Small Scale Chicken Production
Small scale chicken productionSource Technical Centre for agricultrual and rural cooperation(CTA)Keywords Chicken, poultry, livestock productionCountry of first practiceGeneralID and publishing year6949 and 2010Sustainbale Development GoalsNo poverty, zero hunger, good health and well-being,decent work and economic growth, responsibleconsumption and production and life on landSummaryThis practice gives some general informationon small-scale chicken production andexplaines the benefits of producing ata smaller scale with minimum risks butimproved output.Description1. IntroductionChickens in extensive and semi-intensivepoultry production systems account for morethan 75% of all poultry in the South. Ownedby smallholders in rural areas, these birdsprovide food security and family incomeand play an important role in socio-culturalevents.Poultry is an important farm species inalmost all countries. It is an importantsource of animal protein, and can be raisedin situations with limited feed and housingresources. Chickens are ‘waste converters’:they ‘convert’ a scavenged feed resourcebase into animal protein. They are thereforeby far the most important species forgenerating income for rural families.subsistence farming and commercialfarming. If poultry is mainly kept for homeconsumption of eggs and meat, costs andeffort can be kept to a minimum. But for apoultry enterprise to be successful, it musthave a reliable market for its products anda steady supply of reasonably priced qualityfeed. It is important that feed resourcesare locally available. This Agrodok refersmainly to semi-intensive farming. It can helpbeginners and experienced poultry raisersto solve problems that come up. Its focus ison keeping layers. Keeping broiler poultrypresents different problems and requiresparticular expertise. Nevertheless someattention will be paid to keeping cocks asthese have to be fattened too.Figure 1. A chicken breeder1/9 FAO/TECAPeople raise chickens all around the worldunder widely varying circumstances. Theirmain objective is generally the same:maximum production for minimum costs andwith minimum risks. The two main forms ofkeeping small-scale chicken are small‑scaleTECATECHNOLOGIESand PRACTICESfor SMALLAGRICULTURALPRODUCERS
Livestock Production1.1 Chicken breedsAll over the world, more than 300 breedsof the domestic chicken species (Gallusdomesticus) exist. We distinguish threemain categories of chicken breeds: purecommercial breeds, hybrid breeds resultingfrom cross-breeding, and local breeds orland races.We can roughly divide commercial breedsaccording to their main production aim: Egg laying, mainly with lightweight layingbreeds or layers; Meat production, mainly by heavyweightbreeds or broilers; and Both egg-laying and meat production byso-called dual-purpose breeds.Layer, broiler and dual purpose breeds canbe distinguished according to their shape.See figure 2.2. Commercial and hybrid breedsA well known lightweight layer breed is theWhite Leghorn (figure 3). White Leghornsare known for laying lots of white eggs. Theyneed less feed, due to their small size. WhiteLeghorns are therefore very efficient layers.At the end of the laying period they giverelatively little meat.Some heavier layer breeds are meatier andstill lay many eggs. These are hence fit fordual-purpose production. These chickenslay brown eggs and usually have brownfeathers, but this can vary per breed. Wemention the brown-coloured Rhode IslandRed (figure 4) and the light-brown NewHampshire (figure 5). These are kept for bothmeat and egg production and can hence becategorized as dual purpose breeds. Heavierdual-purpose breeds are very suited to smallscale chicken raising in the tropics. They areusually sturdier than the light breeds.Medium-weight and heavy chicken breedsare raised for meat production. Cocks ofmedium-weight chicken breeds can alsobe kept for slaughtering. Breeds like WhiteCornish and White Plymouth Rock areimportant meat producer breeds and hencebetter suited as pure broiler chickens.These heavier birds have more muscle.They grow fast and can quickly reach a highslaughter weight. This requires plenty of highquality feed. It requires special skills to keepthis in good supply and balance.Hybrids or cross-breeds result fromcombining special lines or strains of chickensdeveloped for this purpose with e.g. a localbreed. The hybrids are more productive.In countries in the South, cross-breedingbetween pure breeds is also common, e.g.White Leghorn crossed with Rhode IslandRed. Nowadays hybrid breeds have becomevery common. FAO/TECAFigure 2. Typical breeds: (a) layer (b) broiler (c) dual purpose (Poultry Network)2/9
Figure 3. White leghorn FAO/TECAFigure 4. Rhode Island red3. Local breedsIf you want to breed your own stock ofchickens, you cannot go on using the hybridbreeds, as their high productivity will godown. You can only get high productionwith hybrid layers if you buy chickensregularly. It is therefore advisable to uselocal breeds, which are often much cheaperto keep. Another advantage of local chickenbreeds is that they are better adapted tolocal conditions and are less susceptible todiseases than the more fragile hybrids. Localbreeds are usually lighter in weight and havesmaller eggs than those of hybrid breeds.Local breeds can be distinguished accordingto their appearance. See figure 6.However,local chickens are far less productive in termsof egg numbers. FAO/TECAIn rural areas, local chickens lay about 50eggs per year, while hybrids can lay 250 - 270eggs a year under favorable conditions. Onthe other hand, local breeds make better useof waste material than hybrid chickens do,so they are more suitable for keeping aroundthe house.3.1 Choosing a chicken breedImportant factors when choosing thebest breed of chickens for your situationare: price, market situation, experience,farm management, local preference andavailability.Figure 5. Newhampshire FAO/TECAThe price will determine your choice.Modern hybrids are very expensive. Theyalso need very good care and high quality,balanced feed to be productive. Localbreeds are cheaper and better adapted tolocal conditions. With adequate care, theyare reasonably productive.However, if you want to raise chickenson a larger scale and decide to buybalanced feed, it is better to choose the3/9
more expensive hybrids. It is importantto consider the local market situation.Medium-weight hybrids should only bechosen if there is a good market for eggsand meat and a steady supply of good,balanced chicken-feed. If you want toconcentrate on selling eggs, consider buyinglighter, white layers.mainly found in and around urban areaswith good markets for eggs and chickenmeat. Intensive chicken farms require moreinvestment of both capital and labor, e.g.special poultry houses with runs or roamingspace. Flock sizes in intensive productionare normally in the thousands.This has been made possible by researchdevelopments in artificial incubation,nutritional requirements and diseasecontrol. In the semi-intensive productionsystem, also known as backyard production,flocks range from 50 to 200 birds. A lotof techniques and expertise developed inintensive systems can be applied in semiintensive poultry raising systems, adaptedto the adequate scale. In both the semiintensive and intensive production systems,housing is very important for optimalproduction levels.In all other situations, the heavier, usuallybrown breeds would be a better choice. Ifyou live far from a market and mainly wantto produce for home consumption, onlyselling extra eggs and meat locally, you arebest off with a local breed.If you have no experience of raisingchickens, it is best to start with a cheaper,local breed. If farm management is good,you can buy the more expensive andprofitable hybrids. In some countries localpreference favours brown eggs. Extensive farming; Intensive farming; and Semi-intensive farming.4. Free-range chickensIn the free-range system, chickens are freeto roam the farm in search of food. Eggs arelaid outside in simple nests and are mainlyused to maintain chicken numbers. In manycases, up to 75% of the eggs have to behatched because the mortality rate amongbaby chicks is high. Few eggs remain forconsumption and the chickens themselvesdo not give much meat.In this Agrodok, we mainly refer to theextensive and semi-intensive farming.Intensive farming with e.g. battery cageswill not be treated. When chickens arefree to roam and scavenge, we talk aboutextensive, free-range chicken farms.The advantages of this system are that littlelabor is needed and waste food can be usedefficiently. Very low costs can offset lowproduction levels so that keeping chickensaround the house can be profitable if certainimprovements are made.The level of capital and labor investmentis low. Housing is not important. Intensivesystems, developed for specialized breeds,are estimated to be in use for about 30% ofthe poultry population in Africa. These areThe free-range system is most suitable if youhave a lot of space, preferably covered withgrass. At night, the chickens can be kept inany kind of shelter, as long as it is roomy,airy and clean. This will minimize the lossHybrids are not always locally available,so you will be dependent on what can beobtained in your area.3.2 HousingWe distinguish three forms of chickenfarming:4/9
of chickens to illness or theft. If you haveenough space for the chickens to roam freely,a mobile chicken house is best. One exampleof this type of housing is shown in figure 7.baffle must fit tightly to keep even thesmallest rodent from climbing between thebaffle and the pole. Always ensure a steadysupply of clean, fresh drinking water.Figure 6. A simple modern chicken houseThe spread of infection by parasites inchicken faeces can be prevented by using araised night shelter with an open floor madeof chicken-wire, wooden slats or bamboosticks 5 cm apart. This will also keep thechickens safe from predators. FAO/TECAIf you want to maximize the number ofeggs, train mature layers to use laying nestsin the chicken house early in the layingperiod. Place the laying nests in the chickenhouse before the chickens start laying, andkeep them in a bit longer in the morning.Remember to provide fresh drinking water.To limit mortality among baby chicks in thefree-range system, take steps to protect themother hen and the chicks from predators,thieves and rain.Figure 7. Fold unit for housing young chicks. 1. Boardedsection 2. Wooden framework 3. Wire mesh 4. wired floor FAO/TECAPut them in a simple, separate shelter that isroomy and airy and can be closed securely.Draughts and low temperatures during thefirst few days are particularly dangerous forthe baby chicks. Although a run is handy, it isalso risky, due to possible worm infections.It is important to move the run regularly,especially in wet weather. Fold units arevery suitable mobile housing units for youngchicks (figure 8 and figure 9).Figure 8. Systematic daily movement of foldsTin rat baffles around the supporting poleswill keep out rats and other small animals(figure 10; also displayed in figure 7). The FAO/TECAThese cages can house 20 young hens,and contain feeders, drinkers and a perch.Obviously, you will need enough space tomove the fold units around regularly. In areaswhere dogs or predators are a problem, itmight be worth building a shelter well aboveground level (e.g. 1.20 m high).Give your chicks extra feed, including greenswhich are rich in vitamins. If, vaccinate thechicks against the most common contagiousviruses, such as Newcastle Disease.5/9
4.1 Advantages of the free-range system Exercise in the open air keeps chickenshealthy. Feed, even if it is not well balanced,presents few problems. Parasitic infections can be kept to aminimum if there is enough space. Little or no labor input is needed. The chickens help limit the amount ofrubbish in a productive way. The direct costs of the system are low.thus is a primary condition for optimalproduction levels.If you decide to keep your chickens in aspecial poultry house, consider the following:4.2 Disadvantages of the free-range system Free - range chickens are difficult tocontrol. The chickens, especially young chicks, areeasy prey for predators. Chickens may eat sown seed when lookingfor food. A large percentage of the eggs can be lostif the laying hens are not accustomed tolaying nests. Mortality rates are usually high.Figure 9. Examples of rat baffles. A. metal collar B. metal canupside down C. metal band around post You will certainly incur extra costs. Make sure that necessary materials arelocally available. Should your chicken have a run? If you optfor a run, check that there is enough spaceto change its position regularly. Decide whether to continue to breedown chicken stock or to buy new stock.If you breed your own stock, you need tobuild more houses for separating chicks ofdifferent ages.5.1 Optimizing climate in the houseChickens can tolerate high temperatures butreact negatively if they are too warm. Trythe following as guideline when designingthe poultry house.Build the house in an east-west direction,so the chickens are less exposed to directsunlight. Place the house where there isgrass, herbs or other vegetation. Plant treesaround it to keep its roof shaded. FAO/TECAMake sure that the roof has a largeoverhang of 90 cm or more to limit directsunlight and keep out the rain. Build theroof as high as possible above the floor.The chicken house will then be cooler andbetter ventilated.Keep the bottom 50 cm of the side wallsclosed and the rest open to allow enoughfresh air into the house. Close the top partof the sidewalls with chicken wire or someother suitable material. A chicken house canhave a corrugated metal roof, but in a sunnyplace, this will certainly overheat the house.In this case cover the roof with leaves orsome other material.5. Small - scale housingIn both the intensive and semi-intensiveproduction systems, housing becomes veryimportant for improving working conditionsand minimizing risks. Adequate housingfacilitates the feeding and egg laying and6/9
A disadvantage of this is that rodents likerats and mice can nestle in the covering. Donot keep too many chickens in the chickenhouse. Doing so can make the housetoo warm and help to spread parasiticinfections. In hard-floor housing, thereshould be no more than 3 chickens persquare meter. In houses with wire nettingor slatted floors, a higher chicken density ispossible. Housing with a run; housing with litter but without a run; and housing with slatted flooring.In semi-intensive systems chickens areconfined in a wired-in run. There is a smallhouse attached in which chickens can belocked up at night. The owner providesmost, if not all, of the feed, water and otherrequirements.The main function of litter is to preventleaching of minerals from the manureby providing organic material on whichmicroorganisms can settle that absorb theminerals. Litter also dries the manure andgives the chicken something to scratcharound in. The number of chickens percategory that you can keep is determinedby the floor type: see table 1.Finally, to stimulate feeding in coolerweather, turn on a light in the house beforesunrise and after sunset. This also helps tokeep a steady level of egg production.5.2 General prerequisites for a chickenhouseWhen building a poultry house, it is notjust the climate that is important .Thehouse should also be easy to clean andto disinfect, and should therefore havea concrete floor. In permanent, closedhousing, feed should always be available.A constant supply of fresh water is alsoessential.Figure 10 A deep litter house with corrugated metal andwelded mesh FAO/TECAIf the housing is to contain a large numberof chickens, a separate working space infront of the house is necessary. Feed canbe stored there and eggs can also be keptthere temporarily. To prevent the eggs fromdeteriorating, they should not be kept herelonger than one week. It is best to keep theeggs in a cool place, at about 20 C.5.3.1 Housing with a runThis type of chicken house has one ormore fenced-off runs where the chickenscan roam. The run is attached to thehouse, to which the birds have accessday and night. We strongly recommendthat you have more than one run so thataccess to the runs can be changed everytwo weeks. This enables grass or othervegetation to recover from the chickens’pecking and scratching, and reduces therisk of parasitic infections.This can be done by minimizing the numberof windows in the storage space and onlyventilating at night when the air is cooler.5.3 Some housing optionsApart from the extensive free-rangesystems, there are three main types ofchicken housing in extensive and semiintensive farming:7/9
Table 1. Number of animals per square meter and per floor typeSource: FAO 2010Secondly, it is important that the run staysdry. The house must of course also meetthe general criteria and suit the localclimate.which absorbs moisture in its particles.5.3.1.1 Advantages of a limited run The chickens can move in the open air; you have more control than withfree‑range chickens; protection against predators is betterthan without fencing; the risk of infection is smaller than withpermanently closed coops; and housing density can be a bit higher thanit can without a run.5.3.1.2 Disadvantages of a limited run A limited run can get too wet andincrease the risk of infection withparasites; and it is still possible for predators to get atthe chickens.5.3.2 Housing with litter but without arunChickens stay in this type of house dayand night. The floor is covered with litterto absorb the moisture of the chickens’faeces. The most important condition forthis type of housing is that the litter mustremain dry. Moist litter produces too muchammonia, which damages the healthof the birds. It also encourages all kindsof parasites. To keep litter dry, use litter8/9Wood shavings are best but if they are notavailable, chopped up straw, dry leaves,wood shavings and other organic materialsare also suitable. Avoid spilling water onthe floor. It is best to place the drinkers ona small platform covered with slats or wiremesh. Turn the litter regularly and replaceit once a week. Make sure the house iswell ventilated.5.3.2.1 Advantages of housing with litter There is complete control over thechickens: the feed, the eggs, etc.; and the birds are well protected againstpredators.5.3.2.2 Disadvantages of housing withlitter Litter cages are more expensive than arange or cages with a run; the risk of infection is higher; you are dependent on the amount andkind of litter that is available locally; and you must store some litter in a dryplace.5.3.3 Housing with a slatted floorIn many countries with a temperate, moistclimate, a large part of the floor area iscovered with slats, which carry less riskof wet litter and therefore of parasiticinfections. The housing density with this
kind of housing can be higher, e.g. 7 birdsper square meter instead of 4. The slatscan be made of wood or bamboo. Thespace between the slats must be wideenough for the bird droppings to dropthrough, but they should not hamper themovement of the birds. Thin slats staycleaner than wide slats. Slats of 1.5 cmwide and 4 cm high, laid 2.5 cm apart,give good results. These slats are generallylaid in sections of 120 cm by 120 cm. hasa mesh of 2.5 cm by 7.5 cm, and is laid insections of 250 cm by 200 cm. The wireshould be about 3 mm thick. Perches arefixed onto the wire netting so that thebirds can move comfortably and have alace to sleep at night.feet will get damaged.6. Minimum requirements for the successfulimplementation of the practice Capital to build a simple housing for thechickens, first stock of breeds to start.7. Objectives fulfilled by the project7.1 Women-friendly Rearing of chicken is a practice that favorswomen as it is not labor intensive.To collect as much of the m
White Leghorn (figure 3). White Leghorns are known for laying lots of white eggs. They need less feed, due to their small size. White Leghorns are therefore very efficient layers. At the end of the laying period they give relatively little meat. Some heavier layer breeds are meatier and still lay many eggs. These are hence fit for
Spicy Fish Grilled Fish Chicken Biryani Hyderabadi Biryani TANDOORI CHICKEN The most popular variation of grilled chicken in the Indian Cuisine! INGREDIENTS METHOD Chicken 1 No. Lemon juice 3 tsp. Red chili powder 2 tsp. Curd (Yogurt) As per taste Garlic paste 1 tsp. Ginger paste 1 tsp. Garam masala powder ½ tsp. Mustard oil 1 tsp. Oil For basting
Chicken breast topped w/ spinach, eggplant & fresh mozzarella in a light marinara sauce Chicken Cardinale Chicken breast sautéed w/ roasted peppers, prosciutto & artichoke hearts topped w/ fresh mozzarella & red sauce Chicken Piccata Chicken breast sautéed w/ fresh mushroom, capers & white wine in a cream white sauce Chicken Broccoli Scampi
chicken 16 Facts: Chicken meal is primarily chicken necks and backs - has more ash per unit of protein compared to real chicken Real chicken is derived from striated muscle of chickens 17 Chicken 60 Dried egg product 43-48 Rice gluten meal 40-50 Corn gluten meal 60-64 Soybean meal 46-50 Fish meal 60-65 Lamb meal 48-55 Chicken meal 63-67
Backyard Chicken Coop I made this little chicken barn a few years ago to house 3-5 laying hens in my back yard. I'm in town and had to design a "pretty" one to keep people from having a chicken coup (ha ha). This one was inspired by some Kansas barns I've seen. I spent about 40 when fully completed. Chicken wire, some 2x4s and damaged siding were
halves and garlic in chicken cavity. Tuck wings under chicken; tie drumsticks together. Place chicken over vegetables in slow cooker, breast side up. Mix rosemary, lemon juice, oil, paprika and remaining salt; rub over chicken. 2. Cook, covered, on low 6-8 hours. 3. Remove chicken to a serving platter; tent with foil. Let stand 15 minutes .
Î Small Scale Pig Production: A Guide for Saskatchewan Farms - Saskatchewan Pork Development Board - 2020 Î Small Scale Pig Production: An Introduction to Small Scale Pig Production in Ontario - Ontario Pork - 2019 Î Introduction to Small Scale Pig Production - Pork Nova Scotia, Perennia Food & Agriculture Inc. - 2016
CCC-466/SCALE 3 in 1985 CCC-725/SCALE 5 in 2004 CCC-545/SCALE 4.0 in 1990 CCC-732/SCALE 5.1 in 2006 SCALE 4.1 in 1992 CCC-750/SCALE 6.0 in 2009 SCALE 4.2 in 1994 CCC-785/SCALE 6.1 in 2011 SCALE 4.3 in 1995 CCC-834/SCALE 6.2 in 2016 The SCALE team is thankful for 40 years of sustaining support from NRC
Remove the chicken from the oven and turn down the temperature to 140 C. Spoon out half the chicken, sprinkle half the rice over the chicken in the dish and season. Layer the remaining chicken followed by the rice on top. Scatter with the remaining onion. Cover with baking paper, then foil, then the lid. Bake for 30 minutes. 1 tbsp (15 ml .
