Printed and bound in Uganda by: Asmin Booklex Graphics LimitedCopyC2017 Mwesige Emmanuel Dr Kikozza IsaacSecond edition 2017ISBNAll rights reserved No part of this publication shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, ortransmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording ornt of the copyright ownersthe Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, or under the terms of any license permitting limiting copyingssued by the Copyright Licensing AgencyCover page designed by: E-One Media ProdTel:0704537237/0704004263Email:eonemedia2017@gmail
comUganda National Library Cataloging in Publication DataA catalogue record of this book is available from the Uganda National LibraryBuganda Road-KampalaFor additional copies, contactMwesige EmmanuelBamulanzeki enockmailemmanuelmwesigeagmailcomEmail:enocdaman@gmailcomMobile:+256704004263or+256778954346Mobile:+256704537237Whatsapp: 0704004263Email:ikikozza@gmailcomMobile:+256703223338Page 2 of 166
A Sussex chicken: The Sussex chicken is a dual purpose breed of chicken that originatedEngland around the time of the Roman conquest of Britain in AD 43 that is a popular gardenhicken in many countries The Sussex chicken is an alert, docile breed that can adapt to anyrroundings, They are comfortablefree range or confinedd in thehumans, although they will mate and breed better in larger spaces The breed frequently gebroody in the warmer months They are good foragers and are generally vigorous and hardy as aden fowlThe Sussex was bred to be a dual purpose bird and is one of the most productive breeds of poultryThey lay large eggs that are cream to light brown in colour
A person owning a hen of this breedshould expect approximately 240 to 260 eggs a year(from 180 to 320 eggs), although the light andwhite varieties are the best choice for layers Recently there has been an olive green coloured eggintroduced to some Light Sussex breeds, although these green egg layers are very rare In somemany generations may produce lower eggs numbers, although there are plenty of good laying linesailableIt is a good producer of meat and all of the varieties are a good choice to have for this purposeThe chicks mature quickly for heavy breed but the speckled is slowest to mature The careger leggier shape than the commercial broiler chicken, but is closer to the heritage mePage 11
produced in the past Cockerels that are haedd six months of age will be meaty withfirmer flesh than the vounger broiler chicken of todag New Hampshire Chicken: The New Hampshired of chickof New Hampshire in the United States The mature birds are a rich chestnut redighter and more even shade than the rhode Island reds The chicks are also a lighter red a dualpurpose chicken, selectedproduction than egg production Medium heavy inbroilerThey possess a deep, broad body, grow feathers very rapidly, are prone to go broody and makegood mothers
Most pin feathersh buff in color and therefofrom the carcass appearance very much The color is a medium to light red and oftenshine The comb is single and medium to large in size; in the females it often lops over a bitWhile mainly raised for meat, they are also modest producers of brown eggs Some strains lay eggsdark brown shell color New Hampshire chickens are competitive and aggressive, with otherchie
4 Naked Neck: The Naked Neck is a breed of chicken that is naturally devoid of feathersin North America The trait for a naked neck is a dominant one controlled by one gene and iy to introduce into other breedsNaked neck chickens are dual-purpose utility chickens They lay a respectable number of lightbrown eggs, and are considered desirable for meat production because they need less plucking andthey have a meaty body They are very good foragers andmune to most diseases The breedalso reasonably cold hardy despite its lack of feathers
Naked Neck roosters carry a single comband the neck and head often be very bright red from increasedn exposure This breed hashalf the feof other chickens, makingnt to hot weather and easier toRecognized color varieties include: black, white, cuckoo, buff, red, and blue in the UnitedKingdom and black, white, buff, and red in the United Statess Rhode Island White: The Rhode Island White is a breed of chicken originating in the USstof rhode Island Despite their very similar names and shared place of origin, the Rhode islandWhite is a distinct breed from the rhode island red However rhode Island reds and whitescan be bred together to create Red Sex Link hybrid chickens, suchISA BPage 13 of 166
Rhode Island Whites are a dual-purpose fowl suitable for both meat andMaleeigh 65 pounds (3 kilos) They have a single variety, withpure white plumage, red wattles and earlobes, and a medium size rose coml2 Housing: It is said that by building a good housing system, one solves more than 40% of allpoultry rearing problems Chicken must be guarded from hostile weather conditions such as cold,n,sun and wind, Safety from predators should also be considered in putting up a house unitSnakes
rodentdogs, mongoose and other animals are chickens' enemies It is thereforeportant to confine them in modern structures The housing unit should have perches for thea poultry shed should be sufficiently ventilated to alleesh can be used for the walls of the shed and it is vital that the number of birds do not exceedthe stocking rate of the shed Overpopulation affects the birds health and increases diseaseincidences On average, stocking rate should be 2 square feet per bird for layers and 1 square footper bird for broilers A traditional brooding basket can be used as a brooder for chicks either insideor outside the house This is because chicks should be kept away from the chickerPage 14 of 166gc
3 Equipment and Facilities: With the housinfitted with theages of the poultry project as discussed below: Brooder: For the brooder the followingHeat source: The heat sources could be: brooder pots, charcoal stove, heat bulbs, among othersrinkersFeedersa thin layer of litter on the floor A farmer can either use coffee husks or wood shavingsNormally the brooding stage is crly require specific facilitsed abAfter thebrooding stage, other necessary equipment include; feeders, drinkers, culling cage(for sick birds), eggcrates(for layer) and so on Based on the type and number of birds a farmer chooses to keep, he orshe needs to buy sufficient equipment in advance before getting the chickens4 Source of Chickens and Selection of the Breeding Stock: Fcfarmto naturally multiply his or her flock especially for indigenous poultrycase one factor tonsider is careful selection of the chickens and cocks to ensure only better qualities are passedon
Select a hen that is broody, does not abandon her eggs during hatching and looks after herhicks well Select a healthy, strong cock and a cock should be allowed only ten hensThe other option is buying day old chicks These can be purchased from breeders worldwideart ot rproduction and good nutrition is reflected in the bird's pd its products Hence, thefeednd reduce feed wastage is6 Disease Control: Chickens are subject to numerous diseases and parasites In fact, diseases andparasites are the chief hindrances to success in raising poultry Most cobe avoided through preventative management; nevertheless, sooner or later every flockes its share of problIf someod to dth theblemshe should not get involved witpoultry farmer, he or she must be ever vigilant inmonitoring the condition of his or her flockPage 15 of 166
Lighting: Ligfor poultry farming And poultry birds becotht, Light helps thctivethem for reproduction Besides light, the poultry birds also need dark period for keeping goodhealth and produelatonin hormone(which is very importne function) Almostall types of poultry birds require 8 hours of darkness period and 16 hours presence of light Almostall poultry producer use only the natural light for lighting the poultry houseDarkness is helpful for some fast growing broiler species, and helps them for reducing legorders aname However, poultry chicks require 24 hounding food and water potme conighting period to encourage the bird consume more food This results into very fast growing ofoilers Broiler poultry birds do not eat food and drink water in the dark If the poultry birds areptfor some moment then they will be more active in theighting period (and they will eat more food ) This is a good practice, and it keeps the poultry birdhealthy
In addition to natural lighting, a farmer can use artificial light In small scale poultryrearing, he or she can use 14 to 16 hours of lighting period for layer poultry (where artificial lightingis needed for 4 to 6 hours daily depending on the season)Maintain the lighting period for layer poultry farming very carefully, otherwise they will lay eggsvery soon of stop laying eggsfnt bulb for the purpose of artificialvery energy efficient and long lasting However, a farmer should use bulbs according tochoice and demand In the case of incandescent bulbs, use a 60 watt bulb for each 200 sqarea, and use a wide reflector always to maximize the light, Clean the bulbs regularly The farmertaining a regular lighting period Beforgets to switch on ththen it can hamper the egg and meat production of his orher poultry birdsoultry housing system Maintaining a lighting periodde the poultryffective thting in the evening Adjust theighting period according to the weather conditions and season Where there is no electricity orload shed
ding is very high, use batteries, lanterns or solar panels for lighting the poultry housePage 16 of 1668 Litter: Fful poultry farming andired prodlimay be made of concrete, wooden or earthen Litter absorbs the moisture and dilutes the manureks as the bed for the poultry birds Rice hid soft wood shahematerials used by the farmersnd the world Besides this they can use some other materialspeanut hulls etc Small-scale poultry farmer alsorials such as hay and strayultry littevavs try to uset well A good litter contains about 20/ to 30%o moisture and a depth of abo2 to 4 inches Ventilate the house very well, and it will help to remove moisture from the litterHigh moisture in litter is very harmful for poultry health
Wet litter causes some problemssores, and blisters on poultry birds and produce ammonia gas which hampers the respiratorysystem of poultry Use aluminum sulfate or hydrated lime to reduceia gas from the litternot use the used litter if any diseaseeen detected in the poultry farmAfter selling the poultry, remove the used litter from poultry house by machine or hand This litterbe used as good manure in the agricultural land for crop cultivation In some areas poultrysource c384%o nitrogen, 201% phosphorus and 142%o potasn a word, poultry manure is veryble for making soil fertile and it can be used in organic farming systemPoultry Species and Breeds for FarmingAll species of poultry are used by rural smallholders throughout the world The most important speciesin the tropics are: chickens, guinea fowl, ducks, pigeons, turkeys and geeseChickensckens originated in Southeast asia and were introduced to the rest of the world by sailors andtraders Nowadays, indigenous village chickens are the result of centuries of cross-breeding with exoticbreeds and random breeding within the flock As a result, it is not possible to standardize thecharacteristics and productive performance of indigenous chickensPage 17 of 166
PrefKeeping poultry makeshousehold food security throughout the worldhelps diversify incomes and provides quality food, energy, fertilizer and a renewable asset in overf ruralSmall-scale poultry farmers throughout theare nowods and services; they have weak institutions and lack skills, knowledge and appropriatetechnologies The result is that both production and productivity remain well below potential andlosses and wastage can be high
However, adapted breeds, local feed resources, and appropriateincome generation In the book, we shall equip the farmer with skills and knethatapplied for successful poultry farmingAmong other aspects, the following are discussed in this book: Poultry farming in general, poultryhousing, feeding, bio-security, pests, diseases, disease control, record keeping, and break-even analysisAcknowledgementse to acknowledge theDedicationsThe modern Farm: Theabout poultry is dedicated to you (the reader because you arePage 3 of 166
TABLE OF CONTENTSPREFACEDEDICATIONSINTRODUCTION TO POULTRY FARMINGPOULTRY SPECIES AND BREEDS FOR FARMINGBENEFITS OF KEEPING POULTRYSYSTEMS O1四7ESTABLISHING A POULTRY FARMREARING DAY-OLD CHICKSDay-old Chick qualitReceiving the Chicks in the FarmManagement of Chicks in a brooderfor Brooders
BUYING STARTED PULLETSw bat are pullets?49How to select the best pulletsAre your pallets productive?POULTRY HOUSINGCLASSIFICATION OF POULTRY HOUSESPermanent PotatoBASIC REOUIREMENTS FOR A PERMANENT POULTRY HOUSINGBIOSECURITY ON POULTRY FARMS64O- SECURITY MEASUREFEEDING POULTRY86WHAT IS A FEEDNUTRITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR CHICKENCLASSES OF NUTRIENTSCTORS AFFECTING THE NUTRIENT REQUIREMENTS OF POULTRYA RATION ( OR FEED)tion?Factors to be considered in making a good feedw bat composes a rationHow to Mix a rat94DAILY, WEEKLY AND MONTHLY POULTRY ROUTINESPage 4 of 166
POULTRY HEALTH CARE AND MANAGEMENTEY PRINCIPLES OF POULTRY HEALTH MANAGEMENTPOULTRY PESTS AND DISEASESlayor Routes for Disease and Pathogen T7Signs of poultry diseaseCauses of Poultry Diseaommon Poultry DiseDISEASE CONTROL IN FLOCNon-MedicalDCOMMON VETERINARY MEDICINES THAT CAN BE USED IN POULTRYEGG PRODUCTION MANAGEMENTCTORS AFFECTING EGG PRODUCTIONMAINTAINING FRESH EGG QUALITYBROILER MANAGEMENT134MANAGING PEOPLE ON THE POULTRY FARMCOMMUNICATING TO WORKERSINANCIAL MANAGEMENT ON A POULTRY FARMRECORD KEEPING ON A POULTRY FARMCOST OF ESTABLISHING A POULTRY PROJECTEXPECTED RETURNS FROM A POULTRY PROJECTREAK-EVEN ANALYSIS FOR A POULTRY PROJECTFINAL REMARKS166Page 5 of 166
INTRODUCTION TO POULTRY FARMINGPoultry farming is the raising of domesticated birds such as chickens, turkeys, ducks, quails, andese for the purpose of getting meat, or egg production Birds are farmed in great numbers withPoultry farms are farms that raise chickens, ducks, turkeys, and other birds for meat, or eggproduction In the past, poultry farming involved raising chickens in the back yard for daily eggproduction and family consumption However, poultry farming today is a huge business that is splitinto several operations including hatcheries, pullet farms for meat production, or farms for eggproduction This book will focus on raising chickenAs the human population increases, the poultry industry continues to grow to meet the demand foroultry products in world markets The importance of poultry farms lies in the quality of productsthat are provided to humans
Broiler farms provide meat that supplies the human body with higlquality proteins Layer farms provide eggs rich in proteins andespecially the fat solubletamins(A, D, E, and K) Poultry farms can fulfill the demand for meat and eggs, and can bexpanded easily to meet the ever-growing demandEachutry bhas behuge bby itself Some farms specializeproducing eggs for market consumption, or for hatching chicks for the purpose of meat productionMany large farms specialize in raising broilers for meat prodorationultry farmction and fertilizingfarmlands If managed and marketed well, all segments of the poultry business can be profitablPage 6 of 166
Keys to Successful Poultry farmiare turning to poultry farming with mixed results Some have succeeded while due to poor planningothers have failed They have failed due to their failure to plan If someone is planning or is alreadyinto poultry farming and he or she wishes to grow it big, there are factors he or she needs to consider
Some of these factors includ1 Type of Birds: This is vital as other factors are dependent on it The housing system, feedsmay reventure arebe kept Chickeinterest has grown for indigenous chickens As such, a farmer has to decide upfront what his orher interestsChicken Breeds in UgandaLayers: These are chicken breeds reared specifically for the production of eggs Egg laying chickenbreeds that can be reared include but not limited to the following:Australorp Chicken: The Australorp is a chicken breed of Australian origin, developed as utilityThe australie many breeds of chicken, comes in both bantam and standard size andThe Australorp currently has three recognized colours according to the Australian PoultryStandard: black white and bluePage 7 of 166
Leghorn Chicken: The Leghebreed of chicken originating in Tuscany,Birds were first exported to North America in 1828 from the port city ofast of Tuscany The leghorn chicken is mainly kept for eggs The leghorn chickens come inmainly three colblack white and brownrollers: These are chicken breeds reared for their meat
Below are some of the major broilerchicken breed4 Brahma Chicken: The Brahma is a large breed of chicken developed in the United States fromlarge birds imported frChinese port of Shanghai The Brahbreed in the US from the 1850s until about 1930 The primary use of this chicken breed is meatthough it can lay about 150 eggs a yearPage 8 of 166
+Dual Purpose Breeds: These are chicken breeds reared for the production of both meat andKuroilers: A Kuroiler Chicken is a chicken breed with indigenous traits which grows faster andan the local chicken This chicken breed has been introduced in ugandKuroilers wersuccessfully introduced in India more than a decade ago The birds are lowder a freewhere the birds are left to scratch fofood with no restrictions and very little or no supplementsThe difference is that while the locals are moderate while scratching for food and may even takea rest, Kuroilers are aggressive and feed continuously This explains why they put on weight fasterthan the local breedsPlymouth Rock chicken: The Plymouth Rock is a breed of domestic chicken from the UnitedStates
It originated in New England in the 19th century from cross-breeding of Dominiques andBlack Javas The Plymouth Rock was bred as a dual-purpose fowl, meaning that it was valued bothfor its meat and the egg-laying ability of the hens It is a cold-hardy bird The hens lay brown eggs,nd continue laying all through the very cold season with decreased productionPage 9 of 166
raised for meat and eggs, and also as a show bird It is a populof its egg laying abilities and hardiness The bird's feathers are rust-colored, however darker shadesown, including maroon bordering on black Rhode Island Reds have red-orange eyes,reddish-brown beaks, and yellow feet and legs, often with a bit of reddish hue on the toes andsides of the shanks Chicka light red to tan color
The rekg), the hens average slightly less at 65 pounds(29 kg) Rhode Island Reds are goodyers of brown eggs Hens lay 5-7 eggs per week The hens lay approximately 312 eggs in theirlaying season and 223 in thePage 10 of 166