Edwin Ogola, Director at Maningi Poultry farm attends to his chicken at his farm in Rarieda Siaya county. (Collins Oduor, Standard) Close
Five keys to hack tough kuku trade
Poultry business farming may be facing unusual set of circumstances following the impact of Covid-19 pandemic, however looking into the future, there is need to increase production in anticipation of stable growth in the industry. Continuous supply of poultry meat and eggs will remain secure if seasonal farmers expand their businesses and new farmers are recruited in the trade notwithstanding the challenges in the industry. For one to run a successful poultry farming business, it requires a high level of expertise, understanding and commitment to be successful. Here are useful tips:
1. Housing & environment
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The main objective is to provide an environment that permits the birds to achieve optimum performance in terms of growth, feed efficiencies, uniformity, and production without compromising the health and welfare of the flock. The ideal house should provide the birds with a comfortable environment and protect them from the extremities of the prevailing weather (rain, wind, sunshine etc). The house should provide adequate space for the flock to be kept in the house. The ideal stocking density should be two square foot per bird (2sqfoot/bird) for layers and one square foot per bird (1sqfoot/bird) for broilers. The ideal house is open-sided to allow natural ventilation and have an east- west orientation to minimise the amount of sunlight entering the house directly.
Two hens standing on a wooden ladder outside their henhouse.
2. Stockmanship
A good poultryman need to be trained to use all the five fundamental senses of hearing, sight, smell, taste and touch. He or she must be able to recognise bird’s vocalisation, breathing and respiratory sounds and any other unusual movements within the poultry site. Workers must be very observant while in the units and can recognise how the birds are distributed in the units, whether they are feeding and drinking, recognise presence of dust, air quality and the demeanor of the birds. They should be able to smell presence of excess ammonia in the house and taste the kind of water available to the birds.
3. Chick management
The most important period in the life of a flock is the brooding stage. The units must be prepared before the chick’s arrival by cleaning and thorough disinfection. Chick’s bedding must be of good quality and well spread in the units. The units must be well heated to provide adequate warmth to these young birds as soon as they are placed. Brooding rings should be gradually expanded from day three and completely removed by day 10. A brooder guard is a cardboard or wire mesh ring to keep the chicks confined to an area near the heat source. Feed and water must be always provided adlib. Establish a minimum ventilation rate from day one to provide fresh air and remove waste gases from the house.
4. Provision of feed and water
Good water quality and robust feed are important in the development of the body frame and organs. Have a feeding regime relevant to the type of bird so that the biological performances are maximised without compromising the health and welfare of the flock.
Poor physical form will have a negative impact on the performance of the birds. Too fine feed can cause respiratory problems while large pellets may lower intake. Whether one selects a manual equipment or automatic types of feeding or watering systems, make sure that all the birds have equal and adequate share of their daily rations. Feed birds during the cool periods of the day, periodically provide vitamins and electrolytes during stressful activities.
5. Health and bio-security
Finally, you need to provide hygienic conditions in the units and minimise any adverse effect of disease in your flocks. There are so many potential sources of infection of your flocks. The disease-causing germs may come from the chicks, hatcheries, litter, wild birds, rodents, water, insects, visitors, etc. Therefore, it is important that the premises and equipment are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected prior to placement. Make sure that you stick to the vaccination programme as prescribed and incase of disease outbreak inform your Vet as soon as possible.
