Zambia Agribusiness Society

Preparations before the arrival of chicks: Clean the surroundings of the brooder house of all grasses and vegetation (at least 1 metre from the house wall). Clean and disinfect the brooder house, curtains and equipments. Cover the wire nettings of the brooding house with sacks/nylon or close the side curtains. Spread evenly clean and dry litter materials (wood shavings etc.) to about 3 to 5cm thickness. Form a circle of about 6 feet diameter with brooder guard (cardboard, plywood, plastics, aluminium sheets, etc.). This can hold about 200 to 250 chicks. Arrange newspapers, heat source, feeder and drinkers properly inside the brooder guard. Preheat the brooding house at least 24 hours before the arrival of chicks. Check the brooder for proper temperature of 30 to 32°C for broilers and 32 to 34°C for pullet chicks. Put foot dip containing disinfectant solution at the entrance of the brooding house. Control insects and rodents. Activities after the arrival of chicks: Count the chicks as t

Mahlatse Matlakana owner of the 8 hectare green pepper farm in Blouberg Green peppers like plenty of sunlight and moist, warm soil. If using seed, plant under a shelter about 8 weeks before you anticipate the last frost in your area, then transplant. Step 1 : Loosen the soil deeply and mix in fertiliser, manure or compost thoroughly and evenly using a rake. For best results, add a dressing of organic fertiliser. Use one handful of fertiliser to every 1m 2 or four handfuls of manure or compost. Draw the ridges and furrows at least 1m apart. Plant the seedlings at least 40cm apart along the waterline on the ridges. Stakes will keep the plants upright. Step 2 : Plant your seedlings about three weeks after the last frost. Draw the ridges and furrows at least 1m apart. Plant the seedlings at least 40cm apart along the waterline on the ridges (not the top). Step 3 : Always water the roots, never the peppers. You can do this by using flood or drip irrigation . If the peppers get to

Chronic respiratory disease (CRD) is one of the most common causes of disease in backyard fowls mostly now that we are in the harmattan and everywhere seems dusty with dry air all over. CRD occurs when chickens and turkeys that are infected with Mycoplasma gallisepticum are stressed. The bacteria then causes major damage to the bird's respiratory system. Mycoplasma gallisepticum spreads via eggs, airborne transmission and indirect or mechanical routes such as introducing infected birds to an existing flock, or via bird transport containers. Mycoplasma gallisepticum can reside in a flock with few indications of its presence until the flock or individuals in it are stressed sufficiently to show signs of respiratory disease. Signs of CRD The signs of CRD are sniffling, sneezing, coughing and other signs of respiratory distress. When suspected, observe the birds from a distance to get a good idea of the symptoms as birds often do not display signs of disease once caught.

The Kuroiler chicken is a dual purpose hybrid breed developed in India. It was created by Vinod Kapur of Kegg Farms Private Ltd. in the early 1990s. And the name ‘Kuroiler’ is a portmanteau of Kegg and Broiler. The Kuroiler chicken was created by crossing either White Leghorn roosters with Rhode Island Red hens, or coloured broiler roosters crossed with Rhode Island Red hens. The eggs of Kuroiler chickens are hatched in more than a thousand ‘mother units’ throughout the country, instead of raising all in a central hatchery. Then are distributed down to the individual villages as day-old poultry chicks. And the breed is very popular among the large numbers of landless or smallholder farmers in India. Advantages of rearing Kuroilers as compared to other breeds: 1. They mature faster than ordinary chicken: The Kuroiler chickens begin laying eggs at five months. Once they start, they will lay continuously for a period of 2 years. 2. They are scavengers: Kuroiler chicken perform q

As the month comes to an end, there are a few points about drug use among poultry farmers I would like to bring out. Many poultry farmers misuse drugs not knowing that they are posing a danger to themselves and other people. Strange diseases keep coming up and you wonder why this is so. As a consumer do you know the source of eggs, milk or meat that you buy from the shop or supermarket? How safe is it? Are farmers to blame for this? These are basic rules a livestock farmer should follow: 1. Do not administer drugs without a professional prescription. Get a prescription from your vet. Many farmers administer drugs like sweets at the slightest sighting of a symptom instead of waiting for disease diagnosis and drug prescription from a vet. 2. Beware of drug interactions- never carelessly combine drugs except if stated so by the manufacturers. Some drugs cause harmful interactions if combined. That's the reason you should work with your vet. 3. Make it a habit to read thr

There are many frequently asked questions about poultry farming business. As an existing or beginner poultry farmer, you need to know about these poultry farming FAQs. Here in this guide we will try to describe more about all these poultry farming FAQs. You will be able to run your poultry farm successfully after reading all these questions and answers. 1. What is poultry farming? Poultry farming is the process of raising domesticated birds such as chickens, ducks, turkeys and geese, primarily for meat and eggs but also for feathers. 2. Why is poultry farming important? Poultry farming can create great income and food source for the poor farmers and young entrepreneur. Poultry farming business can create income source for the rural people within a very short period of time and it is highly profitable. Total investment is relatively less, but the ROI ratio is very high. That’s why poultry farming is important and its popularity is increasing throughout the world. 3. What is po

“The rate at which weed killer is being used is alarming! My worry is that there is little or no sensitization at all on its application. I have seen many beginning to use it including peasant farmers not excluding use in backyard gardens . Should this be a source of worry or not? Someone to shade more light on this topic please.” - Kenneth Abrahams “Glad to see so many people questioning the decision to use herbicide or not...Each farming family will have their own context, how they want their lives to be, how their land must look in future to continue producing for the generations that follow us...10, 100, 1000 years from today...God has stopped making land, we need to leave the land we farm in better condition than it is now or our children could starve! So it’s critical we consider all the social, economic and environmental factors both short and long term when we make any decisions. We at Grassroots Trust use and promote the Holistic Management framework to plan and h

Roselle quick facts Name : Roselle Scientific name : Hibiscus sabdariffa Origin : Africa Colours : Green when young and turns into bright red as they mature. Shapes : Dehiscent, 5-valved, non-fleshy, bright red ovoid capsule, 18 – 20mm long by 15 – 18mm wide. Taste: Tart fruity Calories : 28Kcal. /cup Major nutrients Calcium (12.30%) Iron (10.50%) Vitamin C (7.56%) Magnesium (6.90%) Carbohydrate (4.96%) Health benefits Treatment of the Common Cold, Prevents constipation, Weakness, Healthy Pregnancy, Maintains Healthy Teeth and Gums. Hibiscus sabdariffa, or Roselle, is a shrub belonging to the Malvaceae family. In Iran, it is typically known as sour tea. In English-speaking countries it is called Red Sorrel. Originally from Africa and now widely naturalized in tropical and subtropical regions of the world particularly in India and Southeast Asia. It is widely cultivated in Africa, Asia, Papua New Guinea and the Pacific as a home garden crop. Apart from t