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Chicken Hutch/house Plans for raising chicken and To Reduce Costs

Chicken Hutch Plans Forces You To Reduce Costs

You have to be conscious within the details just in case you need to have a small chicken farm. Organizing is as simple as every means crucial- for the reason for your farming, what chickens to help keep and facilities for breeding them. You’d need chicken hutch plans when you wish to create up very couple of chickens, or perhaps a hen house whenever you have to often more.

Retaining chickens in your backyard can be a satisfying undertaking in alone. You are able to raise flock as decent pets, however you will find also practical as well as dollars. Health- smart, you get from tending your fowls, too. Eggs made by flock within your miniature barn are go ahead and nicer as well as much healthier than individuals you buy in the supermarket. Chicken meat can also be among the most delicious and best meat on the planet.

Whenever you intend on taking care of flock inside a backyard barn, you mainly should have an agenda, particularly for his or her housing. A chicken hutch is obviously a higher priority inside your endeavor. When creating your personal chicken hutch, you’re able to reduce costs. Establishing your personal chicken housing will make you better keep an eye on and make sure the standard from the assets as well as equipment you employ, as well as specifically the entire structure ultimately.

Lots of people prefer creating a chicken hutch as opposed to a hen house. A chicken hutch could be sufficient, particularly if you are planning to help keep just one or perhaps two chickens. A chicken hutch is easier and fewer pricey to construct. You’ll be able to possess a chicken hutch built inside a hen house when you would like or perhaps will have to also.

If possibly you are a newcomer with regards to taking care of flock, a hutch is a better selection for you at this time.

Oftentimes, chicken houses are purchased in flat pack format, in addition to all you need to perform is assemble the portions. Within this sense, you wouldn’t need distinctive expertise for the chicken hutch plans and creating your chicken housing.

Before establishing your chicken hutch, you will need thorough studying in addition to sticking to directions. Adhering for the recommendations tends to make you have produced a reliable dwelling place for your chicken pets.

For the chicken hutch plans, consider exactly how in addition to wherever you are likely to place the framework. Keep your primary building from the chicken hutch over the floor. This can guarantee that you just avoid concerns of moist as well as rot while you tend for the backyard chicken farm. Keep in mind that chickens will not react effectively to moist- they might get sick under this type of conditions.

Then, possible potential predators. Have them in your mind when devising your chicken hutch plans. Try that potential predators for example snakes in addition to rats can’t or perhaps will fight to get underneath the fence or perhaps chicken wire that encloses your chicken. An answer for this can be to search the footing from the chicken run one feet in to the ground. Or perhaps you may make it as being deep as might be whenever you may be not able to burrow with this level.

Include appropriate sized entrance doors inside your chicken hutch plans for that chickens to possess easy entry. A really small entrance can make it hard for the fowls to go into in addition to out. A bigger door utilizing a wooden door flap is great for housing your chicken.

Consider a simple opening cover cleaning functions. It is crucial that you simply cleanup the hutch regularly (each week) since the area just is not so large. Otherwise, troubles when discussing your flock can come up.

More males and ladies are choosing to nurture chickens, as well as for several great grounds. Stocking flock in your backyard tends to make you best assured from the wellness as well as safety of the self and your family members according to the chicken meat and convey that which you consume. Apart from the effectiveness of having readily available chicken eggs in addition to meat for consumption, that’s.

Together with your determination to produce a yard barn for raising flock, it’s suggested that you simply provide the most effective type of chicken housing facility. This is an investment of your time, effort and assets that you simply cannot overlook. Over time, establishing a dependable chicken hutch could make you save money on costs, particularly for maintenance within the a long time.

Preston Blackmore is definitely an organic gardening and farming enthusiast. If you want to understand much more about Chicken hutch plans go to http://chickens.organicgardeningfarming.com/chicken-hutch-plans-will-make-you-save-on-costs/.

Factors/elements consider for objective of enhancing/optimizing the feed digestion/conversion and utilization.

Because the chicken maqui berry farmers with feed 9 note – China OLED Screen Music Player – Cute Audio  Players Manufacturing

Specialized homes in rural areas to lessen the amount of chicken feed costs in the distribution feed,
but less raw material procurement, more frequently, quality changes, the possible lack of laboratory
equipment, processing equipment, crude, limited expertise of scientific formula, producing dietary
deficit hard to satisfy the chicken production, growth needs, or inefficient, cannot give full play to  the performance, frequently more damage than good. Its problems and weak points, especially because the
suggested maqui berry farmers with feed to notice the next.

Appropriate selection of sticking to the standardard

With enter in the front must give consideration to raising the conventional of preference, should be
stored within the chicken species, age, stage of development and growth, production goals and
production levels, choose the right feeding standards, to find out nutrient needs, again combined way
to obtain feed to meet the requirements of chickens to be able to improve feed conversion and feed
efficiency because the goal, to maximise the development and production performance of chicken.

Formula ought to be reasonable

Physiological qualities based on the digestion of chicken quality recipes focus on an acceptable variety, the chicken’s stomach volume more compact, shorter digestive system, digestive system retention duration of feed in a nutshell, the elements, they have to think about the dietary feed
level, but the palatability of feed, bulk density, digestibility and nutrient balance between. To make sure that the chicken can endure, but additionally to satisfy the dietary needs, especially chicks and
broilers to multi-use high-energy, high protein content of recycleables the same time frame to make sure comprehensive and balanced dietary diet, to more utilization of several recycleables, to provide full play towards the complementary role between your dietary elements to offer the objective of
enhancing feed digestion and utilization.

Should take advantage of local feed assets

Choice of recycleables because of give consideration and react to secure optimum use of local sources, cheap, healthy feed, so far as easy to save transportation charges, reduce feed costs.

To make sure the standard of feed elements

In feed raw material procurement to give consideration to the standard of recycleables. To make use of  fresh elements, non-utilization of moldy feed elements give consideration towards the true and false identification of feed elements, banned adulterated, sporadic quality of recycleables caution contain harmful toxins and dangerous substances in recycleables for example cotton cake consists of gossypol, To strictly control the dosage, dosage shouldn’t exceed 5% of diet raw soybean meal protein synthesis
with anti-pancreatic enzyme treatment should be steamed, not only will it affect their diet, illness and dying in chicken can also be.

To find the right feed additive

In picking a types of feed chemicals in your mind constantly, dose standards. Proteins, vitamins, minerals, trace elements, drug chemicals, enzymes along with other chemicals are indispensable for chicken, based on the chicken variety, growth stage, the development finish, production levels, utilization of different chemicals and add different proportion. Based on product instructions must add, to prevent waste and poisoning, particularly using drug chemicals to manage the total amount and
employ of your time, to avoid poisoning. Add some enzyme or enzyme complex to enhance the standard of feed, enhancing digestion and absorption rate, and improve performance, lessen the incidence of disease
and lower feed costs and enhance the economic advantages of chicken.

To limit the crude fiber content

Decision through the chicken digestive qualities in feed formulation should give consideration to limitations around the content of crude fiber. Chickens don’t have any teeth, feed in to the wind pipe without eating to obtain the crop within the crop following a short immersion in to the muscular stomach, glandular stomach, muscular stomach all of the food alone contraction kids with food and small sand alternative teeth grinding eating function. Therefore the chicken, especially chicken crude fiber
digestion is poor, therefore the content of crude fiber, only 3% from the chickens, broilers under 4%, grower and layer to manage under 7%.

In feed processing in your mind when mixed. Improve feed utilization feed processing is paramount to enhance among the measures. Since nearly all elements for that powder, corn, soybean meal, and lots of  other recycleables to become crushed, its dimensions are generally 1.5 to two mm is suitable. Along the way, various materials must strictly stick to the proportion of accurate formula weighing, mixing a great time to manage, to avoid uneven mixing or feed grade. Particularly should don’t forget that the
additional amount is under 1% from the additive, to make use of multiple classification premix method,
which first mixing with a tiny bit of auxiliary materials and chemicals, after which combined with more add-ons, then combined with the diet plan Stir well, otherwise they’ll be given evenly and dietary inadequacies, or poisoning happened.

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

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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4 prodent methods of disposal of different types of poultry wastes

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.

Overview of Poultry Industry in South Africa

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

Fundamentals of Pastured Poultry System

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

Raising Chickens for Dummies

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.

Quick View of Poultry Farming in 10 Developing Countries

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

An insight of Geese

 

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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6 considerations for building chicken coop nesting boxes

One of the nature’s most prime and useful product can be availed from the use of the nesting boxes. When it comes to the process of raising backyard chicken, numerous dimensions and factors might demand your utmost attention. The eggs that are bought from the stores are quite different from the ones you obtain from the home based settings. The difference between two lies in the coloring mechanisms. The color of the yolk for the eggs grown in the home settings would be more in resemblance to the color of the setting sun at the end of clear cool day, while the yolk color for the eggs produced at the factory settings would be more pale yellowish like a smoggy sun in a hot afternoon.

The reason for which you should prefer to make use of the plans for chicken coop lies in the numerous benefits you would be able to avail later onwards. Almost all of the materials you would need for the coops would be readily available in the ready-made form, so it is evident that there is not much which you would be required to do. In terms of making the most functional chicken nesting boxes, below are the steps and guidelines you would need to consider.

The Number

The prime rule of thumb which can be used here lies in the number of hens you are looking to accommodate in a single nest. Normally, 4 hens won’t mind in terms of sharing a single nesting box among them. The egg laying schedules do vary among the hens, which is the reason for which the chances of the hens fighting each other for the process of egg laying would be the minimal. Moreover, you can also prefer to have two birds in a single nesting box if you have more room.

chicken coop nest box

Chicken Nest Box Size

The bigger the size of the livestock might be, the bigger should be the nesting box for them. If you happen to have a number of species which need to be dealt with, then always prefer to keep the size of the largest female bird in mind at times when you would be purchasing all the required materials. This strategy does come in handy for those who want to obtain some consistent and optimal results from the process of domesticating the birds. In terms of the surrounding areas, only a few inches should be left. In other words, the nesting boxes should be about 12 inches square and at the same time, should be 18 inches deep. If you would give them too much space, then there would be a probability that the birds would prefer to spend an extra amount of time in the nest. There are also a number of other chicken nest box ideas which you might love to consider, so it is always conducive to do your homework in this regard beforehand.

size of chicken coop

 Dimention or setting of nest box

The roof should be marked for its steeply slanted nature or configuration. Otherwise, there are chances that the birds might make use of the roof for the process of roosting. This might lead to the accumulation of some large amounts of coop which will pose a great risk to the health of the animals. At the same time, all other chicken nest box dimensions should be given priority, as the animals might engage in some irrational behaviors if they are not given sufficient accommodation facilities. On an ideal basis, the nest box will have a point of entrance for the hens and would also come to have an access to the egg laying regions which lie at the rare end of the box. The front would be open and at the same time, the back door would remain closed. It would be opened at the time of the egg collection which should always be done at regular basis. This is indeed the ideal set up which you might want to use, but there are some people who never mind in terms of making use of the front door. All these facets must be pondered for the purpose of building chicken nest boxes.

Place

The chickens do love to lay their eggs in the protected regions and spaces. So it is best that the boxes should be hung a few centimeters above the ground, but not too high from the roosting regions. This form of elevation would make it easier for the eggs to be collected.

Bedding Materials

Dried straw and pine shavings might be used for the bedding materials. But here you would need to ensure that the eggs might not be clanged together. It is always conducive to rinse the eggs at regular intervals. The hen nest boxes should also be dealt with utmost care, so that no area might get damaged due to mishandling.

bedding material in nest box

So, now you know how to get the best return on your investment through the use of the most effective chicken nest box design and plan.