Are you a believer in this type of cleanliness? Well, if so, then this is going to be a good read for you. If you have chickens, then you’ll be curious to know how to clean their coop I’m sure. 

Now, if this seems like common sense to you, great! But keeping your birds’ coop clean is of great importance if you want a healthy flock and lots of eggs. 

Here is how you clean your chickens’ coop: 

1. 1. A Clean Place to Roost

Chickens like to roost just like most other chickens. But the thing to remember is that a sleeping chicken is a pooping chicken. 

So it shouldn’t come as a huge surprise to anyone that roosting bars get really nasty. Here is where you can apply a garden hoe. 

Yes, a garden hoe. It works wonders. You are able to scrape everything clean and not have to get nasty in the process. You can do this by simply running the garden hoe over the roosting bars repeatedly until all of the poop knocked loose and off of the roosting bar. 

If necessary, you can spray the roosting bars down with a water hose. Depending upon how nasty they are, oftenly take a sponge soaked in white vinegar and run them over the bars as well. This does help to sanitize and deter bugs. 

2. A Clean Place to Lay

Do you recall how great it feels to get into bed when you’ve put clean sheets on it? It is a lovely feeling. Well, so do your chickens. In fact, if their nesting boxes aren’t clean it can actually deter them from laying. 

So if you want to up your egg production then be sure to clean your hens nesting boxes regularly. When doing this, again, please  make use of the trusty garden hoe. Pull out all of the bedding and scoop it onto the ground. 

The great thing about this is it doesn’t take very long at all. Then, place fresh material back inside their nesting boxes. 

Now, you can use many different materials. Usually well dried hay, straw, mulch or even shredded paper! A lot of people use wood shavings from carpenter hoses and that is fine. A recommendation would be to use what one has on hand. 

After this, you’re ready to move on to the next area of the coop. 

3. A Clean Place to Walk

How gross it is when the inside of your home has a dirty floor? Well, it is kind of the same with your chicken coop. The difference is chickens poop everywhere. Literally! So how you clean their floor will depend upon your method. The commonly used is the deep litter method. This basically adds more material to the coop floor so the waste can compost inside the coop. 

Then a few times a year a farmer can scoop it all out as great compost for the garden. If you use this method, then you’ll need to let all of the waste you’ve scooped from the roosting bars and nesting boxes remain in the floor of the coop. 

Next, you’ll go over the coop floor and level everything out. If there are bare spaces or particularly gross spaces, then add some more litter to the floor of the coop. 

Recommend to use wood chips for this. My chickens love it because they can scratch around, and I’m happy because it makes my coop look and smell fresh. 

However, if you have a concrete floor or any other type of floor in your coop then you’ll need to clean it. So begin by gathering all old material or waste that is on the floor and scoop it out. You can still use the material in your compost bin so you don’t waste anything. 

Then you’ll need to either add more material back to the coop floor, or if you have a concrete (or other washable floor) then you’ll need to hose the floor down. 

Once your floors are clean, you’re ready to move on to the final stages of coop maintenance. 

4. Sprinkle Some Diatomaceous earth. 
5. Diatomaceous earth is a naturally occurring, soft, siliceous sedimentary rock that is easily crumbled into a fine white to off-white powder. The stuff works wonders on a lot of different things. It can be used to keep fleas off of your dog. A lot of people in my area sprinkle it on their yard to kill ticks and other unwanted critters. 

But you can also use it to help keep mites out of your chicken coop and it is totally natural to boot. Which is why sprinkle it in the nesting boxes and on the coop floor. This way when chickens dust themselves, they are putting DE all over them and deterring pests from climbing on them. 

Also, worm the chickens with DE a few times a year. Basically, when you begin to see poop on your eggs a lot, then you know it is time to worm them. 

So a lot of times when I am cleaning out their coop, I will sprinkle DE inside their food as well. Then they eat it and naturally worm themselves. 

As you can tell, sprinkling DE is something that has a ton of benefits, is very natural, and should be included when cleaning out your coop because it helps keep everything and everyone maintained and healthy. 

5. A Clean Buffet

Have I mentioned that chickens poop everywhere? I thought so. 

Well, they do! That is why it’s important to keep their food and water away from nesting bars or nesting boxes because (you guessed it!) they’ll poop right in or on them. 

So our feeder is hanging right in the middle of the coop for this reason so they can’t possibly poop anywhere close to on it. 

Plus, their water system is right next to it. I’m going to share a frugal tip about watering chickens. When we first got chickens we invested in this fancy watering system because we thought it would be the best for them. 

Ummm…no. Chickens actually like to gulp water instead of having to peck to get it out. 

So after realizing this, we tossed the fancy watering system and put a bucket in its place. It is a smaller bucket so the chickens can drink from it, but they are so happy because they can easily stick their head in it and guzzle water. 

Now, if you have a smaller number of chickens you can probably get away with one of the smaller poultry waterers. We have enough chickens that we’d have to have multiple of those and to be honest, I’m frugal and don’t really want to make that investment when a bucket works just as well. 

So whatever you use to feed and water your chickens, you’ll need to clean them. Take them out of the coop and hose them down. That way any dirt can be hosed off and then allow them to air dry. This keeps everything clean and that way nothing gross can begin to grow inside of them. 

And ultimately, it is just one more step to keep everyone healthy which is the ultimate goal. 

Now, I will offer an added tip. When I put the food and water containers back inside the coop and refill them, I will some times add some ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar) and garlic to their water. It supports their immune system.

6. A Clean Place to Run

If your chickens aren’t free range then they most likely have a run or a chicken yard of some sort. My chickens are allowed to free range in our fenced backyard during the fall because they help clean up our garden beds. 

However, the rest of the year they have to be put up because we grow a lot of items in garden beds inside our fenced backyard. This means that they have a fenced off chicken yard so they can still get out and peck in their own area. 

Well, you can’t forget about these areas when cleaning. So you’ll need to use a rake (or hoe) to level out the litter material that covers these spaces. Add some more material if needed as well. 

Basically, you just want to clean up any mess that might be lying around. It isn’t a hard job. It just needs to be maintained so not to become unsanitary. 

Honestly, I don’t have to scoop this area out but a few times a year when I need compost. However, if you don’t practice the deep litter method, then you’ll need to empty it when cleaning for sanitation purposes. 

7. Give Your Chickens A Health Check

When cleaning your chicken, it is also a good time to check on the health of your birds. Illnesses occur in chickens from time to time. Being proactive can be the difference between life and death for your flock. This way if one of them is breathing funny or has any other abnormality, it shouldn’t go for very long without you noticing it. 

As you can tell, this step is pretty easy. It shouldn’t take you very long, but it could be the difference between having a healthy productive flock or a sickly flock. 

8. Mend the Broken Places

Coops need repair every now and then. It is important to keep them well maintained for the safety of your flock. 

So when you are cleaning, pay attention if there are any damaged areas. If so, then fix it. Most repairs to a chicken coop don’t take more than a few minutes (unless it is something major). 

One of the most common repairs I see in our coop is that the chicken wire is becoming loose and beginning to sag. A few whacks with a slap stapler and we are back in business. 

So just keep an eye out for any repairs that need to be made and try to make them as you are cleaning the coop so you don’t forget about them. 

9. How Often To Clean

Well, all of this advice is great and all but how often should you actually do these steps? For me, I clean my birds coop once a week and do in between cleanings every other day. 

The reason is because my birds are super picky. I guess I’ve spoiled them. We have plenty of roosting space but for whatever reason, certain birds want to sleep in nesting boxes. 

And do you remember how I mentioned that a sleeping bird is a pooping bird? Well, you can imagine that my nesting boxes get pretty gross. 

So I clean them out almost daily. Then I do my big over all clean every Monday morning. If I do it on a weekly basis (and move quickly) it doesn’t take more than 15 minutes or so from start to finish. Staying on top of things really saves you time in the long run. 

Well, there are my 9 tips on keeping a clean chicken coop. I hope that you find them helpful and that it will help you to maintain a healthy flock. 

But I’d love to hear your thoughts. How often do you clean your chicken coop? Do you use anything particular to clean it? Do you have any additional steps to maintaining a clean and healthy coop? 

The post How To Clean Your Chicken Coop appeared first on Sokies Feeds Limited.

There are many things that one can do in order to start rearing local chicken and we all have many questions like how do I start, what is needed and will I gain profits from all chicken. The answer is yes and no, if you take care of your chicken in a good way then yes, you will gain and yes you will make loses but the best thing to do is never give up and persist. 

Many people are biased against rearing the local type of chicken because we all have the mentality that they take long to grow and the returns from the local chicken are hard to make but the reality is different from what we know. Once you start rearing them, you will find that they are the easiest to rear since they can easily get themselves food and in the long run you can earn more than what you bargained for. 

And before you start complaining about the local breed, below are some questions that are normally asked and the answers that you need to know before starting to rear the local breed in Uganda: 

This is not an easy fit but in order to start rearing local chicken, you will need to know the following; 

1. How To Collect Eggs 

A farmer will need laying nets if they want to collect the eggs undamaged. You need to collect eggs on a daily basis and to ensure that the embryo grows properly, they should be stored with the broad ends facing upwards and you need a dark, safe and dry place for the laying and hatching of the eggs. When the eggs are laid, mark them with a simple mark showing when they were laid but do not use a marker since the ink might go into the egg spoiling it. The eggs should be kept in an aerated dry place to avoid easy rotting. 

2. The Chicken House

Housing space will be needed and it should be big enough to avoid congestion of the chicken and it should be well ventilated. 

The housing should have perches where the chicken roosts during the night. 

The house should be raised in order to avoid attacks from the predators. 

Brooder baskets for the chicks can be made. 

An example of a perch for chickens to roost 

3. Feedings

Feeding and water containers will be needed before starting the poultry rearing. The chicken need a well balance diet filled extra meals apart from feeds like; greens, maize, left over foods and you will get well fed chicken at the end of the day. The feedings should be fresh and clean without dirt as contaminated food will cause the birds to get sick. 

4. Vaccination To Avoid Random Diseases. 

Chicken mostly falls sick during the first few weeks of after hatching and many farmers end up making a lot of loses due to too much chicken dying. So to avoid all this you need to have vaccines available for the chicken. These vaccines can be got from vet shops or you can hire a vet to come and vaccinate the chicken. 

5. Cleaning The Chicken House 

Coffee husks or wood cuttings will be needed in order to protect the floor of the chicken house protected from the droppings and it makes it easy to clean the house. The husks hold down the droppings till they dry and can be used as manure. 

6. Selection Of Chicken 

Finally you will need only one cock for every tens to provide enough eggs and chicks. You should be one that does looks after the chicks well and does not abandon the eggs during the hatching process. 

So now the feat seems easier with the above tips. However there are still questions that need to be satisfied for the above farming venture to succeed like; 

1. What Is The First Step Towards Rearing? 

 Hatching The Eggs 

When hatching eggs you can use the mother hen or an incubator. Make sure the number of eggs that are being given to the hen are equivalent to the size of the hen and to make sure that the eggs are hatched at the same time, delay the fastest hen for brooding by providing one egg to them as you wait for other hens to also become broody. 

The Egg Selection Process 

You should not choose eggs that are too big, cracked, too pointed, too spherical, oval and small ones. The eggs that should be chosen should comfortable for the hen to sit on for a good hatching. Turn the eggs regularly when in the incubator and you should use eggs that were laid in the past 14 days. 

The Brooding Process 

Brooding is majorly done by the mother hen, charcoal stove, kerosene brooder placed in a container mainly a metallic one. You can use other heat sources like a lantern, foster hen or a heat brooder for the chicken by placing it in a well-ventilated box placed in a wood shaving to provide heat to the chicks. 

1. What Are The Best Conditions For Hatching The Eggs? 

The room that is to be used for hatching should be well ventilated, noise and you should make sure that the eggs are fertilized by the cock and the humidity should be favorable. Check the nest for parasites from time to time and you should make sure that the hens are fed well and have enough to drink and the hens should also be free from diarrhea. 

The Rearing Of Chicken 

Vaccinate the chicks when they make four days to avoid the New castle disease and also allow them to roam around. The chicks should be fed with soft food like crushed cereals or maize husks and water for drinking should be available all the time in clean troughs. 

1. What Are The Qualities Of A Good Hen And Cock? 

A good hen should have straight toes, legs with no scales, a red comb, a not so sharp breast born, clean nostrils and beak and lively. 

A good cock should have straight legs it should be protective and alert in nature, have shiny eyes, larger than a sizeable hen and should have large clean feathers that are around the vent. 

Why Should I Rear Local Breeds? 

The initial investment for the star up of rearing local breed is less compared to other breeds. Whether you need them for either domestic or commercial it’s always cheap. 

The local breed does not need a lot of supervision especially when they are let loose and they can also be fed on cheap local food that is readily available. 

The droppings from the chicken are high in nutrients and they can be used for manure in gardens, used to make food for fish and can also be given to animals as feeds. 

The local chicken has a lot tolerance to the natural hazards like diseases, weather and other conditions and the market for both the meat and the eggs for the local breed are always readily available and people prefer the local breed to the exotic ones. 

The local breed can be reared for both meat and eggs and the beauty is that this can be done in the same place and in small space. Most Ugandans love the local eggs saying they are tastier than the eggs from the exotic hens. 

The eggs need a lot of work so that they don’t spoil easily like keeping them in a dry place, storing them while the pointed part should face upwards, the eggs need to be checked regularly to ensure that the embryo is not spilt and in case they are spoilt, make sure you separate them from the rest so that the rest are not affected. 

To avoid disease attacking the chicken, you should wash the feeders every evening and change the food, use good quality mixed food and you should keep the chicken house clean and dry by avoiding pouring water inside the house. 

There are very many vices among chicken and to control these vices one needs to isolate the birds that have the vice of eating eggs and they should be fed at specific intervals. To avoid infestation, the birds should feed from the hatchery and you should also monitor the chicken so that they do not fight with each other and the egg eating chicken should not be allowed to hatch again. 

The eggs in the incubator need to be checked after seven days to see those that are fertile and those that are not. Those that are not fertilized have red veins and they can easily be seen through the dim light from the incubator and they should be removed with immediate effect. 

And in conclusion the trick to getting exactly what you want from rearing local chicken is to feed them well on a good diet, provide good hydration and keep the chicken house clean. Good luck with rearing your chicken. 

The post Local Chicken: Rearing Tips on Success In This Venture appeared first on Sokies Feeds Limited.

Most common chicken predators include;  

• Neighborhood dogs 

• Chicken hawks 
• Feral and domestic cats 
• Bobcats 
• Owls 
• Snakes (chicks) 

• Rats 

Before you embark on constructing a poultry house, visit a few farms near you to come up with better ideas on what works best for you. There are different types of chicken coops and an ideal house should provide the birds with a comfortable environment and protect them from the extremities of weather such as rain, wind, sunshine, diseases and predators. 

Wood, unlike iron sheets, is sold per feet and different types of wood cost differently. For example, cypress costs more than pine, which in turn, costs more than grevillea. 

There are basic considerations when making a poultry house but the kind of house you make, iron-sheet walled or stone depends on your resources. 

So, here are a few recommendations in making a predator proof chicken farm and maximize the security of your business.  

Precautionary Measures 

Firstly, keep a compost pile far away from the chicken coop. Do not allow food scraps to linger and any that remains, ensure to clean up before night fall.  Also, mow the grass or field near and around the coop. Also, an open field without cover is a deterrent to any lingering predators.  

If there is a serious problem with hawks and owls, consider covering the chicken coop especially those that feed during the day in an open environment with hawk netting.  

The most rudimentary measure suggested is; 

Mud Wall 

In a backyard setting this would be the best way to protect a chicken farm. A strong mud walled fence and building would be the best because mud is easy to acquire and more economically feasible to use in construction in a farm. It is easier to use and is one of the widespread method applied in poultry farming in Uganda. However, one must factor in with time cracks and walls that can weaken with time. Therefore, though efficient, more modern and efficient ways have been applied to achieve zero percent attacks from chicken predators. 

Protect From Above 

Secure the top of the chicken run with aviary netting or deer netting. This will help defend against predators such as chicken hawks as well as keep wild birds from mingling with your chickens (although, not their poop, so there can still be some transmission of diseases from wild birds to chickens even in the best of situations). Predator-proof the run. Bury the chicken wire or hardware cloth 12 inches deep all along the run to add an additional barrier against burrowing predators. 

Use Wire Mesh/Hardware Cloth 

Wherever you would use the chicken wire – window areas for ventilation, around the bottom, to make the run – use wire mesh instead. Some predators like feral cats will just rip open chicken wire and enter at will. Wire mesh (the finer mesh the better) is much more expensive but much more of a deterrent to all kinds of predators. 

Protection From Burrowing Animals 

Bury wire mesh at least 12 inches down all around the chicken coop to protect from rodents and other burrowing animals. 

Make a Solid Floor 

A solid floor will keep any burrowing invaders like rats or raccoons from getting in. It will take them more time to chew through a solid floor. Especially in conjunction with hardware cloth, this can be an effective approach. 

Surround the Perimeter with Electric Net Fencing 

This can be used in addition to basic precautions such as a coop floor and hardware cloth. Tiny invaders like mice may be able to sneak under without a shock since the very bottom string doesn’t always touch the ground, but anything like a raccoon that would climb a fence will get zapped and discouraged. The closer the electric net spacing, the more effective it is against smaller predators. 

Warning 

Be careful because electric net fencing can be an entanglement hazard especially with young children. It is a risk not worth taking in a neighborhood with a bevy of children. In big farms and serious poultry farmer, this measure should be used where the electric fence is switched on at night and the chicken are inside the chicken coop. During the day, it is advisable to turn it off.  

The post Predator Proof Ways In Poultry Farming appeared first on Sokies Feeds Limited.

Am happy many planned earlier and earlier and made deep trenches where the droppings can land such that the distance from the droppings to the lower tire of the cages is a bit high.

The fact is, wastes should be removed as often as every 3 days in caged birds not more than a month if you have a deep trench.

What are the effects of delay to remove droppings

You know these droppings ferment, and they heat up, they release a very strong basic gas called ammonia prolonged inhalation of this gas by birds especially those at the lower tire, leads to so many conditions in birds, these include, respiratory problems, stress, and the liver is much affected leads to fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome.

The challenge is given that these birds dont exercise to burn out this toxic ammonia from the body, the effect is exacerbated by the no exercise effect.

Therefore, increasing frequency of waste removal is key in cage farming.

Some feed companies have tried their best to fight these conditions like fatty liver heamorrgaoc syndrome by including liver cleansers in the feed like choline chloride

Use of liver tonics like APSA HEPATOCHEM atleast 5 days in a fort night as a preventive measure has been helpful

Also Read

Manage flock, with ease and less antibiotic usage

Deworming Poultry – What You Need To Know

The post Waste management and water quality assurance, key challenges in cage systems appeared first on Sokies Feeds Limited.

Statistically it is a proven habit that most poultry farmers in Uganda are used to storing their eggs in an egg carton. We know a lot of people like to throw away the egg carton when they get home and store their eggs in the little egg caddy that comes with your fridge or in a separate bowl. This may look pretty, but we recommend always storing your eggs in their original carton. 

Storing eggs in an original egg carton is the best and most effective way to do so. Why? Firstly, the carton protects the eggs and prevents them from absorbing strong odours and flavours of other foods in your fridge through the thousands of tiny pores in the egg shell. Secondly, the Best Before Date is always visible to you so you can guarantee freshness. Lastly, eggs should always be stored with the large end up, the same way they are packaged in the carton. This helps the yolk remain centered. 

Other Tips; 

• Keep your eggs away from cooking heat; do not store eggs in a kitchen where it is hot.
  Heat might partially incubate your eggs and kill the embryos in them. 
• Do not store them on top of a cupboard where heat from the roof can reach your eggs and incubate them. 
• Keep your eggs in a cool secure dry place. 

• Do not wash your eggs with water 

Other tips for storing raw and cooked eggs 

• Eggs should not be stored on the refrigerator door, but in the main body of the refrigerator to ensure that they keep a consistent and cool temperature. 
• Leftover raw egg whites and yolks should be put in airtight containers and stored in the refrigerator immediately. To prevent yolks from drying out, cover them with a little cold water. Drain the water before using. 
• When storing hard boiled eggs, you may notice a “gassy” odour in your refrigerator. The odour is caused by hydrogen sulphide, which forms when eggs are cooked. It’s harmless and usually dissipates in a few hours. 

Recommended Storage Times for Eggs 

How to Freeze Eggs 

Did you know that you can freeze eggs? Certain kinds of raw and prepared eggs (not in their shells) can easily be frozen following these simple instructions: 

• Whole eggs: Beat eggs just until blended, pour into freezer containers and seal tightly. Label the container with the number of eggs and the date, and freeze. 
• Whites: Break and separate the eggs one at a time, making sure that no yolk is mixed in with the whites. Pour them into freezer containers, seal tightly, label with the number of egg whites and the date, and freeze. For faster thawing and easier measuring, first freeze each white in an ice cube tray and then transfer to a freezer container. 

• Yolks: Egg yolks require special treatment. The gelation property of yolk causes it to thicken or gel when frozen. If frozen as-is, egg yolks eventually become so gelatinous they are almost impossible to use in a recipe. To help slow this process, beat in either ⅛ tsp (0.5 mL) salt or 1½ tsp (7mL) sugar or corn syrup per ¼ cup (50 mL) egg yolks (4 yolks). Label the container with the number of yolks, the date, and whether you’ve added salt (for main dishes) or sweetener (for baking or desserts) 
• Hard boiled: Hard boiled yolks can be frozen to use later for toppings or garnishes. Carefully place the yolks in a single layer in a saucepan and add enough water to come at least 1 inch above the yolks. Cover and quickly bring just to boil. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, in the hot water for about 15 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain well and package for freezing. Hard boiled whole eggs and whites become tough and watery when frozen, so don’t freeze them. 

How to tell if eggs are fresh; 

The easiest way to tell if your eggs are fresh is by the Best Before Date on your egg carton, so it’s best to always keep your eggs stored in their original carton. Here are a few more simple ways to determine the freshness of your eggs: 

• Grade A eggs have a firm white, a small air cell at the wide end and a centered yolk. 
• A fresh egg will sink in water while an older egg will float. As an egg ages, the size of the air cell inside increases, causing it to float. 
• In a fresh egg, the yolk sits up high, and the white is thick and closely surrounds the yolk. An older egg has a flat yolk that breaks easily and a thin, watery white. 
• To differentiate between hard boiled eggs and raw eggs, simply spin it. A hard–boiled egg will spin longer than a raw egg. The liquid centre in a raw egg prevents it from building up enough momentum to keep turning. 
• A cloudy egg white is a sign of freshness, not age: the cloudiness is the result of the high carbon dioxide content when the egg is laid. 

The post Keep It Fresh: How To Store Your Eggs Well appeared first on Sokies Feeds Limited.

1. Provide quality feed.

To keep your chickens productive and healthy, feed them the best food you can afford. The staple of their diet should be a premium laying mash or pellet, supplemented with occasional fresh fruit, green vegetables, meal worms and other healthy treats. 

2. Clean nest boxes frequently.

To encourage your chickens to lay, provide them with plenty of sanitary nest boxes layered with comfortable bedding. Recycled-newspaper pellets make a soft surface for hens to nestle and deposit their eggs and are easy to toss away and replace. 

3. Allow free-ranging.

Happy chicken lay more eggs and are more likely to stay healthy. If possible, let your chickens roam freely on your property. If this is not safe for them because of predators, consider using a covered exercise pen you can move around, which will allow them to “graze” on your lawn while still being protected from hawks and eagles. 

4. Supplement with calcium.

Egg-laying leeches a lot of calcium from a hen’s body. In addition to feeding a quality laying food, provide free-choice crushed oyster shells in a cup in the coop. Your hens will supplement their calcium as needed. Crushed oyster shells are available in feed stores that sell poultry supplies. 

5. Inspect chickens regularly.

Handle your hens whenever possible to examine their bodies, including combs, wattles, bills, feet and wings, for problems. Be on the lookout for infected wounds and broken bones. If you are concerned about your chickens’, don’t hesitate to take them to the vet. Avian veterinarians are often experienced in dealing with chicken issues. Before you even bring your chickens home, contact veterinarians in your area so you know who to go to in an emergency. 

6. Secure the coop.

Laying hens are particularly vulnerable to predators because of their reluctance to leave the nest. Make sure your coop is predator-proof to ensure raccoons, cats and other animals can’t gain access to your chickens. This means making sure latches can’t be opened by prying hands (raccoons are notorious for this) and the wire-mesh fencing is small enough that predators can’t reach through the bars to grab your chickens. 

7. Provide fresh water.

Chickens need constant access to water to stay healthy and productive. They will avoid water that isn’t clean and will go thirsty if they can’t find a fresh source. Provide your birds with fresh water every day. 

8. Control parasites.

External parasites love to prey on chickens. Mites are the biggest culprits and will take up residence in your coop without you ever noticing. Make it a habit to regularly inspect your chickens at night, when mites become active. If you see small, reddish-brown insects scurrying around on your chickens’ heads, treat your hens and your coop for mites. Chickens are best treated with a dose of ivermectin (available in injection form from an avian veterinarian), and the coop should be cleaned and dusted with food-grade diametreceous earth. 

Other tips which work best for a backyard farmer are; 

1. Allow for good air circulation in your poultry house for egg laying bird 
2. Layer needs on average 120 gm of food per day 
3. Distribute food troughs and water troughs evenly (one basin/50 birds) 
4. Provide grit at 20 weeks, you give your birds small, loose particles of stone or sand. 
5. Laying nests must be kept in dark places, collect eggs 3 times a day, allow a nest for every 5 layer hens 
6. Provide soft clean litter 
7. Store eggs with the small end facing down 
8. Clean dirty eggs with steel wool/coarse leaves, Never wash your eggs 
9. Add greens to the diet of your layers and whenever possible vitamins to their water 
10. Debeak your layer chicken at the onset of egg laying 
11. Cull your Layers when egg production drops below 40%. To cull, simply means you start slaughtering your birds for meat. 

The post Good Management Skills: Essential Tips For Layer Chicken appeared first on Sokies Feeds Limited.

The records maintained are primarily a documentation of accountability and secondarily a data system for management. They should be reliable and relevant. This information, when recorded, should be made available at any time. Records should be simple, easy to understand, without repetition but must provide all the needed information. The importance of record keeping is as follows; 

• Record keeping reflects poultry farming with a well headed title or label and purpose. This helps the poultry farm have an identity and a special categorized branding and purpose.  

• Financial decisions-before creating a budget or making important and costly financial decisions, records need to be analyzed. 
• Feeding decisions-records are useful in deciding what types of feed rations, the quantity of feed rations, and the effectiveness of a specific feed ration. 
• The history of the records will provide a poultry farmer with a clear picture of all mistakes made in the past and to be avoided in future. 
• Productivity of birds-records should be kept on the productivity of birds (eggs, reproduction, pounds of meat, etc.) to be used when the flock must be culled. 
• Breeding decisions-when deciding which birds to mate, past breeding records can be put to use. 

• The records are necessary to study the egg production performance and keep check of prescribed standards in poultry farming.  
• They (records) provide information for future planning, changes and expansions, if any. 

Record keeping systems vary because of many factors. For example; 

• Species raised – The records kept for different species of poultry are going to differ because of the different uses. For example chicken records are going to be different from turkey records. 
•  Breed raised – Certain breeds are raised for a specific purpose (laying, broilers, breeding), and therefore need different records. 

• Type of bird – The type of bird raised is going to determine the record keeping system. Some chickens are raised for egg production (for consumption), egg production (for repopulating), meat production, etc. 

Also there are different records to keep for chickens. 

1. 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. 

1. 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. 

1. Layers – layers are female birds that are in the stage of laying eggs. Records needed include feed consumption, water consumption, and egg production. 

1. Broilers – broilers are raised to be harvested for chicken meat to consume. Specific records may include feed consumption, water consumption, weight, average daily gain, days on feed, and processing date. 

1. Breeding stock – breeding stock are used to produce birds to repopulate the flock. Breeding date, birds mated, and hatching date are examples of important records. 

In a poultry farm here are required record keeping tactics that help a farmer prosper his poultry plans; 

1. Equipment Register 

This can be used to keep track of poultry farm equipment like feed mill, cages, incubators, feeders among otrhers.  

The date, source, number and cost of purchase of equipment must be recorded. 

The repairs carried out along with the details of repairs also must be indicated. 

The annual depreciation should be calculated for equipment and the actual post-depreciation value for equipment must be brought forward for the next year. 

1. Feed and Feed Ingredient Register 

 Feed is the major item of expenditure in poultry production. Hence, much care should be exercised in maintaining this register. Few pages must be allotted for each ingredient in the feed. 

For each of these items, the opening balance, receipts, issues, storage loss, manufacturing cost and the closing balance has to be maintained. 

In the remarks column, the source of purchase, invoice number and date and cost per unit must be indicated. 

Since the feed ingredient prices vary frequently, the actual ingredient cost for each batch of feed mixed must be taken into account, for accurate calculation.  

Since the feed ingredient prices vary frequently, the actual ingredient cost for each batch of feed mixed must be taken into account, for accurate calculation. 

1. Feed additives and medicines register 

This register keeps track of the various feed additives, medicines, vaccines, disinfectants, chemicals purchased and utilized. The opening balance, receipts, issues, closing balance and a remarks column must be maintained for each item. 

In the remarks column, the invoice number, date, cost and source of each purchase have to be indicated. 

1. Petty items or miscellaneous purchase/ expenditure register 

In this register, all miscellaneous purchases like tools, stationary, bulbs, nails etc. and other day-to-day expenditure has to be recorded and a monthly and annual consolidated report has to be prepared to calculate miscellaneous expenditure. In addition to the above-mentioned common registers, the following specific registers have to be maintained, depending on the nature of the farm and type of enterprise. 

1. Layer farm register 

For each batch, a production performance register has to be maintained from day one to disposal; with the following columns. 

•  Date, age in days, opening balance of birds, mortality, feed issued, feed/ bird/ day, eggs produced, % Hen-day egg production, Feed/ egg and remarks. 
• The remarks column should deal with date of vaccinations, debeaking, medication, post-mortem report if any, sale of culled birds and any other relevant information. 
• A separate book has to be maintained for each batch from day one to disposal, so that batch wise economics can be calculated. 

1. Eggs register 

• This is a consolidated record of egg turnover by all batches maintained in the farm at a time. 
• This will take into account the eggs produced by all the batches of layers in the farm. 
• This register consists of the following columns namely:
  Date, opening balance of eggs, eggs produced, sold, and closing balance of eggs and remarks. 
• Number and sale price of the pullet eggs and broken saleable eggs may also be maintained. 

• Moreover, the day-to-day sale price of eggs should be recorded daily. 
• The monthly and annual consolidated report, indicating the volume and value of the total eggs turnover may be furnished. 

1. Broiler farm records 

• For broiler farms, batch wise performance sheet has to be maintained, with the following columns. 
• Before the regular columns, the batch number, source of chicks, number of paid and free chicks received, date of hatch, cost per chick and strain, have to be recorded. 

• The regular data to be recorded are date, age in days, opening balance of birds, mortality, total feed issued and remarks. 
• In the remarks column the medication and vaccination details, cause of death may be indicated. 
• These regular columns should continue up to 56 days; but recording should be done until the date of sale. 
• Below these regular columns the following particulars like total live body weight of birds sold, number of birds sold, per cent mortality, total feed consumed, feed conversion ratio, cost of feed, sale price of broilers sold, cost of chicks and miscellaneous cost (electricity, labour, medicine, vaccination, fuel etc) have to be recorded. 
• Based on the above data, the actual cost of production/ kg live weight and the profit/ loss incurred for that batch has to be calculated. 

1. Breeder farm records 

• The records will be similar to that of the layer farm. However, one more column, namely the number of hatching eggs produced daily has to be included in the batch wise performance and egg out turn register. 

1. Hatchery records 

• The hatchery should maintain a register similar to that of egg out turn register but with some modified columns as follows:
  Date, opening balance, receipts, settings, discards and sales, chicks produced, chicks sold, chicks discarded, free chicks and remarks. 

1. Batch wise hatchery sheet 

This may be maintained, to provide the following information. 

• Serial setting number, number of eggs set, type of eggs, strain, source of eggs, number of eggs discarded, number of eggs transferred to hatcher, number of good chicks hatched, number of weak chicks, number of pullet chicks (in case of egg-type only), number of male chicks and mode of disposal, per cent total hatchability and per cent fertility. 

1. Chick out turn and disposal register 

• This register consists of strain wise chick out turn and disposal particulars, consisting of date, opening balance of chicks, chicks hatched, chicks sold, chicks used for own purpose, chicks discarded, chicks given as free margin, closing balance, price per chick and remarks. 
• The remarks column should have the Marek’s disease vaccination and other particulars. 

1. Feed mill record 

• The feed mill registers will be similar to the general registers discussed above but with more details about individual feed ingredients. 
• Instead of maintaining few pages for each ingredient and feed in the same register, a separate register has to be maintained for each ingredient and feed. 
• An extra column showing the feed ingredient shortage due to storage, grinding and mixing loss has to be indicated at the expiry of each batch or lot received or mixed. 

• Moreover, the remarks column must indicate the source of purchase, bill number, unit price and mode of payment, in case of feeding ingredient. 

In case of different feeds prepared – to whom sold, quality, rate per unit, invoice number and mode of receipt should be indicated. 

All the advocacy for record keeping in poultry farming is because in the long run precision knowledge is learnt, mortality rate is greatly decreased and a farmer will experience and enjoy bigger profits as he or she travails the farming life in dedication and wit.  

The post Record Keeping: An Important Poultry Farming Tool appeared first on Sokies Feeds Limited.

Daily Tasks 

• Check water and clean/refill as needed. You’ll want to make sure your hens always have a clean source of fresh water. Shavings, straw, and poop can get in the water and muck it up. Make sure you clean the water can if it’s slimy. Use dish soap and water and rinse well, and use chlorine bleach or oxygen bleach as needed to sanitize. This is important, as chickens don’t like to drink dirty water. 

• Feed the chickens. You can free feed with a large hanging feeder and add the chicken feed as necessary, or feed them a set amount each day. 
• Collect eggs. Collecting eggs daily ensures that they are as clean as possible and minimizes cracked eggs and maximizes freshness. 
• Observe them. Spend some time with the flock observing them to make sure they are healthy. Bright eyes, smooth feathers, active and alert chickens are a good sign. 

Monthly Tasks 

• Manage the bedding. How you do this depends on the litter method you are using. For city and suburban flocks, you’ll want to change the bedding in the coop at least monthly. Rural and larger flocks can use the deep litter method. For this method, you begin with three to four inches of bedding. Each month, or when droppings buildup, you add more bedding until you have six inches or more of bedding. With this method, you remove all the bedding twice a year and start over. You can compost chicken litter for a season and use it in the garden. It is rich in nitrogen. 

• Freshen the nest boxes. When the bedding in the nest box becomes soiled with poop or broken eggs, pull out the wet or soiled parts and put in fresh bedding material. This helps keep your hens laying in the nest boxes, as well as making the job of cleaning eggs easier. 
• Clean and sanitize waterers. Scrub the waterers with dish soap and warm water, rinse well, and sanitize with your choice of sanitizing solution, but the simplest is one part bleach to 10 parts water. The frequency of this chore depends on your personal germ philosophy. You should do so at least monthly. 

Semi-Yearly Tasks 

• Clean and sanitize the coop. Once or twice a year, remove everything from the coop and wash down all surfaces with one part bleach to 10 parts water. You should also do this in between flocks. Some people favor a sprinkling of diatomaceous earth (DE) in the coop to cut down on mites and keep the hens healthy. Get food-grade DE and don’t worry if the hens eat it; it is perfectly safe and even good for them. 
• Prepare for the winter. Making sure your hens are ready not just to survive, but thrive in the cold winter weather is an important part of maintaining your flock. Get heaters for your waterers if necessary. Consider whether you want to use a light to keep your hens laying in winter. Make sure you have roosting space for everyone; this is how hens stay warm. You should not heat your chicken coop. 

Keeping in the rhythm of these chores will keep your hens happy, healthy, and laying plenty of farm-fresh eggs. 

The post Poultry Farming: Handy Task Tips For Happy And Healthy Chicken appeared first on Sokies Feeds Limited.

Stock control is also essential to enable you to fulfill the feed needs of your animals adequately and to ensure that you have enough, but not excess, of each ingredient available for manufacture when needed. 

Good storage is essential because the value of the feed that you present to your animals depends on it. Feed spoils during storage -whether it deteriorates quickly or slowly depends partly on its quality when you receive it but very largely on how you store it on your farm. 

Feed storage areas must have the following characteristics; 

No direct access by birds (or other pets!) – While keeping sealed bins of feed inside the coop is convenient, other equipment that’s not currently being used can quickly pile up next to the feed – making them at risk for collecting droppings and even worse, becoming a home for a feed-loving pest. Store feed separate from your flock and if that’s not feasible, think of ways to contain it all. We like this idea. Securing your feed isn’t just to keep it from your flock or pests. Some types of poultry feed can pose a serious health risk to horses. 

Dry and well ventilated – Feed must be protected from moisture. Feed bags should not be stacked directly on the floor as moisture may be absorbed in the bottom bags and the feed may mold in the bag. Any feed storage containers (bins, garbage cans, etc.) should be water and pest resistant.  Also, you should completely empty and clean out the feed storage container on a regular basis.  If you store feed in bags, make sure old feed is not allowed to accumulate by stacking new feed on top of the old bags. 

Well lit  – It is important that you can clearly see the condition of any feed you have stored. Once the feed has left a feed mill, it may be exposed to other conditions in storage, so it is wise to be able to see clearly what the feed looks like every time you feed your flock. 

Clean – It is important to keep the feed room/storage area free of spilled feed, dust and potential sources of contamination. 

Pest free – Feed tends to attract rodents, birds and insects. Spilled feed should be cleaned up.  If pest control is required, make sure any pesticides or rodenticides cannot contaminate the feed and that animals cannot access the pest control material. 

Here are basics concerning how to store Chicken Feeds; 

How much to store depends on the size of your flock. It can be tempting to want to cut down on trips to the Tractor Supply by buying in large amounts, but feed has a shelf life of just a few months. For flocks with fewer than half a dozen birds, purchasing just one bag at a time will reduce risk of spoilage.  Transfer feed to a pest-proof container right away and avoid mixing new feed with old to reduce the risk of spreading mold or supporting insect propagation without the feed bin.

Choosing the right storage container is not just a matter of finding a convenient size (although that does make a difference).  Store feed in an airtight container that can stand up to clever raccoons as well as the gnawing teeth of squirrels, rats or mice. Metal trash cans with tight-fitting lids work well.  Storage bins of heavy plastic will also work, but may eventually be breached by steadfast vermin (it took squirrels about 6 months to finally chew a hole in my last plastic storage container before I made the switch to metal). If using plastic, select opaque containers, as feed will lose vitamins when exposed to sunlight during storage.

Location matters when it comes to storing chicken feed. An indoor spot in a ventilated garage or storage shed will protect feed from spoilage due to heat or moisture and also helps keep hungry wildlife away. Even when stored inside, feed should be stored off the ground on pavers, decking or pallets to avoid condensation issues.  When stored outdoors, find a dry, shaded location with protection from the elements.

Keep it clean. Sweep up any spills surrounding stored feed. Once feed loving critters like raccoons, squirrels, opossums on mice know when the goods are stored, they are likely to make your shed or coop-adjacent storage location part of their foragi

The post Good Storage of Chicken Feeds: Must Do’s appeared first on Sokies Feeds Limited.

Date chicks started: ________ No. chicks started: ________ Breed or cross: _______ 

Mortality (number of chicks that died) 

Total: _________ 

Feed Used 

Chick starter   _______kg       Cost ________Ugx               Cost of fuel     ________ 

Grower            _______kg       Cost ________ Ugx               Cost of chicks ________ 

Broiler Feed    _______kg       Cost ________ Ugx               Cost of feed    ________ 

Other               _______kg       Cost ________ Ugx                Other               ________ 

TOTAL           _______kg      Cost ________ Ugx            Total________ 

Chicks dead to end of brooding period _________ 

Weight of feed used per chick started __________ 

Weight of feed used per chick raised ___________ 

Income (birds sold or used as broilers)__________ 

Expenses ________________________________ 

Net profit or loss ____________________ 

Illustrated below is an example of how a poultry farmer can use the above brood record method.  

BROODING RECORD 

Date chicks started: April 1 No. chicks started: 50     Breed or cross: local grown 

Mortality (number of chicks that died) 

Total: _12______ 

The pullets then can be recorded with time in categories of weeks and months.  

PULLET GROWING RECORD 

(Starts at 10th week and ends at the completion of week first eggs were laid) 

Number of birds at 10 weeks ___________ 

Mortality (number of pullets that died) 

10th week __________           16th week __________           22nd week __________ 

11th week __________           17th week __________           23rd week __________ 

12th week __________           18th week __________           24th week __________ 

13th week __________           19th week __________           25th week __________ 

14th week __________           20th week __________ 

15th week __________           21st week __________           TOTAL     __________ 

Furthermore, a vaccination and vaccination record is essential to curb any pestilences about, seeking to infect young pullets one has laboured to farm. 

Vaccination Record 

Total Cost of Vaccination __________ 

 Then, below is a table record for weighting the chicken and also assess the turnover; 

Weight Feed Used 

Total Feed Costs ____________________ 

Number of birds that died during growing period __________ 

Weight per pullet for the growing period              __________ 

Brooding costs                                                          __________ 

Pullet growing costs                                                 __________ 

Total cost to date                                                    __________ 

MONTHLY LAYING FLOCK RECORD 

Date hens started to lay __________      Number hens at start of laying __________ 

Number hens that died or were removed from the flock 

1st month ____________________         7th month ____________________ 

2nd month ____________________        8th month ____________________ 

3rd month ____________________         9th month ____________________ 

4th month ____________________         10th month ___________________ 

5th month ____________________         11th month ___________________ 

6th month ____________________         12th month ___________________
 

Eggs Produced 

Feed Used                Cost 

Layer           ________kg     ________ 

Oyster shell ________kg    ________ 

Other          ________kg     ________ 

Total          ________kg    ________  

Feed per hen for period          __________ 

Average number eggs per hen 

Total egg sales                            _______ 

Total costs at start of lay              _______ 

Feed & other costs during lay     _______ 

Total                                               _______ profit or loss                              _______ 

(Include in your records the value of all eggs used at home.  Calculate value based on retail market price at time of use.) 

This way of keeping farm records is guaranteed and created to suite the deligent farmer in a robust and clear manner with intention to succeed in a poultry farming venture. Of course there are other ways to achieve a farming goal, but the above is simple, quick to understand and is based on honest works by a farmer.

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