Poultry Farming for Food Security and Poverty Eradication

At the end of the training, participants will be able to:

• Gain sufficient information and knowledge to allow them to run a chicken enterprise efficiently

• Learn about all aspects of raising poultry for their meat and eggs.
• Develop a business plan which will show them if they can make money out of a poultry farming enterprise operation in their country or region under the present conditions.
• Learn proper housing and equipment for chickens.
• Compile a business plan with budgets, cash flows and housing plans.
• Mix own chicken feeds
• Learn common diseases and conditions affecting broiler chickens

CONTENT

Introduction to poultry farming

• Developing a business plan
• Terminology
• Regulations
• Management Factors
• Small Scale Production
• Breeds
• Classifying Fowls (Egg Laying Breeds, Meat or Table Birds, Dual Purpose Breeds)

• Cross Breed Poultry
• Sex Linkage
• Brooders
• Poultry Husbandry (Stock Selection, Feeding, Watering, Housing, Health)
• Turkey
• Geese
• Ducks

Poultry nutrition

• Digestive System (Gullet, Crop, Proventriculus, Gizzard, Intestine, Caecum, etc)

• Nutrient Sources (Carbohydrate, Protein, Minerals etc)
• Rationing
• Palatability
• The End Product
• Modern Feed Requirements
• Phase Feeding
• Limited Feeding
• Consumption Feeding

Diseases

• Avoiding Stress
• Viral diseases
• Bacterial diseases
• Mycoplasmosis, fungal and protozoan disease
• Non-infectious diseases

Poultry breeds and housing

• Poultry breeds
• Chicken housing and equipment

Layers

• Extensive (free-range) System
• Semi-Intensive System
• Intensive Systems
• Housing
• Deep Litter System
• Feeders
• Battery Units
• Feeding the Laying Hen
• Replacing the Flock

Broilers

• . Caponising
• . Brooding Period
• . Feeding Broilers (Starter Period, Finisher Period)
• Housing
• Hygiene and Health

Incubation

• The natural method (using broody hens)
• The artificial method (using Incubators)
• Selecting Eggs
• Storing Hatching Eggs
• Turning Eggs
• Managing a Incubator (Temperature, Humidity Testing. Hatching)
• Reasons for Poor Hatchability

Chick Brooding

• Heating
• The canopy brooder
• The mfra-red lamp
• The battery brooder
• The hay box brooder
• Feeders
• Drinkers
• Floor Space
• Rearing
• Problems during rearing

Record Keeping, economics and Marketing

• Growth Records
• Egg Production records
• Small Scale Business
• Compatible Ventures (Manure, etc)
• Preparing a Farm Business plan

• Finance
• Land Management
• Analyzing the Market place
• Developing a Marketing Plan

TRAINING METHODOLOGY

The training methodology combines lectures, discussions, group exercises and illustrations. Participants will gain both theoretical and practical knowledge of the topics. The emphasis is on the practical application of the topics and as a result participant will go back to the workplace with both the ability and the confidence to apply the techniques learned to their duties.