wisdomline:



@Farouq94 - Your efforts are quite commendable!

I like that you are trying to provide alternative, organic protein for your local poultry. I guess, it would be of immense insight to share my personal termite-hunt experience.

Simply, I place used flattened carton or cardboard over the most moist area (especially where I had noticed few insect/termite holes) in my yard. I do this in the evenings. The idea is, by the following morning, you will find termites under the carton. My fowls know this, so they usually cluster around the carton, and start their feast as soon as I remove it.

[/b]Similarly, I rear worms as alternative protein for my local poultry as well[b]. I use waste wood-shaving-litters for this process. There is a part of my little farm where I dump used litters. All you need to do is to add water to the heap of the used litters. In fact, I dispose dirty water from my poultry water-cans and drinkers to the dump site. As a result of decomposition, which is accelerated by poultry dungs, water and heat from sun, worms naturally start breeding underneath the decomposing used poultry-litter dump. You would see hundreds of huge, huge worms when you turn the litters with a shovel or rake. Local fowls like this sumptuous delicacy - which can be achieved at almost no extra cost.

Thank you for sharing your insights.

I am trying to see the easiest way for me to capture the termites on a large scale at the cheapest cost possible. Cartons are not available to me, but I have an abundance of rice straws and stalks, so that seems to be the most economical option for me.

My location is very dry. So I have never seen a worm in my farm. But I have a lot in my home garden, I captured some last year in the effort of starting a worm bin, everything was going fine for a bit, but the liquid content in the bin became too much and the worms all died. It was demoralising and since then I haven’t tried again.

Knowing chickens love them now, I will definitely give it a another go!

Do you use poultry litter only for your worms?

Farouq94:


Thank you for sharing your insights.

I am trying to see the easiest way for me to capture the termites on a large scale at the cheapest cost possible. Cartons are not available to me, but I have an abundance of rice straws and stalks, so that seems to be the most economical option for me.

My location is very dry. So I have never seen a worm in my farm. But I have a lot in my home garden, I captured some last year in the effort of starting a worm bin, everything was going fine for a bit, but the liquid content in the bin became too much and the worms all died. It was demoralising and since then I haven’t tried again.

Knowing chickens love them now, I will definitely give it a another go!

Do you use poultry litter only for your worms?

I think for commercial purpose, Karl Hammer has shown that the Compost feed system is the best and most viable option to go with feeding our chickens.
Scaling up a cricket farm, worm farm or bsf larvae system sont b an easy feat.
A Compost system using the rice hull and other organic inputs should b easier.
The good thing is that compost will attract bsf, housefly, worms, crickets and other biota.

Farouq94:


I honestly got tired of doing that synchronized hatching. It was too much effort for not enough reward. So I opted for an incubator.

160w? It sounds like you have that small automatic incubator? The only thing that requires electricity with my incubator is the fan, and its 6amps only, about the energy consumption of one white bulb, so thats why a 50amps battery can power it.

The source of heat in my incubator is a kerosene lamp, and currently I estimate around 93 naira kero burn rate per day, which I think is very okay for its capacity.

I decided to keep the incubator at home, as we have constant light and I won’t have to spend additional money setting up in the farm. So I didn’t end up buying the battery and the panel.

You can ask a solar technician for an estimate to set up your incubator 24/7/365.

well-done farouq, pls can you share the kerosene lamp photo and incubator, where and like how much I can get it thank you

@farouq. You are doing a very great job over there. Ibilief the best way to invite more termites is through the use of planks. I mean the flat one. It invite thousands of them when i used 2 flat plank and they are not of normal Length. It might also depends on location anyway. But for my area, just put 2/3 planks on the ground and see how many termites you see after few days. Also, my chicks also like crickets. They rush them whenever i give them. I would have done this research two years ago but my job has been a restriction. I am a transporter, i leave very early and come home late except one in while that i come home early. Also let see the picture and the configuration of the kerosene Incubator.

Does your Incubator look like the ones below. This is one is dual. It uses electricity as well as lantern. How do you regulate the temperature. For someone that is not always around, do you think, he/she can use the kerosene one. I blif if the temperature is too much and i wasn't around what do you think will happen

NativeChicken:


I think for commercial purpose, Karl Hammer has shown that the Compost feed system is the best and most viable option to go with feeding our chickens.
Scaling up a cricket farm, worm farm or bsf larvae system sont b an easy feat.
A Compost system using the rice hull and other organic inputs should b easier.
The good thing is that compost will attract bsf, housefly, worms, crickets and other biota.

Remember his compost includes a diverse ingredient including cereals, bread, pasta and other restaurant waste. So its only natural that his compost pile will provide a diverse food source for his chickens.

I do not have access to food waste on a large scale, so when I eventually go the compost route, it will not be as rich as his, so I will still need alternative sources to make sure the chickens will be well fed.

I think it really depends on your location. I have several termite mounds in my farm, the only issue is they hide underground so I cannot readily give them to the chickens unless I trap them. So if I see that I can trap a large number of them in the pot, to scale, I will only need bigger clay pots, which again are readily available to me at a very low cost.

For the compost system, I don’t have access to green grasses/vegetables year round so that is why I have not fully explored it. But I’m looking forward to starting a garden in the farm where I will be experimenting growing different vegetables year round, so when that kicks off it will benefit this project.

babalolaadebayor:
well-done farouq, pls can you share the kerosene lamp photo and incubator, where and like how much I can get it thank you

This is the heat inlet, it is attached outside the incubator and that is where I keep the kerosene lamp. Though there is another one inside the incubator, but I prefer to use this one because there is a fan attached which sucks in the heat and circulates around the incubator. I have posted a full pic of the incubator on the first page of this thread.

Got it for 75k, check the National Board for Technology Incubation near your location, they make a range of agricultural tools.

babyboy4every1:
Does your Incubator look like the ones below. This is one is dual. It uses electricity as well as lantern. How do you regulate the temperature. For someone that is not always around, do you think, he/she can use the kerosene one. I blif if the temperature is too much and i wasn't around what do you think will happen

Yes that is how my incubator looks like. But if you look at the pic I posted, mine has a thermostat attached on top so I’m able to see the temperature and humidity of the incubator. It appears yours doesn’t have it, so you need to get that portable thermometer and put it inside.

You certainly need to be close if you’re using an incubator like this. So maybe you can teach someone how to control and turn the eggs. Worst case scenario when your temp gets too high, the embryos will suffer heat injury and die or hatch with deformities.

Farouq94:


Thank you for sharing your insights.

I am trying to see the easiest way for me to capture the termites on a large scale at the cheapest cost possible. Cartons are not available to me, but I have an abundance of rice straws and stalks, so that seems to be the most economical option for me.

My location is very dry. So I have never seen a worm in my farm. But I have a lot in my home garden, I captured some last year in the effort of starting a worm bin, everything was going fine for a bit, but the liquid content in the bin became too much and the worms all died. It was demoralising and since then I haven’t tried again.

Knowing chickens love them now, I will definitely give it a another go!

Do you use poultry litter only for your worms?

Yes, whilst following the process above.

wisdomline:



Yes, whilst following the process above.

Okay, will try that. Thanks!

I made some fresh Neem-Aloe extract yesterday for my chicks. I usually drink some from each batch, its very bitter but then its a medicinal powerhouse.

With this and other bio-security measures, most of your poultry diseases will be taken care of.

This is what it looks like

Note: Its preferred that you store your organic medicines in glass jars or clay pots: these do not absorb flavor neither do they leach chemicals. If you don’t have them available, use safe plastics. They usually have ‘HDPE free’ written underneath them.

Its my favorite day of the week again! Day 20 and I have chicks hatching by the minute. My chickens are still giving me consistent number of eggs every week, and I’m sure its because more than half of them are hybrids, so they lay more eggs than the average local chicken.

By the year end I should have hundreds of chicken if production continues consistently. The issue of feeding is still being explored and I’m excited for the prospects.

Farouq94:
Here are some pics (I have attached only a couple pics but its saying “entry too large”

Guy i envy you. I just wish i had same stuff going on here. Chicken stew on point everyday,twice on a Sunday

Anyway, i am planning on relocating in the near future and i will have a large expanse of land around. I have been thinking of this chicken thing and other agro biz i can do

Farouq94:

You are on the right path already. You can actually attain a good weight cross-breeding with noilers. I’m also crossbreeding with them right now and their chicks gain weight faster than the normal local chick. So you don’t need the Brahma.

My only advice to you is to start small learn the process. You don’t necessarily need more than 10 chickens for a start, as you already know that local chickens are prolific breeders. When you have too many hens in one place and you don’t manage them well, you begin to have 2-3 hens sharing one nests, so one might lay 10 eggs, the other seeing too many eggs in the nest might lay one a few and then start brooding. So instead of you having say like 30 eggs, you’ll end up having 15 and that has already reduced your productivity.

Having many chickens sharing one nest will the bane of your breeding. You will have chickens abandoning their nests as soon as a couple of chicks start hatching, and leave the rest of the clutch causing chick death even before they hatch. I’ve had this issue too many times.

So even 5 hens and a male noiler are enough. Have enough nests for them and watch your chicken population grow. I started with less than ten, and I have over a hundred.

Btw your chickens look great. They have beautiful features- height, plumage..everything. Where did you get them?

What is noiler? Or do u mean broiler?

I checked out some videos on youtube as i am trying to see how best i can run a kero lamp incubator without a fan,i was able to see some videos without fans,as i dont have constant electricity and i am not willing to spend any extra money on that to power the fan,so i have decided to build one without a fan, can you kindly connect me with the builder of your incubator,my location is Lagos.

Farouq94:
Its my favorite day of the week again! Day 20 and I have chicks hatching by the minute. My chickens are still giving me consistent number of eggs every week, and I’m sure its because more than half of them are hybrids, so they lay more eggs than the average local chicken.

By the year end I should have hundreds of chicken if production continues consistently. The issue of feeding is still being explored and I’m excited for the prospects.

Weldone op, can you Pls share how u prepared this Neem-aloe combo and how it's used.
I intend preparing a strong antibiotic for my birds, I believe this would be good. Thanks.

Farouq94:
I made some fresh Neem-Aloe extract yesterday for my chicks. I usually drink some from each batch, its very bitter but then its a medicinal powerhouse.

With this and other bio-security measures, most of your poultry diseases will be taken care of.

This is what it looks like

Note: Its preferred that you store your organic medicines in glass jars or clay pots: these do not absorb flavor neither do they leach chemicals. If you don’t have them available, use safe plastics. They usually have ‘HDPE free’ written underneath them.

nams77:

What is noiler? Or do u mean broiler?

Noiler is a cross between broiler and cockerel

QTCL:
I checked out some videos on youtube as i am trying to see how best i can run a kero lamp incubator without a fan,i was able to see some videos without fans,as i dont have constant electricity and i am not willing to spend any extra money on that to power the fan,so i have decided to build one without a fan, can you kindly connect me with the builder of your incubator,my location is Lagos.

The person is in Kano, you can contact him on 0703 092 3024

gbemmytop:
Weldone op, can you Pls share how u prepared this Neem-aloe combo and how it's used.
I intend preparing a strong antibiotic for my birds, I believe this would be good. Thanks.

I shared it on page 3 of this thread, under Disease and Prevention/Treatment

Those asking what the fulani eco-type chicken look like, this is a picture of my biggest hen. I initially thought it was a noiler if not for the color of eggs she lays. Her eggs are always big, and light cream in color.

Farouq94:


Noiler is a cross between broiler and cockerel

Wow! Learnt something. Is cockrel the native local male fowl?

nams77:

Wow! Learnt something. Is cockrel the native local male fowl?

No the cockerels they use are like the American local chickens, much bigger than ours.

Farouq94:
I made some fresh Neem-Aloe extract yesterday for my chicks. I usually drink some from each batch, its very bitter but then its a medicinal powerhouse.

With this and other bio-security measures, most of your poultry diseases will be taken care of.

This is what it looks like

Note: Its preferred that you store your organic medicines in glass jars or clay pots: these do not absorb flavor neither do they leach chemicals. If you don’t have them available, use safe plastics. They usually have ‘HDPE free’ written underneath them.

Bro how do you prepare this
Barka we sallah

Excel70:

Bro how do you prepare this
Barka we sallah

I shared the details on page 3 of the thread.

I had wanted to start breeding guineas last year when I bought 300 eggs. Unfortunately, I got them from a bad source, half of them were bad (improper storage), I took them to the hatchery and got very bad results. I think I ended up with about 40 keets at the end, of which I had a very high mortality rate.

At the end I ended up with 14 grown guineas, more than half were male so I had to dispose of them. And I know have 4 guineas, I have been getting eggs from them since April.

I realized my incubator capacity was actually 400 eggs and not 300, as I always have one compartment free, so I decided to buy more guinea eggs to fill it up. I’m hoping to have at least 200 guineas before the season ends, then choose the best 50 and keep them as my breeding stock for next year, fingers crossed!

I like how low maintenance the grown guineas are (but they are very high maintenance when they are small), they fly away from the farm to look for more food, and just recently we realized that they’ve been laying eggs under one bush near the farm. So even though they can be domesticated, they still have that wild
-bird instinct.

Here’s a picture of my 10 days old keet from my most recent hatch, I’m looking forward to having hundreds of them.

Farouq94:
Diseases and Prevention

Prevention is always better than cure. This cannot be overemphasized. Biosecurity is very important, especially when dealing with poultry. Make sure your feed is good, stored in a clean environment. Clean water, proper ventilation and a clean environment. Do not allow birds to continuously sleep in their litter. Always clean their cages regularly and wash their feeders/drinkers.

In the event that a disease outbreak occurs, nature has given us more than enough remedies to tackle them, depending on your location and availability. I have cured newcastle disease with just moringa leaf extract and aloe gel. The chicken couldn’t stand or feed, I didn’t take it will survive. I think most of us here have access to Neem and Aloe vera. These two are powerhouse that can be used to cure almost all most common poultry diseases.

Neem leaves and Aloe Vera are antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal, and also boost immunity of birds.

Preparation.
To make one litre of neem leaf extract, boil 1 litre of hot water, add to a container with 100gram of fresh neem leaves and leave for 24 hours. Strain and keep aside to cool.

Dose should be between 20ml-30ml per litre, and then you add 15ml per litre of Aloe Vera gel. Don’t add the aloe gel to the neem extract when its hot. For chicks you can administer for 3 days straight, serve clean water after they have finished it. And then be giving them maybe one or twice a month. Don’t overuse it.

Always store your natural medication in a cool place, and do not make large batches. To be on the safest side just make what you need to use for that week.

Very correct ��

Farouq94:
I had wanted to start breeding guineas last year when I bought 300 eggs. Unfortunately, I got them from a bad source, half of them were bad (improper storage), I took them to the hatchery and got very bad results. I think I ended up with about 40 keets at the end, of which I had a very high mortality rate.

At the end I ended up with 14 grown guineas, more than half were male so I had to dispose of them. And I know have 4 guineas, I have been getting eggs from them since April.

I realized my incubator capacity was actually 400 eggs and not 300, as I always have one compartment free, so I decided to buy more guinea eggs to fill it up. I’m hoping to have at least 200 guineas before the season ends, then choose the best 50 and keep them as my breeding stock for next year, fingers crossed!

I like how low maintenance the grown guineas are (but they are very high maintenance when they are small), they fly away from the farm to look for more food, and just recently we realized that they’ve been laying eggs under one bush near the farm. So even though they can be domesticated, they still have that wild
-bird instinct.

Here’s a picture of my 10 days old keet from my most recent hatch, I’m looking forward to having hundreds of them.

wow! Pls what is d power wattage consumption of your incubator and how long can it last in a day? Pls can u show how your fan was positioned inn d incubator

jidestroud:




That's a 10 day old keet? Now I am convinced their growth is quite slow. At first, I thought I was doing something wrong and needed to do get their feeding right.

They are in the same league with local chickens, very slow growers. Unless you get the jumbo guineas, those ones are HUGE and cannot even fly.

Hello my Boss in the house
I'll like to ask some questions
I i was opportuned to see my grandma cockerel eating maggot even when feed was made available.my questions are
1.is it possible to rear chicken using maggots only with No feed
2.can we mix broiler feed with maggot if yes in what ratio

sodeeqsulaimon88:
Hello my Boss in the house
I'll like to ask some questions
I i was opportuned to see my grandma cockerel eating maggot even when feed was made available.my questions are
1.is it possible to rear chicken using maggots only with No feed
2.can we mix broiler feed with maggot if yes in what ratio

No you cannot feed chickens only on maggot. Maggot is predominantly protein with cp value of 30-65% depending on the substrate it was grown or fed on. You will still need a carbohydrate source, vitamins and minerals to balance maggot as feed.
Also, mixing maggot with any commercial feed would most likely result in protein waste unless u are feeding an animal that requires a higer protein feed eg u can add maggot to starter to feed turkey poults aince they require around 34- 28% protein diet.
However, with the right formula, maggot is a great way to reduce our poultry and livestock feed cost by up to 40% or more.
The best maggot larvae to use is the Black Soldier Fly (BSF) Larvae.
Our common housefly larvae can b used also, but u have to be careful both 4 ur own sake and ur livestock as housefly can spread harmful diseases.
However, the use of various techniques such as fermentation, drying etc can be used to make it safer.
Pls also go online and read up on it both on google and youtube

@nativechicken how are you chicks doing?

I experienced a major setback this week with rats. My first hatch, 54 chicks, have been reduced to less than 15 within three days. It is very disheartening to see your hard-work being wiped out by pests. My biggest cat was stolen so thats what made them come back, and the other cat I have is next to useless.

Now I have to make all my cages rat-proof and cement all the tiny openings. I never knew rats could eat a one month old chick until I saw what they do them. They kill them and eat out their intestines. Very pesky creatures!