Small Chicken Farmers Discussion board


Posted on August 23, 2011 by Admin

A new discussion board called The South African Poultry Forum, and is a web site dedicated to small poultry farmers for a discussion around poultry and chicken farming.

The discussion around chicken farming allows new poultry farmers and emerging chicken farmers to ask questions of other farmers – subjects range around the cost of chicken houses, poultry equipment, different types of chicken breeds, oragnic farming and free range egg farming. An interesting section is about trying to secure goverment loans in South Africa. Discussion South Africa.

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What not to feed layer chickens

Posted on April 5, 2011 by Admin

Chickens are pretty hardy animals – able to eat almost anything they like – A chicken will not eat anything that causes it harm – so when you allow them to free range they will take care of themselves. Unlike African Grey parrots for instance – who die pretty quickly when you give the Avos.

layer chickens eat what?

Layer chicken

There are some types of food you should avoid feeding chickens that are laying – or egg producing hens. Avocado Pear is one and cabbage is another – these food types do no harm to the hen – but they do affect egg production – avoid giving your hens avocado pear and cabbages if you want a good  egg production results – this whether you are free ranging your layers or they are in a chicken houses with nest boxes or layer cages. Do not feed chickens Avos and cabbage if they are layers. chickens eat almost anything, grubs, worms, table scraps, vegetable garden off cuts and weeds. In fact there is almost nothing  you cannot give chickens. What chickens should not eat is up to you – Commercially produced chicken foods are generally very specific – to the age and the type of chicken farming you are involved in. You get layers food, day old food etc.

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What poultry equipment do I need for home chicken farming?

Posted on April 4, 2011 by Admin

If you are only farming with a small number of chickens you will not need a lot of poultry equipment. The number of fonts or bell drinkers, tube feeders etc. depends on the number of chickens you are going to keep. Here are some guidelines for equipment for hen houses:

  • chick trays – 3 per 100 chicks
  • bell drinkers – 75 – 100 chickens
  • tube feeders – 33 chickens
  • 3l and 4l fonts – 100 chickens
  • pan feeders – 65 chickens per pan
  • nipple drinkers – 12 – 14 chickens per nipple
  • chain feeding (broilers) – 2.5cm per broilers along the trough
  • chain feeding (layers) – 15cm – 17cm per laying chickens along the trough

Some of these figures can vary depending on your own poultry house. Climate makes a big difference. For a small hen house at home or chicken coop with only 10 birds you will need  a chicken hen house, 1 tube feeder and 1 font. Not much outlay in equipment for home chicken farming!

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