You can start seeds in almost anything these days… peat pots, seed trays, toilet paper rolls, newspaper rolls, paper towels, or even that good old-fashioned thing called the ground.

But have you tried starting seeds in eggshells? It almost seems like an urban myth, with rumors that it’s possible, but little proof of people who have actually done it successfully.

After your seedling has developed its first set of true leaves (these are actually the second set of leaves to appear, after the cotyledons), you can transplant it into a larger pot or directly in your garden.

Uncooked rice: If you are going to feed your chickens rice, be sure you cook it first. Once chickens eat dry rice, it will blow up when moisture is introduced and this can cause serious digestive problems.

Salty foods: Too much salt can cause salt toxicity or hypernatremia. Chickens are not able to digest large amounts of salt so keep this in mind as you feed your chickens.

 Raw eggs: If you give your flock raw eggs then many turn cannibal.

 Candy, sugar, chocolate: Adding sugar and chocolate, in particular to your chicken’s diet can cause tremendous digestive problems. It is best to avoid it at all costs.

In recent years, chicken farming in Kenya has become so trendy as to be commonplace.

As chickens need care every day, year-round, chicken farmers are not known for taking extended vacations so it is a profession to which a person must be very dedicated or have a staff on hand they trust.

Becoming a profitable chicken farmer takes a great deal of research in different methods to raise chickens and different ways to make money based on your area.

Calculation example for layers

Cost per chick ksh 90/chick for 200 birds                                           ksh 18000

Chick  mash   8 weeks – 1.7 kg/chick ksh 52/kg                                 ksh  17680

Growers mash period 8 to 20 weeks of age 4.3 kg/bird ksh 43/kg          ksh 36980

Vaccination                                                                                         ksh 6000

Vitamins/drugs                                                                                    ksh 3000

Brooding                                                                                             ksh 5000

Others                                                                                                 ksh 3000 

Total                                                                                                   ksh  89660 

Cost per bird at 4-5 months(point of lay) ksh 449 

Cost analysis of the 200 Laying birds 

Layers mash for 62 weeks  feeding 110gm/day/bird  ksh45/kg         ksh 429660

Others                                                                                                 ksh 25000

Cost at the point of laying                                                                  ksh 89660

Total costs at the end of laying                                                         ksh  544320

Cost per bird at the end of laying                                                       ksh 2722

Income 

Laying rate  23 eggs/month/bird for 62weeks  357 eggs@10 for 200 birds   ksh 4000

Sale of  200 ex-layers  @350/bird   ksh   70000

Manure     ksh 7000

Total Income   ksh 791000

Margin/profit  (791000-544320)       ksh 246680

Feeding programe

Chick starter 0-8 weeks

Growers mash 8-18 weeks

Layers mash 62weeks

Chicks need heat at start of brooding until they emerge their own feather. Chicks reared through natural brooding get the heat they require from the hen. But in modern poultry production stations, the heat sources for chicks are brooders/Heaters. Kerosene lump, Charcoal heater, Bulb with 60-100 watt  as well as Hay box can be used as
brooder/heaters

1. Provide 6 sq inches per chicks under the brooder.
2. Brooding should be started at 95 F temperature and be reduced by 5 F  every week until 70 F is attained.
3. De-beaking may be done at 3rd week of age.
4. Provide continuous light during brooding period.
5. Provision of clean fresh water.
6. Daily inspect the condition of birds for any abnormalities.
7. Height of the feeder should be adjusted to the convenience of the chicks.
8. Keep a standby in case of emergency electricity failure.

Brooding Temperature:
Patterns of chick distribution under electric brooder-

Kerosene lump
This brooder type can support up to 100 chicks. The advantage of this heater include:

• No risk of power failure, low investment, supplies light and it is portable
• On the other hand, the disadvantage of this brooder include:
• High fuel demand and fuel expensiveness, danger for fire, carbon dioxide production
• Needs a lot of control, heat goes to wrong direction and needs ventilation

Charcoal heater
The advantage of this heat source include:

• Charcoal is cheaper than kerosene and no risk of power failure
• Require low investment and is portableOn the other hand, the disadvantage include
• There is risk of fire and carbon dioxide production
• Ventilation is necessary and it needs a lot of cont

Bulb with 60-100 watt/electric brooder

The advantage of this heat source include

• It is easy to manage and there is no risk of fire
• It is easy to adjust and supplies light

On the other hand, the disadvantage include

• Electricity is expensive and there is risk for power failure
• Life time not very long and can break easily

Hay box brooder

Hay box brooder can be made from timber, straw and mesh wire. The sizes of the timber differ according to the number of chicks to be reared. In this type of artificial brooder, it is possible to rear 10-70 chicks and it has two parts. These parts are heat maintenance and chick feeder & shelter box as indicated in the following picture

The advantages of Hay box brooder include

•  Provides service in rural areas/ no electricity and it is cheap
•  Increase the productivity of local chicken breeds and reduces chick mortality
• Helps to rear many chicks at a time and is effective in all agro-ecologies

On the other hand, the disadvantages of this brooder include:

• Sometimes there is the occurrence of pests and
• When there is unavailability of lumber and its expensiveness

Specifications for hay box brooder

In order to reduce the feed cost which accounts for about 70% of the total cost of poultry production indigenous poultry feed enterprises came into existence. Most small scale poultry enterprises now depend on these indigenous feed rations.

The raw materials are sourced locally. The feed constitutes mainly of maize, sorghum spent grains, groundnut cake, soyabean meal, fish meal and bone meal.

In Kenya, the feed industry is dominated by few large commercial feed industries

Currently in Kenya emphasis has been placed on encouraging indigenous feed enterprises that make use of local ingredient in formulating feeds for the poultry industry. Due to the foregoing, the numbers of such enterprises are on the increase.

The task of meeting the increasing demand for poultry feed can best be realized through increased availability of indigenous feed production.

Indigenous Feed Enterprises are seen as an honest approach because of ease of availability of raw materials, and access by poultry farmers. A number of strategies have been adopted such as price policies, input subsidies, production credit and liberalization) by governments and individuals to increase the output of these poultry feed enterprises, yet their performance is low in terms of meeting the needs of the poultry industry. Interestingly, the request for the products of the enterprises is daily on the increase.

Poultry feed is food for farm poultry, including chickens, ducks, geese and other domestic birds. Feed for poultry mostly consists of grain. A portion of commercial feed, typically around a quarter, is known as bulk and is indigestible. The amount of bulk is referred to as bulk density. The quantities of feed, and the nutritional requirements of the feed, depend on the weight and the age of the poultry as well as the season.
Based on their age, weight and breed, below are different categories of feeds

Chicks’ mash- the formulation to meet nutritional requirement of newly hatched chicks and animals up to their brooding and whining period.

Broilers mash-it is the feed meant for the broiler chicks. The feed ensure quick growth and development of the livestock because of its richness in protein, carbohydrate, vitamins and minerals.

Growers’ mash- enables livestock to grow and develop faster in body size, weight, and other internal and external features to give room for their maturity at the expected time.

Layer mash- these feed is needed in helping the birds that are layers to produce more eggs which are big in size, properly shaped with good hard shells.

Ecochicks Poultry will help you  examine the financial viability of establishing a livestock feed processing plant in Kenya. The installed capacity of the proposed factory is 2.5 tons of poultry feed operating for 8 hours which translates to 100 bags of 25kg livestock feed.

CALL Ecochicks Poultry on 0727087285

To farm 1000 layers is not a joke. You need  to automate  as many tasks as possible

The layers are in cages. The cage can fabricated a the farm using the normal  wire mesh. The wire mesh can be painted to increase durability. Feeders can be improvised from drainage water pipes cut in a half

Watering system is automated to reduce labour and improve sanitation.

Drug administration can also be made through the tank

Farmers are advised to start cheaply using locally available materials. Juakali feeders and drinkers can be used which are relatively cheaper. Bamboo can also be of very use in poultry

Local chicken feeders and drinkers to minimize costs

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