What should new poultry farmers look out for? - Common mistakes chicken farmers make.

Many farmers make the most basic of errors. House maintenance and poultry care is pretty easy if you follow the basics. Small management errors make a big, big difference to your production and well being of your chickens.

Here are some basic things that you should be doing when raising chickens - whether your house has 20 birds or 20 000 birds.

Managing your poultry farm properly is a much better option than trying to care for sick chickens. It is almost impossible to heal a sick chicken to a fit state again.

Day Old Chicks – Transport and placement

1. Check all the chicks in the boxes when you get them from the supplier.
2. Chicks are transported sometimes long distances on the back of open bakkies and trucks – this causes the day old chicks to get dehydrated because of sun and the wind.
3. Day old Chicks that are transported in a closed vehicle – causing suffocation.
4. Chicks are not taken out of the boxes on arrival -they should be removed immediately and given access to water and shade.The water should be at room temperature - too hot and they will not drink. Too cold and they will die as it drops their body temperature.
5. Chicks are kept in boxes and then put them into heated cages or unheated cages. Temperature must be monitored - too hot - they die, too cold they die. Even if they do not die, the extremes will affect growth later on.
6. In cold climates the chickens need to be placed at 31 - 33 degrees C - radiant heaters are often not good enough and should be supplemented with gas heaters.
7. Infrared lights and gas brooders to set too high or too low. About eighty centimeters from the floor is good. Watch out for hot spots in the cages – the chicks will remain in the hot spots and they won’t eat or drink and will then die on day 3, 4 and 5. They do not gain weight because of dehydration, no food and water.
8. Chicken Farmers forget to teach chicks to eat and drink – place newspaper with a layer of food on the floor as well as your feeders. The day old chicks will begin to scratch and pick, the sound will help them to eat. your day old should be contained in a small area to begin with - this will save heating costs and allow you to monitor the day old better.
9. Count your chickens before unpacking - if the quantities are wrong then contact the supplier immediately - most suppliers will not consider a refund after the boxes are unpacked and destroyed.

Poultry houses - Before placing your chicks!

Clean and sanitize your chicken house (from top to bottom, inside and outside). Walls should be scrubbed - lights cleaned, fans cleaned, heaters cleaned - everything spotless. Feeders and drinkers must be cleansed properly with soap and water.

Disinfect your chicken houses - inside and outside. Use proper disinfectant – change disinfectant from time to time. Jayes Fluid is not a good enough disinfectant - buy proper poultry disinfectant.

Earth floors are not ideal – They cannot be kept properly clean. Use Long life soap to try and clean earth floors. Make sure you leave enough time for the floor to dry properly before placing. Alternatively use a ground sheet - it is a cheap option compared to cement and can be cleaned at the end of every cycle. Wet floors cause bacteria. A symptom is rattling in the throat of ± 3 weeks old chick’s.The chicks heads begin to swell - called "dikkop" in South Africa.

Ventilation in Zinc houses is very difficult to control. If temperature changes during day and night are too severe. It will stress the chicks, making them more vulnerable to disease.Temperatures in the chicken house should be about 23 degrees C. Temperatures that are too high or too low will, at worst, cause death, and at best affect your growth. Houses with high walls and windows are not good – You need proper ventilation. Fans are a good way to control high temperatures. Gas heaters or "brooders" as they are known, are good for cold temperatures.

Your Curtains should hang from bottom to top, not moving from top to bottom. Curtains that are the wrong way around do not help proper temperature and wind control. Your poultry house curtains should have proper envelopes and a pelmet to stop wind and to help control temperature. Min max thermometers must be used to monitor temperature changes. With out this tool you will never find the causes of problems.

Foot baths must be used at the entrances to all your houses. Better yet, you should be showering in and out before entering and exiting poultry sites. You should also not be moving between different houses that house different aged chicks. Especially on a layer farm - movement between the houses and the hatchery is foolhardy. - Remember - follow the egg! Farmers and workers go from one house to another without clean boots and clothes.

Make sure you have the right amount of feeders and drinkers or nipples and nipple lines. At least 3 feeders and 1 automatic drinker per 100 chicks.

General Poultry raising guidlines

• Some poultry farmers place birds of  different ages in the same house. This is a very bad idea. Bacteria and Viruses from the older chickens will cause the younger ones to sicken. Performance will be poor and death is likely for the younger birds.
• 
  Workers move from older chicks to younger chicks – this is wrong. The right procedure is to go from the younger chicks to the older birds.
• 
  Incorrect feeding. Feed concentrate as well as poor quality food seems like a bargain when you buy - Wait for your results - you will not be so happy. Always use well-known brands. Feed must be of a very high standard, make sure that all the right additives like growth stimulants. Anti Cocsidiosis remedies should in every batch. Remember that if you are free ranging or organic farming there are restrictions to what you can feed and medicate your birds with.
• 
  Incorrect medicine programs cause big problems -contact your vet or supplier for the correct information. Vaccines have a big influence on the birds. There will be some mortalities (Vitamins before and after vaccines will help) - Watch out if you are going organic.
• 
  Constantly medicating your chickens with  Antibiotics is not good because it kills your chicks immunity and resistance to disease.
• 
  Best advice for new farmers is to take a poultry course - contact us and we will tell you where.

Spend time in your house. Look, listen, smell your house - you will soon pick up problems. Experience can only be gained by time and effort. Good luck - you have started journey that will reap great rewards if done correctly. A happy chicken is a profitable chicken - and they are not so different to humans, water, food, cleanliness and care are absolutely critical to a profitable poultry house.

Afrikaans

Mees algemene foute wat deur hoenderboere gemaak word Hier volg ‘n klompie algemene foute waarmee ons elke dag te doen kry. Om die boerdery reg te bestuur gaan van u ‘n suksesvolle boer maak. Om ‘n siek hoender reg te dokter is feitlik ‘n onmoontlike saak – maar deur die regte
bestuur toe te pas sal u siektes en probleme beperk.

1. Dagoue kuikens – vervoer en plasing
2. Kuikens word vêr ente op oop bakkies vervoer – son en wind dehidreer die kuikens, in die winter verkluim hulle agter op oop voertuie.
3. Kuikens word in motor se katebak vervoer – hulle versmoor.
4. Kuikens word nie dadelik uitgepak nie – staan in te warm vertrekke in bokse en versmoor.
5. Kuikens word in koue hokke uitgepak.
6. Te koue water in drinkbakke wanneer kuikens uitgepak word laat hulle vrek.
7. Te min hitte in hokke – Infrarooi ligte is nie voldoende nie, sit ‘n ekstra verwarmer in tenminste 31 grade C.
8. Geen temperatuur beheer – weet nie wat is die min. En max. Temperatuur in hokke nie omdat termometers nie gebruik word nie. Temperatuur moet op grondvlak waar kuikens is, gemeet word.
9. Infra rooi ligte en kunsmoeders te hoog of te laag gestel – moet ongeveer 80 cm hoog wees. Warm kolle in hokke is nie reg nie. Kuikens bly 'n warmkolle gaan nie eet en drink nie, vrek dan op dag 3,4 en 5. Hulle is klein a.g.v. dehidrasie en geen kos en water. Kuikens wat te koud gekry se groote is ook geneig om te wissel.

Kuikens word nie geleer om te eet nie – plaas ‘n paar kartonbokse met ‘n dun lagie kos oor sodat die karton ‘n pik geluid maak wanneer hulle pik. Wanneer bakke te vol is maak dit geen geluid nie. Kuikens vrek dan dag 3 en 4 van honger. Plaas ook die buisvoerders sodat hulle dit leer ken – verwyder die kartonne na ‘n paar dae.Kuikenhuise

Hokke en bakke word nie behoorlik met seep afgewas en af gespuit nie.

Hokke word nie behoorlik binne en buite ontsmet nie. Gebruik Virukill of Virkon S ontsmetting – wissel dit gereeld af. Jayes Fluid is nie voldoende nie.

Grondvloere werk nie goed nie. Kan nie behoorlik skoon gehou word

nie. Gebruik Longlife seep vir grondvloere.

Sinkhokke se ventilasie beheer is baie, baie moeilik. Kuikens kry of te koud of te warm. Temperatuurwisseling tussen dag en nag is te groot.

Kuikens stres en is meer vatbaar vir siektes.

Vertrekke met hoë mure en vensters is gewoonlik nie voldoende nie.

Ventilasie is swak – hokke word klam en bakterië groei. Op ongeveer 3 weke ontwikkel die kuikens ‘n geroggel en dikkop.

Gordyne wat van bo na onder skuif – moet wees van onder na bo. Wind en temperatuur beheer kan nie behoorlik toegepas word met gordyne wat verkeerd om werk nie.

Op sommige plase word daar gladnie voetbaddens by hokdeure gebruik nie.

Nie genoeg drink en voerbakke - Tenminste 3 Voerbakke en 1 Automatiese drinker per 100 kuikens.

Algemeen

Verskillende ouderdomme kuikens mag nooit onder een dak of in een hok geplaas word nie. Bakterië en Virusse van ouer kuikens het ‘n onmiddelike invloed op jonger kuikens. Dit beinvloed hulle groei en gesondheid.

Werkers gaan van een hok na ‘n ander sonder skoon klere en boots.

Werkers gaan van die ouer hoenders na die jonger hoenders – Die regte prosedure is om by jongste hoenders te begin en by oudste te eindig.

Werkers steel die groter hoenders en sit dat jonger kuikens in daardie hokke – die boer dink daar is fout met die kuiken dat die kuiken nie groei nie.

Hokke buite om word vuil gelaat asook dooie hoenders en ou mis lê om die hokke – op die manier kom bakterië en virusse met kuikens /hoenders
in aanraking bv. Deur wind ens. Dit verhoog hoendervrektes.

Verkeerde voer – swak voere asook voerkonsentrate word gegee.

Verkeerde entprogramme word gevolg. – sien die medisyne program.

Entstowwe het ‘n invloed op die kuikens. Vrektes kom voor met enting. (Vitamines voor en na enting help in ‘n mate.) Gee nie voldoende vitamines nie.

Boere gee gedurigdeur vir kuikens antibiotika – dit breek sy weerstand af en soos in die geval van mense – het die hoender later geen weerstand nie. Gee slegs antibiotika wanneer kuikens regtig siek is. Indien kuikens van kleins af antibiotika soos bv. Cosimix kry bly hy verswak en het later geen weerstand meer nie.

Skoon wit denne saagsels moet ongeveer 10 mm dik op die hokke se vloere gebruik word. Glade en nat vloere veroorsaak beendefekte.

Beendefekte kan ook veroorsaak word deur verskillende siektes soos E.coli  infeksies en Mycoplasmosis ens. Gewoonlik hokke wat nie voldoende ontsmet en skoongemaak is voordat ander kuikens geplaas is nie.

Faktore waarvan ek bewus is wat wel bene defekte veroorsaak is die volgende:

a.     Beenmeel tekort – gewoonlik wanneer goedkoper swakker voere gebruik word.
b.     Koue nat vloere – wanneer daar nie voldoende skaafsels (ong. 10 mm dik) op die vloere gegooi word nie asook onvoldoende ventilasie wat hokke klam hou.
c.     Onvoldoende hitte – Wanneer hokke te koud is gedurende die nag en die kuikens op mekaar klim vir hitte.
d.     Hokke nie behoorlik ontsmet – Siektes wat onstaan a.g.v. hokke wat nie behoorlik afgewas en daarna met die regte ontsmettingsmiddels
skoon gemaak is nie. Bv. Mycoplasmosis, E.coli ens. Wanneer meer as een ouderdom kuikens onder een dak geplaas word kan hokke ook nie behoorlik skoon gemaak word nie. Bakterie bly agter en nuwe kuikens word besmet.
e.     Kuikens word geskuif en baie rond gejaag - Wanneer kuikens van een hok na ‘n ander geskuif word of erg verstuur word deur nuwe bedding in hokke te sit. A.g.v. vinnige groei is die Braaikuiken se bene nie baie sterk nie en daarom moet hulle so stil as moontlik gehou word.

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