Management of Table Birds
These are birds which are raised for meat. There are three types of table birds, that is:
Broilers : these are raised for meat and are marketed when they reach a live weight of between 1.45 -2.75kg depending on the most profitable time of production. Broilers normally convert food into meat at a ratio of about 2:1. This depends on correct management practices and nutrition.
Capons: these are cocks which are castrated at about 110-150 days. They weigh between 3-3.5kg live weights.
Roasters: these are chicks which are slaughtered when they are between 90-150 days old
The management practice of table birds is similar to that of pullets and it includes:
From the age of 5-6 weeks you should give them broiler mash. This feed is a high energy food that promotes rapid growth.
Give less broiler mash to birds which are older than 10 weeks
Do not use hooks to catch table birds due to their great weight
Give anticoccidial drugs to avoid economic losses by coccidiosis
Apply disease prevention and control programmes and monitor your flock closely.
That brings you to the end of this section on poultry management. As a way of reflecting on what you have learnt, complete the following activity.
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In the next and last section of this unit we shall discuss routine poultry management
practices.
4.4: Routine Poultry Management Practices
As a poultry farmer, you will need to perform certain routine management activities
to keep your chicken healthy and safe. These activities are:
Poultry hygiene
Debeaking
Pasting
De-toeing
Vaccination
Culling.
Let us discuss each activity in turn starting with poultry hygiene
Poultry Hygiene
The following are the directions for cleaning and disinfecting your poultry house:
Remove all portable equipment;
Remove litter. Do not store litter near the laying house;
Thoroughly sweep down all dust and cob webs;
Wash all the equipment and the lower walls and floor;
Scrub with 5% hot washing soda or 0.3% hypochlorite solution;
Treat earth floors with 1% formalin. Make sure you soak the floor thoroughly
with this solution;
Fumigate the closed house with potassium permanganate crystals and
formalin;
Keep the clean house empty for at least 2 weeks before restocking.
Debeaking
Debeaking is the partial removal of the beak of chicken. It involves shortening the
upper beak which is used for pecking and breaking eggs. It is done at the age of 6-9
TAFADHALI SHARE HABARI HII KWA RAFIKI ZAKO HAPO CHINI ILI IWAFIKIE NA WENGINE PIA
Pig industry sustains livelihoods of many families in Kenya. Pig rearing has been one of wellestablishedindustry
in Kenya following growing export markets and increasing number of health
conscious consumers. Pig production if efficiently managed has great potentials for increasing
protein supply in Kenya. Smallholder pig farms in Tharaka-Nithi County have been facing
varying and dismal profits. The main objective of this study will be to establish which
institutional arrangements and management factors affect the profit efficiency of small-holder
pig farmers in Tharaka-Nithi County. A multi-stage purposive sampling technique will be
adopted to collect cross sectional data of eighty (80) smallholder pig farmers in Maara
Constituency by the use of semi-structured interview schedules. The work will employ Data
Envelopment Analysis to come up with profit efficiency rankings among the farmers and
stochastic frontier profit function will be used to analyze the factors that affect profit efficiency.
The data will be processed using STATA and DEA Frontier packages. The findings could be
useful to the stakeholders of the pig industry sub sector to formulate policies pertaining to pig
enterprise inputs, marketing issues and financial products and also can establish benchmarks
which can be used as a package for enhancing and stabilizing profit efficiencies of smallholder
pig farmers which in turn could help improve the Kenya economy.
An Overview of Livestock Sub-sector in Kenya Perspectives, Opportunities and Innovations for Market Access for Market Access for Pastoral Producers Recent statistics point that the livestock sub-sector in Kenya accounts for approximately 10% of the National Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This is 30% of the agricultural GDP. It employs about 50% of the national agricultural workforce and about 90% of the ASAL workforce. 95% of ASAL household income comes from this sub-sector. This is despite the fact that the sector receives only 1 % of the total annual budget allocation. The livestock resource base is estimated at 60 million units comprising of 29 million indigenous and exotic chicken, 10 million beef cattle, 3 million dairy and dairy crosses, 9 million goats, 7 million sheep, 0.8 mi camels, 0.52 mi donkeys and 0.3 million pigs. (Strategy for Revitalizing Agriculture (SRA) 2003) Kenya is broadly self-sufficient in most livestock products but is a net importer of red meat mostly inform of on-the-hoof animals trekked across the porous boundaries of neighbouring countries- Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Uganda and Tanzania. Livestock supply in Kenya results from a complex set of interactions between Kenya and its neighbours and the traditional Middle East market and their respective livestock populations, demand and market prices. Kenya is part of a regional market where livestock flow according to markets and price differentials in a liberalized system throughout the region as a whole and where Nairobi represents a focus of demand for the region Supply of red-meat from domestic cattle, shoats and camels falls short of demand, and is almost permanently augmented by a traditional livestock trade drawn in from neighbouring countries, especially Somalia, Tanzania, Sudan and Ethiopia in varying quantities according to demand, which maintains a supply/demand
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