Business opportunities in poultry farming

Practicing casual poultry farming is often costly especially when the poultry are

allowed to fend for themselves and breed randomly. You cannot tell whether the

birds are producing a loss or a profit. The poultry farmers might appear to be

making some profit until they factor in the cost of grain fed, the amount of food

picked up, the space occupied and the time and care the flock requires.

Eggs for home consumption

Farmers rarely consider the cost and value of the eggs consumed at home. Most

of them keep a few hens to avoid purchasing eggs or meat. The hens more or

less care for themselves by utilizing farm waste where the yield in form of eggs

and chicks offsets losses incurred on feeds.

Home consumption of eggs and poultry should be put on a business basis.

Every amount of food fed to the flock should be charged against the flock, and

every egg used by the family should be credited to the hens at current market

prices so that the full value may be known. This way the farmer determines

whether poultry kept for home needs is profitable or not.

Eggs for the market

There is a huge demand for eggs and the market has never been fully supplied.

On this account egg production offers exceptional opportunities to make money.

Compared to other opportunities in the chicken business, egg production and

sale can be more profitable because of the lower cost of production.

The first four to six months is the most costly because pullets have to be raised

to the point of lay before realizing any returns. Bring back to laying hens that

have molted and produced well over for another year.

Day Old Chicks

The business of raising day old chicks is becoming attractive as more farmers

engage in poultry farming. However, this specialized area requires the

businessman to be proficient in artificial hatching and have quality chicks when

customers are in need. The alternative to hatching which most businesses

prefer is opting to import and distribute the day old chicks. But developing a

local business can equally pay well if good strains of poultry are bred. This

might easily be the foundation of a special trade for day old chicks within the

locality.

Broilers

No one should go into the broiler business unprepared. Broilers are profitable

when sold early enough before they have eaten all the profits. A guaranteed

market is imperative to supply broilers with cost-effective prices. It has been

estimated that more than 90% of the failures in broiler business come from

poor planning and marketing. It is more economical to sell the broilers as soon

as they are of marketable size, usually earlier than 8 weeks of age.

Roasters

Roasters are fairly mature birds large enough to supply a family dinner. Such

birds are sold when four or five months old. The birds are marketed when they

have reached the heaviest weights and before their flesh hardens. These birds

are most profitably raised by being allowed free range where they grow from

the time they leave the brooder or the mother hen to the time they are sold.

Frequently they are fattened for two weeks or so before going to the market.

Capons

Farmers who cannot handle large numbers of early chicks can dispose of surplus

cockerels as capons or ordinary roasters. Cockerels can be caponized, fattened

to add weight and sold at much higher prices. Capons do not quarrel therefore

can be kept in large flocks.

Layers

The production of layers is another specialized area of the poultry business. Egg

farmers are glad to pay higher prices for pullets raised to the point of lay

avoiding risks of deaths and other uncertainties incidental to raising chicks.

Profits are maximized when losses arising out of chick mortality are kept low.

This business does well where commercial egg producers go directly into egg

production without the hustles of raising chicks.

Turkeys

The huge demand for turkeys and the best prices come around December

during the Christmas holidays. Turkey production does not interfere with other

poultry because turkeys get along well with the chickens and because they

cover a wider field in their foraging. They do best where there is unrestricted

range. Hatching can be done so that the poults grow to salable size in time to

reach the markets.

Ducks

Duck farming is a business for the specialist and unless carried out carefully it is

not likely to be profitable. The business demands skilled labor in feeding and

dressing. Although ducks are in small demand, there is a small market for

breeding stock and a few duck farmers are making money in this niche. If there

is a good local market for ducks it may be worthwhile to take up this branch of

poultry farming experimentally on a small scale and develop it as you gain

experience. The demand for ducks is steadily increasing in the local markets

and you may find it profitable to expand.

Geese

Geese require extensive space to become profitable. They cannot be

economically raised in confinement. Where farms have swamps or large water

pools, such lands can be made profitable by means of geese. The birds

practically feed themselves on pasture. All the breeding flock needs is a dry

place to sleep and moderate feeding. The markets for geese are more or less

the same as that for ducks.

Ostrich

Ostrich farming is fast gaining popularity with current demand for ostrich

breeding stock far surpassing supply resulting in very high prices for all ages of

birds. Demand for products such as skin or hide, plumage, and meat are also

increasing. Profitable business depends on demonstrated practices in

management and husbandry; breeding, brooding and rearing; nutrition, health

maintenance and, above all, hatchery management and incubation. Extensive

production system and maximum utilization of quality forage is necessary to

make production economically feasible.

Guineas Fowl

The guinea bird has a game flavor and can be sold as various kinds of flesh in

restaurants as a substitute for a range of game as well as being sold under its

own name. This fact has encouraged the growing of guinea birds to supply the

demand. Like the turkey the guinea bird thrives best where there is ample free

range, and unless one is sure of the market, you better not engage in guinea

bird farming. Guineas are more exacting in their demands than turkeys, but

where one has the space and is sure of a good market it may be well to make a

venture in this direction.

Pigeons

Many people have been induced to go into the production of pigeon squabs. This

is a niche market and while there are successes in this line of poultry

production, the demand is low and the price is about fixed, so that it is not

advisable to go into this business without knowing the market. The business is a

specialist's line, and not adapted for ordinary farm conditions.

Raising turkeys

Raising turkeys is easy if you know how to go about it. Turkeys can be raised

for eggs, meat, exhibition, as rare breeds, pets or for business venture.

Whatever your reason for choosing these fascinating birds, you need to know

how to raise them properly, from planning their birth to how to raise them

properly and make a profit.

Getting started with turkeys

The easiest and least expensive way to get started with turkeys is to buy day-

old turkeys. Another way is to buy turkey hens and a tom (adult male turkey).

Either way the aim is to have vibrant flock of turkeys.

The incubation period is 28 days in turkey. There are two methods of

incubation. You can choose to incubate the eggs naturally or artificially.

Naturally turkeys are good brooders and the broody hen can hatch 10-15 eggs.

Select clean eggs with good eggshell and shape for brooding for high

hatchability and healthy poults.

Although there are many places to order turkey poults (baby turkeys), it is

important to investigate and decide which breed is best for you. Getting poults

locally is better and less stressful for the birds. Day old poults are available at

Nyonjoro Nightngale in Naivasha.

Brooding in turkey takes 0-4 weeks. Turkey poults need double hover space as

compared to chicken, at 1.5 ft2 per bird. Brooding day old poults can be done

using infra red bulbs, gas brooder or traditional brooding systems.

You will need to set up a brooder area before the birds arrive. Line it with about

1 inch of wood shavings and provide a source of heat to keep the birds

warm. Keep the birds warm and dry (see Temperature control for brooding

broiler chicks ) in a round design of the brooder to keep them from piling in a

corner and suffocating each other. Temperature at the floor level for the first

week should be between 32o and 38o C. Thereafter withdraw the heat source to

reduce the floor temperature by 2oC degrees each week for the next 4 weeks.

Common litter materials used for brooding are wood shavings, saw dust, paddy

husk, chopped saw etc. The thickness of the litter material should be 2 inch at

the beginning and may be increased to 3-4 inch in the course of time by gradual

addition. The litter should be raked at frequent intervals to prevent caking.

Give the birds a larger area to roam in the second week. A 20 cm-by 20 cm

space per bird will be enough for the next three weeks. When the birds start

perching on the top of the waterer or on the brood walls provide a 1 to 2 inch

roost 1 foot off the floor.

If temperatures are conducive you can let birds 6 weeks and older to go outside

for a while each day but keeping them confined when it is rainy and cold. The

birds will be ready to go on pasture by 8 weeks.

Feeding turkeys

It takes about 3.25 kg of feed to produce 1 kg of live turkey weight.

A feeder and waterer for every 25 birds is needed. Start your turkeys on starter

mash. Make sure there is plenty of starter mash in the feeders, and that the

poults have fresh, clean water at all times.

By the tenth week the poult should be ready to switch from starter mash to a

growers mash. Include grit and continue giving it with the mash two times a

week. The turkey will also need greens and other foods added to its diet. In

intensive system, greens can be fed up to 50% of the total diet on dry mash

basis. Fresh Lucerne is first class green feed for turkeys of all ages. Foods such

as cracked maize grains and soya bean meal are also great choices. Other

supplements such as vitamins and minerals when should be added. This will

ensure that they stay healthy and grow up without any problems.

To avoid leg weakness and lameness in free ranging birds, calcium should be

supplemented at the rate of 250gm per week per bird in the form of oyster

shell. Ten percent of feed can be substituted with vegetable waste to reduce the

cost of feed. Turkeys are very good scavengers consuming earthworms, small

insects, snails, kitchen waste and termites all rich in protein and this can reduce

the feed cost by fifty percent.

Make sure that they have fresh water at all times and feed is adequate. Water

should be about body temperature to prevent turkeys from cold.

Turkeys don't add fat until they are 22 weeks. Turkeys are ready for slaughter

when the pinfeathers have disappeared and there is a fine layer of fat covering

the body. It takes about 24-28 weeks to completely finish a turkey. This usually

comes about when the birds reach 8 kg or more depending on the breed. For

the best quality meat grains given to the bird should be at least 70% maize by

the 20th week. Also allow the birds to be on fresh grass pasture throughout the

finishing period until the last 18 hours. Separate and give plenty of fresh clean

water without food in the last 18 hours before slaughter.

Breeds and breeding turkeys

Turkeys

Turkeys are not classified into breeds. Nonetheless seven

standard varieties are distinguished - Bronze, White Holland,

Bourbon red, Narragansett, Black, Slate, Beltsville small

white. In Kenya the two common varieties are the Bronze and

the White Holland types.

Broad breasted bronze

The basic plumage color is black and not bronze. The females have black breast

feathers with white tips, which help in sex determination as early as 12 weeks

of age. This fast-growing modern bird has plenty of breast meat, usually two to

four times the amount of breast meat as a wild turkey. They reach a dressed

weight of 7 to 11 Kg in about 24 weeks.

Broad breasted white

This is a cross between Board breasted bronze and White Holland with white

feathers. White plumage turkeys are suitable to hot climatic conditions as they

have better heat tolerance and also good and clean in appearance after

dressing.

In natural mating the male to female ratio is 1:5 for medium type turkeys and

1:3 for large types. On average 40-50 poults is expected form each breeder

hen. Toms are rarely used for mating after first year due to reduced fertility.

Toms tends to develop an affinity towards a particular female therefore change

the toms every 15 days.

Rearing systems for turkeys

Turkeys can be reared under free range or intensive system. Read Examples of

housing systems for poultry.

Under free range conditions, one acre of fenced land can accommodate 200-250

adult turkeys. Provide shelter during the night at 3-4 ft2 per bird and protect

from predators such as dogs, foxes and raccoons during scavenging. Planting of

trees is desirable for providing shade and cooler environment. Rotate the range

on a weekly basis to reduce incidence of parasite infestation. You can build a

moveable turkey roost which can be moved to fresh range as needed. Using

moveable roosts will keep manure from building up inside the pen. A 5 by 8 ft

roost will shelter up to 20 turkeys.

When turkeys are reared under deep litter system, the general management

conditions are similar to that of chicken but care should be taken to provide

adequate floor, waterer and feeder space to accommodate the large bird.

Husbandry practices of turkey

Debeaking

Poults should be debeaked to control feather picking and cannibalism.

Debeaking can be done at day old or 3-5 weeks of age. Remove the beak at

about a half the distance from the nostril to the tip of the beak.

Desnooding

Removal of the snood or dew bill is done to prevent head injuries arising from

picking and fighting. It is done when they are one day old by using the

thumbnail or finger pressure. At 3 weeks of age it can be cut off close to the

head with sharp scissors.

Toe clipping

Clipping of the toe is done at day old by removing the tip of the toe just to the

inside of the outer most toe pad including the entire toenail.

Catching and handling of turkeys

Using a stick drive the turkeys to a darkened room where they can be picked up

with both legs without any injury. Mature turkeys should not be kept hanging

for more than 3-4 minutes.

Turkey health

Be aware of the common health problems that turkeys face so you can be

prepared when your turkeys get sick. Turkeys in the free range system are

highly susceptible to internal (round worms) and external parasites (fowl mite).

Hence deworming and dipping once a month is essential to improve the growth

of the birds.

Turkeys are also susceptible to fungal diseases, viral diseases, and bacterial

diseases of poultry such as Arizonosis, Blue comb disease , Chronic respiratory

disease, Erysipelas , Fowl cholera, Fowl pox, New Castle disease,

Paratyphoid, Turkey coryza, Coccidiosis, Turkey venereal disease and others.

Vaccination Schedule

Day Old New Castle Disease

– B1 Strain

4th & 5th Week Fowl Pox

6th Week New Castle Disease

– (R2B)

8 – 10 Week Cholera Vaccine

Marketing turkeys

The dressing percentage of turkey is 80-87%, which is highest of all farm

species.

A market study shows that a male turkey at 24 weeks of age weighing 10 to 20

kg is sold for an average of Ksh 500 per Kg and it can go a bit higher during the

Christmas holiday season. The net profit of a turkey is pretty substantial.

You can package turkeys in neat freezer bags or sell the turkey live for less

money, the choice is yours.

###################### END ####################

Examples of housing systems for poultry

When selecting an appropriate housing system for layers it is important to

determine the needs of both the chickens and the people operating. A system

that is labor efficient, reasonable in investment and easy to manage can be

designed after considering the factors that affect the comfort, protection,

efficiency and production of layers.

There are five major systems used in housing of layers:

Semi-intensive, deep litter, slatted or wire floor, a combination of slatted and

deep litter; and cage or battery system.

Semi-intensive poultry housing systems

Semi-intensive systems are commonly used by small scale producers and are

characterized by having one or more pens in which the birds can forage on

natural vegetation and insects to supplement the feed supplied. Provide at least

two runs for alternating use to avoid build up of disease and parasites. Each run

should allow at least 10 to 15m2 per hen and be fenced. A free-range allowing

40 to 80m2 per hen is required where the hens are expected to obtain a

substantial part of their diet by foraging.

Small simple poultry house

A small, simple house, which allows 0.3 to 0.4m2 per bird, and which has

thatched roof, a littered earth floor and slatted or chicken wire walls on at least

three sides will provide protection from rough weather, from predators at night

and offer shade in the day time. The shelter should be large enough to enter to

collect eggs and be equipped with nest boxes, feeders, drinkers and perches.

For convenience the house should be situated so that access to each of the runs

can be provided with small outlet doors.

Poultry shelter for 50 layers

Poultry shelter for 50 layers - side view

Here is an example of a shelter for roosting

and laying, which can be used in combination

with daytime foraging by the hens. The legs of

this structure have rat guards and ant

protection and may be equipped with skids or

wheels to make the whole unit easily movable

between runs. Feed and water are provided in

troughs outside the house.

This system is low in cost, but growth of the

birds and egg production are likely to be less

than with systems offering closer confinement

and better feed. Losses may be encountered

by birds of prey and from failure to find eggs

laid in bushy areas. The poultry run requires a

considerable amount of fencing.

Top view - poultry shelter for 50 layers

Fold unit

Fold unit for 18 layers

A fold unit is a house and run combined,

having part of it covered with chicken wire and

the remainder with solid walls. The unit should

allow 0.5m2 per bird and must be moved each

day over an area of grassland. A unit 6 by

1.5m will take 16 to 18 birds. For larger flocks

several such units are required.

Portable units are generally more expensive

than permanent houses and may decay quickly

because of contact with the ground. Hens have

reasonable protection against bird of prey and

rough weather and parasites if the unit is not

returned to the same area within 30 days.

A yard deeply littered with straw and allowing

only 0.4 to 0.7m2 per bird provide for an

outdoor exercise area in areas where

grassland is limited. This system is similar to

the deep litter system but it requires more

space, more litter for the yard and fresh green

food has to be carried to the birds.

Deep litter housing system

Deep litter house for 130 layers

Deep litter house for 130 layers - side

view

Here is an example of a deep litter house for

130 layers (or 350 broilers). The birds are

confined and well protected. With low masonry

walls set on a concrete floor and wire mesh on

the upper part of the walls, the building

excludes rats and birds.

Rough cast and other materials can be used

for the walls. The house can be designed up to

9m in width and any length that is needed.

The density of birds is approximately 4 to 5

birds/m2 of floor area.

Slatted or wire floor housing system

Wire mesh or wooden slatted floors are used

instead of deep litter. A slatted floor house for

50 layers is shown below. The house can be

built on treated wooden piers 0.8 to 1m above

the ground. Ventilation and manure removal

Slatted floor house for 50 layers

Slatted floor house for 50 layers - side

view

are both facilitated and bird density can be 6

to 8 per m2.

A thatch roof or corrugated iron roof may be

used with the eaves about 1.5m above the

floor. If the latter is used, some insulation

under the roof is required.

The feed troughs should be equipped with

hinged covers and rat guards should be

installed at the top of each pier. The width of

this type of building should be limited to about

2m to allow easy removal of manure and

adequate wall space for feed and nests.

The building should be oriented east and west

and may be of any length. However, if it is

more than 5m long, nests will need to be put

on the sides and all remaining wall space on

either side used for feeders in order to allow

the required 100mm/bird.

If using a slatted floor made sufficiently strong

for a person to walk on, then a wider building

is feasible as feeders can be placed completely

inside where the chickens have access to both

sides of the trough. The floor is sectioned for

easy removal during cleaning out of manure.

This type of houses is cooler than other types,

but the building cost is high and management

is more complicated.

Combination of slatted floor and deep

litter

Poultry house with 1/3 deep litter and 2/3

slatted floor for 1100 to 1200 layers

A combination deep litter, slatted floor house,

offers some advantage over simple deep litter

house, but with some increase in investment.

Approximately ½ of the floor area is covered

with small gum pole slats or with wire mesh.

This area is raised above the concrete floor

0.5m or more so that cleaning under the

slatted portion may be done from the outside.

Waterers and feeders are placed on the slatted

area. This type of house is limited in width to 3

to 4m so that feeders and waterers can be

handled from the litter area and manure

beneath the slatted area can be easily

removed from the outside without moving the

slats or disturbing the birds. Although this

system entails added expenses for materials

and labor to install the slats, the bird density

can be increased to 5 to 7 per m2, so there is

little difference in the cost per bird.

This system saves on litter, increases litter life,

reduces contact between birds and manure,

and allows manure removal without disturbing

the hens. Ventilation is improved due to the

slatted floor. Perhaps the biggest disadvantage

is the limited width for convenient operation

and the need for some litter.

In medium to large scale houses of this type

the slatted floor must be made removable in

sections and at least part of it made strong to

walk on. An increased building cost and a more

complicated management will result, however.

Poultry house with 1/3 deep litter and 2/3

slatted floor for 1100 to 1200 layers

The house shown has slats over 2/3 of the

floor area. This is generally considered

maximum for this type of house and allows for

stocking density of up to 8 birds per m2.

Automatic tube feeders are placed on the

slatted floor. One such feeder, with a bottom

diameter of 0.6m can serve for 60 to 75 birds,

depending on size of breed.

The water troughs are suspended from the

ceiling. The nest boxes are doubled by

arranging them back to back and have one

end resting on the slatted floor and the other

suspended from the ceiling. Egg collection can

be facilitated by use of a trolley, which is

supported on a rail just below the ceiling.

Cleaning out between batches can be done by

a tractor shovel, if all furnishings and part of

the end walls are made removable.

Cage or battery systems

Open layer house and cage arrangement

There are much simpler cage systems that

may work very well for commercial growers in

Kenya. These consist of rows of stairs-step

cages in long narrow shelters. The thatch roof

or insulated metal roof shelter can be

completely open on the sides with perhaps

some hessian curtains in areas where cold

winds are experienced. The building should be

oriented east and west and designed to

provide shade for the cages near the ends.

A 3.4 metre length will allow for four cages

without overlap and alley of about 0.9m. While

a concrete floor makes cleaning easy, smooth

hard soil is less expensive and quite

satisfactory. A little loose sand or other litter

spread on the soil before the manure collects

will make manure removal easier. The building

posts should be treated with wood

preservative and sturdy enough to support the

cages. Rat guard should be installed on the

posts at a height of 0.8 to 1m. A central alley,

raised 20cm and cast of concrete is easily

cleaned and keeps manure from encroaching

on the work area. Feeding and egg collecting

are easily done by hand or with an automatic

system. It is important that the watering

trough be carefully adjusted so that all birds

receive water. The simplest method of

supplying water automatically or by hand at

one end is to slope the entire building and row

of cages 10mm/3m of length.

##################################### END ###################################

Temperature control for brooding broiler chicks

There are two basic systems of temperature control for brooding broiler chicks

i.e. spot brooding where the heat source is local, and whole house brooding

where the heat source is widely spread.

In both spot and whole-house brooding systems, the objective is to stimulate

both appetite and activity as early as possible. Achieving the optimum

temperature is critical.

At all stages, monitor chick behavior to ensure that the chick is experiencing an

adequate temperature. If subsequent behavior indicates that the chicks are too

cold or too hot, the temperature of the house should be adjusted accordingly.

Open layer house and cage arrangement

The trough can then be attached parallel with

the cages. Water must run the total length of

the trough and it is inevitable that some will be

wasted. Consequently a good water supply is

essential.

Even though feed is distributed by hand, feed

stores should be built convenient to each

building to reduce carrying to a minimum.

Eggs can be collected directly on to the flats

that are stacked on a cart which is pushed

down the alley. The cart can be made self-

guiding by means of side rollers that follow

along the edge of the feed troughs or the

raised central alley.

Optimal temperature and humidity are critical for health and appetite

development. Monitor temperature and relative humidity frequently and

regularly; at least twice daily in the first 5 days and daily thereafter. Use normal

thermometers to check the temperatures at the chick level.

Ventilation without drafts is required during the brooding period to maintain

temperatures and relative humidity (RH) at the correct level. It allows sufficient

air exchange to prevent the accumulation of waste gases such as carbon dioxide

and ammonia.

It is good practice to establish a minimum ventilation rate from day one. This

will ensure that fresh air is supplied to the chicks at frequent and regular

intervals. Internal circulation fans can be used to maintain evenness of air

quality and temperature at chick level.

If a choice has to be made, maintenance of brooding temperatures should take

priority over ventilation and air exchange. Young chicks are prone to wind-chill

effects, therefore actual floor/air speed should be less than 0.15 m/sec or as

low as possible.

Humidity

Monitor RH within the broiler house daily. If it falls below 50% in the first week,

the environment will be dry and dusty. The chicks will begin to dehydrate and

be predisposed to respiratory problems and performance will be adversely

affected. Take action to increase RH. RH can be increased by using a backpack

portable sprayer to spray the walls with a fine mist.

As the chick grows, the ideal RH falls. High RH (above 70%) from 18 days

onwards can cause wet litter and its associated problems. As the broilers

increase in live weight, RH levels can be controlled using ventilation and heating

systems.

Spot Brooding

The heat source is local so chicks can move away to cooler areas and thus

select for themselves a preferred temperature. Chicks are placed in an initial

stocking density of 40 chicks/m2. If stocking density is increased, the number

of feeders and drinkers, and the heating capacity of the brooder, should also be

increased accordingly.

Spot Brooding Behavior

Chick behavior is the best indicator of correct brooder temperature. With spot

brooding, correct temperature is indicated by chicks being evenly spread

throughout the brooding area as shown below. In the diagram, the brooder area

is shown as the red center circle.

Typical chick behavior at different temperatures

Whole-house Brooding

The heat source is larger and more widely spread so chicks are less able to

move to select a preferred temperature. The whole house or a defined part of

the house is heated by ‘forced air heaters’ only and the aim is to achieve one

temperature in the house or air space. There is no temperature gradient within

the house, although supplementary brooders might also be provided. The main

whole-house heat source can be direct or indirect (using hot air).

Whole-house Brooding Behavior

Chick behavior is the best indicator of correct temperature. The different

distribution of chicks in whole-house brooding at different temperatures is

shown below. With whole-house brooding, correct temperature is indicated by

chicks forming groups of 20–30, with movement occurring between groups.

There should be continuous feeding and drinking within the flock.

Typical chick behavior at different whole house temperatures

Carefully monitor and control house temperature and humidity when whole-

house brooding is practiced.

############################################### END ################################

How to stop laying hens from going broody

Poultry keepers with commercial layers will be concerned if a sizeable number of

hens in the flock go broody. It means a drop in egg collection therefore a

reduction in the paycheck. Stopping or breaking broodiness of the affected hens

will therefore become a priority. It is sensible to try and discourage hens from

broodiness because it halts egg laying.

Broodiness is a hen's instinct to set on a nest and hatch eggs. If you are

breeding chickens, this may be a favorable quality. However, if you are raising

chickens for eggs, a broody hen can be problematic. She can make collecting

eggs near impossible, can starve to death sitting on a nest of unfertilized eggs

waiting for them to hatch or may take over the nesting area, preventing other

hens from laying. Breaking up a broody hen quickly is essential. The longer she

is left to brood the longer it will take to break her.

The first step in stopping laying hens from going broody is to identify the broody

hens. This is easy if you only have a few hens but when the flock is large the

exercise can be daunting. Generally broody hens want to sit on the eggs almost

continually breaking briefly for food and toilet. Hens stay on the nest longer and

longer each day and never seems to leave the nestbox. Hens pull out feathers

under the belly and get aggressive, screeching to be left alone. They growl or

peck at you if you reach for the eggs under her. The body temperature rises

and hens want to be comfortable. This state can last about one to one and a

half months then get back to normal. Thereafter they take a few weeks to start

laying again. Any time longer than that may mean some other reason for not

laying.

The basic principle for breaking broodiness revolves around stopping the hens

from getting too comfortable. Poultry keepers have devised techniques of

achieving this but some are not good for the hens’ health, others even weird

and are not recommended. One example I came across is putting the broody

hen inside a big gunny bag, folding the top and hanging it up overnight.

The water bath

This is not very effective. A hen broods in order to keep the incubating eggs

warm. Her body temperature rises, telling her it's time to set a nest. A cool, not

cold, water bath will cool her body temperature, breaking her broodiness.

Isolation

Removing the broody hens away from other laying hens and putting them in

temporary housing for a week where they cannot settle into a nest. Feed and

water is provided. This method is fairly effective and the hen should stop her

broodiness within a week.

Wire cage

Putting the hen inside a propped up wire cage for one to two days. Food and

water is provided in the cage. This method is very successful. The airflow keeps

the hens cool and after a few days they stop being broody.

Light

Nesting boxes are usually dark, secluded and comfortable places. These

conditions trigger the instinct to brood. Make it uncomfortable for hens to stay

in the nests by increasing the amount of light up to 14 hours a day.

Rooster

Isolating a broody hen with a rooster to keep the her busy and forget about

brooding. That is if you don’t mind the hens laying fertilized eggs later.

Starvation

Depriving hens of feed and water to break the broodiness. But this is not good

for the bird. Lack of feed weakens an already weak bird and lack of water for

several days can damage the liver.

Ice cubes

Holding a hen’s stomach in a container full of ice water until it shivers. This is a

cruel technique that can kill the hen and it is not recommended. A hen's body

temperature is above average while broody and the cold water can shock her

into a heart attack or cause other health problems.

Fake eggs

Giving fake eggs to a hen to sit on and waiting for it to become bored and

leave. This one cannot work. Hens that are broody will not leave until the eggs

are hatched. She will literally sit on the nest until she dies of starvation.

Remove Eggs

Regularly remove eggs from the nests. Generally, a hen won't incubate a single

egg. She'll accumulate several eggs, called a clutch, and stop laying. By

regularly removing eggs from the nest, the hen will have nothing to incubate

and will keep laying.