Author Archives: Farhan sheikh

About Farhan sheikh

My name is Farhan Ahsan,I am web enthusiast, writer and blogger. I always strive to be passionate about my work. I started my work at the beginning of 2007 by engaging myself with detail reading and exchanging information with others. Since then things and times have changed, but one thing remains the same and that is my passion for helping and educating people, building a successful blog and delivering quality content to the readers. The particular interests that brought me in the world of blogging are gardening, wildlife, nature, farming and livestock.

Guide for raising pheasants as a backyard flock

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Pheasants, just like other game birds are liked worldwide. They are among-st the category of upland game birds – in simpler words, it means all those birds that are perfect for poultry and require relative simpler living. You must be thinking that people have pet flocks that include guinea fowl, pigeons, turkey, ducks and chickens, but not really heard about pheasants. Do not worry, this excerpt is all about the basic knowledge that you would require for raising pheasants as a backyard flock. 

Pheasant types:

Just like all the other poultry flocks, there are different breeds for pheasants and you can willingly choose which one to rise. The most popular types include;

  • Golden Pheasants
  • White-eared pheasants
  • Ring-necked pheasants

There was a time when people used to have these as pets – in fact, pheasants were used for their exceptional ornamental plumage. However, now the masses have differing reasons and mostly use pheasants for profits. Many breed pheasants for its eggs; similarly, pheasants are raised for meats and hunting purposes

Feeding:

Your little fellows need hundred percent attention and quality food, they don’t seem to compromise on it. Therefore, for better development and growth you must provide the right kind of pheasant nutrition and food. You must be thinking that you know much regarding feeding pheasants but make sure you provide them with a complete meal. It must include minerals, vitamins and proteins.

You can get some amazing ready made branded products in the market; it’s even better to order online as you can reap maximum discounts.

In case you want to prepare pheasant food on your own, you must keep in mind the following essential facts;

Mixture of grains that include vitamins – it must have vitamin B, E, C; also, sodium and calcium would help in better growth of the bird.

Housing for pheasants:

Pheasants must have a perfect pheasant coop so that they can be kept safe. Not only the predators are their enemy but the harsh weather also affects the health greatly. Well, you really do not need a brand new coop, you can even use your old chicken coop with a few amendments; you can get one customized or make one on your own. Whatever option you opt, it is very important to make in mind all the features that please the pheasants.

pheasants coop

The coop space:

Make sure there is enough space inside the coop so that birds can thrive. Whenever you are checking out the coop plans, make sure you inquire about the bird’s space from the provider. It is said that 1/2 square meter per bird is sufficient.

The coop ventilation:

Without proper ventilation, your pheasants would feel suffocated and annoyed. If proper ventilation you can easily overcome the problem of dirt, smell, moisture and diseases. In addition, you must necessary measures to overcome the seasonal variations – indeed; you would not want your birds to freeze to death in chillers. Similarly, you would never want to see any bird dead in the coop’s run due to heat stroke. If the pheasant coop has big, wired windows and fans, things would remain just perfect.

Breeding:

Breeding Pheasants are always a fun activity – it is like growing a pheasant family with grandparents and their kids running here and there. However, you cannot breed this bird like other poultry birds – they produce babies during a specific time and that is between February and May. Now, you know this so you can easily start breeding the same types or cross breeds to have a big flock.

pheasants breeding

What does female pheasant require?

The basic need is the pheasant-nesting box because the bird feels secure and safe. The female would sit in the box and brood the fertile eggs – after the mating process, new babies would join the league. It is said that the box must be 40 centimeters wide, 40 centimeters long and 20 centimeters high. The base of the box must have a layer of clean soil and upper layer must have straw covering.

Hatching:

The number of fertile eggs varies from breed to breed, but it is seen that, on an average 24 eggs are laid from the pair. This process is followed by incubation until the eggs hatch. Almost one-month duration is needed for incubation and after 25 days almost new pheasant chicks are born.

broody pheasants incubating eggs

Many farmers, who do not have a broody pheasant, look for an artificial way to incubate the eggs. This is one of the most common ways used to hatch the fertile eggs in poultry. However, once the babies are hatched, they must be kept in the light for some more hours so that they can be kept warm. It is essential to do so, otherwise they would be prone to multiple problems.

10 tips for hatching chicken egg in an incubator

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When I was a kid I couldn’t understand the difference between a fertile egg and the non fertile one. It didn’t make any sense to me at that time; I have been brought up in a family which adored poultry the most. With us three siblings, my father had dozen of chickens in the backyard too, and he took care of them as if we all are a family. When I was eight I used to bring a fresh egg from the dad’s farm every day for my breakfast; I always wished to get a chick when I break the shell, but that didn’t happen either. It caused me frustration many times; one fine dawn I looked at my father, he was sorting out the eggs. I could see him packing a box with fresh farm eggs which he was about to send to the grocery store. I inquired about this entire thing and that was the day when I was able to understand the clear difference between a fertile and non fertile egg.

The eggs which we consume are non fertile – this means they cannot be used for incubation. In simpler terms, incubation means egg hatching. In order to obtain fertile eggs farmers need to get them from hatcheries – this means getting the chicks from the eggs under your controlled circumstances.

You don’t need any professional help for incubating chicken eggs; in fact you can do the entire thing on your own. The excerpt would now help to know the ways through which you can hatch hen egg in an incubator.

1: Take equal care of eggs before incubation:

The egg hatchability declines, if proper attention is not paid to the egg before putting it for incubation. A few things to note down here;

  • Practically you may not place the eggs immediately in the incubator, when received.
  • You must not leave the eggs for more than 7 days, after receiving.
  • Make sure the eggs are not prone to changing temperature. Make sure it’s about 50 degree Fahrenheit.
  • The relative humidity level must be between 70 t0 80 percent in a room.
  • Alternatively you can place all the eggs in the vegetable section of the refrigerator – this temperature remains ideal for eggs before they enter into an incubator.(hatchability reduce below 40 degree Fahrenheit. Or 4 C
  • The embryo will start develop when the temperature  reaches at 27 degree Celsius.
2: Placement of incubator:
  • The room must have a temperature of 70 to 75 degree Fahrenheit for better chicken egg hatching.
  • The room where you have placed the incubator must not vary its temperature.
  • Never place the incubator where sun rays have direct access.
3: Organizing incubator for proper working:

You must have a flawless working incubator; otherwise, all your chicken eggs wouldn’t be worthy for you. In order to provide necessary heat inside the incubator, you may place a few small or large size bulbs. Most of the farmers use 40 watt bulbs because they work best. Also, make sure none of the pores are left open otherwise the entire heat would escape.

4: preparing the eggs for hatching:

Turning the eggs inside the incubator is very essential for better hatching. What you can do is, marking alphabets on either side. For example, you can write ‘Z’ on one side and ‘Y’ on the other – this would help you know which side you turned the last and what should you do at the real time.

marking eggs

5: Humidity:

Once the eggs have been placed in the incubator, it tends to lose its moisture during incubation. Therefore, maintain humidity in the egg incubator is very pivotal. Make sure all the time there is a small pan of water inside so that it retains the needed moisture. The changing weather would also affect the humidity inside the incubator, so you would have to adjust it accordingly.

water in egg incubator

The incubation period may be up to 21 days – so what you need to do is maintain the humidity percentage about 55 to 55(83o – 87o F (28 – 31 C). This should be done for first eighteen days, and for the last 3 days it can be near to 65 percent (89o – 90o F (31 – 32 C).

Note: placing a wet sponge inside the incubator can also increase the humidity.

sponge in egg incubator

6: Ventilation:

You need to maintain the flow of air inside the incubator – the shell takes in fresh oxygen to the growing embryo and releases the carbon dioxide. When the egg is about to hatch, the need for getting fresh oxygen increases.

7: Incubation duration:

The incubation period for a chicken egg should not be more than 22 days – usually the chicken egg hatching process ends in 21 days.

8: When to turn the eggs:

You should turn the eggs three times a day – once in the morning, then afternoon and then at night before going to bed. If you won’t do that, the embryo tends to get stuck inside the shell.

9: Eggs candling:

With this procedure you would see the embryo development inside the egg, and remove those which are of no use. However, you must carry this procedure after 8th day or 10th, and not after that. All you have to do is, darken the room, fit a big bulb in a small box and cut it in a manner that you can place one egg over it  if  you see head and eyes of chicks as a dark spot in pinkish color it shows embryo is live and if the color is brownish the embryo is dead.

candling egg

10: Incubation ending process:
  • You must not turn the eggs once they have been in the incubator for more than 16 days.
  • Don’t open the incubator if you don’t have anything important to place inside.
  • The chick obtained beyond 22 days are usually unhealthy.

An insight of mechanically deboned chicken

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Everyone who is directly or indirectly linked to the food business would have listened the term “mechanically deboned chicken” or “mechanically recovered/reclaimed meat”. It is rather a common term in cuisine. With the modernization and adaptation of new means and ways to make our work easier, each and every field has been evolved; whether it is the food, the sanitary or the major tech areas.

What is meant by mechanically deboned chicken?

If you are not aware of what actually is mechanically deboned chicken, then this article is the right choice as it would focus and highlight not only the meaning but also the nutrition value, safety and the usage of the deboned chicken.

Mechanically deboned chicken meat (MDCM) is basically a meat item got by stripping and squashing tissues after meat is removed from the bone and is expansively utilized as a part of meat items. It is actually like a viscous material and is usually processed by constraining pork, beef, chicken, or turkey meat under heightened force through a sifter or comparable apparatus to divide the skeletal substance (i.e. the bone) from the consumable meat flesh. This processed meat can be utilized in manufacturing a variety of processed poultry products like bologna, hot dogs or sausages. A large scale processed food manufacturing units usually use this mechanically separate meat.

mechanically separate meat

The nutritious value of mechanically deboned meat

A question might arise in a layman’s mind that whether the mechanically processed meat is nutritious for health or not. So we very logically answer this question and here we go.

And the answer goes YES!!! MDCM can be labeled as a nutritious meat. The nutritional profile of the MCDM holds marginally more elevated amounts of phosphorous and calcium which are actually the fundamental supplements. A single serving of MCDM of 4ozs weight contains 250 calories with only 20g of fat and 85mg of cholesterol. Moreover it contains protein content as well. The nutrition facts of chicken meat show that separate meat is not only easy to handle, but is also safe and nutritious for an individual’s diet.

Safety and regulations of MCDM

Another important point of consideration is the safety and regulatory measures adopted by the regulatory bodies of food quality maintenance. As we talked about deboning of meat, it becomes clear that the meat is processed at an industrial level to utilize maximum of the meat content of the poultry meat. This would definitely involve the usage of some chemicals. When the meat is mechanically separated, it loses the color as well as the flavor and in order to give MCDM the flavor and a hue, artificial colors and flavors are added; and to make it bacteria free, the meat is treated with ammonium hydroxide. Well, still there is not much to worry about as the different regulatory bodies in different countries have set boundaries on the mechanically separated chicken meat usage in the processed products, most of them limiting it to 20%. But with the outburst of epidemic of mad cow disease in 1980’s, the concerns augmented as the disease was the result of the mixing up of spinal cord bits with the separated meat. This led to the formation of various regulatory bodies. One of the renowned regulatory bodies is USDA which is working day and night for the food safety. You can visit the web link in order to see the accomplishments of it in maximizing the provision of safe and good quality products by establishing various strict rules on food services.

Usage of  MCDM   products

When it comes to the usage of the mechanically separated meat, then the facts about the poultry meat clearly show the wide and enormous usage of the pink slime or MCDM. It is everywhere. It is like an epidemic which is spreading no doubt. You name the processed food and you would have a noticeable amount of this meat in it. Whether it is chicken nuggets or fillets, burgers or hot dogs, sausages or pepperoni, meat balls or ham, the mechanically separate meat serves as the basic ingredient in each of them.

processed chicken meat products

After the discussion, it can be rightly concluded that even if MCDM cannot be excluded from the food products, it must at least be used within the safe boundaries as nothing processed and artificial can meet the natural taste and nutrition of the food products.

An insight of Geese

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The geese which are used for the poultry related purposes are known as domestic geese. They are used in the poultry industry for the purpose of eggs, meat and for their down feathers. Since the olden days, they have been used for a number of purposes. Some people used to keep as pets while others made use of them for their delicious meat. In the present times, the poultry industry does make use of the meat and eggs derived from this domesticated animal.Below are some facts about geese which will come to be useful for those who are planning to raise them at the farms or as pets

Origins and the Regions of Geese

It is widely accepted that the geese, which belong to the family of Anatidae and to the genus named as Anser, were indeed one of the first animals in the world that were used for the domestication purposes. The domestication had probably started nearly 3000 years ago in Egypt. Some of the researchers are of the view that it all had started much before that, but there is a general consensus among them in terms of Egypt. Despite of their ancient origins, they have never been used on a large commercial scale like the ducks and chickens have been used.

geese origin 

Features and Characteristics

The geese are found all over the world. In terms of their physiological makeup, they are well suited for all seasons. In other words, they are able to adapt themselves to warm as well as cold climates. Moreover, they also come in a number of different colors and sizes. In comparison to their wild ancestors, the domestic geese happen to be quite larger in size. The same applies to their egg laying capacity which is higher in comparison to the other breeds. In addition to having varying levels of feathers on their bodies, the male goose also happens to have a very strong neck. It is also said that these animals are quite hardy i.e. they are immune to a number of diseases due to which they fall sick less often. All the geese have a sharp edged beak in addition to having a pointy tongue. Their digestion mechanisms are also quite agile due to which they are able to digest their food in a matter of 20 to 30 minutes. The domestic geese can be of any color ranging from white to gray. The domestic geese are termed to be the descendants of the wild geese. Moreover, they also happen to have short legs and beaks. The desired features for which they had been bred was to obtain a number of features including heavier weight, white plumage, body posture, more egg laying capacity and much more.There is a lot of other information about geese which you should prefer to have, if you plan to raise them in a more effective manner.

characteristics of geese`

Production and Consumption of Geese

The production and the success in the domain of goose poultry rearing depend largely on the amount of attention that the young birds are given at the time of brooding. A slight decrease has been seen in the geese production since the year 2002. More of the geese are being raised in the major poultry production companies, but few of them are being sold. In the year 2007, nearly 339,000 geese had been raised in USA only. Geese production has also been rapid in Poland, Hungary and Eastern European regions. Moreover, in Asia the goose production is on the rise which makes it the only continent which is in the lead in terms of geese production and consumption. The total goose meat production had been nearly 2.5 million tons in the world as of the year 2010. In terms of the consumption, there is no substantial data which can offer a clear picture, but it is believed that the consumption is about 0.4 KG per person on an annual basis.

goose production

Geese Products and Marketing

The goose products are available in Europe, Asia, and in the United States. A number of goose products like the ones made from the legs and thighsoffer a complete presentation of the exports.The Geese feathers are one of the first feature which can help distinguish them.Some other special goose products include goose pelts, stripped skin of goose, goose tongue, goose fattened liver and many more. The costs for other poultry products have been increasing, but at the same time, the prices of the goose products have been seen to be showing a regressive tendency. It is a fact that these products have not been marketed on a large scale relative to the marketing of chicken and duck products. The countries which happen to be in the lead in terms of the geese farming and marketing include USA, Hungary, Poland, Canada, China and in many other countries.

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Quick View of Poultry Farming in 10 Developing Countries

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Global poultry and trade of the poultry products has shown a major change in the past 40 years. Moreover, between the year 1970 and 2005 the poultry meat and levels of egg production had increased in a manner like never before. In other words, it can be asserted here that the trade of the poultry meat had increased in a much more agile way than the production itself. But here this increase has been marked for its imbalanced nature. It is because of the fact that in these times North America and Europe had lost their market shares, while China in addition to Brazil had managed to create a monopoly over the poultry production. The same applies to the developing countries which have also been a part of this rapid change. The time span in which most of the developing countries had surpassed the first world countries was from the year 1990 to 2010. In the present times, their contribution to the world poultry is about 55 % in terms of the meat and nearly 68 % in terms of the total egg production. The developing countries which are going to be of central focus here belong to the Asian and African continents.

In contrast to the production of duck and chicken meat, the developing countries in total are also in the lead in terms of the production of turkey. The highest levels of relative growth had been seen in the time period mentioned above, but still they are also going pretty strong. But there are some problems there are still in road to ultimate domination of the poultry world including health facilities, lack of investment, and outbreak of diseases, poor farming measures, lack of equipment and most importantly the need for more extensive scientific researches. The developing countries which are going to be of central focus here are Nigeria, Sudan, Egypt, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Iraq, Kenya, India and Philippines.

Poultry Production in Nigeria and Kenya

Just like all other countries, poultry is now one of the most important sectors for Nigeria and Kenya not only in terms of economy, but also in terms of fulfilling the needs of the people. In addition to offering a good source of protein and meat to the people, there are also a number of farmers that are earning a lot from the sector. But it is also a fact that there is a lack of high tech farms and poultry production houses in these countries. Still a lot needs to be done for the enhancement of the production, as the countries still import a lot of meat from other countries. Another major problem both of the countries face is a lack of coordination among the poultry sector with the government.

poultry farming in nigeria

Poultry Farming in Sudan, Egypt and Iraq

Agriculture used to be primary source of income for Sudan due its large area, most of which was well suited for the domestication of the animals. Although the 1988 floods and a number of other factors did effectuate the poultry sectors, still Sudan has managed to increase its production. Poultry in Sudan as well as in Egypt was mainly carried out by the families and rural area residents. Both the countries are now focusing on the establishment of some more poultry houses and farms, for the purpose of which a number of breeds are also being exported to the region. On the other hand, Iraq presently offers a production of about 100 MT of red meat and chicken and about 1.2 million eggs on a yearly basis. Before 1950, the sector was only family based, but now it is marked for its commercial nature. Yes, in comparison to the past years when Iraq was not at war, the production was much more than it is now.

poultry farming in egypt

Poultry Farming in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh

Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have a great potential in terms of poultry production. Poultry plays a vital role in the economy for both of the countries. Although a number of commercial units have been launched, still some more production is needed for the sake of exporting as well as for the residents of the countries. In both the countries, the meat and egg consumption has increased in the past few years, which indeed poses new challenges to the governments of the two nations. The bird flu which had broken out in the year 2008 in Bangladesh had also effectuated the growth to a large level in this country. Till now the poultry sectors have not managed to outpace the influences of the diseases that had killed hundreds of people due to which a large amount of chicken meat had to be wasted. The governments of the countries had to kill thousands of birds for controlling the spread of the disease.

Poultry farming in bangladesh

Poultry Farming in India, Philippines and Pakistan

India now seems to lead all other developing countries in terms of the poultry farms and production. For all the three countries, poultry is undoubtedly a major contributor towards the GDP. Moreover, all of them have taken an innovative approach towards the structure, but the one country that has managed to gain an edge in terms of poultry production is India. In the past few years, the poultry sector in Pakistan has faced a number of major losses. Furthermore, it has also lost a number of its meat markets to its prime competitor i.e. India. On the other hand, the chicken broiler sector in Philippines is the one which has shown a major growth. In lines to the most recent production surveys, the poultry production in the country has also increased for about 5 %. There is a potential for much more growth in all these countries for which a number of revolutionary measures need to be taken.The issues the countries face include ineffective poultry production policies, no control on the pricing formula, lack of foreign investment, non-strategic market practices, lack of proper feeds, insufficient scientific research and much more, all of which need to be dealt with pragmatism and planning.

Poultry farming in phillipines

Overview of Poultry Industry in South Africa

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In lines to the increase in the poultry production all over the world, poultry farming in South Africa has also shown a major growth in its poultry sector. Keeping in view the last 10 years, the estimated number of birds have increased to about 49 million. Presently, the total number of birds the poultry sector in the country has is more than 160 million. Out of these, nearly 80 % of the birds were brought to use in terms of meat production while the remaining ones had been used for egg production. These consumption patterns also offer an indication towards the consumption of meat in the country, which has been increasing since the inception of the sector. Moreover, it is also important to note here that South Africa is also a major poultry producer in the continent of Africa. In addition to this, the compounded growth seen in the broiler production domain has also increased for about 38 % over the span of the past 10 years in the poultry industry of South Africa.

Layer, Broiler and Egg Production

Due to increased import of poultry from the countries like Argentina, Brazil and some others, the prices have decreased dramatically. Furthermore, due to the decrease in the prices, the consumption of meat and eggs is now on the rise. The broiler industry of SA comes to provide more than 50 % of the proteins that are consumed all over the country. But in terms of the agricultural GDP, it accounts for only 1/4th the total. The earnings that are being generated through the sales of these products in the country include R32.7 Billion in terms of the farming level and about R54 Billion in the retail sector of egg and broiler consumption.

broiler production in south africa

Famous Breeds in South Africa

There are a number of breeds that are being used in the poultry sector of South Africa. The famous breeds of the region include large soft feather, true bantams, large hard feather, bantam hard feather, geese, ducks and turkeys. Moreover, a number of breeds from other regions are also been exported into the country, in order to have a variety of breeds. The farmers and poultry producers prefer to keep the bantams only if they wish to accommodate a large number of birds in a small area. There are also a number of indigenous breeds of chicken that are utilized in SA including Venda, Naked Neck, Natal Game, Zulu and many more. The potential of egg production for these breeds has also been subject to some latest researches. In lines to their findings, the egg production is quite low in comparison to the famous chicken production breeds in the world.

breeds of poultry in south africa

Rural and Urban Production

Most of the farmers in the rural settings prefer to keep a small number of birds by making use of some extensive and semi-extensive mechanisms for poultry production in South Africa. One reason for this might be the little attention and funding the government does for the growth of the sector in the rural area. Most of the poultry farms in South Africa are located in urban areas. There are some poultry houses that are located in the rural areas, but still they are not enough in comparison to the ones found in the urban settings.

rural poultry producion in south africa

Problems in South African Poultry Industry

problems in south african poultry

The sector indeed faces a lot of problems relating to disease control, lack of funding and problems related to sanitation. The one solution to this problem can be offered by the government which should now focus on the development of the sector. Keeping in view the role of the poultry sector in terms of the overall economy of the country, the government should endeavor in offering extensive production and health systems for the domesticated animals. The poultry producers in the country now demand a pro-growth system for large and small scale poultry production. Moreover, the need of a regulatory framework and some new price control policies are also needed. Below are the arrangements the government needs to make:

  • Quota Policy for poultry association of South Africa
  • Control on the imports and the pricing formula
  • All forms of safeguards in terms of TDCA
  • Tariff review teams for South Africa Poultry
  • Resolution of all the trading patterns
  • Equalized regulation of the rural and urban production sectors
  • Prevention of the sale of the previously frozen meat
  • Establishment of some public private dealings and partnerships
  • Introduction of a new procurement system for the benefit of the new and old farmers
  • Increase in the health facilities and medications produced for the sector

Raising Chickens for Dummies

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Raising chickens for dummies is quite an easy process, but only if you make use of some expert advice and specialized measures for the betterment of the animals in the farmhouse environment. There are some useful techniques and tips which might come in handy in bringing up chickens in the best manner possible. More or less, the tips I would be sharing you are like the ones that are used in the commercial poultry farms. First things first, so before you go on for buying chickens to be kept in your home or near to your home, you should first make sure whether or not there are certain laws that prevent you from keeping chickens in the home based settings. The good news here is that almost all of the cities in the US are allowed to keep chickens at any place they want. Furthermore, you should know about the chicken feeds and the way they should be given to the animals. One reason for this can be the growing pressure from the side of the public who want to earn some money from the chickens they keep. Below are the steps you need to follow before you buy some chickens for your home or any other setting.

Familiarizing yourself

It is meant here that you must have all forms of information about the chickens you would be keeping. Most of the farmers and poultry house owners do have sound levels of knowledge about the chickens , they keep. At the time of raising the chickens, you should also be able to tell that whether or not the chicken is healthy. In short, in order to know about the exact needs of the chickens, you should keep track about they eat, drink and sleep. The same applies to having an understanding about the chicken’s behaviors, so that you may know in advance about their complex behavioral patterns.

needs of chicken

Knowledge about the different type of Chicken Breeds

As you start to explore the complex world of the type of chicken breeds, you are more likely to find a number of terms which are used for them like hybrids, pure breeds, mixed breed and mutations. In simple, pure breeds are those who are bred to chickens that are similar and have been in the process for generations and generations. Most of the breeds we know these days are in fact hybrid breeds i.e. they are resulted from the crossing of two pure breeds. They come in handy for end use or in other words, they can be used best for a single purpose only. Moreover, both the pure and hybrids can be further categorized as strains. Mutations are the breeds that appear to be different from the breeds they were produced. In other words, they behave in a manner which is quite different from the original breeds. Lastly, mixed breeds in simple are those whose blood lines or ancestry are not known, as they have originated from various breeds. In all, taking care for chickens and all their breeds is crucial.

hybrid chickjen breeds

Number of Chickens and Cost

If you are new in the business, then it is always thoughtful to start out small.  After having some experience with these birds, you would be able to slowly increase the number of chickens you can keep. Even if you are equipped with sound levels of experience, still you would need to go to the larger numbers in steps. As chickens are social animals like us, it is better to start with a minimum of 2 chickens. In terms of cost, you can start a flock with minimal cash of $ 50, unless you do not want to keep some rare and expensive breeds. Furthermore, for saving some money try to share your order with someone at the time of transport and also try to make use of a hatchery for placing the order. You can  use this strategy for raising backyard chickens.

small flock of chicken

Building a Housing System or Chicken Coop for dummies

At the time of buying a chicken coop or making one on your own, you should consider the following factors in mind for building chicken coops for dummies:

  • Shelter from the rain and all changes in weather
  • 24/7 protection from the predators
  • Mechanisms for temperature control
  • Sufficient space for the movement of the chickens
  • Fresh air and optimal levels of lighting
  • Clean surroundings
  • Choosing the right location and material for the coop
  • Always go for the materials that are inexpensive and at the same time sufficient for the protection of the animals
  • Relaxation of the animals
  • Being mindful and equipped with knowledge about the materials

chicken coop

All these tips would really prove to be helpful in keeping chickens for dummies if you are able to follow them strategically.

Fundamentals of Pastured Poultry System

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Pasture poultry can be defined as a mechanism or method of raising poultry for the purpose of meat, pastured eggs or just for pleasure by making use of some pasture management system. No matter which form of poultry system you plan to use, you would initially begin by bringing up the chickens making use of the conventional methods and then slowly move to the top three modern pasture systems, details about which would be given below. But before we go to these systems, there are some benefits which should be pondered about the use of the pastured poultry in different settings for raising chicken on pasture or for grass fed chicken.

Benefits

The major benefit of these systems is the low levels of capital investment required for carrying out the job. In other words, most of the people are able to launch such systems with minimum amounts of investment, but for better results it is always better to make use of the advanced modes of raising chickens. Secondly, the production systems initially appears to be small, but if you are able to carry out the production in a more strategic manner, then indeed the business will grow by leaps and bounds. Other benefits include a chance and potential for some extra income, an increase in the fertility levels of the soil and a strong demand from the side of the consumers who would be in search of the conventional as well as modern pastured fed chicken.

benefits of pastured poultry

The Chicken Tractor System

It is the most common system that is used for the purpose of raising pastured chicken. The birds that are brought to use in this system are mostly the ones with the age range of about 3 to 5 weeks. Furthermore, the pens used for this purpose are called chicken tractor. These special floor less pens are moved for once or twice on a daily basis for the sake of giving access to the birds to the fresh vegetation that surrounds them at all times. There are also some high levels of researches and scientific evidences that have pointed out the various advantages and merits of making use of this system.

chicken tractor

Day Ranging System

In this system, the birds are settled in yards for the time being only and by making use of a semi-permanent pen. In order to offer them with an opportunity to roam in the surroundings they are opened once or two times per week. Moreover, some of the easiest electro netting mechanisms and systems are brought to use here. The netting is manufactured by different companies for the purpose of offering the pasturing chickens with some electrification around them which can come in handy in terms of safety for the animals and for a number of different reasons.

day ranging system

Free Ranging System

Here we have another system that allows the birds to move around freely in quite an open environment. But in the evening there is a place where the birds are retuned regularly. The system is high common in terms of being used for the egg type chickens and birds. You would be easily able to make this system on your own. For example, you can make use of some old cotton vehicle or wagon for the purpose of converting it into a coop so that the birds may return to it for laying eggs and during the evening time.

FreeRangeChickens

Pen Designs

In almost all of the system, a number of pen designs are used. You can make use of different designs that are now widely available in the pasture poultry markets. But at the time of selecting a specific design you should consider a number of factors and dimensions which include:

  • Mobility: Always select the design that is easy to be moved from time to time.
  • Durability: The pen design you select must be able to endure all forms of weather changes that take place from time to time, as it is vital for the health of the animals.
  • Access: Always ensure that the design offers the maximum levels of access to you at times when you need to carry out different chores.
  • Cost/Construction: You can find some inexpensive materials in order to put the pen together.
  • Protection: The prime disadvantage of the chicken pasture system is the threat that the predators and other animals pose to the chickens, for which it is best that you go with a design that is strong and efficient in offering some resistance to such attacks.

pen designs

Breeds of Chicken

The breeds of the birds and chickens also help you in knowing about the pasture poultry system that would come to be of the most use. For example if you are in the process of raising chickens for the sake of meat, then the commercial and related types of meat strains would be the best. Other breeds like Rhode Island Reds and some others can be used at the smaller farms. So, it is always best to use the system that is best suited for the type of pastured raise chicken you plan to accommodate.

pastured breeds of chicken

4 prodent methods of disposal of different types of poultry wastes

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DISPOSAL/MANAGEMENT OF POULTRY WASTES

The method of disposal of poultry wastes plays major role in con- -trolling and eradication of diseases. Improper approach and care­lessness of this important aspect of production process in poultry, can lead to constant emergence of disease ailments on poultry farms. This results in heavy losses in the forms of mortality and reduced productive performance. Therefore, timely disposal of wastes with efficient method is an important poultry waste management tool for raising healthy and profitable poultry.

Types of Poultry Waste

The various poultry waste produced in production process of poultry are as under:

(1) Dead birds

(2) Droppings or manure

(3) Dressing waste

(4) Hatchery waste.

Disposal of Dead Birds

Disposal of dead birds is often neglected for want of time, fuel and labour in poultry farms. It is observed that in many instances, dead birds are just thr6wn away in open outside the farm on fallow land or at the corner of premises. Further bad part of it is that this is mostly practiced during critical periods of outbreaks, due to more number of dead bird posing difficulties for systematic disposal. On the contrary it is necessary to take extra care for systematic disposal of dead birds to control outbreak by checking spread of infection.

Throwing dead birds in open beyond the compound is extremely dangerous for spread of infection as they are eaten by dogs, cats, wild birds and vultures to carry disease causing organisms by mechanical route from place to place and recontamination of premises also. Further there is danger of spread of infection through air also. Therefore, disposal of dead birds should be peferably done by either of following two ways:

  1. They should be deeply hurried in the soil or dumped into deep manure or carcass pit where their carrion is auto-digested by hot fermentation.
  2. They should be fully burnt in incinerator to form ash, which is also a effective disposal.

Disposal of Droppings or Manure

In modern method of rearing of poultry, droppings are removed from poultry houses after removal of birds in respective lots from them. This method of disposal of droppings in the form of manure is possible in case of deep litter and 3-tier reverse (Californian) cage rearing. But in case of battery cages droppings should be removed every day or once in two days to avoid filth in house.

Due to storage of droppings for 3,6 or 12 months till the disposal of batch of birds, droppings are converted into excellent manure, which can be applied directly to soil or may be utilised after storage for some period. The site of manure pit should be at corner of premises, preferably on down wind flow side to avoid recontamination of birds.

Dried poultry waste – Dropings, spilled feed and broken shells and feathers – poultry feed ingredient – CP : 24-31%, TP: 11-23%, EE:1.62-2.13 fibre 11 to 14.

Disposal of Poultry Manure

1. Oxidation ditches: Aerobic fermentation of manure occurs in open ditches. Bacteria decompose organic matter into simpler substances like C114/NH, sludge and liquid manure.

The liquid portion has NPK elements and can be used as fertilizer in field.

Released N1-13 (ammonia) can not be trapped and escapes in atmosphere.

The solid sludge contains Vit. B12 and minerals, which can be used in the animals feed up to 3-10 per cent after proper processing.

  1. 2.     Lagoons: Shallow covered ponds in which manure is dumped along with liquid waste and covered are lagoons. Here, anaerobic fermentation decomposes manure and after 2-3 months enriched manure can be obtained. But this can lead to seepage problem in near by drinking water sources and contamination. It should be away from human habitation and wells.
  2. 3.     Solid disposal: The solid manure is handled as it is, in the form of

i. Heap

The stacked heap on compression generates heat inside and kill microbes making the material sterile, which can be used as fertilizer.

Spread

Manure is scattered on ground in thin layer which dries fast and can be applied to soil.

Dig in pits with compression

Here also heat is generated making the material sterile to use as fertilize.

Disposal of Dressing Waste

On the farm where very few birds are dressed disposal of dressing waste is a minor problem. Because of major sale by live whole selling, difficulty of dressing waste disposal is as good as totally eliminated. When occasionally birds are dressed on farm for domestic use or few birds are being sold by retailing, the dressing Waste should be properly disposed as under.

The non-edible-parts like head feathers and feet (shank) should be burnt which can be done easily due to their dryness. Other wet non-edible organs should be dumped into deep manure pit to fUlfil compost manure through hot fermentation. The manure pit must be properly covered to avoid spread of infection by aerosol route and dogs should be prevented to root out manure for offal consump­tion.

Disposal of Hatchery Waste

Considerable amount of waste material from hatchery is obtained which consists of infertile hatching eggs, dgad embryos, egg shells from hatched eggs, dead chicks or weaklings, etc. Whatever may be best management of hatchery, it involves around 10-15 per cent loss of eggs or embryos during incubation and hatching. Hatchery waste in the form of egg shells, dead embryos, infertile eggs and died or weak chicks can be efficiently converted in hatchery by­product meal or hatchery residue meal which can be very well used as protein source for poultry feeding. Due to this it can be said as utilisation of hatchery waste instead of disposal of hatchery waste.

Handling of hatchery waste: Handling of raw hatchery by-products is difficult because of its strong off odour. To overcome this problem, various chemical treatments can be used including gaseous students. Among gaseous sterilents methyl bromide and ethylene oxide are commonly used. The most important point to be considered during handling hatchery waste is that it should not contain high amount of pathogens, which may pose difficulty to human health and risk for handlers. For preventing this, do not select,eggs for hatching from diseased birds and remove dead embryos timely from incubator and try to keep embryonic morality at minimum possible level.

Backyard Hen/chicken Feeding – Suet Versus Vegetable Extra body fat

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Numerous pet care experts have frequently maintained backyard-feeding internet sites for wild birds. Our methods to this activity have been somewhat nonchalant at perfect. The nutritional worth of the feed was irrelevant. What exactly are their nutritional, habitat, and behavior needs for max wellness? Regarding diet, our focus was attracted to suet cakes. They did not look like a quite healthy option – everything fats, as well as worse – saturated body fat. Pretty much all, if not completely, industrial body fat cakes are created with suet (beef body fat). The nutritional preferences of microorganisms which have developed the power for flight replicate the necessity to need to maximize energy intake and reduce weight acquire. Wild birds consume to fulfill energy demands. This really is a minimum of part of the explanation wild birds show an option for suet cakes and seed products that have a superior extra body fat articles like sunflower seed products. Fatty foods take time and effort to digest unsaturated fats are somewhat painless to digest. Kirk Klasing, an avian diet professional in the Middle for Avian Biology, College of California at Davis and creator of Comparative Avian Diet, beef extra body fat is very very saturated and is easily the most difficult fats to digest, pig fats (lard) is a touch a great deal simpler to digest because it’s slightly less saturated, and vegetable (except for coconut and palm oils), chicken, and seafood oils would be best to digest simply because they are reduced in saturated essential fatty acids and substantial in unsaturated essential fatty acids.

Regretably it’s tricky to create a nutritional service or product with oil because of its fluid consistency. A agency or stable item is substantially much easier to consider proper care of. Vegetable oils could be partly hydrogenated (saturated) to be able to raise their melting stage. In point, the melting temperature of vegetable shortening is really a perform of their number of saturation. Thinking about vegetable shortening comprises under 50 percent the saturated essential fatty acids and much more than eight occasions the unsaturated essential fatty acids found in suet, it might appear obvious that vegetable shortening is substantially more inviting than beef suet when it comes to digestibility.

Nutrition

Additionally to to be the most concentrated supply of energy in a diet plan, body fat also provides other nutritional gains. Body fat functions like a company for that extra body fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. You will find also three essential unsaturated essential fatty acids – linoleic, arachidonic, and linolenic – which are needed nutrition permanently wellness. Linoleic acidity, the key from the three, can not be synthesized within your body and may simply be acquired in the diet. Another two essential fatty acids could be synthesized within the system from linoleic acidity. As with the problem of digestibility talked about above, evidence props up conclusion that vegetable shortening is more than beef suet in phrases of dietary composition.

Another impossibility of problem is the straightforward proven fact that wild birds possess a really substantial metabolic fee that can help make sure they are prone to dietary inadequacies. Because wild birds eat to satisfy their metabolic energy wants, there’s possible that they’ll produce a option for the unnecessary body fat diet regime provided by extra body fat cakes. Commercial suet cakes aren’t developed to satisfy the dietary specifications of wild birds. They usually are meant to provide energy and absolutely nothing a lot more. Conclusion

As pet care experts, we have to conclude that, dedicated to the outcome in our exploration, vegetable shortening may be the preferred decision in body fat cakes. Additionally, the commercial suet cakes right now available on the market don’t and aren’t designed to satisfy the dietary needs of wild birds. We suppose our merchandise really are a important action toward the responsible feeding of untamed wild birds.

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