Happy New year Farmers and Intending farmers. 2016 was a great year where we made giant strides in our businesses. Some made losses both small and great while some made outstanding profits as well. Let me charge you up for the new year abit. The Nigerian economy is looking to recover but Forex scarcity is her biggest challenge. This challenge has taken its toll on manufacturing sector as well as Agric sector as some of the things we need to import have now become very expensive. My advice to you all is to source for your poultry feeds and implements locally. Look for your high breed birds locally. If you're a Vet Doctor reading this, this high time for you to make your own money. We don't have to import high breed species from oversea when we've got talents who can do genetic mutations of our birds in Nigeria. Patronize the guys who manufacture cages locally, tell them the kind of quality you want and they will provide it for you. To cushion the effect of cost of feeds, you might start thinking of growing your own maize for your birds and other things you can do to reduce your cost while maximizing profit and still churning out quality and good birds. I wish you a 2017 full of pleasant surprises. Remember, if you need any poultry equipment, just drop me a message in the message box on facebook and i'll be available to reply

https://fmard.gov.ng/fg-set-to-implement-the-20162017-dry-season-farming-growth-enhancement-scheme/

As the raining season continues, its possible some of us have lost some of our birds to the cold weather due to inability to keep the birds warm. For those of us who have been successful keeping your birds through raining season, please share your thoughts and experience for others to learn from. Hope to hear from you and enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Still not sure what type of drinking/watering system to choose from, I might be able to help you out with a few options. Jumbo Bell Drinkers This are best suitable for indoor use as they can easily be tossed around by air since they have to be suspended for them to work properly. I can bet many of you use them outdoors. Now that you know, act rightly. Dome drinker Now this is what you need for your outdoor poultry. There functionality isn't affected by rain, sunshine or wind. To prevent problem with dirt and clogging, you can raise them above ground level a little bit. Cups Yeah, you heard me right CUPS. They come in the shape of your regular drinking cup but not as deep as the cup you drink beer with. You can have a cup with a float valve or a trigger valve. Float valves allow water to drip into the cup once the water level get below a certain level while the trigger valve allows water into the cup once it is pecked by a bird. So decide which one to go for. NB: They are suitable for low water systems, you cant connect them to the water mains. Nipples I hope you're not thinking the female nipple, those these actually works using the same mechanism through which a nursing mother breastfeed her baby. Yeah, you thinking right. They are about the cheapest you can get in the market and are very easy to install. Just run your water pipe across your pen and screw the nipples in at desired intervals. Water only comes out when the birds touch the nipples. Worthy of note is that you can attach attach a cup to a nipple drinker. Fit the cup to the pin end of the nipple and that's it. Manually, some poultry farmers use plastic pipes cut into two as drinker. This is also good but requires regular cleaning. If you've got other watering system you've seen or used on your farm. Feel free to share them in the comments.

Choosing a watering system for your poultry. Here are a few tips for your consideration. Firstly, ask yourself what size of farm, do you currently have or propose to have. This will help you decide on how much you're willing to invest into the drinking system. Options are available for manual or automatic systems. Secondly, do you have experienced poultry staffs who can operate and maintain your automatic drinking system if that's what you choose or are do you need to get experience in operating and maintaining the system. Thirdly, you do have the required capital for the drinking system you have in mind. When planning, installing or using the water supply system, these rules must be at your finger tip; 1. Get enough drinkers for your poultry to avoid over crowding among birds 2. Adjust the height of the drinker regularly to the level of the backs of the birds 3. Keep water level at minimal levels possible to avoid spillage(1cm of water is enough under normal circumstances). 4. Regularly clean drinkers and water pipes to avoid contaminations which could result to disease outbreak on your farm. 5. Check bird performance daily irrespective of the watering system in use.

Today we look at some specific diseases. You can match the picture with the order with which I will explain below. 1. Nervous with symptoms like trembling, paralysis, circling. 2. Skin/Eye/Leg/Foot lesion. This could be as a result of the following diseases or conditon (Lice, mites, biotin deficiency etc) 3. Bloody or wet feces caused by Coccidiosis or coli as is called locally, worms, salt poisoning etc. 4. Respiratory diseases. Symptoms include Gasping, coughing, snicking, swollen eyes, discharge from d nose. Possible conditions include fowl cholera. 5. Stress caused by overcrowding, vaccination reaction, extreme temperature, lack of feed or water. What to do if Birds look sick: Isolate sick bird(s) immediately • Dispose of dead birds promptly and properly • Observe the rest of the flock for signs of disease • Call veterinarian, animal health technician, or Extension agent for advice and assistance • Do not move birds or eggs off your farm • Do not add new birds to flock • Do not visit other farms Not all poultry health problems are caused by infectious agents. Always consider non-infectious conditions. First 1. Feed quality 2. Lighting 3. Air quality and Ventilation 4. Water Quality 5. Space (feeders and drinker) 6. Sanitation. If you pay proper attention to some of these conditions, you should have a bumper harvest. If you notice any strange condition in your flock. Please consult a Vet Doctor. An excerpt from Common Poultry Diseases and Prevention.

Common Birds Diseases you need to know Poultry birds diseases are caused by interaction between 3 factors; the host, agent and environment. The host is the bird which is affected by its breed, age, immune system. The agents can be microbes like Bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi while other things that could cause diseases are chemicals we use in the pen, lack of access to vitamins and minerals etc. In the environment, quality of feed, ventilation and spacing, sanitation and vaccination could contribute as well. What common signs or symptoms will you see when a bird is sick? 1. Poor appetite 2. Birds act like they are confused 3. Depression 4. Stunted growth 5. Scattered feather 6. Coughing, sneezing, discharge from the nose, difficult breathing 7. Bloody or wet litter 8. Increased death rate Next we will look at specific types of diseases. You can add up types you've noticed among your flocks to the list.