What you should know about caring for chicks

MANAGEMENT OF CHICKS

1) Should broilers and layers be fed day and night?

2. What is the appropriate time (age) to stop providing them with heat? I use a charcoal brooder jiko, which is expensive.

Erastus

When they are still chicks, broilers and layers have common management practices.

It is advisable to provide feeds throughout the day and night for broilers to ensure faster growth.

This is unlike the layers which should be provided with adequate feeds during the day.

Both birds should have clean water supply, timely vaccination and parasite control schedules.

Supplemental heat provision is necessary. This is usually due to the fact that at early stage, thermal regulation mechanism of the chicks is not well-developed.

Kindly use the schedule below to regulate supplemental heat for either broilers or layers.

Ensure that the room is properly ventilated to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.

Wangui, James Chege. Department of Animal Sciences, Egerton University. Email: [email protected]

BUYING CHICKS

I am interested in buying kuroiler and or Kari kienyeji chicks. I would like to know how I can confirm that a farmer is selling me what I want.

Ben Murengi

Uthiru, Kiambu County

Kindly consult Kalro, Naivasha, about reputable distributors of their day-old chicks.

Otherwise, it’s not advisable to buy eggs to hatch or mature birds when you are not sure of the source.

Wangui, James Chege, Department of Animal Sciences, Egerton University. Email: [email protected]

STARTING POULTRY FARM

I am interested in poultry farming. How much capital do I need to start this business?

Joe

There is no straight answer to your question because the capital required to establish a poultry enterprise depends on a number of factors;

a) Type of production system: Here a farmer has a choice of either raising the birds under an extensive system, where they are allowed to roam and look for food or in an intensive system, where they are provided with feed and water in an enclosure.

b) Type of poultry products: This can either be broilers (for meat), layers (eggs) or dual purpose (improved indigenous chickens).

c) Scale of production: Whether small-scale (100-1,000 birds), medium-scale (1,000-5,000 birds) or large-scale (5,000 birds).

d) Housing and source of feed are other things to consider.

I strongly advise that you visit us at Egerton University, Njoro, for a discussion and more focused advice on the options available to match your investment interest.

Wangui, James Chege,

Department of Animal Sciences, Egerton University. [email protected]

GROWING TOMATOES

I am particularly interested in growing tomatoes organically. Please, advise on the market?

Steve

You can sell your organic tomatoes to supermarkets, local markets and individual customers.

In fact, the market for tomatoes is wide and growers are not meeting the demand.

Contact the Kenya Organic Agriculture Network and they will connect you with buyers.

Seeds of Gold Team

Egerton University

I WANT TO GROW GRAPES

I am interested in growing grapes commercially. I want to know, how they are grown and the market.

Wanjiru

Work with agricultural extension officers to establish your farm. Timber poles and wire will be required after the preparation of the farm as they will be used to support the crops.

Peter Caleb, Horticultural Scientist, Egerton University

LOCAL AND EXOTIC COW BREEDS

I am Linus Ogolla from Siaya County, Boro Division. I keep six indigenous bulls for ploughing and four dairy cattle.

I wish to sell some of my stock and buy three crossbreed dairy cows.

At the same time I wish to retain one indigenous dairy cow and four bulls for ploughing.

Kindly advise if keeping the crossbred and indigenous cattle in the same compound is a viable venture.

Could you also advise on the best crossbreed suitable for the weather in my county?

How much can one cow cost and where is the nearest place I can get suitable crossbreeds?

Exotic breeds do well in a cool and wet climate where there is plenty of pasture, especially in the Kenyan Highlands.

It’s not advisable to keep exotic breeds in areas of hot weather. The best alternative is Sahiwal cattle.

It does well in warm temperatures and produces a lot of milk. It is tolerant to diseases and does not need much care like the Friesians or Aryshires.

Sahiwal can be sourced from Kenya Agricultural Livestock and Research Organisation (Kalro), Naivasha. The Naivasha Livestock Recording Centre can be helpful in identifying ranches selling Sahiwal.

Anthony Mugatha, Department of Animal Sciences, [email protected]

FROGS AND TOADS HAVE INVADED MY PONDS

I am a fish farmer in Ruai, Nairobi, and my problem and worry is that all my ponds are inhabited by frogs or toads that are multiplying at a very high rate.

Please advise me on how to get rid of them because it seems l am rearing them instead of fish. 

S.K. Gichuki

You need to introduce catfish in your pond to check the population of frogs.

The catfish will also check the population of your fish in the ponds such that tilapia will not overpopulate.

Anthony Mugatha. Department of Animal Sciences, [email protected]

DIRTY PIGSTY

Last week you had an article on foul smell in the pigsty. It was reported that when farmers feed their pigs with leftovers from hotels, which, needless to say, are dirty, the pigs diarrhoea, leading to the foul smell.

This is a common problem in Mwimuto, Kiambu. Workers collect pig waste and scoop the urine from holes in the pigsties and dump it away from the farms, causing inexplicable agony.

The urine is mood changing. After months, the manure will be upended, ready to be sold.

This manure smells like a rotten carcass. Efforts to speak to the farmer to relocate the dumping site have failed.

Please advise where one can report such a case, and if there is recourse in law.

Githuku Mungai

Fortunately, there are avenues through which one can obtain solutions to such problems.

Kindly report your observations to the National Environmental Management Authority’s county office in Kiambu Town.

Ronald K. Kimitei, Department of Animal Sciences, Egerton University

SORGHUM FARMER
I am in need of the contact of the company or the woman who was recently featured in this magazine purchasing sorghum from farmers in Ukambani.

Collins Mukoyo

EDITOR: You can reach Rose Mutuko of Smart Logistics on Tel. 020- 2644533 or 0722436552.

BAMBOO UMBRELLAS

I would like to get in touch with Mr Samson Koross so that I can buy bamboo umbrellas.

Lilian

EDITOR: Talk to Mr Koross on Tel. 0701779316.

CHICKEN FEEDING TROUGHS

I need the contact of Mr Charles Thuo who makes chicken feeding troughs from bamboo stems.

Jane

EDITOR: You can contact Mr Thuo through our reporter on 0712841994.

MAKING INCUBATORS

I am interested in keeping poultry in Kisumu. I would like to get the contact of Mr Vincent Aloo in Awendo.

Farmer

I need the contact of Mr Vincent Aloo from Awendo, Migori County. I am a farmer in Kigali, Rwanda.

Kongo

I need to contact Mr Vincent Aloo, who makes incubators. I am interested in the gadgets and would like to know how I can reach Mr Aloo.

Farmer

EDITOR: Please call Mr Aloo on 0721107949.

TREE TOMATO

Please, send me the contact of Mr George Wambugu, the tree tomato farmer from Nyeri.

Fred

EDITOR: Mr Wambugu’s contact is Tel. 0725440904.

POULTRY FARMER

I need the contact of Ms Lydia Chumari, the poultry farmer from Nyeri. I want to learn from her.

Joseph Waweru

EDITOR: She can be reached on 0724835811.

TISSUE CULTURE BANANAS

I have been looking for bananas, especially the FHIA-17 variety, without success since I was told to place an order this month.

Please send me the contact of Mr Nyakundi, who grows the bananas.

Japheth Odera

I am a farmer looking for tissue culture banana. Kindly help me get the contacts of a person propagating them.

Ann Mwaniki.

EDITOR: You can reach Mr Nyakundi on 0725407226.

RABBIT FARMER

I need the contact of Wanjiru, the poultry farmer as I would like to visit her farm in Nakuru.

Joe

EDITOR: Contact the farmer through our writer on 0721353558.

FARM MACHINES

I need the phone number of Mr Alex Adundo, who makes sisal processing machines.

Farmer

EDITOR: Mr Adundo’s contact is Tel. 0724719567.

ASK THE EXPERTS

Do you have any question or enquiry on agribusiness, marketing, logistics, processing, innovation, and technology?

Our pool of experts from Egerton University will respond to your questions with proper advice.

Please send your questions to: [email protected].

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