https://www.facebook.com/102246579192092/

Birdster, Port Harcourt (2026)

12/07/2024

TALKING ABOUT VENTILATION

Proper air flow is very vital for optimal performance of our birds but many farmers often see it as something neglect!
Some problems we have in our farms could be traced to Ventilation and they often arise when not looked into from the onset (brooding).

Air is needed for the breakdown of ingested feed, elimination of ammonia gas and carbon monoxide from the brooder, cool the body of the birds, remove dampness, helps in proper litter management and also reduce the risk of quick spread of diseases.

When a brooder house is poorly ventilated ( fully sealed brooder house with tarplis or polyethenepapers, it gives room for little or no air to come in. oxygen is needed for food metabolism and when absent, food metabolism is slowed which can result to stunted growth. The already exhaled air is still reused by the birds which is detrimental to them. The moisture from the droppings and evaporation from waterers are also trapped thereby making the litter wet and the environment humid. Wet litter serves as a breeding ground for diseases like coccidiosis, salmonellosis etc.

Ammonia gas from the litter is trapped too and can lead to itching, mucus in eyes, ammonia burn, a disease called ammoniac kerato-conjuctivitis, favouring e.coli growth , etc. All these making us spend money on drugs, having more mortalities, decreasing egg production and eventually increasing cost of production.

Poor Ventilation can lead to sudden death, pasted vents, ascites, even poor temperature regulation.

Farmers should give more attention to Ventilation during brooding just like the way we give attention to warmth provision. Older birds need proper Ventilation in all seasons. Remember a healthy bird is a Swiftie money.

WHAT TO DO?
1. Do not seal the brooder completley! Leave some breathing space. Early cough and flu are results of bad gases not leaving the brooder and failure to provide fresh air. To avoid brooder pneumonia, the gases from charcoal and litter have

09/07/2024

HOW TO REDUCE CHICK MORTALITY IN THE BROODER

Every farmer desires 100% 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 1-3 per cent may be considered normal, but anything above 3 per cent is abnormal and requires immediate intervention to stop further losses. Indeed some of the causes can actually wipe out the entire flock. The number of mortality will depend on the source of the chicks and how the farmer prepared the Brooder before introduction of chicks.

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

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 farms who select against such genes. From experience, I have experienced few mortalities from Olam and GS chicks, compared to other sources of chicks.

MANAGEMENT FACTORS
The most common errors that famers commit include:

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

Dehydration

The body of young chicks comprises of about 70 per cent 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.

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. Chicks like taking cold water but if the temperature is high in the Brooder, then even the water will be hot. So chicks will neglect taking the water leading to death.

Low brooding temperature cause chilling and pneumonia which kills chicks in high numbers. Dead

06/11/2023

WHO CAN START CHICKEN FARMING BUSINESS, AND WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?"

Here are the benefits;
a). You don't need academic papers to start.
No qualifications to start and manage. Anyone can start the farming and convert it to a business.

b). You don't require a license to start
Unlike other businesses which will require license certificates, chicken farming business can be started without it. Certificate will only be required maybe at the time you want to sell your products to the market after you have increased your business to a large scale chicken farming, and you will have enough time to do so.

c). Requires less capital to start and run
Unlike other businesses which will require large amounts of capital to start, chicken farming business only require a small capital. You therefore don't have to take high risks of taking loans or borrowing from friends and relatives.

d). You don't need a lot of pace to keep chicken
As compared to other livestock animals, say cows or sheep, chickens will only require a small space to build their structure and another small space to free range.

e). Continuous source of income
When well managed, chicken farming business will never allow your pockets to run dry. I will also teach you on how to comfortably manage this.

f). It's a source of employment
You first become your own boss and as the business thrives, you get to employ friends or relatives or children and so it becomes a boost to your family.

g). Gives quick returns on your initial investment
I do advise people especially the youth that the best place to invest your money is through businesses such as this. Where you don't have to wait for so long to start enjoying profits. Imagine starting this business today and start seeing great profits at 2 month... very possible. Keep in touch. I will teach you how.

h). Demand for chicken products increases each time.
Many people have developed a taste in chicken products and prefer them to other livestock

18/10/2023

DEAR POULTRY FARMER,

Just because the chickens will be eventually sold and slaughtered it does not mean that they should be treated badly. It is important to remember that a happy flock is a profitable flock.

A good poultry farmer is constantly aware of the welfare, health and environment of his flock. A farmer must closely observe the conditions within the coop and he/she must know how to spot any unusual behaviour. To monitor his flock a farmer can use ‘stock sense,’

HEARING: The sounds made by the birds is a good indication of what they are feeling.
* The chirpiness of the birds and their vocalization could indicate if they are hungry or cold.

* Respiratory sounds could mean the birds are suffering from an ailment.

* If a knocking noise is heard when the birds are pecking at the feeders, it could mean that the containers are empty.

* A sudden excitable noise from the coop could signal a predator attack or other cause of stress among the birds.

SIGHT: Watching bird behaviour can help a farmer identify problems in the coop.

* Bird Distribution: The way the birds are gathered in coop is important.

* Bird Respiration: If the birds are panting or breathing abnormally it could be suggestive of heat stress or a respiratory disease.

* Bird Behaviour: When behaving normally birds divide their time between feeding, drinking and resting. Anything outside this can be seen as abnormal behaviour.

* Litter Conditions: Farmers should look out for: - Water spillage from drinkers, spilled feed, and other problems in the coop etc.

SMELL: The odours from the coop can be a telling sign of the conditions within.

TASTE AND TOUCH: Touch and taste is another good method of checking coop conditions.

* A farmer should check the water and feed quality regularly.

* He/she should check the ventilation in the coop and make sure there is a comfortable air flow.

* The feed should be checked to see if the crumbs are too dusty or pellets too hard.

* The litter condition

Birdster

12/07/2024

09/07/2024

06/11/2023

18/10/2023

Address

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Shortcuts

Share