Poultry: How to prepare for Xmas windfall

________________

Seven weeks to Christmas is not just a countdown for shoppers, it is also a critical window for poultry farmers to make a killing.

In the second part of series on broilers for Christmas, Joshua Kato explores the timing, costs and management practices that make poultry farming profitable during the festive season, highlighting the essentials of feeding, bio-security, brooding and vaccination.

Joseph Muwanga, a chicken farmer in Matugga, Wakiso district, says late October is the moment to stock broilers that will be ready for the lucrative festive market.

With proper management, those chicks will weigh 1.5–1.8kg in five to six weeks, fetching premium prices when demand peaks in December.

Jane Kabahweza, a broiler farmer in Kasangati town council in Wakiso district, is another who regularly targets the Christmas season.

“I stock an average of 1,000 birds, feed them well and sell them between December 19 and December 24,” she says.

On average each season, she receives a profit of about sh2.7m.

What you should know

Muwanga explains that a broiler goes for sh15,000 at the farm gate, while retailers push the price to sh20,000.

“If you stock 500 birds and save 490, you can earn around sh6.7m,” he says.

After deducting costs, that is, feeds at about sh4m and water at sh150,000 and other costs, a farmer could walk away with about sh2m in profit.

Experts caution, however, that stocking fewer than 500 birds rarely yields meaningful returns.

Robert Serwanga, the director of Agrarian Systems and trainer at the Harvest Money Expo, says a day-old broiler costs about sh2,500.

Stocking 500 requires sh1.25m upfront. Each bird consumes up to 5kg of feed, meaning a farmer must budget for 2,500kg of feed at an average of sh2,000 per kilogramme.

“With broilers, because they eat a lot in a short time, you must have a proper feeding plan,” Serwanga advises.

“If you don’t feed them well, they won’t reach the required weight.”

Basic requirements

To raise broilers successfully, farmers must have the following:

• A brooding house
• System to use; deep litter or cage
• Source of heat; electricity, gas or charcoal brooder
• Feeders (tray and cone feeders)
• Drinkers (nipple-semi automated, fountain or bell drinkers)
• Lamps for lighting the broiler pen or electricity
• Wood shavings or coffee husks for the chicken bedding floor
• Feeding the birds
• Spades to clean the broiler house
• Vaccines and medicines
• Weighing scales (digital or analogue) through the rearing cycle as these help shows you progress in weight. The birds should be weighed weekly.
• Knapsack sprayer for disinfecting
• Good source of water
• Sanitation: hygiene of premises (inside and outside of house), pest control, maintenance, cleaning and disinfection practices.

Biosecurity matters

Damascus Kyeyune, who stocked 1,000 broilers for Christmas on October 20, admits he once lost 200 birds due to poor biosecurity.

Experts stress that disease prevention is non-negotiable. Oliver Nabinene, a poultry farmer, a farmers trainer advises the following;

• Install footbaths measuring 3x3 feet at every poultry house entrance.
• Use disinfectants like liquid bleach, mixed at a ratio of one litre to five of water.
• Change the solution weekly. “All farm workers and visitors, including vets, must use the footbaths,” she emphasises.
• Fencing off the broiler site to prevent other birds or livestock from straying into the fowl runs
• Good house-keeping and prevention of pollution
• Installing vehicle wheel dips at the gates leading to the poultry site
• Providing foot baths at the entrance of each house
• Provide protective clothing for staff and visitors (gumboots, overalls, gloves, hats, masks, etc)
• Rodents and pest control by clearing all vegetation in an area 3–5 metres around the poultry house.

Brooding basics

Before stocking, farmers must prepare a brooder which is a warm, enclosed space for chicks. Warmth can be provided by heaters, stoves, or pots.

Cardboards or wood can partition the space, with sawdust on the floor for insulation. There are brooding boxes but are uneconomical for farmers with fewer than 1,000 birds.

Vaccination

Nabinene says vaccination against Newcastle disease as essential.

“A consistent, well-timed vaccination schedule reduces mortality, improves growth and boosts productivity,” she says.

Poultry are highly vulnerable in their early stages, making vaccination a critical investment.

Spotting ill health

Farmers should watch for:

• Dullness
• Reduced feed or water intake
• Slowed growth
• Rough feathers

Record keeping

• Accurate records are vital for profitability. Farmers should track:
• Feed consumption – a broiler eats 4-5kg of feeds in six weeks.
• Vaccinations and treatments n Deaths –mortality should not exceed 10 birds for every 500 birds
• Sales and purchases.

Housing systems

Deep litter system

Under this system, the floor of a deep-litter pen is covered with bedding material such as wood shavings or coffee husks, which absorb moisture from the broiler droppings.

Wood shavings, chopped hay or straw, groundnut hull or rice husks are examples of good litter materials.

Cage system

It involves keeping the broilers under restricted cages. Although you can have more broilers in a small space, it is still not economical for small scale farmers due to the cost of the cages. A cage for 105 chicken costs about sh2m.

Control waste

Chicken waste should be collected at least twice a week from the chicken house.

Oliver Nabinene, a poultry farmer says wet litter poses a big threat to the flock.

She says this is the main cause of coccidiosis, which may result in loss of birds if not treated early. Wet litter also causes foot pad dermatitis (burnt feet which become unsalable) and burnt breasts.

Birds have problems in walking due to sore feet, reducing feed intake thus eating less of the essential nutrients, for example, vitamins. This leads to deficiency symptoms and may result in mortality.