1.Choose the right chickens
To have a good result in achieving clean and healthy broiler birds that will be acceptable in the market, you must go for the right breed of chicks.
- Hygienic surroundings
Chicken manure can be composted for use in vegetable or flower gardens, but can be a source of disease if it is allowed to build up.
Flies breed rapidly where chickens roost. Keep your poultry pen as clean as possible to keep your birds healthy.
Always remove and bury dead bird water containers for chickens are cheap and can be bought at the local co-op. You can also use a large flat bowl or container, but put some rocks in it so that the young chicks don’t drown in it.
Remember to change the water every day – many poultry diseases are carried by dirty water and food.
Providing perches and cleaning away bushes and long grass around the poultry house also protects poultry from rats and snake. - Quality feeding
You must give your broiler birds quality food day and night in order to achieve good health and marketable weight at the appropriate time. Fly larvae(maggots) provide another source of poultry food. Sub-standard vegetables and table leftovers (except raw meat) can also be thrown out for poultry to eat.
Hydroponic fodder is also a quality food for your birds’ good health. - Calcium and other minerals/vitamins.
To achieve clean and healthy point of sale broiler, you must supply them with all the necessary vitamins and minerals. Lack of minerals, especially calcium, can result in joint and bone abnormalities as well as soft-shelled eggs.
Oyster shell grit is a well-known source of minerals for hens and chicks. Diatomaceous earth also contains many minerals, including calcium, and can easily be included in their ration. - Parasite management
Red mites and lice can make your broiler birds very uncomfortable as they are irritants. Tampans can cause paralysis and death.
These pests can be controlled by the use of insecticidal powder registered for chicken.
Chickens also suffer from roundworms and tapeworms. If you slaughter a chicken, cut open the intestines to see if these are a problem. Worm remedies for poultry can be bought for your broiler birds. - Vaccinate and prevent disease
Newcastle disease is a virus that is deadly to unvaccinated chickens. It can kill your entire flock in a very short time.
Although commercial birds are automatically vaccinated, this does not always happen in backyard flocks.
Vaccines are available that can be dripped into the eyes of young chicks, used as a spray on birds in cages, or mixed into the drinking water.
Buy them from your local vet shops and follow full instructions as included on the leaflets or labels.
Make sure you follow your Vaccination schedule appropriately to achieve healthy point of sale broiler birds. - Check the chickens daily
Probably the best way of keeping your chickens healthy is by keeping an eye on them and reacting quickly if something go wrong.
For detailed information on how to achieve clean and healthy point of sale broilers; get our handbook on “Weekly Routines for Profitable broiler farming”.
This handbook has all the weekly activities that a broiler farmer needs to follow to achieve quality and profitable broiler production.
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