1. BROODING CHICK

NO	ITEM	UNIT	QUANTITY	UNIT PRICE	TOTAL PRICE
1.	Day old chicks	pieces	1000	—-	—-
2.	Cardboards	pieces	10	550	5,500
3.	Brooder lamps	pieces	6	750	4,500
4.	Brooding jikos	Pieces	3	1500	4,500
5.	Chicks feeders	pieces	10	450	4,500
6.	Chicks drinkers	Pieces	15	450	6,750
	TOTAL				25,750

 

2. FEEDS

AGE (WEEKS)	FEED TYPE	AMOUNT/70 KG BAG	COST KSH	TOTAL COST
0-8 Weeks	Chick mash starter and chick mash	15 bags	3500	52,500
8-20 Weeks	Growers mash	60 bags	2500	150,000
20 and above	Layers mash	About 250 bags till end of laying	–	–
TOTAL				202,000

 

2. OTHER EQUIPMENT

EQUIPMENT	QUANTITY	UNIT PRICE	TOTAL AMOUNT
Round Feeders	15	600	9,000
Round drinkers	20	600	12,000
Laying nests	–	–	10,000
Perches and roosts	–	–	5,000
Saw dust and n/paper	–	–	5,000
Egg trays	50	30	1,500
TOTAL			42,500

 

3. VACCINES

TREATMENT	FREQUENCY	UNIT PRICE	TOTAL AMOUNT
Gumboro	2	750	1500
Newcastle Disease	3	500	1500
Vitamins and	3	500	1500
Fowl pox	1	500	500
Other antibiotics	–	–	2000
Dewormers	–	–	1000
TOTAL	–	–	8000

 

4. GRAND TOTAL

NO.	ITEM	COST
1.	BROODING CHICKS	25,750
2.	FEEDS	202,000
3.	OTHER EQUIPMENT	42,500
4.	VACCINES	8,000
5.	MISC.	21,750
	TOTAL	300,000

 

NB:

1. The above projection is for 1000 birds from day one till 5months of expected maturity
2. The prices are subject to change either upwards or downwards depending on the market prices which fluctuates so this is not the final figures.
3. The prices here are just projections
4. Space: density of birds per unit area

This is the most important basic principle in housing, as the space available determines the number and type of poultry that can be kept. For example, a deep litter house measuring 5m by 10m can hold about 200 laying hens at a stock density of 3-4 birds/m² (3.5 ft²/bird). Using the other system of measuring, stock density can be measured in ft² per bird, which is the inverse of birds per m² used in the metric system, incorporating a conversion factor of 0.0929 m²/ft².

 

 

Vaccination Program for Commercial Layers
Age	Vaccine	Route	Type
1 day	Marek’s disease	SC	Turkey herpesvirusand SB-1
14 –21 days	Newcastle/infectious bronchitis	Water	B1/Mass
14–21 days	Infectious bursal disease	Water	Intermediate
5 wk	Newcastle/infectious bronchitis	Water or coarse spray	B1 or LaSota/Mass
8–10 wk	Newcastle/infectious bronchitis	Water or coarse spray	B1 or LaSota/Mass
10–12 wk	Encephalomyelitis	Wing web	Live, chick-embryo Origin
10–12 wk	Fowlpox	Wing web	Modified live
10–12 wk	Laryngotracheitis	Intraocular	Modified live
10–14 wk	Mycoplasma gallisepticumb	Intraocular or spray	Mild live strain
12–14 wk	Newcastle/infectious bronchitis	Water or aerosol	B1 or LaSota/Mass
16–18 wk	Newcastle/infectious bronchitis	Water or aerosol	B1 or LaSota/Mass
Every 60–90 days or 18 wk	Newcastle/infectious bronchitis	Parenteral	Inactivated
This is an example of a vaccination program. Individual programs are highly variable and reflect local conditions, disease prevalence, severity of challenge, and individual preferences.

Every farmer desire 100 per cent survival of chicks once he or she has bought and put them in a brooding house. Losses will, however, almost always occur especially during the first two weeks of life.

A mortality of 1-5 per cent may be considered normal, but anything above 5 per cent is abnormal and requires immediate intervention to stop further losses. Indeed, some of the causes can actually wipe out the entire flock.

Some of the common causes of mortality in brooding chicks include:

1. Genetic Factors

There are many lethal gene mutations in birds, most of which cause death during the incubation period. A few, such as congenital loco and congenital tremors will cause death of chicks within a week of hatching.

To prevent this, farmers are advised to purchase day old chicks from reputable firms who select against such genes.

Management Factors
The most common errors that farmers commit include:

High brooding temperatures
These result into two major problems, namely,

2. Dehydration

The body of young chicks comprises of about 70 percent water. If temperatures remain continuously high, it results in loss of water from the body leading to dehydration.

A water loss of about 10 per cent will cause death due to circulatory failure.

3. Pasting

This is when high temperature in the brooder house causes pasting or sticking of faeces around the vent leading to blockage and ultimately death of chicks.

Low brooding temperature cause chilling and pneumonia which kills chicks in high numbers. Dead chicks on post mortem show pale to blue lungs in colour.

Low brooding temperature makes the chicks to huddle together to keep warm and maintain body temperature. This further leads to smothering and death.

To prevent the effects of temperatures, a farmer should adjust the brooding room temperature 24 hours before putting the chicks in the brooding room and during the brooding period.

A farmer should also try to maintain the normal recommended temperature throughout the brooding period and evenly in the brooding areas.

4. Feed related factors include

Feed poisoning such as fungal (mould) contamination or feed contaminated by toxic substances especially tannin found in saw dust and excess salt in water as well as toxic gases (Ammonia, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide).

This should be avoided through use of proper feeding and use of clean water as well as proper litter management with regular mixing and removal to avoid accumulation of toxic gases in the brooder room.

Adequate ventilation in the house is also very important.

5. Diseases

Newly hatched chicks do not have a high immunity level. If hygiene is therefore, not maintained, a number of diseases responsible for early chick mortality will thrive.

Video courtesy of Poultry Meat Biosecurity

Among the most prevalent of these diseases are:-

Omphalitis

Also referred to as ‘mushy chick disease’ or ‘navel ill’, this is an infection of the navel characterised by inflamed skin in the navel area, soft, flabby and distended abdomen, pasting of the vent and foul smell on the carcass on opening due to unabsorbed yolk. Affected chicks appear depressed with drooping heads.

This is a bacterial disease and can spread very fast becoming responsible for high losses in the flock of chicks.

Pullorum

This is an acute infectious and fatal bacterial disease of chicks characterised by ruffled feathers, white diarrhea, laboured breathing, chirping and death. It is also common to find dead chicks without showing any signs of disease.

Salmonellosis

This is a condition referring to a group of acute rapidly spreading diseases affecting all ages. It is characterised by rise in body temperature, septicemia (presence of infectious oroganisms in blood), omphalitis, hepatitis (inflammation of the liver), enlargement of spleen and death.

When it affects young chicks, it can be responsible for a very high death rate in the brooder room.

Colibacillosis
This is a serious and acute bacterial disease affecting the blood system and can affect all ages of chicken with high prevalence and mortalities in newly hatched chicks.

Strict biosecurity, or hygiene is the one major method of preventing the above diseases. The houses, water and feed equipment and the entire surrounding of the brooder room must be kept clean and free from all contamination.

Other factors to be considered are:
Floor, water and feeder space must be adequate to avoid overcrowding, starvation and dampness of the litter which facilitates multiplication of pathogenic micro-organisms and further deaths.

Proper handling of chicks during vaccination and other procedures to avoid injuries which predispose chicks to contamination and subsequent infections.

Maintaining proper humidity to avoid dampness in the brooder room. Dampness facilitates accumulation of toxic gases and growth of infectious micro-organisms.

Construction of brooder houses should also be proper to keep away predators such as rats, dogs and cats.

Proper ventilation is necessary to regulate temperature and remove carbon dioxide, ammonia, other gases, moisture, dust and odour. Fresh air should be introduced uniformly, mixed well with house air, and circulated properly throughout the brooder house.

Light is an important factor during brooding because chick activity is greater in bright light intensity than in low light intensity. During brooding the light should be at the brightest intensity to encourage chick activity assisting them to locate feed and water. Once they learn where feed and water are located (around 7 to 10 days of age), the light intensity and duration can and should be reduced.

 

 

#FarmersTrendMay 23, 2017Difference Between Kuroiler, Kenbro, Rainbow Rooster and KARI Improved Chicken2017-05-23T10:53:33+00:00 #Trending, Poultry Farming

As kienyeji chickens become more and more popular in Kenya, more and more breeds are entering the market.These improved breeds have higher productivity than the local kienyeji breeds. They have been bred for certain purposes. As a farmer, it is important to take advantage of the different kienyeji chicken breed’s characteristics to fit your purposes. For example, If you are keeping chickens for meat, a rainbow rooster gains faster weight than the improved KARI and kuroiler breeds. Here are some of the improved kienyeji breeds;

KARI kienyeji: This was bred from a range of indigenous chickens in Kenya by KARI (now KARLO) Naivasha. There are five distinct types distinguished by their colours (Table 2)

Kuroiler: This breed entered Kenya from Uganda but originates from India

Kenbro: This is a Kenchick breed

The rainbow rooster: This is a multi-coloured breed originating from India .

Here is a summarized table showing different kienyeji chicken breeds with their characteristics:

Description	KARI kienyeji	Kuroiler	Kenbro	Rainbow rooster
Purpose	Eggs and meat	Eggs and meat	Eggs and meat	Eggs and meat
Maturity (months)	5.5	5	4-5	5
Average egg production (per month)	15-20	18-20	20-25	20-25
Average meat production	Cocks: 2.0-2.2kg	Cocks: 2.2-2.5 kg	Cocks: 2.2-2.5	Cocks: 3.0 kg
Hens: 1.5-1.8 kg	Hens: 1.8-2.2 kg	Hens:  1.9-2.2 kg	Hens: 1.9- 2.2 kg
Feeding	Normal	Medium	Heavy	Medium
Sitting characteristics	Multi-coloured ones are good sitters	Poor sitters	Does not sit	Does not sit
Decline in production (years)	Hens: 1.5 years	Hens: 1.5 years	Hens: 1.5 years	Hens: 1.5 years
Cocks: 1.3 years	Cocks: 1 year	Cocks: 1 year	Cocks: 1 year
Disease resistance compared to each other	High	Low	Low	High

READ ALSO:   REPORT: Youths turning to farming as a side-hustle business are thriving

Improved KARI indigenous chickens come in five different colours; spotted, white, black, brown and multi-coloured. They have the following characteristics;

Colour	Visual Features	Sitting	Laying	Weight/ meat
Spotted	Good camouflage	Poor sitters. 25% will sit	Poor layer	Faster weight gain Highest quality meat with better muscle structure
White	With some black	White starts laying earlier.Good layers. More eggs. Larger eggs, so stronger chicks	Becomes heavier
Black	With brown front	Moderate
Brown
Multi-coloured	More indigenous	Better sitters. 75% birds sit	Moderate layers

When starting on improved indigenous chicken business, consider the above characteristics and choose the breed that best suits your purpose. Ensure that you get your breeds from certified breeders for pure breeds.
Much Regards

1. BROODING CHICK

NO	ITEM	UNIT	QUANTITY	UNIT PRICE	TOTAL PRICE
1.	Day old chicks	pieces	500	105	52,500
2.	Cardboards	pieces	15	550	8,250
3.	Brooder lamps	pieces	10	750	7,500
4.	Brooding jikos	Pieces	5	1500	7,500
5.	Chicks feeders	pieces	20	350	7,000
6.	Chicks drinkers	Pieces	20	350	7,000
	TOTAL				89,750

2. FEEDS

AGE (WEEKS)	FEED TYPE	AMOUNT/70 KG BAG	COST KSH	TOTAL COST
0-8 Weeks	Chick mash starter and chick mash	10 bags	3500	35,000
8-20 Weeks	Growers mash	50 bags	2500	125,000
20 and above	Layers mash	About 250 bags till end of laying	–	–
TOTAL				160,000

• OTHER EQUIPMENT

EQUIPMENT	QUANTITY	UNIT PRICE	TOTAL AMOUNT
Round Feeders	20	600	12,000
Round drinkers	20	600	12,000
Laying nests	Later made	–	–
Perches and roosts	–	–	5,000
Saw dust and n/paper	–	–	5,000
Egg trays	Later	–	–
TOTAL			34,000

• VACCINES

TREATMENT	FREQUENCY	UNIT PRICE	TOTAL AMOUNT
Gumboro	2	500/100	1000
Newcastle Disease	3	500/100	1500
Vitamins and	3	500/100	1500
Fowl pox	1	500/100	500
Other antibiotics	–	–	2000
Dewormers	–	–	1000
TOTAL	–	–	7500

• GRAND TOTAL

NO.	ITEM	COST
1.	BROODING CHICKS	89,750
2.	FEEDS	160,000
3.	OTHER EQUIPMENT	34,000
4.	VACCINES	7,500
5.	MISC.	10,000
	TOTAL	301,250

NB:

1. The above projection is for 500 commercial layers from day one till 5months of expected maturity

2. The prices are subject to change either upwards or downwards depending on the market prices which fluctuates so this is not the final figures.

The technology requires one to understand the basic anatomy and physiology of the hen and cock’s reproductive tract. One must also be technically competent in semen collection and deposition procedures to achieve effectiveness in producing fertilised eggs.

MINIMAL STRESS

Prior to semen collection, cocks must be trained. This is done by massaging the bird’s abdomen and back for about a minute for three consecutively days.

This is the most commonly used method since it is non-invasive and has minimal stress on the cock.

The procedure involves restraining the cock followed by gentle but rapid stroking of the abdomen and back region towards the tail (testes are located in this region).

Doing this stimulates the copulatory organ making it to protrude.

At this point, the handler should quickly push the tail of the cock up with one hand and at the same time, using the thumb and forefinger, gently squeeze the region surrounding the sides of the cloaca to “milk” semen from the ducts of the copulatory organ.

Semen should then be collected in a small tube or any cup-like container. This procedure is repeated twice once a day; an additional round may cause damage to the testes and cloacal region. The volume of semen that can be collected from a single cock ranges from about 0.7 to one millilitre, with a sperm concentration of three to four billion per ml.

However, the quantity of semen depends on genetics and environmental factors such as age, bodyweight, season and nutrition.

The degree to which the male will respond to the abdominal massage technique and the pressure applied on the ejaculatory ducts will also influence the quantity of semen produced.

Chicken semen begins to lose fertilising ability when stored for more than an hour. Therefore, it must be deposited in the hen within an hour of collection. In the case of short-term storage and transportation of the semen, it is necessary to use liquid cold (four degrees celcius) storage to maintain spermatozoa viability for up to 24 hours.

Vaginal insemination is commonly used for semen deposition as there are less risks of injury to the hen.

Preliminary stroking and massaging of the back and abdomen is required to stimulate the hen. This is followed by applying pressure to the left side of its abdomen around the vent causing evertion of the cloaca hence protrusion of the vaginal orifice.

An inseminator containing the semen is inserted 2.5cm deep into this opening for semen to be deposited. As the semen is expelled by the inseminator, pressure around the vent is released so that the oviduct can return to its normal position and draw the semen inwards to the utero-vaginal junction.

LATE AFTERNOON

Inseminators such as straws, syringes or plastic tubes may be used. During insemination, the volume of semen required per hen is about 0.1ml, which contains about 100 to 200 million sperms. It is best to inseminate hens in the late afternoon between 2pm and 4pm since in the morning, hens may have an egg in the oviduct, making it difficult for the sperm to swim up to the ovary.

A significant feature of the reproductive physiology of the hen is the ability to store fertile spermatozoa for up to 14 days in the sperm storage tubules located at the utero-vaginal junction.

The tubules release the semen, slowly over time, which swim to the fertilisation site and allows hens to be inseminated consecutively for two days for the first time, and thereafter at regular intervals of 14 days.

Twenty-four hours after insemination, egg-breakout analysis is carried out to determine egg fertility.Much Regards

James M