Calcium supply should be on target at each level of development
Any deficit will see birds manifest different signs. Like weak legs, weak egg shells and pecking of each others feathers some times.

Therefor a farmer ought b a master mind regulator and monitor of calcium levels in the birds diet.
Ok yes, many formula of feeds have shells, lime, dcp and dcp granula as major calcium sources.

However, at times these a not enough.
An external source whenever there is a deficit can always be sought.

And APSA PHOS CAL has proved to be a very good in water calcium source that can help fight against these deficities.

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Don’t Starve Your Broilers

Those who have been practicing Broiler Farming for some time will agree with me when I say that broilers are “meat-making machines”. That’s what they are. These genetically endowed chickens are hardwired with the trait to grow very fast and reach market weight as early as 5 to 6 weeks. In fact, if you have been doing broiler farming for a while, you can almost notice their size and weight difference in the space of 12 hours. That is, when you leave them in the morning and come back in the evening, you will see that they have grown. Again, that’s what they are – meat-making machines.
To get the best from your broiler chickens and help them to maximize their growth potential, they must not be starved. A study claims that broilers begin to ‘eat up themselves’ (break down body fat) when starved for up to 6 hours. Give your birds as much feed as they can consume. After all, it’s what they convert into meat.

Broilers Say Heat is a Bastard

You may have ways of escaping from the effect of excessive heat, but there is almost nothing broilers can do if you expose them to excess heat. This is why it is important to consider the heat factor when considering the type of housing to use. You must do everything possible to keep them cool at all times. This includes high roof, sufficient shade, cool water and lesser feed during hot days. For the feed, it is better not to feed your broilers if you see them panting during hot days. Giving them feed will only add to the heat stress that is already killing them.

Brood Less in Broiler Farming

If you are planning to brood for four weeks, then you are not planning for broilers. Maybe layers. Because of the mechanical action of eating and the feed metabolism process, broilers generate a lot of heat that makes supplementary heat almost unnecessary. Except in cold regions and on cold days, broilers do not require supplementary heat during a sunny day even in their first week. If you continue to give your broilers supplementary heat, you may start noticing sudden death from the third week. Remember that broilers say heat is a bastard

You Can’t Be Rigid with Your Vaccination Schedule

Although broiler chickens usually come with a vaccination schedule from the hatchery (you will usually get the schedule when you order in large quantities and directly from the hatchery), broiler farming is one of the businesses that requires flexibility, and you cannot afford to be rigid. Broiler vaccination schedule is supposed to serve as a guide for the broiler farmer. It’s intended to show him when to vaccinate and which vaccine he is to use per time. However, it is important to note that vaccinations can be deadly if administered unwisely. 
It is said that you don’t vaccinate sick birds, but some farmers seem to forget this fact. They rush to meet up with their vaccination schedule. For instance, you might want to vaccinate your broilers on day 21. However, if you notice coccidia among the flock on day 20, you must wait. Do not vaccinate the birds until you have treated them for coccidiosis. Keep in mind – Vaccines will only work to your advantage when your chickens are healthy. 

Plan With Your Target Weight 

Some people start broiler farming without a proper plan about the target weight of the birds and the length of time required to attain the weight. Raising broilers for longer than the required time will usually amount to loss on the part of the farmer.
If you are targeting festive periods like Easter and Christmas, don’t start earlier than necessary. To get a weight around 1.8 – 2.3 kg, you should work towards achieving it within 5-6 weeks, depending on your feed formula. Laying your hands on an excellent feed formula will help you to achieve a remarkable weight within a short.
short cut

1. Give an intraco prestarter feed for first 7 days.
2. Give intraco broiler concetrate feed.
3. Supplement well in water.

Also Read

• Running a Successful Backyard Poultry Farm
• Good Management Skills: Essential Tips For Layer Chicken
• Step by step mitigation of gumboro disease.
• How To Clean Your Chicken Coop

The post Five Golden Rules Of Broiler Farming appeared first on Sokies Feeds Limited.

• Feed First Before Egg production

Any successful farmer who keeps laying hens will tell you that layers are selfish. And it will always be feed before egg production – not the other way around. As a matter of fact, laying hens must be fed beyond maintenance ration before they can lay optimally. It would have been easier to measure what a hen will eat all year round if we don’t have different seasons across the world. During hot periods, your hens will not eat as much as they would normally eat during the cold season. This is why it is best to have different feed formula for each season. For instance, because the birds will not eat much during hot periods, their feed is expected to be a little richer than normal. 

• Prevent Diseases for Better and Consistent Egg Production

Disease prevented is better than diseases treated, especially in egg production. This is because sick birds will either not lay at all or have a significant drop in egg production. The consequence of disease treatment is usually bad on the profit of a farmer. That is, disease treatment will increase the production cost, even though the production is lower than usual. Hence, an effort to keep diseases away with routine medication, hygiene, and sound biosecurity measures will benefit you.

• Pilfering is Real in Egg Production

Even in the most secured farms, things still get out of record. Farm attendants and visitors may be able to steal your eggs if you are not extra careful and vigilant. As a matter of fact, any farm where the owner is not physically available will suffer pilfering in varying levels, depending on the number of shady vs trustworthy workers they have. To keep your profit on the high side, beware of pilfering.

• Learn to Prolong Peak Egg Production

I don’t know if you have heard about peak egg production. It is the period when your hens produce the highest quantity of eggs and it can last for a couple of months. Some farmers don’t know this fact. Laying birds at their peak must be treated with highest level of care. You need to pamper them. Show them some love. You must provide everything they ask for; cool water, quality feed, clean environment, quietness, and everything else. Let them feel good, and they will make you smile to the bank. Peak egg production is usually attained in the third month. During this time, you can record as high as 90-95% egg production which makes for a good return on investment (ROI). So, do everything in your capacity to prolong peak egg production and you will be your effort will be rewarded.

• Say No to Credit Sales

Whether you like it or not, people will come to you with the request to take some eggs and pay later. And believe me, you cannot always say no. This is a hard thing for starters who do not have many customers. But let me inform you that egg is a community that is usually lower in circulation than the demand. And you will always have buyers for your eggs soonest. Don’t be intimidated by promises from those who are not ready to pay. You will have to decide whether you are in business or philanthropy. The easy way to handle this problem is to hire someone and put them in charge of sales. This way, buyers will not be dealing directly with you. This is automatically discourage many strange requests. 
Yes, knowing what works best for your farm is good, but when it comes to the top secrets written above, it works on any farm. I hope that this article shows you where you need to tighten up and where you need to loosen up. The target is maximum egg production and you should make it happen on your farm too

• Deworming Poultry – What You Need To Know
• Running a Successful Backyard Poultry Farm
• Local Chicken: Rearing Tips on Success In This Venture

The post Top 5 Secrets of Successful Egg production appeared first on Sokies Feeds Limited.

• Find out the best breed available, BELGIUM BIRDS ARE AVAILABLE
• Prepare your brooding house; heating devices, medications and vaccination schedule promptly
• Get your disinfectant for foot dip and general sanitation ready. VIROCID the MASTER MIND is available.
• Block all crevices and prevent rodents, reptiles and birds from entering.
• Heat up the brooder, well enough be4 birds arrive.
• Reduce supplementary heat every other day until no supplementary heat is needed
• Get a small thermometer to monitor brooding temperature, observational monitoring can be used as well.
• Use good bedding/litter material
• Know your floor space requirement (8 to 10 birds per square metre)
• Keep daily record of your broiler feeding, growth rate, medications and vaccines used
• Monitor weight gain per week (this is your selling point – weight)
• Check your feeding – know when your birds are not eating well
• Feed your broilers ad-libitum (without restrictions)
• Monitor drinking water. Always provide cool water and prevent dehydration
• Broiler chickens need more ventilation as they grow. They will die if denied access
• Watch out for common broiler diseases like coccidiosis and CRD
• Avoid spilling water on the litter. When you do, pack the spot and replace the bedding.
• Use INTRACO BROILER CONCETRATE FEED. IBC35% and IBC5% are well available.
• If possible, start marketing before your birds hit 4 weeks
• Make sure your broiler chickens are free from coccidiosis before you vaccinate them.
• Also Read
• How To Clean Your Chicken Coop
• Predator Proof Ways In Poultry Farming
• Benefits Of Raising Chicken Feeders
• Weighing birds a key monitoring tool in poultry

The post Broiler chicken tips for beginners only appeared first on Sokies Feeds Limited.

1. Vaccinating Sick or Stressed Chickens:

Vaccinating sick birds is like adding to the sickness. When a chicken is sick, the immune system is compromised. At such times, vaccines will only do more harm – instead of preventing the disease. What happens when you vaccinate a sick bird is that, the weakened organism that is introduced into the chicken’s body is now able to cause the disease. Also, stressed chickens have decreased number of lymphocyte. In case you don’t know, lymphocyte is considered as the factory of antibodies. And antibodies play an important role in your chickens’ immune response.

2. Using Vaccines as Drugs:

This is demonstrated in poultry farming when a farmer decides to repeat a vaccine without a proper guide. In most cases, they have the thought that repeating the vaccine will increase the chances of its effectiveness. Some even multiply the doses per vaccination exercise. Well, there are instances where vaccines should be repeated but only at safe intervals. This should be according to manufacturer’s prescription and not just because you think you need to add an extra dose. Some farmers also treat symptoms of viral diseases with vaccines. All these need to be checked.

3. Poor Vaccine Administration:

This involves the management issues that may break a vaccination exercise. For instance, if proper monitoring is not done and some birds don’t have access to the vaccine, this might lead to a serious outbreak in the future. In such cases, un-vaccinated birds pose a challenge to the vaccinated ones and the farmer’s profit.

4. Poor Storage of Vaccines:

Poultry vaccines are usually kept in a cold chain. That is, from the point of manufacture to the point of use, they need to be kept in cold storage. Poor storage will therefore render such vaccines useless, and even if administered, no vaccination has taken place. As a poultry farmer, it is important that you place value on the source of the vaccines used. Only buy vaccines from reputable places that are trusted to have kept all the requirements to keep the vaccines potent.
Poor storage may also be due to freezer breakdown, personnel carelessness or transportation issues. The bad thing about vaccine failure is that it often goes unnoticed. That is, the farmer believes that all the chickens have been vaccinated until symptoms of the disease they were vaccinated for begins to surface. Protect your investment by taking that extra precaution.

5. Use of Poor Quality Water:

As we should already know, water is the diluent used for most vaccines. The use of water with high concentration of salt or chlorine will render vaccines impotent. This implies that you must be sure of the composition of the water used for vaccination. More on vaccination and water quality can be found here.
As important as it is to vaccinate your chickens to prevent them from diseases, it is more important to do it right.
Those who vaccinate in water u can use vaccine protectors on market.

• Benefits Of Raising Chicken Feeders
• How To Clean Your Chicken Coop

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For Exercise and Leg Strength

What does this have to do with the benefits of raising chicken feeders? I know you may be wondering that local/indigenous chickens are strong and yet they don’t necessarily raise their feeders. That would be a right thing to say but did you also know that these chickens don’t live in confinement. There is little or no room for chickens raised in confinement to engage in healthy exercises. For this reason, putting their feeders on the floor level would add to their laziness. You will agree that if permitted, broiler chickens will prefer to lay on their breast and eat from the floor. If you allow this, your broilers will most likely develop leg problems because of low activity of their legs.

Stimulates Vertical Growth – Height

This is another benefit of raising chicken feeders but I know you want to ask me how. Did you know that stretching is one of the established ways of growing taller? Even in humans. There is that tendency that chickens that stretch a little while feeding will grow taller than the ones that don’t. To make things worse, if a chicken is not standing tall to eat, then it is bending. Such chickens have no reason to grow taller, at least from the environment.

Also, feeding is attached to survival, and if a chicken has to always stand tall to eat, then the brain tells it that if it doesn’t grow taller, there may be no food someday. That’s what I believe.
This however does not mean that you stress your chickens by raising the feeder above the normal level.

Raising Chicken Feeder for Hygiene / Disease prevention

This is almost the simplest and most understood reason for raising chicken feeders. The closer your chicken feeders are to the ground, the more likely the feed will get contaminated. Contamination here is through chicken poop, which might be carrying some infections from a sick chicken and can easily spread to healthy chickens.
Chickens raised in deep litter often play with their bedding/litter material as well. The litter material easily gets into the feeder when place on the floor. If your raise your feeders, you will not find much of the litter material in their feed.

To Reduce Feed Wastage

Talking of the benefits of raising chicken feeders, I think you will not want to joke with this one. This is because it has a direct economic impact on your poultry business. If permitted, your chickens will do all manner of things on their feed – which is also yours.

I often get pissed when I have done my best to get a very expensive feed to the best performance, only to see my chickens scattering everything on the floor like its some cheap food. But not again, I don’t joke with raising my chickens’ feeders anymore.

How To Raise Chicken Feeders

The rule of thumb when raising chicken feeders is to use their present height. You need to the level of their back.

More Important Reads

Layer Farm Management

Deworming Poultry – What You Need To Know

Step by step mitigation of gumboro disease.

The post Benefits Of Raising Chicken Feeders appeared first on Sokies Feeds Limited.

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Many broiler farmers aim at higher weight, however they have faced so many challenges that can b tackled as here below.

1) Brooder preparations.

To reduce mortality, to stop disease challenges, and to produce strong birds, a farmer should prepare the house 3 weeks before arrival of chicks. Proper cleaning and spraying of the whole house with a strong disinfectant like VIROCID at least three times, and making sure all equipments to be used are washed, disinfected and dried. This include tarplins, feeders, plastic trays, coffee husks, plywood, drinkers, etc.
The brooder room is then locked up after all preparations are made.

2) Brooder temperature regulation.
Pre-heating of the brooder house 5-24hrs before arrival of chicks is required. Birds should be placed in a warm and comfortable environment. At day old, the brooder house should be 30 degrees( use a thermometer to control brooder temperature) at all levels. Chilling due to coldness will cause death, can render the birds inactive and stresses hence losses. Too much heat will lead to loss of energy through panting, leading to poor growth and death. Too much heat affects water consumption, when water gets warm the vitamins in it are destroyed, birds tend to neglect drinking hot water.

3) Location of feed and water in the brooder.

A disorganized brooder will yield non uniformly grown birds and poor weights. A buyer will then come and select only big ones, leaving the small ones for weeks to eat up all your profits.
Make sure birds don’t move more that one metre to look for feed or water. There should be adequate supply of feed and fresh water in a well organised brooder.

4) Spacing.

Squeezing many birds in a small confinement will not yield more weights. It will just lead to losses through disease outbreaks , and retarded growth. Broilers need adequate spacing of at least 10-11 birds in a square metre.

5) Feeds and feeding:

chicks that can locate feed in their first hours of placement will grow faster than those which delay.
The size of pellets given to your chicks will determine the growth rate.
The number of feeders placed in the house will determine the uniformity in growth.

Note: Broiler chicks should be started on feed trays(plastic) for the first 5-7 days. Even the smallest and weakest chick will be able to access feed. One plastic tray will feed 80 chicks. Chicks less that 7 days old can’t eat from big feeders. Some feed can be sprinkled on the brooder paper that we use to cover litter, so that all birds can easily access the feed in time. Giving birds highly nutritious and easy to digest feed like the INTRACO PRE STARTER PELLET from Sokies Feeds will help to accelerate their growth speed.

6) Feed quantities have to change on a daily basis. Most farmers don’t mind about the quantity they give some times they under feed which cause retarded growth, sometimes they over feed which causes abnormal weights and death. Have a guide that shows the quantities to feed every day, and always sample weights of your birds at arrival and every after a week to know if the growth rate is fine.

• Deworming Poultry – What You Need To Know
• NECROTIC ENTERITIS Cause And Prevention
• Layer Farm Management
• Manage flock, with ease and less antibiotic usage

The post IMPROVING PERFORMANCE AND WEIGHTS IN BROILER FLOCKS appeared first on Sokies Feeds Limited.

Chickens can get more worms by pecking at poop that has worm eggs or larvae in it. If you pen your chickens in the same area, over time the total number of worms in that pen (and in your chickens!) will increase.

Layer birds a meant to be dewormed at exactly 8 weeks, here we expect a flood of worms to have accumulated in birds given the previous exposures to different environmental conditions.

Repeat monthly at least every 4 weeks but never exceed 6 weeks wen u have not repeated the deworming, simply because the time taken for worms to re accumulate in a bird following deworming is 6 weeks. Doing t at every after 4 weeks is best.

Choice of dewormer to use

There is trouble here, Poultry dewormers a in 2 lines, levamisole line and piperazine line.
Ensure you deworm your birds with piperazine citrate and later alternate between levamisole dewormers.
Note that once you use a piperazine dewormer u may not need to repeat it again, its longevity is long.

1. On market the piperazine rich dewormers include.
   Piperin
   Piperamentric
   Ascarex.

Then levacide for levamisole. Please use dosages as instructed by manufacturers.

The fallacy of levamisole cutting eggs, cool it with a vitamin follow up say APSA AMNOVIT.

Use of albendazole and a dewormer
ALBAFAS can as well b used as a dewormer but has one or 2 challenges, wenever u use t please mind about dosage, low dosages a recommended,
Give IT time to mix well with water since it’s slightly insoluble in water.

THINGS LIKE WORMS SHOULD NOT B A BURDEN TO UR FARMS.EASY TO HANDLE AND GET RID OF THEM.

Also Read

• Manage flock, with ease and less antibiotic usage
• Layer Farm Management

The post Deworming Poultry – What You Need To Know appeared first on Sokies Feeds Limited.

Necrotic enteritis can lead to a significant effect on performance through its ability to impair nutrient absorption, growth rate, and feed conversion as well as animal welfare, and likely causes a far greater impact on profitability than the clinical disease.

CONTRIBUTING FACTORS

Necrotic enteritis is a result of a Gram-positive bacteria that is considered a member of the normal intestinal microbiota. Several factors can have a considerable impact on the proliferation of C. perfringens, including management practices, nutritional factors, coccidiosis, and mycotoxin contamination

It’s a disease caused by several factors;

Coccidiosis disease, that leads to reduced intestinal integrity, leading to protein leakage.
Mycotoxins
Low quality proteins in feeds, that leads to low or poor amino acid digestibilty, thus reduced nutrient absorption, leading to increased protein availability in the intestines.

Early signs of the disease are often wet litter and diarrhoea, and an increase in mortality, that may not be significant. However, the depression of growth rate and feed efficiency of birds become noticeable by day 35 in boilers and 3 months in layers due to intestinal damage and the subsequent reduction in digestion and absorption of food.

Prevention

• Giving birds a well formulated feed with the required protein levels. Sokies Feeds, provides good quality feed for poultry, call 0703879264 0393224318 for more information.
• Always involve toxin binders in the in feeds to reduce on mycotoxins, for those on local mixing.
• Prevent and control coccidiosis immediately, please treat t immediately with TOLTRAZURIL or ANTICOX before it becomes chronic.

Seek advice from our experts for farm visits and all solutions

Also Read

• Step by step mitigation of gumboro disease.
• Manage flock, with ease and less antibiotic usage

The post NECROTIC ENTERITIS CAUSE AND PREVENTION appeared first on Sokies Feeds Limited.