KnT's Day Old Chicks

19/04/2022

12/11/2021

KnT’s Day Old 🐥
*High temperatures as a factor affecting pro- & re-production.*
Salamander Daily Articles 11 of 10.21
09.00am

Chickens are seasonal breaders, hence work with responses to the stimulus of day and night lenghts. Light is very important since layers require 14-16hours of it for every egg produced. Pullets are photostimulated ie to introduce artificial light to add up for short days or hours of light.
Many physiological activities work in response to light so as to triger production of eggs and reproductive maturity. Temperatures throughout the day differs but an average of 18-24°c is ideal for the hens and artificial lighting must not increase the heating lest in cases of lower temperatures. At high temperatures of above 32°C, the decline in performance and the loss of comfort of the birds is obvious.

Heat stress is produced when birds experience difficulties in achieving a balance between body heat production and body heat loss. This means, birds are not capable of maintaining a constant body temperature without having to exercise additional efforts. Summer brings along long days and should be the the time we set or experience high laying and brooding records, but however in many production units things take a twist and the following may be witnessed:

-Eggs become smaller.
-Thin shells.
-High embryo mortalities.
-High infertility.
-Lack of appetite.
-Lesser shelf life for table eggs.
-Hens abandon nests.
-An increase in external parasites.
-Osteoporosis (caged layer fatigue)

*Thin shells.*
Chickens do not have sweat glands, instead they pant and flop wings. When temperatures increase chickens pant and lose body fluid (water) through evaporation. This gaseous exchange activity leads to loss of carbon dioxide in solution(removed from blood) and vapour (air from lungs) inoder to cool down. In this way calcium carbonate production is therefore limited since its base (carbon dioxide) has been lost. Panting will affect the egg size and shell quality in this way.
Poultry housing must be well ventilated for the easy flowing and passage of air and reduce high temperatures.

*Small Eggs.*
Small eggs are usually caused by the lack of appetite in heat stressed flocks. Nutritional deficiencies occur since feed intake is low and compromising productivity. Less feed intake interferes with AA, vitamins and minerals required per egg to be produced. Most of the less feed (below the average required per egg produced/ _feed cost efficiency_) consumed is weighed heavily towards growth and maintanance whilst nothing is spared for egg production.
The water intake during summer increases to three times the feed intake. The water circulation in the body system reduces body heat. In cases of heat stressed birds, the water intake becomes suppressed and relatively birds lose weight.

When birds are healthy and unstressed, the high water intake due to high temperatures also interferes with breeding in the following ways:
-Passout of vitamins through excreta and urates. Vitamins are not stored for longer periods of time in the chickens body, high water intake increases the rate of passout and this is evidenced by watery excreta during hot days. This overally affects embryo quality in breeding stock or the table egg product. An egg may gain excess water through retention in the shell gland pouch, thus compromising shell quality since the amount of calcium deposited will not increase proportionally to the amount of water gained through retention, thus shell become thin.
-Excessive body fluid volumes in breeding hens interfers with s***m host glands (special reproducrive tract organs responsible for the storage of s***ms at viable body temperature). Sperms are stored for 7-10 days and remain usable in this organ. This overally leads to high embryo mortalities ( # of embryos dead before hatching).

*Lesser shelf-life for table eggs.*
Without proper hot weather management, the negative impact of high temperatures on performance can be of great economical importance. Eggs start to lose quality as soon as they are laid, and must be stored at the right temperatures.
As the egg ages, moisture and carbon dioxide continue to be lost through the pores, but in conditions with high temperatures, this loss is even higher. The air chamber of the egg becomes bigger as the egg gets older and carbon dioxide is lost through the shell whilst the contents become more alkaline and this causes the albumen to become transparent and increasingly watery (eggs falling under this category are stay and in breeding enterprises are considered unfit for hatching or either not fit for the table market due to less weight). To be of top quality, eggs must have a high percentage of thick albumen. Albumen thickness and the eggs internal quality is measured by Hough Units.

*Hens abandoning nests.*
During a day with high temperatures, layer birds may drop eggs on the floor whilst broody hens may stand in nests or take plenty of time outside thereby affecting the required nest temperatures.

*An increase in external parasites.*
In winter most parasites hibernate and lay thousands eggs that will hatch with the offset of summer. External parasites pose a threat to production eg fleas and lice, they become more active with the increase in temperatures.

*Osteoporosis (Caged layer fatigue).*
A decline in dietary _(constitutes 53% of shell calcium required per egg)_ and blood calcium _(constitutes 47% of each egg shell, drawn from medullary bones: tibia, femur, ribs, ulna and scapula)_ overally affects eggshell quality and bone marrow maintanance thus the hens fail to stand.

*Mating*
Fertility is high in the morning and evenings, thats where much coition and mountings occur due to lower temperatures since there will be a proportional high concentration of s***ms during those times. High temperatures interfere with matings and s***m production in c***s, ralatively affecting the application of pressure into the _vas diferens_ for the release of s***ms since nerves and muscles are relaxed due to low blood oxygen.

Heat stress interferes with the birds comfort and suppresses productive efficiency. During periods of heat stress the hens have to make major thermo-regulatory adaptations to prevent death from heat exhaustion. As a result, the full genetic potential of the layer is often not achieved. They can also express their normal behaviour such as foraging, thereby ingesting those ingredients that avoid excessive heat loads while being ingested and metabolized and that can be how foraging and ajusting/supplementing the diet comes into foreplay.

Supplements during heat stress:
*Sodium*
Sodium is an essential nutrient, playing a major role in maintaining body fluid volume, blood pH, and proper osmotic relationships. A continuously low intake of salt can cause a loss of appetite. Sodium deficiencies adversely affect utilization of dietary protein and energy, and interfere with reproductive performance.
Chlorine is also an essential nutrient. Hydrogen chloride (HCl) released from the true stomach (proventriculus) is important in digestion. Chlorine also plays a role in maintaining osmotic balance in body fluids. Birds deficient in chlorine are more nervous, showing increased sensitivity to sudden noise and less water intake.

*Phosphorus*
The nutritional role of phosphorus is closely related to that of calcium. Both are constituents of bone. The ratio of dietary calcium to phosphorus affects the absorption of both these elements; an excess of either one impedes absorption and can reduce egg production, shell quality and/or hatchability. In addition to its function in bone, phosphorus plays a primary role in carbohydrate metabolism, is active in fat metabolism, and helps to regulate the acid-base balance of the body.

Vitamin E.
Vitamin E can be depressed during a heat stress. Its supplementation can avert the detrimental effects of heat stress and improve the egg quality parameters of egg weight, eggshell weight, albumen and yolk weight.

*Fibre*
Indigestible fibre increases water absorption in the intestines and create a favorable environment for beneficial gut microbiota which increases the surface area and rate of nutrient absorption. Fibre also assists the gut to grip the feed and stabilise enzyme activities.
Acid Detergent Fibre (Adf) refers to the indigestible plant parts mainly made up of cellulose and lignin which makes up cell walls, leaf surfaces and stalks. Adf retains pH balances within the upper and lower digestive tract hence can reduce the effects of heat stress and cellular maintenance (remodeling).

This in short is a synopsis of _how high temperatures and heat stress can affect pro- & production.

26/07/2021

*7 POULTRY RULES TO FOLLOW*
Do you have passion for poultry and really wish to stay long in the business? Then, obey these rules!

Rule 1

🐥Only order for birds you can conveniently take care of.
This is the most important rule of all.

Instead of stocking 500 birds and then struggle to feed them or give them medication, buy 200 ,feed and give them good medication.

Trust me, you'll make more profit than keeping 500 and struggling to feed and give the medication. If this happens, you'll battle with stunted growth, recurrent morbidity or disease outbreaks and high mortality.
*enkoko tebazetondera*

Rule 2

🐥Never borrow money to start poultry business unless you are an expert.

Of course, there is no expert in poultry business. In fact, we learn everyday. Every stock you take in will always teach you something different. However, Haven learnt from all the different characteristics displayed by each stock, you get to know more and won't be excited when challenges come. You'll know how to handle them without much damage. You can only borrow if you intend to expand an already existing and productive poultry farm!
*enkoko ekuzza mukyaalo*

Rule 3.

🐥Be vigilant.
The little things you don't take as anything matters.

If you want to succeed in poultry, you must take it as a real business. Do you know what a business man does every morning when he gets to his store? He pray, then open the store and go round to check if everything is in its place. He take stocks of what he met there and relate with his records yesterday before closing the store.

Don't just open your open your Poultry house and start rushing to give your birds feed and water and rush out again. Check around. Watch how they behave when you came in. Check what fell and what is no longer in its place. Use your five senses to detect any fault *see, hear, touch, taste, smell*

Rule 4

🐥Never ignore warning signals".

Yes, I call them warning signals.
Bad smell,
Withdrawal from feed,
Moodiness,
Withdrawal from water

There are numerous warning signals i can't mention here. In fact, they are so many

A farmer must know how his birds behaves when they see him enter the in the morning. How they behave when he serve them feed. He should know the very active terrors and gentle lambs

If you keep these signals, you'll easily spot when something is not right

Rule 5

🐥Never change feed indiscriminately!

I know you do this. Yes, you.

When farmers talk about changing feed from this to this and that then this all in the name getting better result, I'm always scared for them.

Whether you are changing from a bad feed to a good one, you must be very careful.

Do you know every change in feed affect your negatively first before gradually bringing in the results you desire? Most of the times, you may suffer withdrawal, coccidiosis, feed wastage, stress and more.

Imagine changing from mash to Pellet indiscriminately. Do you know what that means? Have you studied the difference between mash and Pelleted feed and the process of digestion?

They may contain the same ingredients but the formulation process varies so is the digestion process.

Note:
I don't mean changing from starter to grower or finisher but changing from one commercial feed to another .e.g change from kafiika to intraco

Each company use their own unique ingredients to make their feeds although they may give the same nutritional content. Before using any feed for your birds, find out first about the feed and make sure you stick with it.
*Emmere enungi esobola okusala amagi singa ogikyuusa bubi*

Rule 6

🐥Never let your birds run dry of water".

Have you heard of heat stress? If it has happened to your birds then you'll understand what I'm saying.
Heat stress can wipe your entire flock. And it may leave your birds vulnerable to all kinds of infection as their immune system get weakened and may take more than 14 days to fully recover.
Your birds can survive 48 hours without feed but they can't survive 7 hours without water.
Instead of running out of water, please, run out of feed.

Rule 7

🐥If you can't drink that water, don't give it to your birds.

Some farmers takes chickens as they are just animals and nothing matters. Maybe they've forgotten they are dealing with delicate live animals.

Waterborne diseases are some of the deadliest disease and most difficult to control. Imagine a tiny drop of harmful substance inside the drinking water; it'll contaminate the whole water. If it was feed, it may not be that bad.

Please, if you can't drink that water, don't give it to your birds. I'm not talking about medicated water.
But clean water.
Clean off the dirty water every 4 hours.
Flush thosecwayer pipes.
Clean those water tanks.
Cover that dug water source.

Malcolm

03/04/2021

Farmers use aloe in the water you give your chickens it works wonders iv never had problems with my chickens

16/12/2020

*FATTENING BROILERS*

Generally, it begins at the age of 20 days before the market. If the fattening is too early, the chicken skeleton is not well developed, thus will affect the body weight on sale. If the fattening is too late, the feeding period will be prolonged and feed consumption will be increased. The technical key points on late fattening are:
using high-energy feed, dark light, limiting the range of motion, and supplementing green miscellaneous feed. In the fattening stage, it is not necessary to transfer to different groups, and can still be kept in the original chicken house (shed). The enough breeding age and a certain degree of fatness is necessary, and these will keep the quality of chicken meat in the best state.

In the feeding fattening stage, fat need be deposited in a short period of time. Thus the feed contains higher energy. Generally, it is required that the metabolic energy of material is above 1276 kJ (3050 kcal) per kilogram, and can reduce the protein content appropriately, about 14% -16%. It should not add animal raw materials such as fish meal, silkworm pupae, and blood meal to feed, as not to affect the chicken flavor. Reduce the ratio of soybean meal, increase the proportion of corn in the feed, and add 3% to 5% Maize broken, soybean can not only reduce feed cost, but also ensure good fattening effect. The supplementary of broken and ripened corn can properly control the amount of compounding material, save feed costs and shorten the fattening period.

In the fattening stage, the limitation of movement of the flock can save the energy consumption and improve the fattening effect. Put shrink the fence (hedge) to near the shelter so that all chickens can eat the feed at the same time.

Increase feeding times. The digestion and absorption process of chickens is fast. The time to pass the digestive tract is short. In the fattening stage, the feeding times should be increased. In addition to feed 3 to 4 times during the day, 1 time feeding in the night should be added to improve the fattening effect and shorten the fattening period.

Add maize or corn feed will let the chicken to spend time pecking and reduce fighting. The other is to save the feed and increase the yellowness of the skin and feet of chicken.

Switching to wet mixes will improve the chicken feed intake digest, reduce feed waste, and increase chicken body weight, especially in hot weather.

Commodity chicken require plump, bright feathers, and no broken beaks. After grazing in the enclosure, chicken activities are limited, so at this time, flocks should be prevented from pecking and fighting with each other. Try to avoid light at night so that the flock can restquietly. Feeding density is the main factor leading to mutual pecking, and it should be adjusted at any time according to the occurrence of mutual pecking.

Points should be noted in fattening broilers

Firstly, the feed shape is suitable for broiler feed in the middle and late stages, which can be processed into pellets and fed to the end. Because chicken like to peck on pellets, using pellets can not only ensure comprehensive nutrition, but also promote chickens to eat more, reduce feed waste, shorten feeding time, help to promote fattening, and increase feed utilization.

Secondly, increase feed intake. The free intake for broiler chicken can increase the nutrient intake of brolier chicken, increase feed conversion rate, and achieve the fastest growth rate.

The main ways are:

One, increase the frequency of feeding, no less than 6 times in 24 hours, and no less than 4 times with a pellet feed, thus can stimulate appetite.

Two, provide sufficient feeding troughs, and the troughs should be evenly distributed.

Three, increase the feeding time in the hot season, feed intake at night, and use cold water to mix feed. If the feed intake drops too much, the original feed formula can be adjusted by increasing the nutritional levels of dietary energy, protein, amino acids, calcium and phosphorus.

Thirdly, feed nutrition for broiler chicken should adjust according to the nutritional needs of different growth and development stages, timely replace the feed for the corresponding breeding period of the broilers.

23/11/2020

Day old broiler chicks available @$0.95/chick

25/08/2020

*🇿🇼🌧️Above Normal rainfall expected*

Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporter

SOUTHERN African countries, including Zimbabwe, are likely to receive above normal rainfall following the prediction of a La Nina season in the 2020/21 rainy season.

In a La Nina climate pattern, the winds above the Pacific Ocean are much stronger than usual, contributing to increased rainfall and the phenomenon occurs once every few years.

The last time the region experienced a La Nina rainy season was in 2016/2017, the last time Zimbabwe had meaningful rains.

Since then, the country has experienced erratic rains resulting in successive droughts with devastating effects for both humans and livestock.

Bulawayo is experiencing one of the worst water crises and city has had to decommission Lower Ncema, Upper Ncema and Umzingwane dams.

This has left the city three supply dams Inyakuni, Mtshabezi and Insiza dams, forcing the local authority to impose a 144-hour water shedding exercise to conserve the dwindling supplies.

The climate change-induced drought situation has increased the vulnerability of members of the public with at least eight million being food insecure countrywide.

Farmers have been losing their livestock in huge numbers as they run out of pastures while water bodies have been drying up.

Ahead of the 2019/20 rainy season, the United States Columbia University’s Climate Prediction Centre (CPC) and the International Research Institute for Climate and Society, have issued La Nina season alert for Southern Africa for the 2019/2020 rainy season.

The rainy season normally commences at the end of October in Zimbabwe and ends in April.

“It is that time of the year when climatologists, globally and sub-regionally, begin to firm up their forecasts for the coming rainy season in Southern Africa. The latest CPC/IRI ENSO probability forecast produced early August indicates that there is a 60 percent chance of La Nina for September-November and 50 percent chance for continuing throug

01/10/2019

*10 CAUSES OF HIGH FAILURE RATE IN POULTRY BUSINESS .🐓*

1🐓 Lack of Technical Know-how

It is regrettable that many people and organizations have ventured into poultry farming without technical knowledge. Knowledge of poultry farming techniques are required before anyone can operate the business profitably.

2🐓 Management Problem.

An incompetent management may not be able to operate a profitable poultry farm. The managers of the farm must know what they are employed to do and posses the ability to do it. Some poultry managers fail to recognise the peculiarity of poultry farming in their management style, thereby preparing good ground for losses in the venture. Many managers do not recognize the need for timely planning and control in running the farm.

3🐓 Diseased Breeds.

Some fertilized eggs meant to be hatched in the incubator could be infected with disease from the parent stock. This means that before the eggs were hatched they had been diseased. If the disease are not detected and treated on time, the affected birds may die sooner or later.

4🐓 Hygiene Deficiency.

There is a minimum hygiene condition that must exist in any poultry farm if the birds are to remain healthy and produce maximally for profit. The poultry farm must be kept clean always; the droppings should be cleared on time before they constitute an agent of disease.

5🐓 Poor feeding condition and wastage of feed.

The birds need to be fed well in the pens in order to produce maximum meat and eggs (either of which may be the purpose for running the farm). The birds are fed with varying quantities of feed at different stages and with the appropriate feed. The various feeds are chicks mash, grower mash and layer mash, which must be sufficiently rich to give the birds the required nutrients to grow healthy and produce optimally.

6🐓 Security.

A poultry farm must be established in a secured place to ward off enemies of birds, such as rats, soldier ants, snakes, wild birds, etc. Most of th

28/06/2019

*Summarized Common Poultry Symptoms and Meds*

1⃣ Flue-like
symptoms(krrrrrr,
krrrrrrr ) and/ swollen
heads:
💉Use any of these;
_Respimint_ ,
_Coloxan_ ,
_Doxin,_
_Interflox or Coliflox_
➡Do not let the birds
get chilled.

2⃣Sick birds with red
/blood droppings:
(coccidiosis)
💉Use Sulphur drugs
like : _Sulfacox_ ,
_Esb3,_
_Coxoid_ or
_Bremamed._

3⃣ Sick birds with
watery, greenish or
whitish droppings.
💉Use
_Coloxan,_
_Doxin,_
_Interflox,_
_Coliflox_ ,
_Sulfacox,_
_Hi-trusulf_
_Esb3_ or
_Bremamed._

4⃣ Fowl Pox, kuvhara
maziso, sores and
blisters:
💉Use
_Aliseryl,_
_Nemovit_ ,
_Sulfacox,_
_Esb3._
➡Control biting insects
esp mosquitoes
which spread the
disease.
💉Use
_Cislin_
to control
insects.

5⃣ General Sickness,
inactive birds that
seem cold, dropping
wings but having
normal droppings
💉Use
_Aliseryl,_
_Nemovit_ ,
_Terranox_ ,
_Tylocip,_
_Virukill_

6⃣ Worms in bird
droppings or
intestines:
💉Use
_Piperin,_
_Piperazine_ ,
_Tetramisole_ or
_ Hygromix_

➡Deworm broilers at 6
weeks and layers at
19 weeks.

7⃣ Growth Suppliments
(boosters)
💉Use
_Aminogrow,_
_Introchick_ ,
_Broiler Vitaboost,_
_Ashboost_

8⃣ Egg Production
Suppliments
(egg booster):
💉Use
_Breeder vitaboost_ ,
_Nemovit,_
_Introchick_ or
_Aminogrow._
➡Light triggers a hen's
pituitary gland to
produce egg,provide
up to 16 hours

12/06/2019

Roadrunner Grower (organic) 15% CP

20kg Maize
12kg Sunflower
13kg Mhunga
5kg. SOYA 42% CP
200g Salt Table

Roadrunner Breeder (organic) 14% CP

23kg Maize
9kg Sunflower
13kg Mhunga
5kg. SOYA 42% CP
200g Salt Table

Roadrunner Starter (organic) 18% CP

20kg Maize
7kg Sunflower
11kg Mhunga
12kg. SOYA 42% CP
200g Salt Table

Roadrunner Grower (organic) 15% CP

20kg Maize
12kg Sunflower
13kg Mhunga
5kg. SOYA 42% CP
200g Salt Table

Roadrunner Breeder (organic) 14% CP

23kg Maize
9kg Sunflower
13kg Mhunga
5kg. SOYA 42% CP
200g Salt Table

Roadrunner Starter (organic) 18% CP

20kg Maize
7kg Sunflower
11kg Mhunga
12kg. SOYA 42% CP
200g Salt Table

Broiler Starter
Maize 548 kgs
Soya ME 42%Cp 420kgs
Premix 32kg

Broiler Grower
Maize. 628kg
Soya ME 44% 335kg
Premix. 27kg

Broiler Finisher
Maize. 673kg
Soya ME 42% 300kg
Premix. 27kg

Pig Grower Meal
11-16 wks
Premix 32kg
Soya Meal 240kg
Maize. 628kg
Wheat 100kg

Pig Creep Meal
Premix 32kg
Soya Meal. 290kg
Maize 578kg
Wheat bran. 100kg

Pig Weaner Meal
11days - 10wks
50% Pig Creep Meal
50%. Pig Creep Meal

Pig Finisher Meal
17wks - slaughter
Premix 32kg
Soya Meal. 185kg
Maize Meal 683kg
Wheat Bran. 100kg

Dry SowBoarMeal
Premix. 32kg
Soya Meal. 170kg
Maize Meal. 572kg
Wheat bran. 226kg

Lactating Meal
Premix 32kg
Soya Meal. 230kg
Maize. Meal. 588kg
Wheat bran. 150kg

LAYER FEED

Chick Starter
Premix. 32kg
Soya Meal. 325kg
Maize Meal. 643kg

Pullet Grower
Premix 32kg
Soya Meal. 225kg
Maize Meal 743kg

Layers Mash

Premix. 104kg
Soya Meal 210 kg
Maize Meal 686kg

11/06/2019

REARING CHICKENS
From Day Old To 4Weeks

*They are very small and fragile treat them with love and care.
*Put up an infra red light ± 1m from the floor.
*Put coarse saw dust as bedding not fine sawdust.
*Put down 5L or 2L water fonts with some electrolytes or booster in the water.
*Place large pas of food on ground wet a 1/3 of feed.
*Do not place food or water near infra red light.
*There must be enough space for chicks to move away from light.
*One infra red light is enough for 250 (two hundred and fifty) chicks.
*Feed pullet starter to hens (not broiler stater).
*After 7 (seven) days during the day put infra red lights off when temperature is higher than 20◦C.
*Allow sunlight in on chicks, this will develop feathers much quicker.
*Keep to inoculation program.
*Feed AD LIB till 4 (four) weeks old.
*Refresh water 3 x daily cool water.
*After 14 (fourteen) days let them outside during the day but allow access back into cage.
*If chicks start to peck each other you need to add more feed trays or pans.
*Remove sick or weak chicks and keep them separate until healthy and strong.
*Do not allow strangers into chick houses. Keep good bio security in tact.
*Visit chicks often to see if all is in order.
*From 21 (twenty one) days put Viro-kill in drinking water 10ml per 10L of water.

FROM 5weeks to 17weeks

*Keep 10 (ten) chickens per square meter.
*Put a bit of saw dust on floor.
*Feed as table data on feed file.
*Keep inoculation program up.
*Give anti-body boost once every 3 (three) weeks.
*Give Viro-kill in water every 2 (two) weeks 10ml per 10L.
*Separate all sick and weak chicks – sick bay.
*Treat with medication.
*Put back after strong and healthy.
*Feed pullet grower to hens (not broiler grower).
*Visit cage often to check for any strange habits i.e.: sneezing, cough etc.
*Remove bedding every 6 (six) weeks.
*Disinfect cage floor.
*Give cool water at all times.
*1/3 (one third) of feed must be mixed with water and given wet to chickens. Make feed like Pronutro porr

11/06/2019

https://chat.whatsapp.com/9VTqiZjjnzCDTaAi56h341

11/06/2019

*HOW TO FORMULATE YOUR OWN CHICKEN FEED*
The common ingredients are whole maize, maize germ, cotton seed cake, soya beans, sunflower or fish meal (omena).
In addition, farmers need to add several feed additives (micronutrients, minerals and vitamins) to make ensure their chicken have a balanced feed that meets their daily nutrient requirements.
Material is available cheaply, especially after the harvesting season. Depending on the cost of raw material, farmers who make their own feeds at home save between 30 to 50 per cent for every 70kg bag of chicken feed, depending on the source of their raw materials.
Due to government regulation, major feed companies have reduced the standard quantity of feed from 70kg to 50kg per bag, but the price of feed still remains almost the same.
This means that farmers who are able to make their own feeds make great savings on feeds which take up to 80 per cent of the production costs.
To formulate feeds, farmers have to use the Pearson Square method. In this method, the digestible crude protein (DCP) is the basic nutritional requirement for any feed preparation for all animals and birds.
Now, assuming that a farmer wants to make feed for their chicken using this method, they have to know the crude protein content of each of the ingredients they want to use to make their feed.
The following are the DCP values for each of the common ingredients used in feed making:
=Whole maize — 8.23%
=Soya — 45%
=Fishmeal (omena) — 55%
=Maize bran — 7%
=Sunflower — 35%
Each category of chicken has its nutritional requirement. For example, if we want to make feed for layers, the feed should have at least 18 per cent crude protein.
If one was to formulate feed for layers, then they would have to calculate the percentage of DCP in each of the ingredients they want to use to ensure that the total crude protein content is at least 18 per cent.
Therefore, to make a 70kg bag of feed for layers, a farmer would require the following ingredients:
=34kg of whole

13/01/2019

Happy New Year peeps. We're now open for builsiness