23 TIPS TO TAKE CARE OF DAY-OLD CHICKS EASILY 1. Set Up a Brooder: Prepare a clean, safe brooder with high sides to keep chicks from escaping. 2. Provide Warmth: Use a heat lamp to maintain a temperature of 95°F in the brooder for the first week. 3. Use a Thermometer: Place a thermometer at chick level to monitor the temperature accurately. 4. Adjust Heat: Lower the brooder temperature by 5°F each week until the chicks are fully feathered. 5. Use Paper Towels: Line the brooder floor with paper towels for the first few days to help chicks find their food. 6. Offer Chick Starter Feed: Provide high-quality chick starter feed, specially formulated for young chicks. 7. Supply Fresh Water: Ensure chicks have access to clean, fresh water at all times. 8. Use a Shallow Waterer: Use a shallow waterer to prevent chicks from drowning. 9. Add Electrolytes: Consider adding electrolytes to the water to help with hydration and stress. 10. Keep the Brooder Clean: Clean the brooder regularly to prevent diseases and infections. 11. Check for Pasty Butt: Check chicks daily for pasty butt (dried poop on the vent) and clean gently if necessary. 12. Provide Grit: Offer chick grit to aid in digestion, especially if feeding treats. 13. Avoid Overcrowding: Ensure the brooder is spacious enough to prevent overcrowding and stress. 14. Introduce Perches: Add small perches to the brooder to help chicks develop balance and strength. 15. Gradually Introduce Treats: Offer treats like finely chopped greens or scrambled eggs in moderation. 16. Monitor Health: Observe chicks for signs of illness or distress, such as lethargy or difficulty breathing. 17. Handle Gently: Handle chicks gently to minimize stress and build trust. 18. Ensure Proper Ventilation: Ensure the brooder is well-ventilated but free from drafts. 19. Reduce Noise: Keep the brooder in a quiet area to reduce stress from loud noises. 20. Watch for Bullying: Monitor chicks for signs of bullying and separate aggressive individuals if necessary. 21. Gradual Transition: Gradually transition chicks to a larger space as they grow. 22. Protect from Predators: Secure the brooder to protect chicks from predators. 23. Plan for Integration: Plan for integrating chicks into the main flock when they are old enough. #DayOldChicks #ChickCare #PoultryFarming #BackyardChickens #HealthyChicks #FarmLife #AnimalCare #SustainableFarming #ChickenKeeping #PoultryCare

Fungal Diseases in Poultry 1. Aspergillosis Also known as brooder pneumonia, aspergillosis affects young birds (3 weeks old) exposed to fungal spores from contaminated hatchers or brooders. Prevention: Thoroughly clean equipment and maintain dry, clean litter. Treatment: Expensive and often ineffective, though antifungal agents like itraconazole and terbinafine may provide limited relief. 2. Favus (Avian Ringworm) Favus, or white comb, is caused by Microsporum gallinae and affects chickens and turkeys. It appears as white, chalky deposits on the comb, which can expand to form mold-like layers. Symptoms: Limited to the comb: Health is unaffected, and healing occurs in months. Spread to feathered skin: Can lead to emaciation and death. Treatment: Favus is self-limiting and rarely requires intervention. #PoultryHealth #biosecurity #diseaseprevention #poultryfarming #healthychicken #sustainablefarming #PoultryCare

Common Mistakes in Poultry Farming and How to Avoid Them: Poultry farming can be highly rewarding, but avoiding certain mistakes is key to maintaining healthy birds and ensuring a successful operation. Below are some of the most common errors farmers make and how to prevent them. 1. Neglecting to Identify Sick Birds Early Observing your birds daily is essential to catching health issues before they spread. Healthy birds are active, have bright red or pink combs, and keep their feathers clean and shiny. Signs of sickness include sluggish behavior, loss of appetite, swollen legs, discolored combs, heavy breathing, and reduced egg production. If a bird shows these symptoms, isolate it immediately for treatment and check for injuries or infections before returning it to the flock. 2. Providing Inadequate Housing Proper housing is vital for ensuring the health and productivity of your birds. Poultry houses should maintain a consistent temperature, as chickens cannot regulate their body heat effectively. Insulated roofs and walls help with this. Additionally, ensure proper airflow by using adjustable curtains that prevent direct drafts while allowing fresh air to circulate. Overcrowding should be avoided, as it leads to stress, feather pecking, and other issues. 3. Using Harmful Chemicals Near Poultry Chemicals such as insecticides, herbicides, and rodenticides can pose serious risks to your birds. Avoid using these substances near the poultry house or areas where your birds roam. If chemicals must be used, apply them sparingly and ensure the area is free of residues before allowing birds access. 4. Poor Sanitation and Ventilation Keeping the poultry house clean and well-ventilated is crucial. Dirty, poorly lit, and poorly ventilated coops can lead to respiratory problems, infestations, and reduced egg production. Regularly clean the bedding, sanitize the area, and ensure sufficient airflow. Rotating the coop to face east or west can help optimize natural light exposure. 5. Providing Impure Water Clean water is essential for your birds’ health. Contaminated water can lead to various illnesses and lower productivity. Always ensure that drinking water is free of impurities and refreshed regularly. 6. Feeding Low-Quality Diets The feed you provide significantly impacts your birds’ growth, egg production, and overall health. Ensure that you use high-quality, nutrient-rich feed suitable for the specific needs of your birds. Feeding schedules should be consistent to maximize productivity. 7. Choosing the Wrong Breed Selecting a breed that aligns with your farming goals is crucial. Some breeds are better suited for meat production, while others excel in egg production. Research and choose a breed that meets your specific objectives and is suitable for your local environment. 8. Ignoring Biosecurity Measures Preventing diseases is easier than treating them. Implement biosecurity measures such as limiting access to the farm, controlling vehicle entry, and sanitizing equipment. Avoid allowing buyers or visitors unrestricted access to chicken houses, as this can introduce diseases. By paying attention to these critical aspects, poultry farmers can avoid common pitfalls, improve productivity, and maintain a healthy flock. Regular observation, proper housing, and maintaining a clean environment are just some of the simple but effective steps to achieve success in poultry farming. SELL YOUR FARM PRODUCE ON www.myshambaexpress.com FOR FREE #MyShambaExpress #sustainablefarming #poultryfarming #agribusiness

Whenever thinking of poultry farming, Seven things you must need to know: 1. Market research It is very important to critically look at the demand that needs to be met. Is there high demand for table eggs, out grower chicken or broiler meat? Most start-up farmers go by what a friend or relative or neighbouring farmer is doing and hope to reap the benefits. It is important that you take your time to talk to clients or potential customers and listen to them. Do a survey on restaurants, hotels, open air or takeaway eateries, supermarkets and delis and collect as much data as possible. Ask questions about seasonal trends of products that you intend to bring into the market. Sometimes your assumptions may not match your survey results or outcome, so be ready to change your original plans and make new decisions. 2. Farm location A poultry farm can be located on any dry land anywhere in the country as it is not dependent on any weather patterns. However, the ideal location would be outskirts of urban or peri-urban cities where there is ready market for both meat and eggs. Construct your farm where there is access to all weather road, away from riparian land that experience occasional flooding and landslide. 3. Housing system The most common housing system in this country is deep litter, where the entire floor is covered by wood shaving and the other equipment like nest boxes, feeders and drinkers are centrally located. It is best suited for all types of birds and conforms to animal welfare requirement. The free-range type is common for Sasso chicken with a bit of housing at night and scavenging in an open enclosure. In organic farming, the chickens are most of the time on free range scavenging and are on restricted commercial feed with no use of antibiotics and any additive. 4. Demand for building The most ideal house in this region must be open sided rectangular shaped structure, with roof made of iron sheet or locally available waterproof material. The long side of the house must be on an East-west orientation to reduce direct sunlight on the chicks. Side walls should be 2-3 feet high made of bricks, iron sheet or block and the rest covered by wire mesh and chicken netting at 6-7 feet high. The floor could be concreted or compacted with red soil. 5. Choice of breed and supplier If you want to keep commercial layers, choose type of breed which is hardy with low mortality rate, fast growth rates, high peak production, long peak period and good persistence (like Bovans brown). If it is for both meat and egg production, look for a breed of high feed conversion efficiency, and of good tasty and tender quality meat (like dual purpose Sasso). 6. Optimal health protection Threats to your flock will include but not limited to protozoal and parasitic diseases, bacteria, yeast and mold and viral infections. You will need good rearing conditions that include proper brooding, temperature control, ventilation and humidity as well as quality water and adequate feed supply all the time. Biosecurity is pivotal to your success; the premises must be highly sanitised within and around the site with limited flock visits to only authorised personnel. Vaccination schedule must be followed to the letter and must be chosen based on efficacy and administered professionally. 7. Record keeping Anything that cannot be counted cannot be measured. Most farmers ignore the value of good record keeping. Feed being the highest production cost in poultry production, means that it must be weighed to the level of grammes fed/bird/day, and weight sampling must be done on weekly basis to establish production efficiency. Sharing for you people to among the benefit .credit to the rightful owner. For more Keep following Nicholas Pleysier #agriculture #farming #poultryfarming #southafrica #Zimbabwe #Zambia #Malawi #

Seven (7) poultry rules for your farm: Do you have passion for poultry and really wish to stay long in the business? Then, obey these rules! A.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. B.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. C.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 Pen 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. D.Rule (4) ..."Never ignore warning signals". Yes, I call them warning signals. 1.Bad smell 2.Withdrawal from feed 3.Moodiness 4.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 !! For more Keep following Nicholas Pleysier #agriculture #poultryfarming #southafrica #Zambia #chickenfarming #Malawi #Zimbabwe #farming