2. Housing: It is said that by building a good housing system, one solves more than 40 % of all poultry rearing problems. Chicken must be guarded from hostile weather conditions such as cold, rain, sun and wind. Safety from predators should also be considered in putting up a house unit. Snakes, rodents, foxes, dogs, mongoose and other animals are chickens’ enemies. It is therefore important to confine them in modern structures. The housing unit should have perches for the chicken to roost on at night.
A poultry shed should be sufficiently ventilated to allow in enough oxygen for the birds. Wire mesh can be used for the walls of the shed and it is vital that the number of birds do not exceed the stocking rate of the shed. Overpopulation affects the birds’ health and increases disease incidences. On average, stocking rate should be 2 square feet per bird for layers and 1 square foot per bird for broilers. A traditional brooding basket can be used as a brooder for chicks either inside or outside the house. This is because chicks should be kept away from the chickens.
3. Equipment and Facilities: With the housing, it is also important that it is fitted with the necessary poultry equipment and facilities. The equipment and facilities are specific for different stages of the poultry project as discussed below: Brooder: For the brooder the following equipment and facilities are necessary:
� Heat source: The heat sources could be: brooder pots, charcoal stove, heat bulbs, among others.
� Drinkers
� Feeders
� A thin layer of litter on the floor. A farmer can either use coffee husks or wood shavings.
Normally the brooding stage is critical and may require specific facilities as discussed above. After the brooding stage, other necessary equipment include; feeders, drinkers, culling cage( for sick birds), egg crates( for layer) and so on. Based on the type and number of birds a farmer chooses to keep, he or she needs to buy sufficient equipment in advance before getting the chickens. 4. Source of Chickens and Selection of the Breeding Stock: For the initial starting up, a farmer may decide to either buy chicks from suppliers or hatch them him or herself. He or she may decide to naturally multiply his or her flock especially for indigenous poultry. In this case, one factor to consider is careful selection of the chickens and cocks to ensure only better qualities are passed on. Select a hen that is broody, does not abandon her eggs during hatching and looks after her chicks well. Select a healthy, strong cock and a cock should be allowed only ten hens.
Page 14 of 163