Monogastric Animal Production PDF

ANS 211 MONOGASTRIC PRODUCTION Mrs. O.B. ABILORO DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL SCIENCE FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE UNIVERSITY OF BENIN  PIG PRODUCTION Pig originated from Eurasian wild boars its an animal in the genus Sus within the suidae family of even toed ungulat...

ANS 211 MONOGASTRIC PRODUCTION Mrs. O.B. ABILORO DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL SCIENCE FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE UNIVERSITY OF BENIN  PIG PRODUCTION Pig originated from Eurasian wild boars its an animal in the genus Sus within the suidae family of even toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig and its ancestor the wild boar, the domestic pig is called Sus scrofa domesticus, although the scrofa is reserved for its ancestor. Pig was domesticated about 5000 to 7000 years ago.  CLASSIFICATION OF PIG Kingdom – Animalia Phylum – Chordata Class – Mammalia Sub class – Theria Infra class – Theria Order – Artiodactyla Family – Suidae Sub family – Suinae Genus – Sus  TERMINOLOGIES IN PIG PRODUCTION A.I – Artificial Insemination Boar – Male pig with intact testicles Barrow – Male pig castrated before reaching maturity Hog – Castrated male pig Stag - Adult male pig castrated later in life Sow – Female pig which has farrowed at least once  TERMINOLOGIES CONT’D Gilt – Young female pig that has not produced a litter Barrener – Sterile female Farrow – To give birth to young ones Herd – Group of swine Shoat – Swine of both sex weighing 30 – 80kg Litter – Piglets i.e young ones Wallow – water filled container large enough for pigs to cool off  TERMINOLOGIES CONT’D Gestation period – Pregnancy, lasting for about 114days (3months, 3weeks, 3days) in swine Castrate – Removal of testicles surgically Creep feed – High protein supplement given to piglets before weaning Weaning – Removal of young ones from their mother Runt – Smallest or weak pig in a litter  BREEDS OF PIGS There are 100 recognised breeds and an estimation of 230 varieties of pig in the world. They are classified into; Indigenous breed Exotic breed  INDIGENOUS BREEDS They can be found throughout the country. They have small body size and shorter leg compared to the exotic They also possess a typical unimproved conformation of large head  INDIGENEOUS PIGS CONT’D They have well developed forequarter and relatively light hindquarter which renders them more mobile They have very slow growth rate and poor carcass characteristics They however have the ability to strive on low quality diets in a stressful environment They are better able to feed on forage and root for themselves.  INDIGENEOUS PIGS CONT’D They attain sexual maturity early Their female shows first sign of oestrus as early as three (3) months of age but have low prolificacy rate In recent years, there has been a steady decline in the population of these breeds of pigs in Nigeria Examples include; wild boar (Jangali Bandel), Pygmi Bandel, hurra pig of Nepal, chwanche, banmpudke, pakhribas black pig and dharane kalo banggur. MUKOTA BLACK KUNEKUNE WILD BOAR WILD BOAR PYGMI BANDEL PYGMI BANDEL PYGMI BANDEL HURRA GHURRAH PIG CHUWANCHE  EXOTIC BREEDS They are the most common breeds in commercial pig production They produce lean meat combined with efficient conversion of feed to meat compared to the local breed.  EXOTIC BREEDS CONT’D Examples include; Yorkshire (large white) landrace, hampshire, duroc, tibetan, meishan and tamworth.  YORKSHIRE (LARGE WHITE) They possess the following traits:  They are white in colour  long body  erect ears and  are good mothers.  YORKSHIRE (LARGE WHITE)CONT’D The live weight of a matured male range from 300 – 450Kg and the female from 250 – 350kg. The breed can be used for both pork and bacon production. It is a fairly herdy animal but will suffer from sun burn if not kept in a building out of the sun.  YORKSHIRE (LARGE WHITE)CONT’D It is highly prolific with a litter size of 12 and weaning percentage of less than 70% with 7 pairs of teats. It is widely used for upgrading local breeds of pigs.  LANDRACE It is white in colour with a large dropping ears (pointing forward). They are noted for having the highest number of pigs per litter size.  LANDRACE CONT’D The average live weight of matured male is 310 – 400kg and female is 250 – 300kg. They are good for bacon production.  LANDRACE CONT’D They possess high prolificacy rate with litter size of 11 and a good weaning rate. LANDRACE LANDRACE LANDRACE  HAMPSHIRE They are black in colour Has white belt around the forequarter They possess a wide ear pointing forward and covering their eyes They are muscular than Yorkshire and landrace  HAMPSHIRE CONT’D Their average live weight for matured male is 300kg Matured female is 250kg. They are good for bacon production  HAMPSHIRE CONT’D They are highly prolific with a litter size of 9 and has a high weaning rate. HAMPSHIRE HAMPSHIRE HAMPSHIRE  DUROC They possess partial dropping ears and are desireable as sires. They are red in colour and are muscular. They have a high growth rate than all other breeds  DUROC CONT’D with an average live weight of their matured male as 300kg and female 250kg They are highly prolific with litter size of 9 and a high weaning rate.  DUROC CONT’D They are herdy animal that can su r vi ve ve r y w e ll i n t r op i c a l climate and i t i s g e n e r a lly u se d for c r oss- breeding. DUROC DUROC DUROC  TAMWORTH They are herdy animal with ginger, golden red to dark red colour. They possess a long head, erect ears They have straight face and snout with a long narrow body  TAMWORTH CONT’D They are slow maturing with the boar weighing 245 – 265kg and sow 200 – 300kg. They produces smaller litters than other commercial breeds. TAMWORTH TAMWORTH TAMWORTH  TIBETAN They possess black hair coat with long dense bristles. They have highly developed digestive organs with ability to deposit fat in the body  TIBETAN CONT’D Their internal and visceral fat is about 15% of the body weight. They possess low prolificacy rate with average litter size of 5 and a weaning percentage of 65 with 5 pairs of teat. TIBETAN TIBETAN  P ROD U C TION S Y S TEMS IN S W I N E The major production systems in swine industry are: Feeder pig production Feeder pig finishing and Farrow to finish production  FEEDER PIG PRODUCTION This type of production produces pig for the finishing operations. This system fits best on the farm where there is no much concentrated feed to finish the pig production  FEEDER PIG PRODUCTION CONT’D but adequate labour and facilities for management are available. This system is suitable for a part-time farmer with a small farm.  FEEDER PIG FINISHING Th i s pr od u c t i on syst e m i n volve s purchase of young pigs (about 20kg or above) and feeding them to market weight.  FARROW TO FINISH This combine both feeder pig and feeder finishing. The farmer produces the feeder pigs and raises them to market size.  FEEDING OF PIGS Pigs are usually fed in phases which may be divided into the following; Milk Creep feeding Weaners diet Growers diet Finisher/fattener diet and Breeders stock feed.  FEEDING OF PIGS CONT’D Milk: piglets suckle milk from the sow right from birth till when they are weaned. Creep feeding: this is feed introduced th to the piglets from about the 10 day of farrowing till when the piglets is about 10kg live weight.  FEEDING OF PIGS CONT’D Th e c re e p fe e d is usua lly h ig h in protein, it contains aroung 24% crude protein. Weaners diet: this is given to the piglets immediately they are weaned and weighs 10 – 25kg live weight. The diet contains 22% crude protein.  FEEDING OF PIGS CONT’D Growers diet: The pigs are fed growers diet containing 18% crude protein when they reach about 25 – 60kg live weight. Finisher / Fattener diet: This feed usually contains 14 – 16% CP and it fed to pigs when they attain the 60 – 80kg live weight.  FEEDING OF PIGS CONT’D Breeder Stock: the breeders stock are fed the following Breeder diets contains 15% CP for breeders weighing about 70kg and above live weight. Lactation diet contains 15 – 16% CP is fed to sow after farrowing until piglets are weaned.  FEEDING OF PIGS CONT’D Flushing: This is the provision of high energy and protein diets to breeding pigs usually gilts, sows and occasionally boars This is to enhance the capacity of their ovaries to produce more ova or eggs during oestrus  FEEDING OF PIGS CONT’D and the boar to produce virile and adequate volume of sperm. Pre – farrowing feed: this feed is provided a week before farrowing, both in quantity and quality of feed given.  SYSTEMS OF PIG PRODUCTION The systems of pig production include: Extensive system Semi – intensive system Intensive system Integrated system  EXTENSIVE SYSTEM This system is mostly practiced in sub – sahara Africa. It’s a traditional system in which pigs are never confined but only at night or seasonally to protect crops.  SEMI – INTENSIVE This system does not require high level of management and it saves labour. The pigs are kept outside in a fenced enclosure where they can roam about, they are also provided feed and the piglets are kept inside the pens.  INTENSIVE SYSTEM In this system, the pigs are housed in – doors. The grower pigs are housed in group housing or straw lined sheds while pregnant sows are housed in gestation crates or pens  INTENSIVE SYSTEM CONT’D and they give birth in farrowing crates This system allows pigs condition to be monitored ensuring minimum fatalities and increased productivity.  INTEGRATED SYSTEM This is the integration of pig production with other enterprise. Numerous combinations can be used in t h i s syst e m su c h a s fi sh fa r mi n g , production of algae, vegetable production, methane production.  INTEGRATED SYSTEM CONT’D all these are produced alongside pig production These will enhance the efficiency of resources and increase output for the overall enterprise.  GENERAL PRINCILPES OF MANAGEMENT IN PIG PRODUCTION They include: Provision of ion Provision of wallow or sprinkling water Selection for breeding Culling  GENERAL PRINCILPES OF MANAGEMENT IN PIG PRODUCTION. CONT’D Hygiene Tagging for identification Handling and restraint  RABBIT PRODUCTION TERMINOLOGIES IN RABBIT PRODUCTION Breeding: mating of the doe and buck Buck: a male rabbit Doe: a female rabbit Bunny: a baby rabbit  TERMINOLOGIES IN RABBIT PRODUCTION. CONT’D Cage: a compartment generally 2 by 4 feet used for housing adult rabbit Caprophagy: refers to rabbit eating their own faeces. They re-ingest soft night droppings to pass through the digestive tract again.  TERMINOLOGIES IN RABBIT PRODUCTION. CONT’D This traits has made researchers to call rabbits PSEUDO-RUMINANT because its common with ruminant to chew cud by regurgitating the feed and chewing it again. Dry d oe : t h e pe riod of t ime from weaning the young to the next breeding period  TERMINOLOGIES IN RABBIT PRODUCTION. CONT’D Foster mother: a doe that nurses the bunnies of another mother in addition to her own bunnies Fryer: a bunny from 2 to 4 months old when its meat is prime weighing about 900g to 1.5kg Gestation: duration of doe’s pregnancy from mating to kindling  TERMINOLOGIES IN RABBIT PRODUCTION. CONT’D Hutch: a string or line of cages Kindling: giving birth to young rabbits Lactation: nursing period where the bunny feed on milk from the doe or otherwise, from kindling to about eight weeks Molting: the act of shedding or changing fur  TERMINOLOGIES IN RABBIT PRODUCTION. CONT’D Palpation: a method of determining the a c c u r a c y of t h e d oe ’ s pr e g n a n c y usually on the 12 th to 14 th day after mating Weaning: time when bunnies are separated from their mother usually at 2 months of age.  BREEDS OF RABBIT There are many breeds of rabbits all around the world; Here are some of the breeds American American chinchilla American fuzzy cop American sable Belgian hare Beveren  BREEDS OF RABBIT. CONT’D Blanc de hotot Britannia petite Californian Champagne d’ Argent Chickered giant Cinnamon Cream d’ Argent Dutch  BREEDS OF RABBIT. CONT’D Dwarf hotot English angora English hop Flemish giant Florida white French angora Giant angora  BREEDS OF RABBIT. CONT’D Giant chinchilla New Zealand Netherland dwarf Polish Rex etc  BREEDS OF RABBIT. CONT’D CARLIFONIAN It was the first breed in the 1920’s, it was bred with the intent of creating a better commercial meat rabbit. It resulted from the crosses between standard Chinchilla and White New Zealand.  CARLIFONIAN. CONT’D The carlifonian is white with pink eyes and dark points on the ears, feet and tail. The colour of the points can be black, chocolate, blue or lilac. The adult buck usually weighs 3.6 to 4.5kg and the doe 3.9 to 4.8kg. CARLIFONIAN CARLIFONIAN CARLIFONIAN  NEW ZEALAND It’s a very popular commercial rabbit usually in various colours; white, red, blue and black. It has deep white bodies and smooth flesh covering. They are multi-purpose rabbits that can be raised for meat, pelt, show and labouratory purposes  NEW ZEALAND. CONT’D They are also bred as pet Their ears usually stands straight They are medium to large rabbit The buck usually weighs 4 - 5kg and the doe weighs 4.5 - 5.4kg. T he d oe ca n b e us e d s ucce s s f ul l y f or breeding at about 5 -8 months of age as they become fertile at 8 – 12 weeks of age NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND  FLORIDA WHITE This breed resulted from crosses between albino dutch, albino polish and small new zealand white rabbits It was mainly developed in florida for labouratory purpose but later considered as a multipurpose rabbit Although it is smaller than many other breeds of rabbits It is small with a compact body with their ears and head round and sturdy  FLORIDA WHITE. CONT’D It is usually pure white in colour without any markings on its body with pink eyes They have execellent meat conversion ratio The buck usually weighs 1.8 - 2.7kg likewise the doe. The does can kindle 6-8 bunnies per litter They have an average life span of 5-8years FLORIDA WHITE FLORIDA WHITE  DUTCH This breed of rabbit was first developed in England It’s a popular breed easily distinguished by its markings which is usually white blaze or white stripe around the front torso including the front legs and white on the end of the hind feet.  DUTCH. CONT’D The rest of the body is either chocolate, black, blue, brown gray, steel, lilac or tortoise colour. The eye colour is brown with a shade of dark brown to blue grey Their markings are pure genetic traits. The buck and doe usually weighs 1.6 – 2.5kg. DUTCH DUTCH DUTCH  FLEMISH GIANT This breed of rabbit originated from Flanders in Belgium The y are large rabbits use d of te n in the production of meat, it is also bred for other purposes such as shows, breeding, as pet and fur. An adult Flemish giant has a very wide back It weighs between 5 – 6kg for both female and male.  FLEMISH GIANT cont’d The y can p roduce large litte rs usually between 5 and 12 bunnies It takes flemish giants one and half year to attain their maximum weight They exist in numerous colour FLEMISH GIANT FLEMISH GIANT FLEMISH GIANT FLEMISH GIANT  ANGORA It is one of the oldest type of domestic rabbits originating from Ankara, Turkey. Its of many breeds which include: French angora, English angora, Satin angora, Giant angora They are bred largely for their long wool which may be removed by shearing or plucking (gently pulling the loose wool).  ANGORA. CONT’D Angora wool can be harvested every 3-4 months Regular grooming should be carried out to prevent the wool from matting which can lead to discomfort, pain and infection for the rabbit An average of 340g – 510g wool can be harvested from giant angora per shearing They have albino eye (ruby white)  ANGORA. CONT’D They can produce 2-12 bunnies per liter size They have a life span of 7-12 years They usually weighs 2.0 – 5.5kg both the buck and doe. FRENCH ANGORA ENGLISH ANGORA ENGLISH ANGORA GIANT ANGORA SATIN ANGORA  FEED AND FEEDING MANAGEMENT A balanced rabbit feed must contain a lot of fresh, green vegetative matter. Rabbits are nocturnal, and eat more at night. They feed on anything green just like most ruminant animals  FEED AND FEEDING MANAGEMENT CONT’D They like fresh feed and they should be fed twice daily; once in the morning and large quantity at night. CLASSES OF FEED Concentrate feed Grasses  CLASSES OF FEED. CONT’D Legumes Tree Fruits Market waste  CONCENTRATE FEED Th is in c lude s formula te d g ra in s milled feed or pelleted and supplements. They are feed low in fibre but high in digestible nutrients.  CONCENTRATE FEED. CONT’D The concentrates is made up of ingredients such as; wheat offals, corn, fish meal, maize bran, soyabean meal etc.  GRASSES R a bbi t c a n f e e d on a l l k i n d s of grasses such as guinea grass, elephant grass, maize and millet leaves etc. These feeds are high in fibre but low in digestible nutrients.  LEGUMES These consist of all types of plants, shrubs, vines, and trees that produce a pod that splits on a single seam. The leaves of these plants are some of the best feeds for rabbits because they are high in protein  LEGUMES. CONT’D Example includes; leaves of peanut, pigeon pea, beans, cowpea, etc. TREES Rabbits love feeding on many tree leaves, the tree leaves include; banana tree leave, mango tree leave  TREES CONT’D moringa tree leave, pawpaw leave, guava leave, avocado leave etc. FRUITS Rabbits can feed on any fruit because they love it so much. They can be fed any fruits that can not be sold or consumed by human  FRUITS CONT’D The fruits include; overripe banana (peel inclusive) mangoes, pawpaw, avocado, pineapple and guava. Leaves of cultivated plants such as sweet potatoes, maize, green beans, carrot tops, cabbage and so on can also be fed.  MARKET WASTE Rabbits feeds and thrives on market wa st e suc h a s c a bba g e , c a rrot s, lettuce, apples and other fruits and vegetables.  THINGS TO CONSIDER IN FEEDING MANAGEMENT OF RABBITS  Variety of feed It is necessary to feed rabbits with different kind of feed It is not good to feed them a particular type of feed for a long time Always add two or three different kind of forages in their feed.  Variety of feed. Cont’d It is best to mix tree leaves, plant leave, vine, and kitchen scraps, by so doing They get more complete nutrients in t h e ir food be c a u se t h e fe e d will augment for each other.  Feeding time the time schedule for feeding rabbits should be strictly maintained. Lateness in feeding the rabbits makes them restless which in turn causes reduction in their body weight.  Rabbits tend to eat less during daytime due to high temperature But they are very active at night so green fodder should be fed to them in the night and concentrate during the day.  Concentrate can be given to them in form of pellets but if not available the concentrate feed can be mixed with little quantity of water before given to the rabbits. Rabbits feed should not be placed on the cage floor where the rabbit can step and urinate on it  The feed or leaves should be placed in a feeder that keeps the contents above the rabbits and off the floor. If the rabbits are allowed to trample on their feed, it will wilt, soiled and unfit for their consumption. Feed not consumed should be removed in the morning when cleaning their cage.  New feed (greens, fruits, concentrate or grains) should also be introduced to the rabbits in small quantity for several days This is done to observe their reaction to the feed and also to make them adapt to the feed. Provide always clean and fresh water at all times to the rabbits.  MANAGEMENT PRACTISES IN RABBITS HANDLING OF RABBITS Rabbits can be safely lifted by the scuff on the back of its neck It is necessary to support with the second hand under the bottom so as to avoid dislocation of its hind bone which is very fragile.  Do not lift a rabbit by its ear or limbs. KINDLING This is an act of giving birth to young ones. The following should be done for a successful kindling;  Place a nest box in the hutch about 28days after the doe is mated The doe will remove/ pull fur from its body into the nest box so as to provide warmth for the bunnies If the doe refuse to remove enough fur, you can help remove some fur from its body or you provide some warmth or cushion by improvising with some  materials such as soft clothes, soft foam, cotton wool, but this should be provided before kindling so the doe will be used to the smell. The doe consumes less feed than it normally do when it’s about a day or two to the kindling day  but it should be provided with some green feed and commercial feed which will be beneficial to its digestive system After kindling, provide the doe with plenty of green feed Most litters are kindled at night.  DETERMINING THE SEX OF YOUNG RABBITS This should be done at about 8 weeks of age. Restrain the rabbits firmly by holding it on its back between your leg with its neck up then use the left hand to restrain the rabbit around the chest, holding the front legs forward alongside the head  With the use of the right hand, place the thumb behind the right hind leg Use the index finger and fore finger to depress the area in the front of the se x or g a n t o e xpose t h e r e d d i sh mucous membrane. In buck the organ will protrude as a rounded tip while in doe the membrane will protrude as a slit with a depression at the end of the slit.  POULTRY PRODUCTION Poultry are domesticated birds which consist of domestic fowl (chicken), turkey, geese, quail, pheasant, ostrich, guinea fowl, squab etc. They are raised commercially or domestically for meat, eggs and feathers.  TERMINOLOGIES USED IN POULTRY Tom: Adult male turkey Hen: Adult female chicken\turkey Chick/Poult: young baby chicken/turkey Pullet: young baby layer Jake: a young male turkey Jenny: a young female turkey Clutch: a group of baby chicks or eggs  Brood: to care for baby chicks or egg Broody: a hen that is actively sitting on a clutch with the intent to hatch them Capon: a castrated male chicken Broiler: chicken raised specifically for its meat Fryer: a young meat-type chicken  Spent: a term for hen that is no longer laying egg Biddy: a sla n g term for a youn g laying hen Cock/Roaster: adult male chicken  The poultry sub-sector is the most commercialized of all Nigeria’s agricultural sub-sectors which can be classified into; Extensive production system Semi-intensive production system Intensive production system.  EXTENSIVE PRODUCTION SYSTEM In this production system, poultry are allowed to move about to find food This system is subsistence oriented majorly for family consumption and low level egg production They lay their eggs in various places Sometimes, shelter is provided for night They feed on grains and grain-by-products  They also feed on all sorts of waste they can find in the environment. Poultry in this kind of system are considered as good converter of waste into valuable products without any cost. Extensive system is thus highly valued in integrated farming so far the eggs p rodu ce d are not re al l y ne e de d for reproduction  This kind of system can thus be improved by providing a better housing A n d p r o v i s i o n o f s up p l e me n ta r y f e e d i n g a n d me a s u r e s to r e d u c e poultry mortality. Flock size comprise of about 50 birds with different indigenous species and varying age  SEMI-INTENSIVE PRODUCTION SYSTEM The poultry are allowed to scavenge in backyard or in the garden after morning feeding They will be brought to their cages at night. This system is subsistence and market based Considerable care is given to the poultry  The care provided include; vaccination and supplements feeding. The flock size is usually between 50 – 2000 birds which can include both improved and indigenous breeds of poultr y.  INTENSIVE PRODUCTION SYSTEM This system is market oriented with high production of birds The flock size comprise of more than 2000 birds The poultry are confined on layers of litters (Deep litter system) on the floor or battery cage. DEEP LITTER SYSTEM: The litter used on the floor is usually some materials such as  crushed corn cobs, straws, grain hull or any absorbing materials depending on their availability. Use of sawdust in deep litter system is not always advisable as it appears dusty  Which may affect the proper respiration of smaller poultry They may also mistake it as their feed which will in turn dilute their nutrient uptake. BATTERY CAGE SYSTEM: The birds are kept on a wired cage which is built with variable dimensions  Specifically used is 45-50cm width, 40 -45cm depth and 45cm height For laying poultry, the cage floor is made to be in slant position to one side in order to let the eggs roll out of the cage for easy egg collection.  Feeding troughs and drinkers are attached to the cage on the front side and their feed is usually provided either by hand or mechanically water is provided in their drinking trough or by the use of nipple.  This battery cage system is the most expensive in poultry production it re quire s e xpe rtise with soun d/ hygienic operations  BREEDS OF POULTRY CHICKEN They originated from Southeast Asia and were introduced to the rest of the world by sailors and traders. There are hundreds of highly productive breeds of chicken, some of them are popular for egg production  They can also be classified based on size, origin, shape and colour. Examples are; Plymouth rock, Rhode island, Broiler, Cockerel, Dominique, Wya n d ot t e , O r pi n g t on , L e g h or n , Ancona etc.  The most commercially available breeds of chicken include; Broiler, Cockerel and Layer. Also the introduction of new breed of chicken called Noiler BRO ILER grows ve ry fast, the y are good converter of feed to meat They have much fat in their body they have very low egg producing power and do not incubate their eggs.  They are used only for meat production purpose They are white skinned meat, their meat is always soft and tasty. They weight about 2-2.5kg within their 7-8weeks of age consuming about 4kg of feed.  They are marketable at about 8 weeks of age. The most popular breeds around the world are plymouth rock, Cornish, Sussex, brahma, starbro, rose broiler, asil, cochin, hy-line etc. Broiler breeder stock is almost entirely compos e d of white cornis h and white plymouth rock, it lays brown shelled eggs.  The white cornish breed is heavier and has white feathered head The y are al s o known for qu al ity and quantity of meat it produces whereas the white plymouth rock has a higher egg producing capacity than white cornish breed. BROILER BROILER BROILER  COCKEREL is a male chicken raised mainly for meat and egg production. Small poultry farmers prefer to raise cockerel than broiler because of low cost and its lesser susceptibility to disease. COCKREL COCKREL  They are medium sized chicken Th e mea t is very ta sty a n d well accepted it is hardy compared to other breeds of poultry. The meat contains lesser fat and cholesterol compared to broiler meat  They lay less eggs than layers. At maturity, it can weigh 3-4kg The breeds of cockerel include; australop, gold laced wvandottes, new hampshire, rhode island red, plymouth etc  LAYERS are the most popular breed of chicken in Nigeria with over 60%of market share. They are raised for egg production, they start laying eggs within 5-6 months of age. They continuously lay about 275-300 eggs per year LAYERS LAYERS  Some strain lay about 330eggs per year. They weigh less than other chicken and gains sexual maturity earlier. They have high conversion of feed to egg production and do not incubate their eggs  Their meat contains less fat. Some highly egg productive breeds include leghorn, bovans black, fayoumi, isa brown, Minorca, ancona, babcock, star cross, lohmann, sussex rhode island, plymouth rock, ancona etc.  FEED AND FEEDING MANAGEMENT OF CHICKEN This is one of the most important factors in the management of chicken and it consumes about 60-70% of money spent on production. FEEDING REGIME Broiler chick (0-5weeks): Broiler starter feed Broiler finisher (6-9weeks): Broiler finisher feed  Pullet chick (0-6weeks): Chick mash Pullet (6-12weeks): Grower mash Pullet up to 5% of egg production: Grower mash Laying birds: layers mash NOTE: Putting the pullet on layer mash early does not make them come into egg production faster.  FORMS OF FEED FEED MASH: The feed is ground and free flowing feed that is almost smooth PELLETED FEED: This is an agglomerated feed that is cylindrical in shape CRUMBLES: It’s a pelleted feed that has been reduced to granular form  TURKEY PRODUCTION Domestic turkey came from the wild turkey (Meleagris gallospavo) It is native to Americas, it evolved in North America over 20 million years ago They share a common ancestors with gr ouse, pheasants and other fowl (poultry).  Commercial turkey is a profitable venture They grow faster like broiler chickens and are suitable for slaughter purpose within a very short period of time. Turkey production for meat purpose is very popular than egg purpose.  BREEDS OF TURKEY White Holland Standard bronze Broad breasted bronze Bourbon reds Norfolk black Narraganssett Royal palm Wild bronze turkey Broad breasted large white  BROAD BREASTED BRONZE The basic plumage colour is black and not bronze The female have black breast feather with white tips which helps in sex determination as early as 12weeks of age.  They are mostly marketed as matured roasters at 23-26 weeks of age The males are held down to about 28-30 weeks of age to meet the demand for extra -large birds. BROAD BREASTED BRONZE BROAD BREASTED BRONZE  BROAD BREASTED LARGE WHITE This is the cross between broad breasted bronze and white Holland with white feathers. They are a better heat tolerant breed and also good and clean in appearance after dressing.  The shanks, feet, and beak are white to pinkish white The male have black beards. At 18-20 weeks, hens of this breed can be sold as medium sized turkey The toms are sold at 28-30 weeks of age as an extra-large bird. BROAD BREASTED LARGE WHITE BROAD BREASTED LARGE WHITE  NORFOLK BLACK This bird is a very old variety of turkey They are medium sized birds that have a black plumage with black quill on the skin they have low carcass value and can lay about 90 eggs in a year. NORFOLK BLACK NORFOLK BLACK NORFOLK BLACK  STANDARD BRONZE It was developed in Rhode island It has a copper or bronze quill It is a large bird but does not have a good dressing quality because of its dark features. They are good layers as far as turkey is concerned b ut are not b roody as other varieties of turkey. STANDARD BRONZE STANDARD BRONZE  WHITE HOLLAND Early Europe explorer brought the white feathered turkey to America. The white holland was de ve lope d in N e the rl a nd a nd re - i ntrodu ce d to the colonies by early dutch settlers. Its an extremely rare and old breed of domestic turkey This birds is said to be the calmest variety.  WHITE HOLLAND It is known for its pure white plumage Pre s e ntly, the popu lation of white holland is being threatened WHITE HOLLAND WHITE HOLLAND  ROYAL PALM They are raised for ornaments because of their unique appearance They are not usually selected for meat production because they are relatively small The colour of their plumage is white with bands of mettallic black ROYAL PALM ROYAL PALM  REARING SYSTEMS OF TURKEY Turkey can be reared under free range or intensive management. FREE RANGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM In this type of system for turkey production, one acre of land is fenced with a strong material like woven wire fencing, metal T- posts or strong wood post.  This fenced land can rear about 200-250 birds and shelter should be provided at night at the rate of 3-4 square feet per bird. Planting of trees is advisable for providing shade and cooler environment.  Turkeys reared under this system are good scavengers They can consume earthworms, small insects, snails, kitchen wastes, termites which are rich in protein and will reduce feed cost by 50%. To avoid leg weakness and lameness in the birds calcium should be supplemented at the rate of 250g/week/bird in form of oyster shell or bone meal.  Turkeys in this system are highly susceptible to internal worms (round worm) and external parasites (fowl mite) Hence the need of once a month deworming and dipping for better performance of birds. This system can also be likened to semi- intensive system in chicken.  INTENSIVE SYSTEM This system has a more improved production efficiency, better management and disease control than free management range system. The birds are kept in a house to protect them from sun, rain, wind, predators and also provide comfort.  Their house should run from east to west The distance between two (2) houses should be about 20 m and the young stock house should be about 50-100m away from adult house The width of the house should not exceed 9m and the height may vary from 2.6-3.3m from the floor to roof.  An overhang of 1m should be provided to avoid rain water splash. Turkey are reared mostly under deep litter system The general management conditions is similar to that of chicken but care should be taken to provide adequate floor, water drinker and feeding space that can accommodate the large birds.  GENERAL TURKEY MANAGEMENT PRACTISES Incubation: The incubation period of turkey is usually 28days. There are two types of incubation Natu ral incu bation with broody he ns : Naturally turkeys are good brooders and the broody hens can hatch 10-15 eggs, clean eggs with good egg shell and shape should be placed for brooding to get 60-80% hatchability and healthy young ones.  Artificial incubation: The eggs are hatched with the help of an incubator. Eggs are turned at hourly intervals daily. Eggs should be collected frequently to prevent soiling, breakage and for a better hatchability. Debeaking: Young birds are debeaked to control feather picking and cannibalism. It can be done at a day old or at 3-5weeks of age. The beak should be trimmed at about one half the distance from the nostril to the tip of the beak.  Desnooding: This is the removal of the snood or dewbill (the fleshy protuberance near the base of the beak). This is done to prevent head injuries from picking and fighting. It can be done at a day old or 3weeks of age and it should be cut off close to the head with a sharp scissors. Detoeing or toe picking: Toe clipping is done at a day old by removing the tip of the toe just to the inside of the outermost toe pad.  FEEDING MANAGEMENT The feeding management of turkey is the same as chicken But they only need more calcium in their feed at the rate of 30-40g/day/bird or 200 -250g/week/bird to avoid leg weakness.  BREEDING PRACTISES IN POULTRY They are of two types; Natural mating and Artificial insemination NATURAL MATING: The mating behavior of adult male is known as strut where it spreads i ts wi n g s a n d m a k es a pec u li a r so u n d frequently. In natural mating, the tom reaches maturity at 7 months of age and the hen reaches maturity between 1-2 years of age  The male to female ratio is 1:5 for medium type turkey and 1:3 for large type On average 40-50 young ones is expected from each female adult in a year with 70 -100 eggs produced in a year. After one year, a tom is no longer used for mating because of reduced fertility  There is also a tendency of the tom developing affinity towards a particular female (hen), so toms are advised to be changed every 15days. ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION: The upper hand A.I has over natural mating is that it maintains high fertility from flock all through the season.  Artificial Insemination: this is the method of reproduction where semen/sperm is collected from the male animal or tom and skillfully inserted or placed in the female animal or hen. Collection of semen from adult male The age of the tom should be 32-36 weeks for semen collection The tom should be kept in isolation for a period of 15 days before semen collection  The tom should not be fed 4-6 hours to collection time, the time required for semen collection is 2 minutes The tom should be stimulated regularly As the tom’s copulatory organ (phallus) is being stimulated by massaging the abdomen and the back over the testes gently, the phallus will protrude  the operator will then put a little pressure behind the protruded phallus in order to squeeze the bulbous ductus to aid the flow of semen Average volume of semen from a collection is 0.15-0.30ml The semen should be used within one hour of collection Collection can be done three times weekly or on alternative day.  INSEMINATION ON HEN This is done when the flock has attained 8 -10% egg production Inseminate the hens every 3 weeks with 0.025-0.030ml of undiluted semen Inseminate the hen within 5-6’0 clock in the evening  The average fertility should be about 80 -85% over 16 weeks of breeding season. After 12 weeks of the season, A.I can be done fortnightly  GUINEA FOWL Guinea fowl is a breed of poultry originally from Africa. They are commonly raised for meat, but known for strong affinity against the troublesome arachnids known as ticks which makes them popular for pest control.  The y are e ffe ctive natu ral s e ntine ls because they are watchful and extremely territorial. They are very social birds.  Terms in guinea fowl Guinea cock: adult male guinea fowl Guinea hen: adult female guinea fowl Guinea cockerel: young male guinea fowl under one year of age  Guinea pullet: young female guinea fowl under one year of age Keet: baby guinea fowl Rasp/Confusion/Mop/Flock: a group of guinea fowl.  QUAIL PRODUCTION Qu ail are s mall game birds that are reared for egg and meat purpose. It is regarded as one of the most profitable aspects of poultry farming in Nigeria which is as a result of the high demand for quail eggs even more than its meat.  Quail eggs are said to be far more nutritious than the regular chicken eggs They are also known to be a good meal for people suffering from various ailments like asthma, ulcer, high blood pressure and much more.  BREEDS OF QUAIL Tuxedo quail Pharaoh quail British range quail English white quail Manchurian golden quail White breasted (Indian) quail Bob white (American) quail  FACTS AND BENEFITS OF QUAIL FARMING IN NIGERIA At 6weeks of age female quail weighs between 175 to 200grammes while male quail weighs 125 to 150grammes Female quails starts to lay eggs from 7weeks of age and continue till around 22weeks of age Q u ai l s u s u al l y l ay the i r e ggs i n the evenings  Their eggs can weigh 9 to 12g with the right nutritional care Male and female are requ ired to be separated at 4 weeks of age Egg laying quail should have at least 16 hours of light pre day  The male to female ratio in a pen is usually 1:5 Their incubation period is about 18 days About 500 quails can produce 1500 eggs in a week Quail eggs are highly nutritious and can help fight some diseases  Quails do not always incubate their eggs hence the need for an incubator on the farm Quails have strong immune system so they are not easily susceptible to diseases It costs little to set up a quail farm compared to chicken farm  CHALLENGES OF QUAIL FARMING IN NIGERIA Lack of experience Marketing Low consumers purchasing power Poorly managed supply chain Disease management Cost of production The feed and feeding management of quail is the same as chicken. WISH YOU SUCCESS!