₦airaland Forum

kay29000:
That's the thing about local hen...it's like they're in a competition to see who can reproduce the fastest.

Exactly.

I guess it is Nature's way of feeding we humans.

kay29000:
The interaction between chickens is so interesting to watch if you love animals. The hens are nurturers, while the roosters are protectors and leaders of the pack. The roosters always watch out for prey and signal the rest of the pack when a prey is close by. They scamper for safety as the prey swoops in. Luckily for them, they have trees and shrubs to hide under in our garden.

It's also interesting to note that the roosters have different sounds they make for prey coming from the sky (hawks, owls, etc), and land prey (rats and cats). The roosters also help the hen look for a safe place to lay eggs when they are ready to lay. It's like watching a couple shopping at the store. lol

For someone that want to go fully commercial of this local chickens how do you manage up to 200 hen that is laying eggs already, I mean if the hens are laying, how will they know which eggs is theirs, how will they identify the particular spot they lay egg and how will they handle competition among themselves?

Lukuluku69:
Not true.

In my 5 years experience, no hen has ever abandoned her eggs during brooding. Even in the pouring Rains!

Lol. I have touched over a hundred eggs and they all hatched asides the unfertilized ones.

Just make sure you don't shake them vigorously or drop them.

Some times I take the eggs and put them in a plastic bucket, keep it at room temperature and give to the bird that has shown intent on brooding. Like, I said earlier I use Blanks to lure them to the same spot to lay.

When moving the eggs, just handle them like eggs! Utmost Care and you are good to go.

Thanks a lot for this.

softguy1:
For someone that want to go fully commercial of this local chickens how do you manage up to 200 hen that is laying eggs already, I mean if the hens are laying, how will they know which eggs is theirs, how will they identify the particular spot they lay egg and how will they handle competition among themselves?

They take their time before choosing a spot to lay eggs, and it is always a hidden spot that's hard to find. They instinctively now which egg is theirs. Every individual hen is not thinking of another hen when it is laying her own eggs...it is just concerned about its life and its eggs.

Lukuluku69:
Some people advocate for their vaccination when they are much and from experience I think they need it.

There was a time I have close to 90 chicks from 12 hens. Kept them all in my compound. Then a Pox like disease broke out that affects their beaks, eyes. Lost about 75 of them. Then a neighbor suggested I should let them free range a bit.

Hawks and bikes killed the remainders but the good news is that they go again and reproduce.

I know local chicken do have Newcastle disease that they will be sleeping in the afternoon or twisting their necks. These used to bring a lot of casualties but the survivors soon make up by reproducing soon.

A lot of the Gen Z on SM today we're privileged ones. They had theirs earlier. It only gets to the rurals in the Alpha generation.

Free2Fly:
This should be the description of the life of the Gen Alpha and Beta.
Are they already here on Nairaland??

psucc:
A lot of the Gen Z on SM today we're privileged ones. They had theirs earlier. It only gets to the rurals in the Alpha generation.

I see

Lukuluku69:
You want to handle the unhatched eggs with extreme care. Sometimes they just explode with minimal touch and they are extremely smelly. Very smelly and foul too.

I guess it is as a result of sitting on them by the hens at a temperature for days.

We call it " Obu eyin"

Yes ! buh not in all cases, some unhatched eggs are with chick

As a child then, what i normally do is meticulously crack the egg after hatch date, open little little patches of the shell to expose the chick inside, then lock up the mother hen with it she will finish the job

Or sometimes i just mix the egg with the eggs under another hen to hatch it,

Now we know pass to dey fry, folake4u hwfar with the eggs

chidiokay:
Yes ! buh not in all cases, some unhatched eggs are with chick

As a child then, what i normally do is meticulously crack the egg after hatch date, open little little patches of the shell to expose the chick inside, then lock up the mother hen with it she will finish the job

Or sometimes i just mix the egg with the eggs under another hen to hatch it,

Now we know pass to dey fry, folake4u hwfar with the eggs

True.

But in most cases you have an unhatched eggs with chicks within, you can help it with a small cracking of that particular egg to help the chick within to further crack it.

This usually happens when the chick within is weak, not properly formed (if you hatch them, you will see a thread like entrails that leads to the anus) they usually die off within days if not properly cared for.

This is the reason I normally don't allow my brooding hen sit on more than 8 eggs. It allows for proper circulation of heat since the hen can comfortably cover them. The rest I eat!

As a Rule, I don't allow any hen sit on the first 2 eggs laid. I eat them and also the last egg. Those are usually the ones with unhatched chicks within after 3-4 days of hatching.

softguy1:
For someone that want to go fully commercial of this local chickens how do you manage up to 200 hen that is laying eggs already, I mean if the hens are laying, how will they know which eggs is theirs, how will they identify the particular spot they lay egg and how will they handle competition among themselves?

When it laying time hens will meticulously select their spot taking into consideration Safety, secrecy of her eggs.

Once a spot has been chosen, it will stick to that spot unless all her eggs is moved. So, if you want her to keep that spot, you can puts one or two blanks in that spot (you marked them with a dot or two).

It is not uncommon to find 2 birds sharing same laying spot and they can also brood together which means they will raise the chics together. The danger here is that the commencement of the brooding process must not be far apart for the birds (2 days max) otherwise you will have unhatched fertilized eggs. Hens usually wait for 3 Days while sitting on eggs once hatching commences.

Good luck while trying your hands on 200 birds. You will need a minimum of 6 plots to do that plus enough cover for them because such a large number of hens will bring Hawks from above and Cats in the night.

Lukuluku69:
True.

But in most cases you have an unhatched eggs with chicks within, you can help it with a small cracking of that particular egg to help the chick within to further crack it.

This usually happens when the chick within is weak, not properly formed (if you hatch them, you will see a thread like entrails that leads to the anus) they usually die off within days if not properly cared for.

This is the reason I normally don't allow my brooding hen sit on more than 8 eggs. It allows for proper circulation of heat since the hen can comfortably cover them. The rest I eat!

As a Rule, I don't allow any hen sit on the first 2 eggs laid. I eat them and also the last egg. Those are usually the ones with unhatched chicks within after 3-4 days of hatching.

I totally agree with you. I have hatched some like that and they survived but others didn't. Some would not be strong enough to get along with the siblings and would be left behind for predators, some would be rejected by the mother.
What I do is to not allow the mother go out for the next 24 hours until the newly hatched one will get strong enough to get along.

kay29000:
This is the hen sitting on 14 eggs. I just saw a chick has already hatched from its egg. I guess I made a mistake with the day it started the 21 day process...or maybe the garden burning we carried out last weekend sped up the incubation process. Anyway, in the next couple of days, most of the eggs will hatch.

If you zoom in, you will see the chick next to the mother...close to her neck/chest area.

This hen is out with 10 chicks. I was expecting 12 out of the 14 eggs she laid, but 10 is still great.

Her sister has only 4 chicks.

Lukuluku69:
True.

But in most cases you have an unhatched eggs with chicks within, you can help it with a small cracking of that particular egg to help the chick within to further crack it.

This usually happens when the chick within is weak, not properly formed (if you hatch them, you will see a thread like entrails that leads to the anus) they usually die off within days if not properly cared for.

This is the reason I normally don't allow my brooding hen sit on more than 8 eggs. It allows for proper circulation of heat since the hen can comfortably cover them. The rest I eat!

As a Rule, I don't allow any hen sit on the first 2 eggs laid. I eat them and also the last egg. Those are usually the ones with unhatched chicks within after 3-4 days of hatching.

you know what struck my mind now, i cant even place where and how i learnt these things whu profounded those ideas

i use to love rearing things, but now my love for chicken no pass frying d fryables nigeria gurlz are jus bad influence

Get to this guide if really you want to succeed in growing Local chicken:
Click link: https://selar.com/684432

what is inside the Guide
1. Yoruba Ecotype Chicken: Found in the southwestern part of Nigeria, this breed
is known for its fast growth and moderate egg production.
2. Hausa Chicken: Predominantly found in the northern regions, Hausa chickens
are hardy and capable of withstanding hot climates, making them ideal for
semi-arid areas.
3. Fulani Chicken: This breed is commonly raised by the Fulani people. It is valued
for its resistance to harsh environmental conditions and its ability to thrive on
minimal feed.
4. Ibo Ecotype Chicken: Raised in southeastern Nigeria, these chickens are
known for their resilience and good meat quality.

kay29000:
Wow! The prices you sold them for is really good. What part of Nigeria are you based in?

Delta State

kay29000:
Whoa! Is it your dog that's eating the chickens or a dog on your street?

It's a street dog. My compound is fenced, but they managed to pass under the gate and attacked my fowls—one cockerel and one hen. Now, only one cockerel and one hen remain.

But as I'm the time of writing this page, I have blocked the particular gate in which they are passing through.

Always agile species!

kay29000:
I started in the poultry business back in 2016. i have been in and out of the business because of rising cost of chicken feed, but I love the business so much I keep going back to it. I have two spots I raise birds at; my poultry (outskirts of Ibadan), and my parents house in Lagos. Last February, after selling off most of my birds at my parents house, my mom suggested I try out local chickens instead. I felt they took too long to grow, and they don't have enough meat on their bones. But she told me there was a market for them, and they were less stressful, as we had a big abandoned garden in the compound they could forage around. When I was still reluctant, she went ahead and bought the first batch with her money, and asked me to help take care of them.

So, in February 2024, she bought a mature local hen. After watching it for a few weeks and understanding its daily routine, we bought two more local chickens.

Bmani:
It's a street dog. My compound is fenced, but they managed to pass under the gate and attacked my fowls—one cockerel and one hen. Now, only one cockerel and one hen remain.

But as I'm the time of writing this page, I have blocked the particular gate in which they are passing through.

Sorry for the loss.

ochiosa:
Delta State

Okay. Thanks.

Oh ok thanks!

kay29000:
The 2 older ones are a little over a year..the two younger ones (sisters) are not up to a year...like 9.months old.

Their dung is money for organic fertilizer, but I get it's a lot of work.

kay29000:
Their poop would be a big problem. I'd rather stick to chickens.

Loca chiken farming is highly ptofitable. I wanted to buy a mature hen the other day, they told me 11k isthe final price while the maturr cock goes for between 13and 15k depending on the size. I was even more supriced when the chick that arr still coming up that are two months old, the price is pegged at 4500 naira.

This was in port harcourt oh. It made me to stat contemplating going to kano state to buy those local chicken in large numbers and coming bak to sell them at good prices in ph. Becos i have lived in kano state before and knw where chicken merchants nomally come to sell their birds to retailers at very cheap prices.

If i make up my mind to do dat, i will definely make good money each week

Hullcity:
Loca chiken farming is highly ptofitable. I wanted to buy a mature hen the other day, they told me 11k isthe final price while the maturr cock goes for between 13and 15k depending on the size. I was even more supriced when the chick that arr still coming up that are two months old, the price is pegged at 4500 naira.

Interesting. Wich state are you in?

kay29000:
Interesting. Wich state are oyou in?

rivers state. Port harcourt precisely

Hullcity:
rivers state. Port harcourt precisely

Okay. Thanks.

thecommunist:
im not sure what they are called in english. but they are usually small , relatively slower than normal rats, always walk along walls, and have this distinctive stink, thay also bite human if they feel threatened and their bite is very infectious.



just checked shrew on google and hell no, shrews are angels compared to this demonic "Asin". the "Asin" are carnivores, shrews are likely herbivores. you cannot hold " Asin" in your hands oo, the stink will make you vomit and it will definitely bite and give you an infected wound.
they look alike but they are different see the picture of both of them

How do you prevent cats, rats and hawks ?

kay29000:
Okay. Thanks.

kay29000:
Interesting. Thanks for this comment. I'll be waiting to read the tips.

I had to reduce the sizes of the pics as I couldn't upload big pics.

Usually, about 2-4 of my hen are always incubating, so when 3 hatches simultaneously, I'll merge 2 of the chicks to one mother and introduce a fresh egg to one of the mothers provided she hasn't come out with her chicks. She will sit on the fresh eggs for the next 21days. This time, food and water are on a standby because she's successive to disease at this moment. When they're about 3 weeks my hen are ready to start laying again because of the presence of a rooster and food.

ElGabi:
How do you prevent cats, rats and hawks ?

Interestingly enough, the rats don't do anything to them. But since we burnt a heep of dried up tree branches in the middle of garden 2 weeks ago, the rats don't come to the garden again...they just disappeared. The cat stopped coming after it almost got trapped in the trap I hired.

About hawks, unless the hawk is fast like flash, the chickens always have ample time to run for cover. Even when the friendly pigeons occasionally come down to eat in the garden, the birds run to hide under thick shrubs. They come out after realising it's just a pigeon. Also, I heard Crows chase hawks away. A lot of crows fly around my garden, and some come down sometimes. Although the chickens are scared of their size, the crows don't do anything to them. And I heard crows have been known to save chicks that were about to be eaten by hawks.

Osanoghodua1:
I had to reduce the sizes of the pics as I couldn't upload big pics.

Usually, about 2-4 of my hen are always incubating, so when 3 hatches simultaneously, I'll merge 2 of the chicks to one mother and introduce a fresh egg to one of the mothers provided she hasn't come out with her chicks. She will sit on the fresh eggs for the next 21days. This time, food and water are on a standby because she's successive to disease at this moment. When they're about 3 weeks my hen are ready to start laying again because of the presence of a rooster and food.

Nice.