How to rear local chicken
Mar 31, 2009
LOCAL chicken play an important role in the livelihood of most rural families in Eastern Africa.
By Ronald Kalyango
LOCAL chicken play an important role in the livelihood of most rural families in Eastern Africa.
Despite increased use of commercial breeds by large-scale producers, around three-quarters of chicken in the region are indigenous breeds.
Facts about indigenous chicken
l Meat and eggs are tastier and preferred by most consumers to those from commercial breeds.
l Initial investment is less than that needed to keep commercial breeds.
l More tolerant to harsh conditions, including diseases, than commercial breeds.
l Can be fed on cheap, locally available feeds.
l When allowed to range freely, they need less supervised feeding or other care.
l Local markets are readily available for both eggs and meat.
l Droppings are rich in nutrients: can be used for composite making, pond fertilising and as feed for livestock.
How do I start?
l A farmer will need one cock for every 10 hens
l Water and feed containers
l Housing space
l Laying nets
l Carton with ventilation holes
l A sisal sack or wood shavings
l A source of vaccine
Selection of the breeding stock
l Select a hen that is broody, does not abandon her eggs during hatching and looks after her chicks well.
l Select a healthy, strong cock.
Housing:
l Housing space (2mx3m) or a liuli (traditional brooding basket). The liuli can be used as a brooder basket for chicks, either inside or outside the house.
l House should be raised to protect birds from predators.
l Perches should be provided in the house for chicken to roost at night.
l The house should be well-ventilated.
Improved management practices?
l Provide a balanced diet. For example, a handful of maize or local fishmeal and some fresh greens in addition to scavenged feeds like insects, will provide a good diet for one chicken in a day.
l Provide clean water at all times.
Collecting the eggs
l Provide a safe, dry, dark place for the hens to lay.
l Collect eggs daily; write the date on the egg in pencil and store with the broad end fencing upwards.
This helps to ensure the embryo develops properly.
Hatching
l Use only eggs that were laid in the last 14 days.
l Hatch eggs using the mother hen, another broody hen, a surrogate duck or an incubator.
l For hens, make sure the number of eggs chosen for hatching corresponds to the bird’s body-size. All eggs must fit under the bird.
l For synchronised hatching (all chicks hatch at the same time) delay the first hen that becomes broody by giving it just one egg to sit on while you wait for other hens to become broody.
l For successive hatching (the hen or the surrogate duck sits on eggs for two consecutive clutches), chicks are removed when they hatch and replaced with new eggs.
l After hatching, dispose of egg shells, clean the nest and transfer chicks to a brooder.
l Turn the eggs regularly, especially when using an incubator.
Brooding
l Brood chicks using a mother hen, foster hen, a lantern, kerosene brooder, charcoal stove or charcoal placed in a metal container.
l If a foster hen is used, condition it for a day by giving it new chicks.
l Where a lantern brooder or other heat source is used, place it in a cardboard box with ventilation holes or inside the liuli placed on a sisal sack or wood shaving
Rearing chicks
l Provide clean water at all times in shallow, clean troughs.
l Provide soft feeds like flour from cereals or tubers.
l Allow chicks to roam freely when they reach three to four years old.
l Vaccinate chicks against newcastle disease when they are four days old.
LOCAL chicken play an important role in the livelihood of most rural families in Eastern Africa.
Despite increased use of commercial breeds by large-scale producers, around three-quarters of chicken in the region are indigenous breeds.
Facts about indigenous chicken
l Meat and eggs are tastier and preferred by most consumers to those from commercial breeds.
l Initial investment is less than that needed to keep commercial breeds.
l More tolerant to harsh conditions, including diseases, than commercial breeds.
l Can be fed on cheap, locally available feeds.
l When allowed to range freely, they need less supervised feeding or other care.
l Local markets are readily available for both eggs and meat.
l Droppings are rich in nutrients: can be used for composite making, pond fertilising and as feed for livestock.
How do I start?
l A farmer will need one cock for every 10 hens
l Water and feed containers
l Housing space
l Laying nets
l Carton with ventilation holes
l A sisal sack or wood shavings
l A source of vaccine
Selection of the breeding stock
l Select a hen that is broody, does not abandon her eggs during hatching and looks after her chicks well.
l Select a healthy, strong cock.
Housing:
l Housing space (2mx3m) or a liuli (traditional brooding basket). The liuli can be used as a brooder basket for chicks, either inside or outside the house.
l House should be raised to protect birds from predators.
l Perches should be provided in the house for chicken to roost at night.
l The house should be well-ventilated.
Improved management practices?
l Provide a balanced diet. For example, a handful of maize or local fishmeal and some fresh greens in addition to scavenged feeds like insects, will provide a good diet for one chicken in a day.
l Provide clean water at all times.
Collecting the eggs
l Provide a safe, dry, dark place for the hens to lay.
l Collect eggs daily; write the date on the egg in pencil and store with the broad end fencing upwards.
This helps to ensure the embryo develops properly.
Hatching
l Use only eggs that were laid in the last 14 days.
l Hatch eggs using the mother hen, another broody hen, a surrogate duck or an incubator.
l For hens, make sure the number of eggs chosen for hatching corresponds to the bird’s body-size. All eggs must fit under the bird.
l For synchronised hatching (all chicks hatch at the same time) delay the first hen that becomes broody by giving it just one egg to sit on while you wait for other hens to become broody.
l For successive hatching (the hen or the surrogate duck sits on eggs for two consecutive clutches), chicks are removed when they hatch and replaced with new eggs.
l After hatching, dispose of egg shells, clean the nest and transfer chicks to a brooder.
l Turn the eggs regularly, especially when using an incubator.
Brooding
l Brood chicks using a mother hen, foster hen, a lantern, kerosene brooder, charcoal stove or charcoal placed in a metal container.
l If a foster hen is used, condition it for a day by giving it new chicks.
l Where a lantern brooder or other heat source is used, place it in a cardboard box with ventilation holes or inside the liuli placed on a sisal sack or wood shaving
Rearing chicks
l Provide clean water at all times in shallow, clean troughs.
l Provide soft feeds like flour from cereals or tubers.
l Allow chicks to roam freely when they reach three to four years old.
l Vaccinate chicks against newcastle disease when they are four days old.