Common mistakes poultry farmers make

Although the most highly intensive poultry farms are getting this right, unfortunately, most small-scale producers continue to make mistakes.

Here are some common mistakes farmers make in their poultry life, which often lead to regrate, missed opportunities, or personal dissatisfaction.  

Poor hygiene

The key factor in keeping poultry healthy is maintaining good hygiene. Good hygiene standards will reduce disease challenges; however, we still see most farms remain inadequately cleaned and disinfected for the next placement. Have you ever noticed that new farms always perform better in the first, second and or up to the third crop?

In the successive flocks after flocks, cycle after cycle, you tend to notice a decline in performance creeping up, liveability drops, feed conversion rates decline, growth rates slow down, egg production start to dwindle and profit margins shrink. Clean environment -will lower the level of disease challenge and prevent disease carry-over from batch to batch.

Poor or inadequate brooding practices

The brooding period, considered as the period from placement through 14 days, is the most momentous time in a bird’s life. Survival of the newly hatched chick is dependent on how quickly and efficiently the transition is made from the hatcher to the farm environment.

Chicks do not have the ability to regulate body temperature for the first five days and thermo-regulation is not fully developed until two weeks of age. Chick survival is therefore highly dependent on the farmer to provide the proper environmental temperature.

Since brooding costs can escalate to as high as Sh16 per chick, most small-scale farmers will not provide enough heaters in the barn to cut costs. Doing this during the period of extreme chilly weather as we are feeling now can be detrimental to the overall flock performance.

Improper brooding practices can result in poor liveability and flock uniformity, and overall inferior performance in the broiler and pen house leading to a higher chick cost.

Obtaining a target body weight at seven days is an excellent indicator of how successful brooding management has been. This weight can be used as a “tool” to help illustrate the difference between professionally managed and poorly managed farms.

Irregular vaccination

Skipping vaccination or complete improper administration of the same is becoming a widespread practice among small-scale producers. Vaccination is a critical and most important procedure in any livestock production system.

Just like in human beings, chickens also need to be vaccinated using distinct types of vaccines and at separate times of their lives, depending on the geographical area, the prevailing disease pressure, and the type of bird you are keeping.

Always check the date of manufacture and the expiry date of the vaccines before purchase. Do not use expired vaccines for your flocks. Please keep record of vaccine type, expiry date, batch number on your vaccination health card.

Expired vaccines cannot give full protection to your flocks. Administering such expired vaccines is a waste of your time and money, besides risking the health and survival of your flocks.

In conclusion, the pattern of poultry diseases is constantly changing, and vaccination programmes will evolve, so it is not possible to stick to hard recommendations. As disease patterns change so shall the programme depending on the local disease pressure. Always consult your local veterinarian when it comes to flock medication.

Lack of record-keeping

Most farmers do not keep all the farm records necessary for flock monitoring. Please remember that accurate record-keeping is essential in monitoring flock performance and profitability.

The records will also help you focus on your future cash flow projections. Financial records help you minimise losses, manage cash, meet any legal, regulatory and taxation authority requirements and improve financial analytics.

These records include, but are not limited to, mortality, daily feed intake, weekly weights, daily sales, overhead expenditure, medication, vaccination history and stocking density.

-Dr Messo is the company veterinarian at Kenchic.