Introduction to

Poultry Farming

By
Mr. IDOWU
ADELEYE
Poultry farming is the process of
raising domesticated birds such as
chickens, ducks, turkeys and geese for
the purpose of farming meat or eggs for
food. Poultry - mostly chickens - are
farmed in great numbers. Farmers raise
more than 50 billion chickens annually
as a source of food, both for their meat
and for their eggs. Chickens raised for
eggs are usually called] layers while
chickens raised for meat are often called
broilers.
 Chickens

Rhode Island Red rooster Rhode Island Red rooster.

Turkey Midget White turkeys, a domestic breed of small
stature.
 Pekin duckDomesticated Pekin ducks (Anas
platyrhynchos domestica).
 domestic gooseFlock of domestic geese (Anser anser
domesticus). Domestic geese are often kept as poultry
for their eggs, meat, and feathers.
 guinea fowlHelmeted guinea fowl (Numida
meleagris).
 For thousands of years poultry has
been with us. The domestic birds we
know descended from the Red Jungle
Fowl Gallus gallus/ Gallus bankiva.
This can still be found in Java, Indea
and Bahamas.
 Layers/Pullets: Layer poultry breeds are
used for commercial egg production. They
are female chicken. They are smaller than
the males and more feminine looking. They
can be brown, black or white in colour. It
takes about 20 to 24 weeks before egg
production begins. Each bird can lay about
300 eggs per year. If you want to produce
eggs commercially, select highly productive
layer breeds.
 Broilers: Broiler poultry are very fast
growing poultry breeds. Generally, they gain
slaughter weight within a very short time by
consuming certain amount of food. And
they are used for commercial meat
production. Broilers can be slaughtered at
any time between 35 to 70 days of age (5 to
10 weeks). They can be white, brown or
other colour.
 Cockerels: they are males, or roosters. The
combs and wattles are larger than those on
female. They can either be black with white
and spotted colours or white. Cockerels are
another types of meat productive poultry
breeds. Generally, they grow slower than other
breeds. But very hardy and can survive and
adopt themselves in almost all types of
environment. Cockerels grow for five to six
months before they are fully matured.
Depending on how you manage them.
 Typically, several observable differences in the
secondary sex characteristics of roosters and
hens exist (as shown in Figure 1). These include
the following distinctions:
 The male has a larger body, comb, and wattles
than the female.
 In single-comb chickens, the male's comb is
turgid and stands erect, whereas the female's
may flop over to one side.
 The male has larger, more developed spurs
than the female.
 Although both sexes have the capacity to
crow, typically only the male does.
 In multicolored varieties, the male has
more variety of coloring in his plumage
than the female (except for breeds of
which the males are hen-feathered, such as
the Sebright and Campine breeds).
 The male has longer and more pointed
hackles than the female.
 Both sexes have main tail feathers, but only
the male has saddle feathers and sickles.
 Breeders are male and female birds
that have been subjected to selection
process to give a particular type of
chicks with the desired characteristics
like colour, sex, high laying ability,
resistance to disease, etc.
 Rhode Island Red rooster Rhode Island Red rooster.
 SEXING OF CHICKS
 This is the separation of male and female
day old chicks from the day of hatching.
 Two methods are used:
 Vent sexing: visual identification of the sex
based on appearance of sexual organs
 Feather sexing: differences in feather
characteristics at hatch time.
Though, this is always carried out by the
professionals, so you may not have to border
yourself.
Knowing a quality chick
 Colour of the chicks – must be bright as
much as possible. The pigment of the
feather comes from the yolk.
 Navel quality. Poorly closed navel will give
more risk of navel/yolk infection and
mortality.
 Visual assessment. Development of
feathers, the firmness of the legs, the size of
eyes and beaks, etc.
 First of all determine the production type of
your poultry farm. You can raise broiler
chickens for meat production purpose and
choose layers if you want to produce eggs
commercially. You can also start your poultry
farm for selling poultry products and breeding
stocks directly to your local customers.
Determine your production purpose,
 select proper poultry breeds according to your
desired production and go for the detailed
planning.
Set Farm Location
 Selecting a good farm location for your business is
very important. You should select such a location
which has all required facilities and favorable for
your business. It can be slightly far from the town,
where land and labor is pretty cheap. But don’t setup
the farm too far from the town. Because most of the
towns have high density population, and you have to
target that market. Also try to avoid setting up the
farm in residential areas, because poultry farms
produce offensive odor. While selecting the farm
location, consider transportation system and
medication facilities also.
Construct House
 After selecting farm location, construct a good house
for your birds. Ensure all required facilities are
available in the new house. There are three types of
poultry housing system you can use. Extensive, semi
intensive and intensive. For commercial production,
intensive system is most convenient. You can raise your
birds in floor or in cage system. On an average, broiler
poultry needs about 2.5 square feet space and layer
poultry needs about 4 square feet space. For example,
if you want to raise 200 layers then you have to ensure
about 800 square feet space is available. About 4
square feet space is required per bird in cage system.
Don’t forget to add proper lighting and ventilation
system in the house.
 You need to purchase some equipment for your poultry farm. List of
required equipment are listed below for running a poultry farm
successfully.
 Feeders
 Waterers
 Nests
 Cages
 Coops
 Crates
 Incubator
 Egg tray
 Lighting instruments
 Perches
 Brooders or heaters
 Ventilation system
 Waste disposal system
 Based on the number of birds, you need more or less
manpower/labor. As a beginner, if you start with a minimum
number of birds (200-500) then you can manage your farm by
yourself easily. If you plan for raising more birds then you will
need additional manpower. Ensure cheap labor is available in
your selected area.
Purchasing Chicks
 After setting everything up and having everything ready,
purchase quality chicks from trusted breeder in your area and
start caring them. Set the brooder ready before arriving the
chicks from breeding house to your farm. As a beginner, it is
wise to start with day old chicks instead of older chicks. If you
are a complete beginner without any prior experience, keep the
number of chicks to minimum (anyhow not more than 500).
Preparation before the chicks arrive
 ensure everything is order
 Clean and disinfect the poultry house or brooding area,
feeders, and drinker.
 Repair windows, doors, ventilators, or any part of the
poultry house or brooding area that needs attention.
 Eliminate any drafts, especially those caused by cracks in the
walls or poorly fitting doors and windows.
 Put down the bedding material two days before hatchlings
are due to arrive.
 Turn on the heat lamp or brooder the day before hatchlings
are due to arrive. This will give the brooding area time to
warm up. Start heating 24hours in dry season and 48 hours
in the raining season before the chicks arrive.
 The water should be at room temperature
 Vitamin C and sugar
 Chick distribution
 The first thing that the birds will need when they
arrive is water. Dip the beaks of the birds into the
water source to teach them where the water is. Or
place them near feeders and drinkers
 Check the working order of everything
 To prevent feed waste, reduce the level of feed.
 To give the birds time to find feeders and waterers,
provide hatchlings with light around the clock for the
first week after their arrival. After the first week,
provide the number of hours of light per day that is
appropriate for the type of bird you are raising.
 Provide supplemental heat until the hatchlings are
well feathered. Birds are more likely to develop
respiratory problems if heat is removed too early. In
winter, heat should be continued for the first six
weeks after birds arrive, even if the birds are fully
feathered.
 The temperature can be too hot or too cold or
normal
 Air temperature and litter/bed temperature. Litter
temperature is important for the hatchlings because
of their (chicks) height (about 1 inch). Litter
temperature should be approximately 30ºc. this can
be possible with the aid of thermometer.
 Broodrer is constructed by using metal
material to cove electric bulb from the top. It
is raised some inches above the litter. It
provides for the floor rather than the air
 Air furnance e.g. kerosene stove or hot
charcoal in a metal pot. This provide
provides heat more to the air. A metal slate
can be placed on the stove or charcoal to
prevent excessive escape of hot air from the
floor.
 Litter: materials needed to help chicken keep
warm and absorb moisture. Wood shaving is the
most suitable. Saw dust not desirable.
Disadvantages of wet litter:
 Wet litter promotes the growth of pathogens like
virus, fungi and bacteria.
 It attracts flies and rodents
 Releases ammonia. Can cause eye irritation and
even blind, and can irritate the protective lining of
the bird’s respiratory system
Stocking Density
 The general guide on this is to stock 6 – 8 birds per Meter
square.
 Avoid overstocking. It results to mortality among other effects.
Feeding
 Feeding is the most important part of poultry farming business.
 About 70% of your total project expenses will go towards the
feeding.
 The success in the business also depends on quality and
adequate feeding.
 You can purchase the feed ingredients from the market and
prepare the feed by yourself or purchase ready-made poultry
feeds from the market. Different types of commercial poultry
feeds are available in the market for each type of birds.
 Always remove the feed remains and discard properly every day.
Health Management
 As we have mentioned above, you have to
ensure proper medication system in your
area. Poultry birds are prone to various types
of diseases and you have to be ready for
controlling them. We know ‘prevention is
better than cure’, so you have to be conscious
and take proper care of your birds to keep
them safe. Vaccinate them timely and always
try to provide them fresh water and food.
Also stock some required vaccine and
medicine so that you can use them when
needed.
Stress control
 Transportation to the farm, noise, their own shadow, etc.
can cause stress.
 Stress causes changes to occur in the gut that lowers the
PH. When the PH is low, Gram-negative bacteria become
comfortable in the environment and begin to take hold and
replicate.
The way out- Prevent the cause.
- add glucose/sugar/antistress to the water
Dropping Monitoring
 Construct a box with a wire mesh on top. Place white paper
/ news paper o the bottom of the box to monitor the
droppings
 The colour and moistness of the droppings can be
monitored because some diseases are attached to the
colour of the droppings
Colour of the droppings Disease

Blood-stain Coccidiosis

Greenish yellow Fowl-typhoid

Bright green Newcastle disease

White diarrhea Pullorum disease

Green Long starvation

Medication/vaccination of chicks. There are different vaccines

and medications available for chicks.
Type of vaccines
 Killed
 Live attenuated
Note: oil emulsion adjuvant – added to the vaccine to prolong its
working period
Note: oil emulsion adjuvant – added to the vaccine to prolong its working
period

Methods of administration
 Vaccine should be constituted in clean water in which
skimmed powdered milk has been dissolved at the rate of
2g per liter. The milk powder should be mixed with the
water 20 – 30 minutes before adding the vaccine to give
time for neutralization of any damaging components like
chlorine, etc.
 NOTE:
All vaccines must be transferred to the farm in freeze-dried
form
100 doses of vaccine is used for 100 birds
1000 doses of vaccine is used for 1000 birds
2000 doses of vaccine is used for 2000 birds. Etc.
 Give vaccines during the cool hours of the day, preferably in
the morning, i.e. you should avoid giving vaccines during
the hot period. Do not give two antigens (i.e. two types of
vaccines) together to avoid interference of action.
Method of vaccines administration.
 Vaccine should be constituted in clean cold water in which
skimmed powdered milk has been dissolved at the rate of
2g per litre. The milk powder should be missed with water
20 – 30 minutes before adding the vaccine to give time for
neutralization of any damaging components e.g. chlorine
or metallic ion.
These important points must be followed for effective
vaccination
 Do not use chlorinated water. Use untreated well water or
stream water , add skimmed milk as described above.
 Do not vaccinate during the hot period of the day
 On the day of vaccination, drinkers must be cleaned but
not with soap or detergent. Always use ordinary water and
sponge.
 Water should be removed at least two hours before
vaccination to allow quick usage of the vaccine.
 Walk around the house to stimulate the birds, as individual
bird must take vaccine especially small ones and runts.
 Do not use antibiotics again until after 24 hours
 Volumes of vaccine – containing water
Age (week) Litres/1000 birds

2 10

3 14

4 18

 Methods of individual vaccination

 Eye-drop e.g. Newcastle disease vaccine
 Beak dipping e.g. Newcastle disease vaccine, Gomboro
disease vaccine
 Wing web/skin puncture e.g. fowl pox vaccine
 Injection e.g. Salmonella vaccine
 Consult professional on this.
 How vaccines protect your birds: Antibody
production
Chicks’ killer diseases
Disease Causative agent Signs and symptums Control

Coccidiosis Protozoa Blood in droppings, loss of appetite, Proper hygiene,

weight loss, birds hurdling together Vaccine,
coccidiostat, etc.

Fowl-typhoid Bacterial Yellow-green diarrhea, yellow patchy Proper hygiene, etc.

discoloration droppings, comb and
wattle are dark red

Newcastle disease Virus loss of appetite, twisting of neck, Vaccine (lasota) at

coughing, scattered leg, paralysis. day 1 & 21st day

Pullorum disease Bacterial Diarrhea with Whitish droppings, Antibiotics,

Gomboro disease virus Depression, white watery diarrhea, Gomboro vaccine at

ruffled feathers, reluctant to move, 11th day
closed eyes and death
Disease surveillance
 To have the knowledge of the signs of disease is very
crucial.
 Clinical signs associated with the possibility of
diseases in poultry include:
 Decree egg production
 Soft shell eggs or misshapen eggs
 Lack of appetite and energy
 Lack of coordination in morbidity, diarrhoea
 Coughing, sneezing
 Nasal discharge
 Purple discolouration of the wattles, comb, leg
 Swelling of the head, eyes, wattles, comb, and hocks
 Sudden or excessive mortality without clinical signs
Ventilation
 Uniformity attainment
 75 – 80% is fair
 Bellow 75% is poor, especially in pullets
 Factors responsible for poor uniformity:
 Chicks’ dehydration
 Low temperature
 Stress and diseases
 Feed – correct particle size should be used
 Shortage of feeders
 Overcrowding/overstocking
 If you plan to start or have started raising
chickens for egg production, you need to
understand flock production capabilities.
You need to know how to gauge the number
of eggs your flock can produce and be aware
of the variables that affect egg production.
You should be able to identify which hens
are laying and determine why your hens are
not laying. By having a firm grasp of these
factors, you will help ensure the success of
your flock.
Production Expectations and Variables Affecting
Production
 A hen can lay only one egg in a day and will have some
days when it does not lay an egg at all. The reasons for
this laying schedule relate to the hen reproductive
system. A hen’s body begins forming an egg shortly
after the previous egg is laid, and it takes 26 hours for
an egg to form fully. So a hen will lay later and later
each day. Because a hen’s reproductive system is
sensitive to light exposure, eventually the hen will lay
too late in a day for its body to begin forming a new
egg. The hen will then skip a day or more before laying
again.
 Also, hens in a flock do not all do not begin to lay on
exactly the same day, nor do they continue laying for
the same length of time.
Breed
 Some commercial breeds of chickens have been developed
specifically for egg production.
Pullet Management
 It is important to manage pullets correctly, especially in the
areas of nutrition and light management, because correct
management will affect the level and quality of egg
production once the birds start to lay.
 When raising pullets from day-old chicks, brood the chicks
as you would any other type of chick.
 If you purchase pullets ready-to-lay, you should ask how
the pullets were raised with regard to nutrition and light
management so that you can adjust your subsequent
management of the flock accordingly. For example, you
may have to delay light stimulation if the hens are too
small.
 Light Management for Year-Round Production
 Chickens are called long-season breeders, meaning
that they come into production as days become longer.
That is, they start producing eggs when there are more
hours of light per day. Typically, day-old chicks are
kept on 23 to 24 hours of light per day for the first few
days to make sure that they are able to find food and
water, especially water. After that time period, you
should reduce the number of hours of light per day. If
you are raising the birds indoors, you can give them
just 8 hours of light per day. If you are exposing them
to outdoor conditions, you are limited by the number
of hours of light per day in your area, of course. When
the pullets are ready to start laying, slowly increase the
light exposure until they are exposed to about 14 hours
of light per day.
 This exposure should stimulate the flock to come into lay.
To keep the flock in lay year-round, you will need to
maintain a schedule of at least 14 hours of light per day. You
can increase the amount of light slowly to 16 hours per day
late in the egg production cycle to help keep the flock in
production. For most flock owners, this strategy involves
providing supplemental lighting. Using a light with a
stop/start timer, you can cause the light to come on early in
the morning before sunrise and in the evening before
sunset to ensure that the length of light exposure for the
flock totals 14 to 16 hours. Also, you can get a light sensor
so that the light bulb does not come on when natural
daylight is available. By using such a device, you minimize
your electricity use. The supplemental light you provide
does not have to be overly bright. A typical 60-watt
incandescent light bulb works fine for a small laying flock.
Nutrition
 Chickens of any type and age require a complete,
balanced diet. Feed mills assemble the available
ingredients in combinations that provide all the nutrients
needed by a flock in one package. Some producers mix
complete feeds with cheaper scratch grains, but doing so
dilutes the levels of nutrients the chickens are receiving,
and nutrient deficiencies can occur. Nutrient deficiencies
can adversely affect the growth of pullets and the level of
production of hens.
 It is also important to feed the specific feed tailored for
the type and age of the chickens you have. For
example, do not feed a “meat-maker” type diet to
growing pullets or laying hens as it will not meet
their nutritional needs. Likewise, do not feed a layer
diet to growing chickens. The diet of a laying hen is
high in calcium, which is needed for the production of
eggshells. This level of calcium, however, is harmful to
non-laying chickens.
 Some hens have a higher need for calcium than others.
It is always good to have an additional source of
calcium available. Oystershell, usually available in
feedstores, is an excellent calcium supplement for a
laying flock.
Space Allowances
 To produce effectively, laying hens must
have adequate space. The amount of floor
space required by a flock depends on the
size of the chickens (which is related to the
breed of chicken chosen) and the type of
housing used. A minimum of 1.5 square feet
per hen is recommended, with 2 square feet
per hen being the most commonly used
space allowance. Larger allowances are
required for some of the larger breeds.
 You can incorporate perches. The hens will sleep on
the perches at night, keeping them off the floor. The
use of perches also helps concentrate much of the
manure in a single location for easier cleaning of the
poultry house. Moreover, chickens have a desire to
perch, so providing for this behavior contributes to
animal welfare.
Identification of Laying Hens
 To determine which of your hens are laying, it is
important to know more about the type of hens you
have. For many breeds, hens that are laying eggs have
large, bright red combs and wattles. For other breeds,
the combs and wattles are normal color during the
laying period but fade after the laying period. For hens
with yellow pigment in the skin, such as Rhode Island
Reds and Plymouth Rocks, the level of pigmentation is
a good indication of where the hens are in the
production cycle. Hens lose the yellow pigment in a
specific order. The color fades first from the vent; then
the face (beak, eye ring, and earlobe); and then the
feet (shanks, toes, and hock).
 An additional method for identifying laying hens
involves evaluating the level of fat in the abdomen and
the abdominal capacity as measured by the distances
between the pubic bones (abdominal width) and
between the pubic bones and the tip of the keel, or
breast bone (abdominal depth). The lower the level of
fat and the larger the abdominal capacity, the more
likely the hen is to be laying.
Reasons Hens Stop Laying
 Any factors can affect egg production, with health
(before and after lay) being one of the most
significant. If your hens stop laying, you may be able to
identify the source of the problem by asking the
following questions:
 Have the hens been laying for 10 months or
more? Your hens may just be at the end of their laying
cycle. If so, they will stop production, go through a
molt (loss of feathers), take a break, and start laying
again. If your hens have been laying for less than 10
months, something else may be causing their lack of
production.
 Are the hens receiving enough fresh, clean water? The
hens will not eat if they cannot drink, so make sure that your
watering system is functioning correctly. Keeping a watering
system operational can be a challenge in the winter when the
water may freeze. You can purchase waterers that have heaters
attached to keep the water from freezing. Otherwise, you will
have to break up any frozen water on a regular basis. Problems
can occur in summer as well. Summertime high temperatures
can make the water so warm that the chickens will not drink
enough to meet their increased needs.
 Are the hens eating enough of the right feed? Feeding the
wrong feed, diluting feed with scratch grains, or limiting the
amount of feed available can result in your hens having a
nutritional deficiency, causing them to molt and go out of
production. When hens have a nutritional deficiency, it is
common to see feather pecking as well as a loss of egg
production.
 Are the hens getting enough hours of light per
day? Decreases in the number of hours of light per day
typically will put a flock out of production. For this
reason, many flocks that are not provided with
supplemental light go out of production during the fall
and winter months.
 Do the hens have parasites? Various internal
parasites and external parasites can infest poultry
flocks and stress the hens. Heavy infestations of
internal parasites can result in serious damage to the
digestive tract and reduce hen performance. Heavy
infestations of mites can cause anaemia in the hens,
also adversely affecting their performance.
 Did any issues with eggshell quality precede the
stop in egg production? Several diseases can result
in abnormal eggshells.
 Have there been any health issues within the
flock? A flock that has been sick will not perform as
well as a flock that has not gone through
a disease challenge.
Raising Meat Chickens (broilers)
 A 22% to 24% percent protein starter mash is usually
fed to poultry meat birds for the first four weeks. Many
feeding programs then switch to a 20% protein finisher
feed until broiler market time.
 Feather pecking and cannibalism can occur within a
flock and are caused by overcrowding, improper
ventilation (air movement), improper nutrition, and
insufficient feeder or waterer space.
 Poor air movement in small poultry houses during hot,
humid weather can result in excessive broiler mortality,
especially when the broilers are approaching market
weight.
 During the growing period, check the broilers for external
parasites such as mites, lice, and ticks.
 Family Safety
 Protect your family from bird-transmitted disease by
following these guidelines.
 Always wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water
after handling poultry and/or poultry equipment.
 Do not allow toddlers to handle poultry.
 Avoid direct contact with poultry feces.
 Wash your hands, counter tops, and utensils with hot,
soapy water after handling raw poultry.
Steps for Starting Poultry Farming
 If you want to start poultry farming in Nigeria, follow
the step by step tasks mentioned below.
Farm Location
Farming Systems
 According to the weather and climate of Nigeria, there
are three profitable systems of raising poultry.
 Extensive system,
 Semi-intensive system and
 Intensive poultry farming system.
 Poultry Breeds

According to your desired production select proper

breed.
Housing
Good housing is very important for commercial poultry
farming. Housing system depends on the poultry breeds and
farming method. Housing design varies in accordance with
various types of poultry raising methods. Follow the tips
mentioned below while building suitable house for your
poultry birds.
 First of all, the poultry house must have to be well
ventilated. Well ventilation system keeps the bird healthy
and productive.
 Make a suitable system for entrancing sufficient amount of
fresh air and light inside the house.
 Try to make the house north to south faced.
 In case of making numerous houses, the distance between
one house to another house would be about 40 feet.
 Before bringing the chick inside the farm, clean the house
and entire farm area properly.
 Make deep litter, clean it regularly.
 You can use some cheap materials like wooden or rice
bran for making liter.
 Keep the feeding and watering equipment in proper
distance form each other according to the number of
birds and farming systems. And always clean all types
of equipment regularly.
 Ensure that, your birds are free from all types of
animals, insects or predators inside the house.
 House will be located in calm and quite place free from
pollution and noise.
 In a word the house must have to have all types of
required facilities for poultry birds. And this is one of
the major conditions of success for poultry farming in
Nigeria.
Feeding
 Good and high quality food keeps the bird healthy and
highly productive. Good quality fresh and nutritious
feed is the key to success in poultry farming business.
Always provide adequate amount of food according to
the number and age of poultry birds.
 Always supply sufficient amount of clean and fresh
water according to the daily demands of poultry.
 Care and Management
 Poultry birds are very sensitive and may caught by
diseases easily. Generally they suffer by various types
of viral, bacterial, fungal, nutritional and parasitic
diseases. Proper vaccination is a must for keeping your
birds diseases free, healthy and productive. So,
vaccinate the birds timely. If somehow, diseases occurs
in the farm then meet a vet doctor as soon as possible
and listen to his advice.
Marketing
 Easy to market of poultry products is the
main benefits of poultry farming in Nigeria.
There is already an established market for
poultry eggs and meat with huge demand.
So, you don’t have to think about marketing
your products. You can sell your products in
both local markets and big cities.
Conclusion and recommendation
 According to the above discussion, poultry farming
in Nigeria is really lucrative and great business
idea. As it is an already established business, so all
types of necessary facilities are available. You just
need some capital and practical knowledge for
starting poultry farming in Nigeria.
 Poultry farming in Nigeria is already and
established and profitable business idea. The
economy of Nigeria is mostly dependent on
farming or agriculture sector. Poultry farming in
Nigeria can play a important role in the total
national income of the country and fulfill the
annual nutrition demands.
Conclusion and recommendation
 Some report shows that, commercial poultry
farming in Nigeria has made many people
millionaire. So, if you are a beginner and
want to start poultry farming business in
Nigeria then try to learn more and more
about poultry raising in Nigeria.
 As a beginner, you should start with a
minimum number of birds which will cost
you pretty less money.
THANK
YOU