THE REALITIES ABOUT POULTRY The Modern Farm - The Realities About Poultry_Seco | Page 151

not remember all the expenses and income that he or she made in the month. It is, therefore,
necessary to put it down on paper.
(b) Farm records give valuable information on what worked and what did not, allowing the farmer
to plan effectively for future production.
(c) Farm records help the farmer to examine his or her past decisions and the results of those
decisions. With these records he or she is able to reflect on his or her decisions and assess his or
her risk preferences. The information collected on past trends should help a farmer to take
better farm management decisions.
(d) Farm records also provide a picture of the risks that a farmer has faced in the past. They give an
indication of the risk management decisions taken and the consequences of those decisions.
Such information can help identify any changes that should be made in the future regarding risk
management.
(e) Records assist farmers to get loans, grants loans, grants and livestock insurance. Such
information enables the lending institution decide if the farmer is credit worthy or not.
Records Kept On a Poultry Farm
There are many types of records that a farmer can keep. Deciding which ones to keep depends on
an individual farmer and one’s goals. But some are a must if a farmer intends to carry out poultry
farming as a business.
The following records must be kept: Farm plan, Production records, Feed records, Health Records,
Financial records.
Farm Plan
The first record as a poultry farmer should have is a farm plan. This shows the location of the
homestead and the farm layout.
Production Records
Chicks: Chicks are young birds before the growth process has started. The records for chicks
may include date hatched, date moved to pullet/broiler house, feed consumption, and water
consumption.
Pullets: Pullets are birds growing to become layers. Certain records to be kept for these birds
include feed consumption, water consumption, and light-dark hours.
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