Mkulima wa ECOCHICKS, Author at Ecochicks Poultry Ltd

Quail houses and cages

Before applying for licence at KWS(Kenya Wildlife Serices) for quail farming, you need to have built a housing for quails and provide photos and sketches in the application form.

A quail cage

One of the advantages in the rearing of quails is the relatively small space that is required. This also means that the cost of putting up a cage is less.
A good general guideline is to have two square feet allotted for every adult bird. Construction does not have to be overly robust, as walls made of wire won’t encounter many shear forces from the wind, and need only keep small birds inside. The bottom half of the cage, however, should be made sturdy enough to prevent animals such as skunks, cats, or dogs from breaking in. It is also wise to extend the chicken wire a foot into the ground so that animals cannot tunnel in or out.
Give your birds a place where they can have shelter from the rain and shade from the hot sun. Also, cover the food and the water so that they don’t get drenched in downpours
Keep the cage clean and put the feed in a place where rats can’t get to them. Cockroaches can be a problem if the cage isn’t clean (more…)

Day Old Quail Chicks

We supply quail chicks including day old chicks. To place and order contact us at 0727087285 or email info@ecochickspoultry.com. Please note for you to rear quails you need a licence from Kenya Wildlife Services(KWS)

Baby Quail Chicks are hatched with a large amount of the egg yolk still unabsorbed in their abdomen. This yolk is absorbed over the 2-3 days following hatching and provides nourishment while the chick is learning to eat. Without this natural mechanism baby quail chicks would not be able to survive the journey to their new home. When you receive your chicks they should be given warm water with vitamins and electrolytes as soon as possible.

Brooding Your New Chicks

Quail chicks need to be started at 99 degrees F. for the first week. You should have your brooder heat source on at least 24 hours before your chicks arrive. The most common and inexpensive way to select your brooder heat is with a heat lamp. We recommend using a “red” colored heat bulb, as this helps with behavior issues in quail chicks, such as cannibalism. It helps to keep them calm and is less intense light, but adequate as a heat source. Make sure during your brooding period that the chicks are kept in a draft free area. (more…)

Lawyer turns passion for rare birds into lucrative venture

Peter King’ara, 44, has always been passionate about birds. He has travelled to different parts of the world looking for rare species to keep at his sanctuary in Gichiche Village, Othaya.

Under his Barefoot Venture project, the farmer-cum-lawyer keeps more than 30 different species of birds.

“I have gone as far as America and Britain to get some of these birds. I love birds and that’s why I have invested so much to grow my sanctuary,” he said.

Although he initially did not have plans of making money out of his bird collection hobby, after going through literature on the various birds at his farm, he discovered that there was potential to cash in on his passion.

“The birds that are rarely eaten like pigeons and peacocks have very beautiful feathers that fetch a lot of money in some countries,” he said.

Mr King’ara started his project in 2005 after visiting a friend, Babu Muthama, at his residence in Karen, Nairobi. The visit marked the beginning of his business.

The farm near Gichiche shopping centre which is 8km from Othaya in Nyeri is now home to birds that are rare elsewhere in the country. “I invested more than Sh2 million to start this project,” Mr King’ara said.

Some of the exotic birds in the farm are white guinea fowls, king pigeons, lion pigeons, fantail doves, Indian peacocks, ostriches, Bantams, Egyptian geese, red normal geese, quails and spotted guinea fowls, crown birds, the crested crane, turkeys, white and spotted ducks, white and spotted geese and local pigeons among others.

He says that ostrich meat can fetch a tidy sum since it is one of the most popular cholesterol-free red meat in the world.

Peacocks are mostly kept for beauty but while their breeding requirements are almost similar to chickens, they rake in earnings almost 100 times more.

“Besides, the bird’s tails fall off and grow back every two years, giving the farmer another opportunity to make some money. A single male peacock feather goes for Sh300.

Mr King’ara has seven ostriches in his farm which he bought from a farmer in Baringo as chicks at Sh12,000 each.

He uses them to promote domestic tourism. Local educational institutions and tourists visit the farm to see the different species of birds.

Mr King’ara says ostriches are on high demand in the Middle East and Europe. An ostrich egg goes for Sh3,000 and one bird produces up to seven eggs a year.

“A mature ostrich fetches about Sh450,000 while sale of peacock stock could earn up to Sh100,000 per bird. Eggs produced by the peacock earn a farmer Sh200,000 every laying season,” adds the lawyer.

He says that because of the nomadic nature of the peacock, it does not make a good breeder because it keeps on moving from the eggs. However, he uses turkeys for breeding of peacock.

The peacock chicks are removed from turkey’s care after 27 days to protect them from possible attack.

But since the land is not large enough to keep many birds, Mr King’ara says he plans to transfer them to his 180-acre ranch in Naru Moru where he will set aside about 40 acres to rear them. Structures to rear the birds at the ranch are under construction.

He says that apart from doing business, he wants to change the perception of many people who consider dry regions as unproductive.

The farmer has already transferred the ostriches to the ranch where he is also setting up Facing Mt Kenya Resort, which he says aims to tap Chinese and domestic tourists.

“I want to make it affordable to the local people and the Chinese market, which has not been taken care of properly in this country,” he says.

Mr King’ara adds that he will use his ostriches and three of the his horses to provide visitors rides around the farm and take for tour of Mt Kenya which is few kilometres away.

However, he says if the number of ostriches increases, he will sell some although a lack of abattoirs for the birds hinders him from selling their meat. A kilogramme of ostrich meat goes for Sh2,000.

The Maasai Ostrich Farm is the only outlet for the birds meat and eggs, which are in high demand.

The resort will cost about Sh250 million upon completion, which Mr King’ara says will be by mid this year.

In the same farm, located in the semi-arid part of Kieni, 50 acres are under horticulture whose produce he sells produce.

Mr King’ara has ready market for his produce which he cultivates on order. In a year, he says, sale of the produce earns him more than Sh15 million.

“I have been very busy with birds during the holidays and weekends. I now see myself transforming from a lawyer to a poultry farmer by investing heavily in this unique bird project,” he adds. “I have alternated between working at my law firm office in Nairobi and rearing rare bird breeds here.”

The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) issued him licence several years ago so that he could host some of the protected birds he found during his tours.

KWS officials discovered his unique bird collection after getting several applications from him seeking permission to keep ostriches and quails.

In addition to the bird sanctuary, King’ara has established fishing ponds where local farmers learn how to keep fish. He also rears eight dairy cows, several dairy goats and keeps bees.

All these projects have four full-time employees.

He has used these projects to train local self-help groups on how to start income generating activities instead of relying on white collar jobs or staying idle due to unemployment.

mwangib@ke.nationmedia.com

By BONIFACE MWANGI

Source Business Daily Posted Monday, December 31 2012

Former fisherman hatches an idea for poultry business

Communities in the lakeside region have traditionally relied on fishing as their main source of livelihood but with declining stocks, most fishermen are diversifying their sources of income.

Stephen Ogembo, 39, is one such man who has shifted from fishing in Lake Victoria to poultry farming.

‘‘Fishing has been the main economic activity in the region, but since the invasion of the hyacinth weed which continues to choke the lake, the stocks have been reducing tremendously and fisher mongers are left with nothing to sell,’’ says Mr Ogembo.

He says: Fishing in the lake has recently become a tedious job given that the main species in the fresh water body are disappearing and as some fishermen visit the lake at night with the hope to harvest more species, they get marooned by the deadly weed.

A number of them are forced to spend cold nights in the lake as they try to make ends meet. Some of the fishermen have died after being trapped for several days and nights in the carpet of weed. He however says poultry farming is a lucrative business and since he ventured into the business two years ago, he has not looked back.

The resident of Dunga beach in Kisumu says he made his decision one evening when his family slept hungry after he returned from the lake empty-handed. His nine children and two wives solely depend on him.

He decided to look for an alternative source of livelihood and borrowed Sh20,000 with which he bought 50 crates of indigenous chicken eggs. His brother, a local veterinary doctor, helped him to source for funding.

‘‘Each crate was selling at Sh200 and I bought 50 dozen which amounted to Sh10, 000. The remaining money went into constructing an egg incubator and a poultry kit,” he says.

The incubators can hold between 240 and 1,000 eggs and this translates to 1,240 chickens within 21 days and with all the chickens streaming alive. It takes 21 days for the eggs to be hatched inside the incubator.

He says his success in poultry farming was motivated by his second wife who developed a passion for the business when he started it in August 2011.

‘‘Every morning, before I place a dozen of eggs into the incubator, I use a poultry kit to check egg fertility and assess progress during incubation,’’ says Mr Ogembo.

The local agricultural innovator says the kit popularly known as candler can assess the defects in an egg and also check its progress.

Lighting system

‘‘I came up with this concept after encountering challenges with my egg incubators when I wanted to determine the amount of heat in there. Candler kit can select and detect the eggs to be placed inside the incubator and those to leave outside,’’ He says.

He says the innovation is now gaining popularity and that poultry farmers are buying the kit from him. A candler with a lighting system goes for Sh1,200 and one without a lighting system retails at Sh800. But farmers can also use an ordinary torch to examine the eggs.

He says with the candler kit, poultry farmers can determine which hens lay eggs that cannot hatch and are due for culling. It is advisable to select an egg for hatching and it must be less than seven days old because as the egg ages, the air space gets bigger.

During the egg incubation, he advises farmers to check the outward physical appearance of eggs and ensure that they are of uniform colour and size.

The kit is hollow with a lighting fixture which a farmer places inside the hole before lighting it in a dark room. This is done when the farmer wants to check the egg’s condition.

‘‘If the air sac in the less pointed side is sagging and big, it is a sign that the egg has stayed for too long and that it is dehydrated,’’ says Mr Ogembo.

Two yolks in an egg means that it is unsuitable for incubation. As a result, the egg cannot be placed in an incubator to hatch since it has lost half the amount of water in it.

Since he started the business, Mr Ogembo says he has bought over 30,000 hens which he rears and sells to traders in bulk depending on the orders.
Mr Ogembo’s business has gained popularity in the region with big hotels, local institutions and traders visiting his home to buy the chickens.

‘‘In a day I can sell over 5,000 chickens to my customers depending on the number they order, one chicken retails between Sh200 and Sh300 for indigenous and sh500 for broilers,’ ’he says.

Mr Ogembo says the amount he is earning now cannot be compared with what he used to get from the lake. His earnings, he says, has immensely grown with 80 per cent profit.

eokewo@ke.nationmedia.com

Story By Everline Okewo

Source Business Daily Posted Sunday, March 31 2013 at 17:25

Poultry farmers adopt improved indigenous breed of chicken

This comes against a backdrop of increased cost of production for broilers and layers variety, where 70 per cent of the expenditure emanates from feeds, according to the stakeholders.

Kenbro, which belongs to Kenchic, was developed by a French company. The eggs from this type of chicken are in high demand with one selling at Sh30 compared to Sh15 for those from indigenous breeds and Sh12 for exotic breeds.

“For long, we had registered numerous losses as a result of high cost in maintaining broilers or layers, but with the Kenbro breed, that is now a thing of the past,” says Patrick Shiyuka, a poultry farmer in Uasin Gishu County.

Mr Shiyuka notes that Kenbro chicken, unlike the exotic breeds, are not heavy feeders and they can also feed on other types of feeds, not necessarily commercial ones.

“I feed these birds with cabbages and sukuma wiki, and they feed on them so well. This has played a significant role in cutting down the cost that I incur in buying commercial feeds,” says Mr Shiyuka.

According to the farmer who has 150 birds, he uses a 70-kilogramme bag of commercial feeds every week, which he considers as low compared to those who are rearing layers or broilers.

Triza Wanjiku, a poultry farmer who keeps pure exotic breeds of broilers says she spends a lot on feeds before selling them off after six weeks.

“I use not less than Sh64,000 on feeds alone. This is because the cost of commercial feeds has gone up and this type of breed that I keep is a heavy feeder,” says Ms Wanjiku.

Ms Mwangi who keeps 300 birds uses a 70-kilogramme bag of broiler mash daily that costs Sh3,870. According to Humphrey Mbugua, technical advisor Kenya Poultry Breeders Association, Kenbro is a hardy breed, compared to hybrid chicken and can be farmed free-range like the indigenous birds.

“Kenbro lays more eggs than indigenous chicken and has lean, soft, high quality meat that is very popular with consumers,” says Dr Mbugua.

Dr Mbugua says the breed matures faster than local birds with proper feeding, adding that they start laying eggs at five and a half to six months and can attain up to four kilogrammes.

“With good management, this breed is the best for farmers given their resilient nature,” says Dr Mbugua.

Depending on what the farmer wants, the bird can be managed to produce eggs or meat. When managed as a broiler with commercial feeds, it can achieve 1.5 kg in seven weeks, or after three weeks of brooding it can be managed on free range with minimal supplementary feeding and be ready for consumption or sale after 10 to 14 weeks, according to Dr Mbugua.

Out of 150 hens, Mr Shiyuka collects 149 eggs daily, noting that the production ability of this breed is near a hundred per cent. Another advantage of this breed, he says, is that they do well with any type of commercial feeds, whether high or medium yield.

Story : GERALD ANDAE

Source: Business Daily (April 1 2013 )

Solar Egg Incubator Price in Kenya

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Solar Egg Incubator Price in Kenya with features and prices

Setting Capacity for Poultry Eggs	Model No.	Features	Price
56	Eco56 Automatic Egg Incubator	Fully automatic, high efficiency hatching	15,000
60	Semi-Automatic Egg Incubator with Manual Turner	Manual egg turning, ideal for beginners	12,000
64	64 Eco Solar Egg Incubator price in Kenya	Eco-friendly solar powered operation, automatic turning	15,000
96	Huru100 Fully Automatic Digital Incubator	Digital temperature & humidity control, automatic turning	20,000
112	Auto Solar 112 Eggs Digital Incubator	Solar powered, large capacity, digital controls, automatic turning	20,000
128	Huru128 Fully Automatic Digital Incubator	High efficiency hatching, digital controls, automatic turning	20,000
192	Huru192 Fully Automatic Digital Incubator	Large capacity, digital controls, automatic turning	29,000
256	Huru256 Fully Automatic Digital Incubator	Commercial-grade, high hatching rate, digital controls, automatic turning	37,000
300	Huru300 Solar Fully Automatic Digital Incubator	Solar powered, commercial-grade, high hatching rate, digital controls, automatic turning	54,000
352	Huru360 Fully Automatic Digital Incubator	Extra large capacity, digital controls, automatic turning	57,000
528	Huru528 Fully Automatic Digital Incubator	Industrial-grade, high hatching rate, digital controls, automatic turning	55,000
880	Eco 880 Chicks Fully Automatic Digital Incubator with Backup Generator	Automated chick hatching system, backup power for peace of mind	65,000
1056	Leo1056 Digital Automatic Incubator with Backup Generator	Large capacity, high efficiency, digital controls, automatic turning, backup power	70,000
1232	Leo1232 Digital Automatic Incubator with Backup Generator	Extra large capacity, high efficiency, digital controls, automatic turning, backup power	80,000
2112	Leo2112 Digital Automatic Incubator with Backup Generator	Industrial-grade, high efficiency, digital controls, automatic turning, backup power	120,000

Solar Egg Incubator Price in Kenya table

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Hatch More Chicks, Sustainably: Your Guide to 100-2000 Egg Solar Incubators

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A List of poultry farming equipment and their uses

Poultry farming is a very lucrative aspect of agriculture under livestock farming. For you to achieve maximum result in your poultry farming business, there are certain equipments that are necessary.

Now for those who are in the process of starting a poultry farming business or you are still in the planning phase, this writeup will prove valuable to you. It is also important you know that this article is a continuation of our poultry business plan publication. Without wasting your time, below is a comprehensive list of poultry equipments and there uses.

A List of Poultry Farming Equipments and their Uses

1.Water equipments

Pan and jar type.

This type of waterer is circular in nature, having two compartments i.e. jar for filling water and pan for delivering water.

Water basin made of plastic / wood/GI with grill

Basins of different diameters are available (10”, 12”, 14” and 16” diameter).

A separate grill is available to prevent the entry of birds inside the water.

Bell type automatic waterer

These are made of high-impact plastic in a bell shape usually suspended from separate pipeline for the purpose.

This type of waterers has control over the water flow and maintains the required water level always.

There will be a continuous flow of water so as to ensure water available for the birds throughout the day.

Height at which the water is available can be easily adjusted by simple clamp mechanism and rate of flow water is adjustable by a valve (spring-mounted). Plastic drinkers will be brightly colored (red,blue) and hence are expected to attract layers, especially chicks to water.

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64 Eggs AC/DC Fully Automatic Hatchery

Original price was: KSh18,000.00.Current price is: KSh15,000.00.
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128 Automatic Eggs Solar Incubator

KSh25,000.00
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No. of bell-drinkers=1.3*(circumference÷ Drinker space)

Nipple drinker

It can be used both in deep-litter and in cage system.

When used in deep-litter system, it is attached with cup under the nipple to prevent wetting of litter material.

These drinkers look like a nipple and water drops comes out when they are pressed.

They can be used for all types and classes of birds, but most commonly used in laying cages.

One nipple drinkers in each cage housing 3 layers is sufficient.

Manual drinker

In case of chicks during first week of brooding, manual drinkers are popularly used.

They also referred as “fountain drinkers” because water comes out of the holes like that in case of a fountain.

The main advantage of manual drinkers is the ease of giving vitamins and other probiotics/medicines/vaccines through water.

Manual drinkers with stand made of high-impact plastic in bright colors (red or blue) are available.

Arrangement of drinkers at an equal distance of 0.6m between any two feeders and feeder and a drinker.

2.Feeding Equipments

Feeders are equipments used in feeding poultry birds. The food is deposited in the feeder and the birds feed from it. The amount of feeders provided for a poultry farm should be according to to amount of birds available. It is important that you always keep the feeders clean to ensure the health safety of the birds.

Linear feeder

Different sizes of linear feeder with guards are available.

No of linear feeders = (2*Length of the feeder) ÷ Feeder space with all measurements in cm.

Provision is also made to adjust the height of the feeder.

Linear feeders are usually made of Galvanized Iron. However it can as well be made out of any locally available material like wood, bamboo, etc.

Provisions for stability and adjustment in height at which the feeder stands have to be made in its design.

Birds can stand on either side of the linear feeder.

Total feeder space available = 2* length.

Circular feeder

These are semi-automatic feeders and can hold 5 to 7 kg feed in its cone at a time.

The feed is slowly delivered to the bottom by gravity.

It can also be attached with feed grills to prevent wastage.

These are made of high plastic and usually suspended from roof/ roof-truss or from separate pipeline for the purpose.

These are also called as ‘hanging feeders’.

These feeders are available in different capacity and when completely full, the feed will suffice 4 to 7 days, depending upon the age and number feeding on them.

The height at which the feed is available can be easily adjusted by simple clamp mechanism.

Plastic feeders will be brightly colored (red or blue, generally) and hence are expected to attract layers, especially chicks to feed.

No. of hanging feeders = 1.3* (Circumference ÷ Feeder space) with all measurements in cm.

30% more birds can be accommodated in a hanging feeder when compared to that in linear feeder.

Shell grit box

It is used to provide shell grit to the layer birds as a supplemental source of calcium.

Automatic feeder

In case of automatic feeder the feed is supplied to the entire length of the poultry house by specially designed feed troughs with auger type or chain type devices to move the feed from the feed bins to the other end.

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300 Egg Roller type Fully automatic hatchery

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Product on sale
192 Chicken Eggs Automatic Incubator

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These are operated with electricity and the height of the feeder can be adjusted depending upon the age of the birds.

Heaters or Brooders

It is essential that the temperature of the poultry farm be regulated especially during cold weather. The heater or brooder is an equipment used in regulating and increasing the temperature of the poultry farm. These helps to keep the birds warm when the weather is cold.

Charcoal stove / kerosene stove

These are used in places where electricity is not available or costly and where power failure is quite common.

These stoves are covered with plates or pans to sustain the heat in the brooding area.

Gas brooder

Natural gas, LPG or methane is connected to heating element which is hanged 3 to 5 feet above the chick to provide heat.

It is attached with canopy type reflectors to reflect the heat towards the chicks.

It is a self reflecting bulb and hence no need of reflector over the bulbs.

150 and 250 watt bulbs are available to provide sufficient heat to 150 and 250 chicks, respectively.

Reflectors/ Hovers

These reflectors are called Hovers.

These are reflectors of heat and light.

These hovers are flat provided with heating element, heating mechanism and pilot lamp and in some cases thermometer are also there in order to record the temperature.

Generally they are mounted with stands on all four corners, instead of hanging from the roof.

Other Poultry Farming Equipments and their Uses

Incubator

This is an instrument used in hatching eggs. Egg hatchery with an incubator can be described as a means of hatching of eggs in an unnatural way. These means can be employed when there are many eggs to be hatched.

Chick box

The chick box is an equipment where the poultry birds are kept for egg laying. It has a roll away egg tray attached to it so that when eggs are layed, they roll away and the birds will not trample on the eggs. This particular equipment help in preventing egg damage.

Fly Tray

Fly trap is an equipments used in controlling the number of flies around a poultry farm. It helps to poultry farmer reduce the number of flies in the poultry.

Poultry Plucker Rubber Finger

This is an equipment applied to chicken dressing machine. These rubber fingers are fixed to the bottom and side plate of the of the dressing machine in order to produce many dressed chicken in a short period.

Egg Tray

This is an equipments used in setting the eggs. Just like the name, it is a tray-like equipment where the eggs are place for sampling.

Poultry Incubator Controller

Poultry incubator controller is an equipments used for controlling the incubator and timer counter. It displays the temperature and humidity condition of the incubator.

Ventilation Fan

The ventilation fan is an equipments used for ensuring maximum ventilation in the poultry farm. It is also an equipments used in reducing the temperature of the poultry farm during a hot weather.

Laying Nest

Laying nest is another equipment that help the birds for laying of eggs. One of the advantages of this equipment is that it increases the egg productivity of the poultry birds.

Egg Scale

This is an equipments used in weighing the weight of the eggs. It helps the poultry farmer know the eggs that are fertile enough for hatchery because it is assumed that an under weight egg does not have what it take to form a chick.

Egg Washer

Egg washer is an equipment that makes use of a powder called the egg washing powder. Water is added into the egg washer and then the egg washing powder is added also. It is used for washing the eggs before delivery.

Water Pots and Drinkers

Neat water is required for growth and digestion in poultry birds just like in humans. Therefore, the drinkers are equipments used for supplying water to the birds. You must ensure that the drinkers are washed regularly to avoid disease.

Cages and Coops

This poultry equipments is used for keeping poultry birds. Coops and cages are poultry equipments suitable for small scale poultry farming.

Dressing Machine

This is an equipment used for feathering birds after slaughter. The use of a dressing machine makes chicken dressing easier, clean and hygienic.

Lastly, the use of protective clothing for humans is very necessary. Special protective clothing like hair caps, disposable sleeves, boots and coverall are required to avoid transfer or contamination from the birds to man or from man to the birds. Also, it is important to ensure that visitor disinfect their hands before touching the birds.

How to start a Poultry Farming Business

1. Select your Poultry Niche

The poultry industry is a broad niche. There are many sub-sectors in the poultry industry which you can tap into. Below are niches in the poultry business:

Egg production (Layers breeding)
Meat production (Broilers breeding)
Chicken breeding (Hatchery)
Poultry feed production
Poultry equipment manufacturing
Egg and meat processing, packaging and marketing

2. What type of bird will you be focusing on?

Poultry farming can further be classified into the types of birds:

Domestic fowl or Chicken (Broilers and layers)
Turkey
Guinea fowl
Pigeon
Duck
Goose

But for this article, I will be focusing on poultry breeding for egg and meat purposes with respect to the domestic fowl.

3. Start-up Capital Investment

The poultry farming business is capital intensive; depending on the scale, location of your farm and the type of management technology used. A small scale poultry farm being run behind your house may require a capital of between $500 – $1,500. A medium scale poultry farm may require $2,000 – $5,000 and a large scale poultry farm may require a start-up capital of $10,000 and above. Like I stated earlier, scale is directly proportional to capital.

4. Poultry Location

A good location is vital to the success and profitability of your poultry farm. An ideal poultry farm should be sited where there’s a large availability of cheap land and at the same time; should be close to areas with high population density. It’s not advisable to site your poultry farm within a residential area because of the offensive odour it produces.

5. Housing your birds

There are three methods you can employ with respect to housing your birds. They are:

Extensive system: Range and fold unit
Semi Intensive system: Standard semi intensive unit and straw yard
Intensive system: i. Deep litter, ii. Wire and slated floor, iii. Straw yard, iv. Battery cage.

If you are running a poultry farm for commercial purposes and you intend getting the best out of the business; with respect to high birds’ productivity and efficiency. Then you should consider housing your birds using the intensive system. Note that each of the three housing system has its own advantages and disadvantages. Lastly, your poultry housing structure should be built at a particular angle; taking sunlight and wind into consideration.

6. Poultry equipment and appliances

The following equipment may be needed for your poultry farm:

Feeders
Drinkers
Perches
Nests
Crates
Lighting system
Waste disposal system
Incubator

7. Projected return on investment

The incubation period of the domestic fowl is 21 days. You can start selling off your birds as early as 8 – 12 weeks but full maturity is reached between 20 – 24 weeks. The payback period of a poultry farming business is between 3 – 5 years.

8. Poultry Farm staffing and manpower

Operating a poultry farm is not labor intensive if the use of technology is employed. With respect to staffing, the number of manpower needed is also dependent on the size of your farm. But some must haves should be admin officer or manager; who will oversee the day to day running of your business. Your manager can also double as your accountant to cut down cost. It is advisable you have personnel who will reside permanently in the farm to monitor and see to the well being of your birds. You will also need security personnel that will monitor the inflow and outflow of people around your farm; and most importantly, guard against theft. Aside these few mentioned, you can add more personnel to suit your business needs.

Challenges facing Poultry Farming Business

The following are the challenges of poultry farming:

High start-up capital
Longer pay back period
Outbreak of diseases
Labor intensive
Pests and predators

How to make mobile Poultry Structures

Here are some steps you can follow to make a mobile poultry structure:

Determine the size and type of poultry you will be housing. This will help you determine the size and number of mobile structures you need to build.
Choose a suitable location for the mobile structure. It should be a flat, well-draining area that gets plenty of sunlight.
Gather the materials you will need, including wood or metal framing, wire mesh or hardware cloth, roofing material, and any other supplies you will need.
Build the frame of the mobile structure using the wood or metal framing. Make sure it is sturdy and well-supported.
Attach the wire mesh or hardware cloth to the frame to create the walls and roof of the mobile structure. This will allow sunlight and fresh air to circulate while keeping your poultry safe from predators.
Add a door or gate to the mobile structure so you can easily access the birds.
Cover the roof of the mobile structure with the roofing material to protect the poultry from the elements.
Add bedding, such as straw or wood shavings, to the inside of the mobile structure to provide a comfortable place for the poultry to rest.
Place feeders and waterers inside the mobile structure to provide food and water for the poultry.
Move the mobile structure to a new location on a regular basis to give the poultry access to fresh grass and insects. This is especially important if you are raising chickens, as they love to scratch and forage in the soil.

I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.

Helping a chick hatch

If you have a chick that is struggling to hatch, there are a few things you can try to help:

Make sure the egg is in a warm, humid environment. The incubator should be kept at a consistent temperature of 99-100°F (37.2-37.8°C) and the humidity should be around 50-55%.
Gently rotate the egg every couple of hours to help the chick find its way out of the egg.
If the chick has pipped (made a small hole in the eggshell) but is having trouble breaking through the shell, you can gently assist by carefully breaking away small pieces of shell around the hole to give the chick more room to move. Be careful not to damage the chick’s beak or legs.
If the chick has been struggling for more than 24 hours, it may be in distress and will need more assistance. If you are unsure of how to proceed, it is best to seek the advice of a veterinarian or a professional hatchery.

It is important to remember that hatching eggs is a natural process, and interference should be kept to a minimum. However, if a chick is in distress, it may be necessary to provide some assistance in order to save its life.