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Outlook of Family and Rural Poultry Production in Africa

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A demand for the livestock products in addition to the poultry is now increasing in all regions of Africa. But the region where the demand is much more in comparison to the other areas is West Africa. The reason for this can be linked to the rise in the population of the area and to increase in levels of urbanization. Moreover, the trade liberalization has also effectuated the poultry sector in a dramatic manner. In lines to this pattern, some of the countries have seen a large inflow of imports while others have been subject to some low imports. Most of the imports coming into the continent are from the European countries. The two components of the poultry sector that are of prime focus here are the family and rural sectors.

Family poultry Production in Africa

Now here with the exception in terms of the urban areas in the northern and South African regions, the maximum levels of production in the continent are coming from the extensive family poultry production in rural Africa. Almost every other house in the village and other rural area prefer to keep the chickens and birds in their home based settings. On an average each home makes use of about 5 to 20 chickens. Overall, 80 % of the population of the fowls and birds in Africa used to be in the rural and family based settings till the year 1995.

rural poultry producion in south africa

Problems faced by Family Production

The family production is indeed a major contributor towards the consumption needs of the people, but now it faces a number of constraints and disabilities linked to the diseases and poor farming settings. Moreover, the government is also reluctant in offering the people with some form of compensation for the growth of the sector. Together all these factors combine to mark the low levels of productivity coming from the rural and family settings, which is indeed a major drawback of the poultry production in Africa. It is clear that if some of these constraints might be removed, then an increase in the profits of the families and the country can be expected.

 In order to create an increase in the production, a coordinated and well researched system needs to be introduced that is going to make use of the data from other countries in order to make comparison of the input and outputs of the sector. The primary disease in the region that has limited to the overall poultry production in Africa is The New Castle Disease. It can easily eliminate nearly 80 % of the birds in any village poultry in a matter of a few days and those bird that survive come to have various antibodies and harmful germs in their bodies. In short, some serious measures and actions should be taken for the betterment of family and village chicken production in Africa.

castle disease in africa

Women and the Family Poultry Production in Africa

The principal caretakers in terms of the rural and family production houses in Africa are the women. They spend most of their time in making feeding and safety arrangements for the poultry animals and products. It is all because that the poultry comes to offer them good and efficient source of protein and meat which they cannot afford to buy from the markets. So it is evident from this, that the women are the ones who need to have some benefits. Moreover, the poultry production is what that restrains the people to migrate to the urban regions of the continent. It is important to ponder here that China has taken an efficient strategy for the betterment of the rural people and has also made arrangements for them, so that they might not feel the need of moving to the urban sectors.

the role of women in family poultry production

Solutions

All of these problems need to be addressed subsequently by making use of the funding and various medications. Moreover, improved housing and the best supplementary feeding protocols are also going to come in handy here. Furthermore, the international organizations and agencies should also look into this issue for the betterment of the people and poultry in Africa, most of which are living below the line of poverty. Although the National Agricultural Research Systems in Africa are offering their services for the solution to this problem, still a lot more needs to be done.

5 Tricks to Break Up the Hen’s Brooding

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What is meant by Broodiness and broody hen?

A hen is capable of laying around 1  eggs on a daily basis. Moreover, the hen does not prefer to incubate the eggs until the entire clutch has been laid. Through the use of this strategy, all the chicks hatch right at the same time. The physiological mechanisms and the broody hen symptoms change as soon as the clutch has been laid. She would want to stay above them while spreading out her wings for the purpose of keeping the eggs warm. If disturbed, she would start making muttering as well as growling sounds and may even engage in the protection of the eggs. Furthermore, she only leaves the nest for the purpose of eating and drinking only one time in a day. You would need to ensure that she does the process on a daily basis, otherwise she would be starved or would come to get the dirty eggs through her droppings. So, in lines to this, a hen is termed to be broody at the time she is raising the chicks, giving protection to them and also teaching them the methods to get their own food. Understanding the broodiness in hens is an imperative pre-requisite for the purpose of ensuring that the hens remain healthy.

Breeds of Broody Hens

The breeds of hens which are known to be broody include the Buff Orpingtons, Brahmas, Silkies, Australorp, Dark Cornish, Buff Rocks, Turkens, Cuckoo Marans and Bantams.

Below are the 5 tricks which would come in handy for the purpose of stopping broody hens.

1. Wired Mesh Cage

In terms of breaking the broodiness, you would need to make sure that she does not manage to stay on the eggs. The first trick you can use includes the construction of a cage by using a floor made of wished mesh. Then you would need to place the cage on the bricks in lines to which the floor would remain suspended. At the same time, keeping the bricks towards the outward edges would ensure that she won’t be able to sit on the eggs. So, she won’t be able to sit on the eggs in a comfortable manner and within a matter of a few days the broodiness would be broken.

broody hen a cage

2. Cold Water 

The next trick, which happens to be of a conventional nature, involves the usage of some cold water. You would need to dunk the hen in this cold water, but it should not be too much cold. In lines to this, the broodiness temperature of the hen would go down and she won’t be able to sit on the eggs in a comfortable manner. Removing the eggs as soon as the hen leaves the nest is also a trick which can be used.

broody hen in cold water

3. Caging and Isolation

Caging the hens for 2 to 3 days also comes in handy in breaking the brooding. But here you would need to ensure that the hen’s behavior might not turn impulsive. For this reasons, the cage should be placed pretty close to the eggs so she might be able to see them at all times. If the hen does not stops showing its damaging and irrational behavior, then the above mentioned tricks are to be used instead.

spreading brooding hen

4. The Dog Crate and Golf Balls Method

The golf balls method together with the dog crate is also conducive in terms of breaking the broodiness. The idea here is to replace the eggs with the golf balls. On sitting on these balls for some time, she won’t be able to remain comfortable and would eventually end up leaving the nest for longer time. In a matter of a few days the broodiness would be ended.It also also helps to keep broody hen in her own nest and not to take eggs laid by other hens

golf balls for broody hens

5. Keeping with an Active Rooster

Try to put her anywhere near a rooster who is quite active. The rooster would love to keep the hen busy at all times and she won’t be able to return to the nest. You can also put the rooster and the hen in some sort of movable pen in the yard outside. This strategy comes in handy for taking the hen out to the fresh air and sunlight. Furthermore, you can also make use of a wired pen and with no sort of nesting equipment inside, but always ensure that there is plenty of food as well as water inside the pen. It is only a matter of time that her motherly instinct would be gone and as soon as the process of egg laying would start, you would be able to know that the broodiness has gone now.

rooster and broody hen

Drawbacks of Hen’s Brooding

One purpose of raising hens in your backyard is to getting eggs, not all the times u want your eggs to be hatched by the broody hens, broody period vary according to the breeds of hens,  it may continue an average of one month, so its mean u lost lots of eggs that might have been put in your fridge. Also broody hen occupies the nesting box space and do not allow other hens to come in the nest box and don’t mind to sit on eggs laid by other hens. Another thing is your hen does not take sufficient food and water and it may result in dehydration in summer season

At the time of caging and isolating the hen, she would try to peck and escape from the cage. In doing so, there is the possibility that she might end up hurting herself. If kept away from the eggs for a long time, the problem of shuddering might also emerge in the hens. Research also suggests that isolation of the hen for a long time might result in lower egg production.

Some interesting facts and benefits of raising guinea fowl

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After experiencing a lot of interesting facts about little guys – guinea fowls, I thought of sharing them with all those who are interested in raising them. I would start the guinea fowl facts with the story through which I got to learn a lot about this beautiful and interesting creature.

My father bought beautifully dressed in grayish suits, proud game birds – since then,  I have noticed the guinea fowls scuttling up and down through the driveway. I have always been very observant that is why I was interested in knowing the behavior of these little guys too; as soon as its cockcrow, they start scouring the entire my father planted garden for nasty insects like ticks, locusts, beetles, and spiders etc. in fact, I have seen them running and eating the disgusting roaches and centipedes too. They act like the perfect watchdog, and trust me; they work even better than the stupid insecticides. Recently, I have noticed the guinea fowls in the pursuit for wasps, cutworms, snails, grubs and flies. They patrol the backyard completely and make sure nothing intrudes their adobe. They are truly relentless in their chase (prey).

I remember the time when we are guinea-less; trust me, had to suffer a lot because the most of the crops and the other plants were denuded by the devil beetles and grubs. However, soon the little gray fellows changed our lives because they gave us two important benefits;

  • Watchdog
  • Pleasant meal – the guinea fowl meat is really good – tempting indeed
  • Guinea fowl eggs: they have strong outer covering but taste like chicken eggs, so many keep them for this purpose as well.

 

guine fowl eating insects

Raising the guinea fowls:

One thing that bothers me much – many people haven’t even heard about this beautiful and useful bird. Even today the keeping guinea fowl isn’t much common; the first time visitors inquire instantly, “is this a turkey?” you cannot say it’s a bad judgement because it belongs to the family (genre) which is a chicken look alike. They are Africans – I mean guinea fowl is an African native. To your surprise, there are 7 guinea fowl species; “helmeted Pearl” is the most known one because it has a weird sort of a helmet, with gray sexy dotted body, and has a face without any feathers.

These little fellows are more in plundering all the time. Also, they are sensible enough to catch the prey without damaging the plantation and crops. Interestingly, these fellows are less troublemakers. They require almost no medical treatment, as they are robust enough to stand against the diseases. Also, they adapt the changing weather conditions. Because of the dominant acts and authoritative nature, this fowl is still not really popular like chicken. However, need to shelter arises in order to keep the fowls safe from the dogs, cats and owls.

Endearing habits:

A few habits which make these birds a little less adoring is, the guinea fowl sound – they are the noisiest birds I have seen. If you have high-strung neighbors, you cannot keep them even in your backyard. Specially, the residential areas like proper housing societies cannot afford to keep such a noisy bunch of fellows; it seems as if they are too talkative. Also, guinea fowl (hen) egg can only be acquired seasonally; also, the newly born babies are way sensitive and need lot of attention. Another bad thing about this bird, it won’t ever be loyal to you – they are not pal type of birds; they would eat what you serve, would tolerate you when around, but won’t ever be your pal. This is something that’s in the bird naturally – they are fond of prowling and love the freedom.

Deciphering sound and gender:

Interesting thing to note here – when the fowl is newly born (baby guinea is known as Keets) you won’t be able to figure out the gender until it gets 8 weeks. Later, you will distinguish between the hen and the cock based on their voices (sound);

·         Cock cry is something like “chi-chi-chi-“; this sound is followed by a strong “Chrrrr” sound.

·         The hen cry is somewhat similar to “comeback”, many even say it’s similar to “good-luck”

It is said that when a guinea hen is angry or upset about something, it may sound like a cock; however, cock never depicts a hen, sounds like too arrogant from the male gender. In a nutshell, the bird is interesting to be with; not only this, it’s an ideal watchdog and does not bother much.

guinea fowl sound

Hatching ability:

Guinea fowl are not excellent broody hens. Often guinea fowl leaves their nest as soon as some eggs are hatched, don’t wait for other eggs to be hatched, so it is better to hatch eggs under some broody chicken hen or using an incubator.

guinea fowl sitting on eggs

Ostrich Products, Characteristics and Breeding

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Surely, the ostrich can be classified to be the largest among all the living birds on the face of the earth. The adult males can reach to the height of about 2.4 m together with a weight of about 100 KG. Although they are categorized among the birds, they are unable to fly. The reason for this can be linked to their huge body size due to which they are unable to go for a flight. Other Ostrich Characteristics include a long neck, lengthy legs and their running speed. Their long legs are what that enable the ostrich to run at a speed of about 70 KMPH. Not to forget their strides which are extended up to 8m. Below are some more Ostrich Facts.

Sexual Features and Characteristics

At the age of 4 to 5 years, the wild ostriches are able to engage in the process of reproduction. On the other hand, the domesticated ostriches are able to do the same at the age of 3 to 4 years. The black and white plumage appears on the body of the male ostriches at the times of maturity. For the females, the plumage appears to be of a dull coloring. When the ostrich mating time arrives, the plumage attains a more bright color while the skin transforms its color to bright red.

ostrich characteristics

Soon after the birth, the male and females appear to be quite the same, but can be distinguished through the examination of their sexual organs. It can be quite difficult at that time because the size of the penis in the males is quite small, thus it can be confused with the female’s clitoris. When the birds reach the age of about 7 to 8 months, the gender can be determined on the basis of their urination styles. A complete distinction among them is possible at the age of 2 years. The wing quills among the males turn out to be pure white, while for the females they are marked in terms of the grey and black colored rings. Moreover, the feathers on the tail happen to be white or yellowish brown for the males and mottled light and dark grey for the females.

Mating or Breeding of Ostrich

In terms of the breeding patterns for ostriches, the males are polygamous i.e. they are well able to mate with more than 1 females at the same time. This pattern also holds true for the domesticated Ostrich Farming settings where the ostriches are mated in pairs, duos and trios. At times of the breeding season, the male ostriches make stylized sounds and wing movements in order to attract the females towards them. At the same time, the females place their wings in the horizontal direction, thus signaling the male for the start of the Ostrich Mating process. In order to initiate the process, the female crouches so that the male might be able to allow his penis to enter into her cloaca. The process of consummation continues with the male’s groaning sound while the female shakes her head during the process.

ostrich mating

There are special environmental settings in which the Ostrich Eggs are laid. The female is able to lay the eggs soon after the mating process is complete. The females which are highly fertile are able to lay around 80-100 eggs sequentially while the breeding season progresses. Now if the eggs might not be removed, the female will prefer to incubate the eggs during the day time, while the male would incubate them till dawn for facilitating the Hatching Eggs. So, for the commercial farming, it is imperative that the eggs are removed at least twice a day. Now here, if the female would be allowed to incubate the eggs, she is going to stop the egg laying process for a period until her chicks reach the age of about 4 to 5 weeks, thus leading to an increased financial loss for the farmers.

The Breeding Season

Ostriches are categorized to be seasonal breeders, as they are only able to mate at specific times of the year. On an average pace, the breeding season for the birds last for about 6 to 8 months on a yearly basis. This timing can indeed vary depending upon the factors of latitude and longitude at different locations. In the regions of the Northern Hemisphere, the breeding process starts during the month of March and ends in August/September. For the regions of the Southern Hemisphere, the season commences in Aug/July and lasts till March.

How to Breed Ostriches

Before you plan to invest in the ostrich business, it is better to have an overview of the market saturation and the profits that are linked with it. For the purpose of breeding ostriches successfully, below are some instructions which you would need to follow.

1. Properly allocate a breeding space to the ostriches and replant the paddocks so that the chances for the microbes to infect the eggs might be reduced. Bags.

2. Keep the males and females separately before the breeding season in order to notch up their moods for the mating process.

3. Allow the ostriches to select their partners freely and naturally by allowing to be the grouped with each other.

4. Try to be careful at times of collecting the eggs, as the males can turn out to be aggressive while protecting their eggs.

5. Use a good quality incubator for the process of incubation. Furthermore, the temperature should be maintained around 96 to 99.5 Degrees F.

6. Turn the eggs for 5 to 24 times on a daily basis.

7. 3 to 5 days before the hatching time, you should transfer all the eggs to some separate incubators.

incubating of ostrich eggs

Ostrich Products

A large variety and classes of ostrich products are now being produced for the Ostrich Markets, due to which they are now being referred to as the Farms of the Future. The reason for which they are preferred these days is due to their meat, feathers, eggs and the hide. The feathers are used for cleaning of machines, equipments and for decoration as well as in fashion industry. The ostrich leather is the most expensive among others and is used for making shoes, jackets and bags. The meat that is produced by them tastes similar to beef and related products. Moreover, the meat also contains lower levels of fat in comparison to other types of meat. The eggs that are laid by the ostriches are the largest in size among all the birds in the world. In addition to their usage for meat and leather, they are also being studied and explored for medical purposes.

ostrich products

Bio Security Guide for Poultry Farmers

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Bio security in poultry farms is designed for the protection of the animals against the outbreak of a number of diseases. It is achieved by making use of several strategies and practices that the minimum levels of contagious organisms are able to farming settings. It is a fact that bio security is indeed the cheapest of all the methods which can be used for the prevention of any disease. There is none of the disease prevention that is going to function without the use of this mechanism mentioned in almost all of the poultry farm guides.

Defining Bio security

There are three different components through which bio security in poultry production can be understood. These include

  • Isolation
  • Sanitation
  • Traffic Control

Isolation refers to the process of keeping the animals confined and protected in a specialized environment. An example of this might be the use of fences which help in keeping your animals protected and at the same time also help in keeping the predators out of the specified area. The in and out management styles also come in handy in taking the animals out at certain times, so that the cleaning process might be performed.

The second crucial component here is the use of traffic control for controlling the traffic that goes into and out of your farm.

traffic control at farm

The processes of sanitation ensure that the materials are never disinfected. Furthermore, it also makes sure that the personnel entering the farm from time to time are also infection free.

It is due to the size of the larger farms and the number of animals imported and exported that the bio security measures are of extreme importance for maintaining the productivity of the farm.

The poultry bio security personnel should always be vigilante in working the health maintenance professionals at the farms for the purpose of providing a better environment to the animals for their growth and protection.

Spread of Microorganisms

The contaminated equipment is one of the major reasons for carious microorganisms  that are able to effectuate the cleanliness of the environment and the health of the animals. The same also applies to various animals including rodents and wild birds that might come to cause the spread of these minute sized organisms. Moreover, the animals such as dogs, cats, beetles and flies also come to cause this diffusion of viruses. So, for the sake of enhancing the bio security of their farms, the poultry producers should make use of the following tips and poultry management practices.

wild birds

Minimal Visitors

You should always try to ensure that the minimum numbers of people are able to enter the farm. Furthermore, you should also ensure that the people who do enter the farm have a protective layer of materials and some special clothing so that they might not initiate the spread of infections. The people who should be restricted at the farms include friends, relatives, utility service personnel and many more. In simple, allow only those few number of people who are responsible for managing the devices and instruments for keeping the environment clean and intact for the growth of the animals. Now here you can make use of the method of record keeping at your farm. This might come in handy in knowing the people responsible for the spread and in taking the actions necessary for the disease prevention in poultry.

kepp restricted visitors

Limiting the visits to other farms

Poultry farmers and professionals should also ensure that they do not frequent visits to other farms, as this might increase the chance of diseases transfer from one farm to the next. But if the visit is inevitable, then do take some necessary precautions for limiting the effectuations of the viruses and microorganisms on other farms.

how poultry diseases are spread

Pest and Rodent Control Programs

The poultry farmers should consult with the poultry health professionals and personnel for introducing and using several pest and rodent control programs, as these animals might come to cause a great deal of damage to the health of all the domesticated animals and birds. It is through the elimination of these pests and rodents that you would be able to reduce the levels of risk linked with the spread of contagious viruses and disease control measures.

Inspection of Flocks

Make all possible arrangements for the inspection of your flocks at regular intervals. It is recommended here that try to carry out this inspection 4 to 5 times a week, so that any emerging disease might be grappled and dealt in time. This process would also ensure that the diseases and viruses are not diffused from one animal to the next. Moreover, the detection procedures used should also be efficient enough for pointing out even the minor presence of microorganisms and other transmissible viruses.

Keeping the Outside Environment Clean

The poultry owners and farmers should ensure that all the grass and weeds are cut in time, especially the ones that surround the farm. It is in these grassy environments that the rodents seek refuge and come to attack the animals in times of high susceptibility.

Inspecting disease symptoms:

The poultry farmers must be aware of disease symptoms that might appear in the flocks because of virus’s spreadation. Early detection provide a better control on further spreading of disease, symptoms that might occur are

  1. lack of appetite and energy
  2. reduction in egg production
  3. misshaped or soft-shell eggs
  4. swelling of eyes, head, comb, hocks and wattles
  5. discoloration of legs, combs and wattles
  6. nasal discharge
  7. sneezing, wheezing and coughing
  8. diarrhea
  9. excess or sudden mortality other  than clinical signs

 

Types of Chicken Breeds

4 Basic Types of Chicken Breeds for Your Backyard

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There are limitless and infinite reasons for backyard chickens. In addition to making coop arrangements, you also need to consider the type of chicken breeds that will be most suited for you. Today, there are nearly 60 different chicken breeds that are distributed all over the planet. Moreover, the same applies to their variants that have been produced by using the different techniques and procedures of genetic engineering. For your ease, I have also included chicken breeds with pictures.

It is quite corroborated that your decision about selecting the backyard chicken breeds should be based on what you want to have out of them. There are numerous facets because of which people love to buy chicken breeds for themselves. Below I would be sharing with you all about the 4 dominant types of chicken breeds which are going to be helpful whether you plan to keep a chicken breeds for eggs or just some broiler chicken breeds . It is imperative for you to be clear in your head about the prime motive or purpose for keeping the chicken breeds. Without any further ado, here are the 4 basic types of chicken breeds.

You may like to see other types of chicken breeds such as white and black chicken breeds, heritage chicken breeds, rare chicken breeds, egg laying chicken breeds and small chicken breeds.

Egg Laying Breeds

The egg laying chicken breeds can be linked to the Mediterranean class of chickens which lived hundreds of years back. In other words, these egg laying chicken breeds trace their ancestral origins to these specific classes of breeds. Moreover, these chicken breeds are selected in lines to their genetic makeup which makes them the most optimal for the purpose of egg production. At the same time, they have small bodies due to which they are undesirable for meat production purposes. It is also due to the size of their bodies that they are able to direct all the nutriments towards the egg production, which is another reason for their increased egg production. In addition, these breeds are also classified in terms of the color of their eggs. There are those which produce white shelled eggs and the ones which lay brown colored eggs. Now here, the White Leghorns are believed to be the most prolific layers for the white eggs.  The Black and White Minorcas  and the Anconas  also lay white colour eggs.

Egg laying chicken breeds

Meat Production Breeds

The meat chicken breeds are in reality cannot be termed as pure chicken breeds after all. It is due to their hybrid nature, all because they are produced from the combination of different breeds. At the times of pairing the breeds, the genetic engineers and poultry producers prefer to obtain certain meat characteristics. Some of these breeds grow much faster in comparison to others and also come to have a larger body size. For the sake of meat production, there is no other chicken breed that can match the fast and multifaceted growth of the Cornish Cross (Including the White Cornish and Plymouth Rock). Moreover, the breeds are named after the breeding company that processed them or paired them like Peterson, Hubbard or The Arbor Acres. The prime weakness of these breeds is that they are not capable to lay some large number of eggs in comparison to the other different breeds of chicken.

Meat Production Chicken Breeds

Dual Purpose Breeds

The dual purpose chicken breeds include a number of American and English breeds include the Plymouth Rock, Sussex, Wyandottes, New Hampshire etc. In addition to giving a reasonable number of eggs, they are also optimal in terms of their meatiness. Although their meat production capacity is quite low in comparison to the commercial hybrid breeds, still they happen to much better for egg production.

Dual Purpose Chicken Breeds

Cold Weather Breeds

For the areas that are marked for their extremely cold weather, there are certain chicken breeds which should be preferred over all others. Moreover, it is also better to utilize a standard size chicken than the bantam chicken breeds. The breeds that do quite well in the cold weathers include Plymouth Rock, Sussex, Rhode Island Reds and some others. At the same time, you can also consult with a number of local sources and farmers in order to have a better idea about the breeds. Choosing a chicken breed can become a tough job, especially for those who happen to be rookies or novices in the domain of poultry breeding.

Cold Weather Chicken Breeds

Poultry Housing Systems

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The system of  poultry housing to be adopted depends on category tage), type of birds,climatic conditions, capacity to invest and strength of birds. Sometimes combination of two or more systems is also followed depending on need and convenience of operations for fanning. Broadly, the classification or types of poultry housing systems is given in Flow chart

FREE RANGE

Rearing of poultry by letting them loose on ground (field) called as range in limited area(fenced) is known as free range system. The system is adopted only when adequate land isavailable to ensure desired stocking density by avoiding crowding. It A range should provide shelter, greens. feed, water shade, room , for exercise and saftey. But foraging is the major source of feeding for birds. Shelter is usually provided by temporary roofing supported by ordinary poles. The fields are generally used on rotational basis after harvesting of crops by moving of birds from field to fielJ depending on cropping programme. All types and categories of birds can be reared in this system. The average stocking density of adult birds in this system is 250 birds per hectare. The scientific management practices cannot be followed because there is no control over the birds. The system is not practiced in India for commercial rearing but used for backward poultry keeping in villages for country hens.

SEMI-INTENSIVE

As the name indicates birds are half-way reared in houses and half-way on ground or range, i.e. birds are confined to houses in night or as per need they are also given access to runs. The houses are with solid floors while runs are fields only. The success of rearing depends on maintenance of condition of runs to reduce the contamination. Runs can also be used on turn basis. The more danger of infection is from the ground immediately surrounding houses called “foul-patch” due to congregation of birds there for more time in day. Therefore, floor of this ground may be made up of pressed gravel or murrom having slope towards runs, away from house. The stocking density rate on an average for adults is 750 birds per hectare.Here also there is only slight control over birds and scientific management practices cannot be applied. To some extent the system is adopted for duck rearing. The feeding and watering facilities are provided in houses.

INTENSIVE SYSTEM

Birds are totally confined to houses either on ground/floor or on wire-netting floor in cages. While invention of this system, initially it was thought that birds developed leg weakness due to this rearing but later on it was detected that leg problems were due to deficiency of vitamin D, B,, etc. or mineral deficiency like manganese and it was not the fault of system. It is the most efficient, convenient an

Cage Rearing

This system involves rearing of poultry on raised wire netting floor in smaller compartments of wire netting called cages, either fitted on stands on floor of house or hanged to the roof. If birds become overweight they may develop cage fatigue but very rarely. The system has been proved very efficient for laying operations, right from day-old stage till disposal. Feeders and waterers are attached to cages from outside except nipple waterers, for which pipeline is installed through or above cages. Auto-operated feeding trollies and egg collection belts can also be used in this rearing system. The droppings are either collected in trays underneath cages or on belts for it or on the floor or deep pit under cages, depending on type of cages. Primarily cages can be divided into two types depending on their design and installation pattern in the house, viz reverse (Calif-ornian) and battery cages.

Reverse Cages (Stair-step)

They are also known as stair-stepped cages and were initially named after the place California, where invented for first time. The commpartments are arranged step-wise in two or three tiers on stands in two or three rows, were droppings may fall on ground or deep pit under cages . The droppings be removed once 6 months or after 12 months along with disposal of layer batch pending on depth of pit formed by raised platform . Double strength of birds can be accommo-dated the same space in this type of cages as compared to deep-litter.

battery Cages

they are also called as vertical cages. The compartments of cages e arranged one above the other on stands with a tray or shit belts un der the compartments for collection of droppings in two or three rows. The droppings are preferably removed every day or at least alternate day in this system. The feeders and waterers arrange-nt is same as that of reverse cages. These cages house still more number of birds than deep-litter or reverse cages. Roughly tripplc strength of birds can be housed as compared to deep-litter system. The arrangement of compartments is elaborated in the figure

Flat Deck Cages

This is the single tier cage system popularly used for rearing chicks upto 8 weeks, for easy handling of them in morden methods of poultry production and management. Each cage is usually 1 m (100 cm) square block fitted on stand. Length-wise each block is divided into two compartments by a partition in middle at 50 cm of width housing, 20 chicks in each compartment or 40 chicks in a block. They are provided with trough waterers initially attached on width sides and from around 4th week waterers on both the sides length-wise are used. Nipple, arid pipeline, length-wise can also be installed through cages. Feeders to cages are attached from outside on both the sides length-wise . Because the quantity of droppings is less due to smaller size of birds, droppings can easily be stocked for 2 months and removed along with shifting of chicks to grower houses at 8 weeks of age. Generally four rows of cages are installed in 8.5 m wide house with 5 service passages. The length of house can be taken as per need..

Advantages of Cage Rearing

1. Space and land required is lowest than any other type of rearing. About 20,000 to 25,000 birds can be reared per hectare. ‘ Therefore, the cost of overall housing is reduced to a great extent.

. Birds are under complete control. Even birds can be housed individually which is sometimes followed for breeders.

3. Accurate records of individual bird can be maintained which is helpful in efficient breeding programme.
4. Scientific management practices in respect of feeding, watering. breeding, health care, etc. can be adopted easily.
5. Egg eating is largely prevented and most clean egg productior. is obtained.
6. The birds do not congregate at the time of feeding and fee: consumption is still reduced due to further restricted movements as compared to deep-litter.

7. The major litter horned diseases like coccidiosis and worms are eliminated or incidence is reduced to large extent.

8. The cost of litter and litter management problems are totally eliminated.
9. Day to day operations like watering, feeding, egg collection, medication, vaccination, culling, debeaking, etc. are easy and create minimum stress of birds.

10. The breakage of eggs is reduced to minimum possible level of 0.5 to 1 per cent which increases profit of margin.

Floor Space Requirements on Deep-litter and Cages
Floor requirements vary according to species, type, age, size of birds and system of housing. The floor space requirements for chicken as per category are given in the Table

Chicken Eggs Hatching Accessories and suppliers

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Egg/Chicks Hatching Accessories

Incubating and hatching chicken eggs from domesticated individuals is one of the most famous processes when it comes to commercial and large scale farming. A number of accessories and kits are used for achieving the process, which is in a number of ways pretty complex. The accessories to be used vary according to the number of chickens and eggs to be hatched. If you plan to do the hatching in the home based settings, then the some large investments and purchases may not be required. Till now, a number of refinements in egg incubation have been done by the specialists and scientists who have done years and years of research. However, the fundamental techniques of incubation never seem to change. Below are the various kits and incubator accessories used for the process which are also mentioned in a guide to egg hatching accessories/machines.

EGG CANDLER & SCALES

These scales are used in order to test and review the weight of the eggs. For those who have some experience in the farming business, the importance of these scales and devices can never be denied, as the weight of the egg is also a determinant of the price. Candling eggs alongside weighing is very crucial for the success of the farming business. Candling mechanisms enable you to have some idea about the development of the egg and the various stages it passes through before finally changing to the chick, which is the last step in egg maturation and development.

Thermometers And Hygrometers

Taking regular measurements and readings about the egg temperature is of great importance in the hatching process. Some of these best devices are also able to record and measure any changes in the overall humidity and temperature changes that might be seen from time to time. The temperatures are displayed in Celsius and in Fahrenheit, both of which are the standards. So, getting a more accurate reading is something which you should keep in mind when purchasing these devices.

Egg Boxes and Egg Trays

When the eggs are fully prepared and ready for being sent to the markets, then you should look for the personalized boxes and trays in which they would be kept and stored. Using personalized trays is necessary for pointing out the consumers and other buyers about the types of eggs. In short, egg packaging and manufacturing is dependent on the use of these boxes and trays.

Incubator Inserts and Cradles

The type and form of incubator inserts and cradles to be used depend on the egg capacity. The larger inserts are more suitable for the bigger sized incubators. Furthermore, the larger inserts are also much stronger and durable in comparison to the smaller ones. These inserts are suitable for the chicken eggs no matter what the size of the eggs might be. The same also holds true for the cradles which are also an essential component in egg hatching.

Egg Washing

Farms and hatching houses all around the world make use of a number of egg washing procedures. Typically, more than 30 % of the eggs are dirty when they are collected. A number of abrasives are used in comparison to the usage of water which is much more typical. Loofas are also used when it comes to the cleaning of the eggs. Most of these procedures are most suited for the small scale eggs, but when it comes to the commercial modes, then it is better off to make use of the immersion washers and devices. But here an important thing to note is that a number of old and low quality washers are also available in the market, so try not to buy these cheap washers.

Plastic Nest Eggs and Egg Incubator Spares

In order to keep the hens broody, the plastic eggs would always prove to be of much use. They also come in handy for the indication of the best nesting sites. In addition to this, a number of egg incubator spares are also useful for the hatching process which is to say the least pretty complex. The kits might include fans, ventilators, motors and other modulators necessary for the air control.

Heat Control and Egg Washing Spares

For the purpose of egg washing, a number of variant egg washers are used including the Rotamaid and supawash sparers all of which are very effective for the washing process. The same degree of preferences and importance should also be given to the heat control mechanisms and temperature adjustments, all of which are dependent on the use of the heat control spares and devices.

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A brief guide to broiler management/factors considered for broiler rearing

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MANAGEMENT OF BROILERS

The desired weight at earlier age with efficient feed conversion ratio (FCR) with minimum mortality is prime objectives of broiler rearing. The management system used for commercial broiler  rearing  is probably more standardized  nowadays than any other arrange­ments in poultry production.

They are preferably reared on deep-litter to prevent bruising of muscles due to cages. A trend of growing lighter broilers of 1.25 to 1.35 kg at 37-40 days age has become common in recent years. The FCR is highly economical at this early age which ranges from 1.9 to 2.10 depending on breed, season, disease incidence and management on farm. The management in respect of brooding, feeding, watering, litter management, lighting and disease remains same as that of layer chicks with little variation for floor space, feeding, vaccination and other managemental   practices.

Floor Space

This is the type of bird in chicken, which requires minimum floor space. A floor space of 450 cm2 upto 4 weeks and 750-850 cm2 from 5-7 weeks is sufficient to achieve maximum performance. Inadequate space will lead to slower growth, increased respiratory ailments and sometimes cannibalism also. Therefore, floor space allotment plays an important role in growing efficient broilers.

Feeding

Broilers are fed special feeds to cope up their faster growth. They are offered broiler starter mash from day old to 4 weeks of age and broiler finisher mash from 5 weeks onwards till disposal. These are high energy and high portentous rations when compared to layer and breeder diets.

Vaccination

Only few vaccinations as recommended in the schedule in the ‘Practical Manual for Avian Production and Management’   serves   the  purpose  of rearing broilers under normal conditions. However, the vaccination schedule can vary from area to area depending on the disease prevalence.

Debeaking and Deworming

Usually these are not required due to short span of life.

Separate Sex Rearing

Broilers are straight run chicks that  is they are not sexed at day-old age, while supplying to farmers for commercial broilers farming. However, visual sexing is possible at four weeks of age by earlier appearance of combs in case of males. Some of farmers adopt separate sex rearing from four to five weeks onwards to take the added advantage of faster growth in males for earlier disposal by 5-6 days to enhance profitability.

Pakistan Poultry Industry Facing the Unstable Market Situation

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Poultry market in Pakistan is now on the brink of chaos, all because of the lack of policies and proper research. Poultry marketing is highly unstable and unreliable, due to which we come to see extreme fluctuations in the prices every now and then. The reason for these fluctuations is the absence of professional controlling bodies which might come to determine the prices of the poultry products and meat on a regular basis keeping in view the demand of the times. So, the amount of profit that is being generated from the sector is pretty low, which is another cause for which foreign investment is not coming. In other words, the present dynamics of the poultry sector do not provide sufficient reasons to the investors to put their money into the domains of industrial poultry farming. Since the times of the sector’s inception around 30 years ago, no form of stability has been seen in it. There are times in which it appears that the sector is managing to generate some huge revenues, but at other times the opposite seems to be true. In short, poultry in Pakistan is being effectuated by various diseases and poor environmental control, which has made the investment, more like a gamble. There are a wide range of factors that can be held responsible for this instability, most of which are mentioned below.

Factors Effectuating the Market Prices:

1.       Lack of a Standardized Marketing Strategy

One of the most important factors for this ongoing crisis is the deficiency of any standard and proper marketing maneuver or strategy. The processing plants happen to be scarce all over the country, and those which are functional, only manage to process 2 % of all the broilers that are being produced. The government should try to facilitate the sector through a number of compensations and cheap marketing methods, as the economy of the nation does depend on the stability of the poultry sector. There are a number of countries whose economies are marked by the working of an efficient poultry sector like USA, China, Germany, Brazil, Russia, Mexico, Japan, India and many more. Furthermore, some highly trained and experienced professionals should be employed into the sector, whose responsibility would be to evaluate and then reformulate a proper and pragmatic marketing strategy for the development of poultry in Pakistan.

2.       Live Birds VS. Processed Birds

The process birds, in comparison to the live birds, are sold out all around the year, at relatively stable prices with little fluctuations. But the prices of the live birds are the ones that always seem to be changing at a very rapid pace. 98 % of the total domestic production happens to be the live birds which are the ones subject to the extreme price fluctuations.   These fluctuations can be so varied in nature that the next week the price of the live bird might increase by 100 %. The same also holds true for the prices in terms of poultry trade. The Pakistani poultry rates need to be pacified and stabilized for the better and profitable functioning of the sector, which is now the edge of eternal damnation. For those who do not know, the sector has an evident share for the GDP of Pakistan.

poultry live birdspoultry processed birds

3.       Extreme Weather Conditions

Apart from all other marketing and pricing maneuvers, dramatic and extreme changes in the weather have also created a number of problems for the farmers. In times of summer, the temperature happens to be so intense, that the farmers appear to be helpless in exercising some control on the mortality. In other words, in times of summer the live birds and other domesticated animals fall off like flies in your house. Furthermore, most of the farmers in Pakistan do not have specialized and well organized weather control sheds due to which they are unable to lower down the levels of the heat stress. So, what sort of chicken production can be expected in times of summer, it might be pretty obvious to you now? Due to these climatic changes, the farmers are forced to sale the birds at varying prices, thus flooding the poultry markets in a debilitating way. The prices of the live birds directly effectuate the prices of the processed birds. In times when the pricing of the live birds go down, then the same happens with the birds produced by the broiler processing companies.

cooling pad in hot wheather

4.       The Need for a proper Health Authority

Disease diagnosis can be best performed by specialized and trained individuals, hired by the health authorities of the sector. The poultry industry in Pakistan faces another major problem i.e. the presence of some highly dangerous diseases which need to be controlled for the betterment of the sector. Even in times of winter, a number of diseases have been seen to cause a rise in the mortality rate. So, it is imperative here that the health authority of the sector should induce some revolutionary measures for getting the upper hand on these diseases and conditions.

health authoritieshealth authorities

5.       Control on Production and the Role of
         the Poultry Processing Companies

For gaining some control on the prices, the production needs to be controlled every season keeping in view the present needs of the poultry markets. Furthermore, the poultry processing companies also have a major role to play in taking this sector to a whole new level, where the whole nation could benefit from it.