Please, i need help. I have interest in building a strong poultry business. I sent my manager for training in an existing farm before i started. My present challenge now is that my pullets eat more than the profit they give. I have 40 pullets. I am advised that 40 pullets should eat a bag of layers mash which costs N2,300 in just 5 days. They produce 3 crates in a 5 days. N700 x 3 days= N2, 100. That is already a loss. I need help, please! How can I manage their feed?

Sorry bro...why not starve them for 5days?

I am serious. This is not a joking matter.
I need an expert to advise me.

Their age matters,expect 90 to 95 percent production between 24 to 28 weeks. Disease such as ND and colibacillosis can lower egg productio. What type and brand of feed are you using?n

they are 7 months now. they started laying about 2 weeks ago. The specie is the leghorn black. I feed them with layers mash which i buy from a store at the market. I can't remember the name now.

The brand of feed or composition of the feed, medication/vaccination history, deep litter or caged. Provide answers pls

starnuel: they are 7 months now. they started laying about 2 weeks ago. The specie is the leghorn black. I feed them with layers mash which i buy from a store at the market. I can't remember the name now.

bingo! U see dat was exactly my taut, dat ar rearing a speices dat consume more feeds than d number of eggs produced. 40pullets is a laughable joke in d business of layer egg farming- i wont av replied u-but i jst want u to knw dat serious biz lyk dz start from anything 500 and above: wrong selection of breeds+too low livestock counts=bad loss per day:

cmgoat: Sorry bro...why not starve them for 5days?

no starving is never d right tin to do just formulate ur own feed mixed with a bag of commercial brand or u are better off selling them as meat if d price is rite

AgrotConsult: bingo! U see dat was exactly my taut, dat ar rearing a speices dat consume more feeds than d number of eggs produced. 40pullets is a laughable joke in d business of layer egg farming- i wont av replied u-but i jst want u to knw dat serious biz lyk dz start from anything 500 and above: wrong selection of breeds+too low livestock counts=bad loss per day:

Don't you think he knows that? Why not just encourage him by helping to solve the present problem. Someone with 40birds doing well will think of increasing to 400.

ruxton06:

Don't you think he knows that? Why not just encourage him by helping to solve the present problem. Someone with 40birds doing well will think of increasing to 400.

You are getting wrong AgrotConsult. I started with 400 pullets but unfortunately, a very big snake invaded my farm and infected 360 of them. They all died. Now, i am left with 40. Then, i gathered that the black leghorn is stronger. You have been into this business for long. You dont expect i become an expert overnight. That is why I am asking for help.

Money is not the problem. I can even start with 500 today as I am writing but i need to get it write first before i get new stock. Advice me please. Thanks

I think the cost of feed i.e. 2,300 is a tad too much. You may also want to try doing this feeds on your own or getting/demanding for a discount from the seller.


Also from your write-up, it appears they started laying at 26weeks (7mths - 2wks), thats a lot of time to wait; i suppose the choice of stock is equally faulty.

Best of Luck.

Welder: I think the cost of feed i.e. 2,300 is a tad too much. You may also want to try doing this feeds on your own or getting/demanding for a discount from the seller.


Also from your write-up, it appears they started laying at 40weeks (7mths - 2wks), thats a lot of time to wait; i suppose the choice of stock is equally faulty.

Best of Luck.

Thank you Welder. I will appreciate if i can get the ingredients for preparing feeds.

Wow, u really need an advice, by the way urs started laying late, mine started at about 20week,and the brown pullet lay very well than the black.how did snake enter ur surrounding? Did u treat ur environment b4 starting ur poultry work? Can I see ur poultry building?

Thank you bintudon. God bless you. it is a new site. There are surrounding bushes. I consulted some so-called expert before i started and i actually followed their advice. !) they said the black is stronger. 2) i asked them of the need for fumigation, they said the fumigation will kill the chickens. The snake actually climbed through an opening in the wall.

The are the measures i have taken:
1) i covered all openings with the hard nets.
2) i planted the taba plant (snuff plant and sprinkled ground bittercola around
3) i took them away from the farm for now to be under my care pending the time i am able to get good advice before i buy new chicks.

Please, i need to know how much i will need to feed 400 brown pullets for 20 weeks. Who can help me with this? I need to count my cost first.

What farm did u buy ur bird?I can't give u a run down now, when they are little u can't compel their eating with when they are aged,but if u need bird from a good breed and farm u let me know.

i bought them from Obasanjo Farms at Ota. My farm is located at Agbara. How much do you sell the day old chick? and where is the farm?

AgrotConsult, I have not read from you again. I really need your input. I dont want to make any grave mistake again. I want to learn everything I need to learn with the 40 birds i have now

What you need is someone to guide you through raising a batch of birds till laying stage. Why not look for someone close by who will undertake to put you through. On the 40birds, as adviced, why not mill your feed? Visit any feedmill around you to obtain price of their ingredients.

What is their med/vacc history?

Just try taken care of them,are they laying regularly?where is agbara?

I took some time to read your post, and I can deduce you really need help. it's quite unfortunate you are learning the hard way, which is not cool. poultry is quite extensive and requires so much attention to details. for your case, I will suggest some things to you, but do note it's just my humble opinion and not something binding on you to implement.
first and foremost, the mistake have been done and as such, does not require you beat yourself and I guess you have learnt some things.
***you need to equip yourself with relevant knowledge and modern technology in other to succeed in this business, that is if you want to succeed in it.
***you need to be actively involved in the production process if you intend to grow it.
***before you restock, pls go and help yourself by making out quality time to understudy a successful poultry farm to avoid being beaten twice.
***then invest your money in it.
God will bless the works of your hands and you will succeed in it.

I am giving this advice because I observed the advice you got earlier before embarking are all wrong. the choice of breed you embarked on is not too good. I have learnt of several complaints from different persons about birds from obasanjo farm, and as such can't guarantee you on that. fumigation is absolutely necessary before you restock your birds. buying commercial feeds will not take you far, you need to learn feed formulations. birds perform badly if not properly vaccinated against disease, so you need to understand that and LEARN. different farms have different vaccination programs. you also have to understand that laying capacity of birds fluctuates due to certain factors as age, management. breed, disease infections, temperature etc and peak periods are evident but certainly do elapse. anyway take good care. Cheers

starnuel:

You are getting wrong AgrotConsult. I started with 400 pullets but unfortunately, a very big snake invaded my farm and infected 360 of them. They all died. Now, i am left with 40. Then, i gathered that the black leghorn is stronger. You have been into this business for long. You dont expect i become an expert overnight. That is why I am asking for help.

Money is not the problem. I can even start with 500 today as I am writing but i need to get it write first before i get new stock. Advice me please. Thanks

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Next time buy the brown birds. Blacks eat more, lay longer but lay slower.

Yes the brown is good, in. A carton I just lost 2, and they are age and healthy

Eldeee: I am giving this advice because I observed the advice you got earlier before embarking are all wrong. the choice of breed you embarked on is not too good. I have learnt of several complaints from different persons about birds from obasanjo farm, and as such can't guarantee you on that. fumigation is absolutely necessary before you restock your birds. buying commercial feeds will not take you far, you need to learn feed formulations. birds perform badly if not properly vaccinated against disease, so you need to understand that and LEARN. different farms have different vaccination programs. you also have to understand that laying capacity of birds fluctuates due to certain factors as age, management. breed, disease infections, temperature etc and peak periods are evident but certainly do elapse. anyway take good care. Cheers

wow, you are a good person. i will sure see to everything you said. thanks so much.

FarmTech:
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Next time buy the brown birds. Blacks eat more, lay longer but lay slower.

i dont agree they lay longer than d brown- d only difference u see that is at the end of their production cycle they tend to be more robust & fleshy for meat and thats all.

AgrotConsult: i dont agree they lay longer than d brown- d only difference u see that is at the end of their production cycle they tend to be more robust & fleshy for meat and thats all.

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Check out this link: http://www.researchgate.net/publication/42973012_Comparative_Economic_Analysis_of_Black_and_Brown_Commercial_Layer_Strains_in_Nigeria

FarmTech:
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Check out this link: http://www.researchgate.net/publication/42973012_Comparative_Economic_Analysis_of_Black_and_Brown_Commercial_Layer_Strains_in_Nigeria

you only showed me a link that support my opinon; anyway tanx alot for d link.

@OP,

You may want to avail yourself of some training: Basic Poultry farming by Animal care.

It should be worth your time.

AgrotConsult: you only showed me a link that support my opinon; anyway tanx alot for d link.

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I've done this research long time ago, but i cant find the site that says blacks lay longer. Brown layers hav a faster rate of egg productn than black. Browns also eat less bc of their lesser body wt. This is why browns are more profitable.

So, what can be deduced from your arguments is that the black is only preferred for the low mortality rate, not for egg productions. Then, pass mark for brown specie provided intensive care is ensured.

I want to believe that the snake did not infect 360 birds, they stampeded at the sight of rhe snake. If during Brooding (assuming you did evrything right) the mortalirty was high(btw 1.5 to 2 percent) it means there was problem from hatch,.However, before condemnin the birds, did you give the following vaccines before onset of lay, kiilled ND vaccine, infectious bronchitis. What is your lighting program and do you giv. Supplements to the birds. What management system are you using? Though Black birds looks look so different from brown, they share 50 percent of their genes. The advantage of black bird is their large egg size which can offset feeding cost. Knowing the brand of feed is also important