Raising chickens is rapidly becoming a lucrative farming enterprise that provides affordable protein to households across the country. 

However, there are critical factors that farmers must understand and adhere to ensure success. Firstly, to achieve success in chicken farming, housing is the most critical factor farmers must prioritise.  Chicken coops must be designed in a manner that maintains comfort and ensures the birds’ protection from the elements (rain, wind, sun and heat) and predators such as hawks, snakes, caracals and jackals.

Another consideration when designing the chicken coop is maintaining the recommended stocking densities to minimise overcrowding.  In a naturally ventilated chicken house, where a farmer relies on environmental weather elements such as wind to keep the house cool, a stocking density of 12 chickens per square metre should be maintained. In a placement house where chicks are raised, a stocking density of 55 to 60 chicks per square metre is recommended. Each square metre (1 m²) must have a drinker and a feeder for the chickens to have access to sufficient water and feed.  This will enable farmers to build chicken coops that comfortably accommodate their flocks. 

The second factor of vital consideration when farming with chickens is feed composition. Understanding the nutritional requirements of the types of chickens you are farming with is vital for a successful chicken enterprise. 

When raising meat chickens (broilers), it is essential to determine the daily feed requirements per chicken. For instance, from 1 to 14 days old, broilers require 60 grammes of Broiler Starter mash per day per chicken. 

As they grow older, the farmer must increase the feed to at least 110 grammes (Broiler Grower mash) per chicken per day (days 15 to 37).  During the last five days (day 38 to day 42), the chickens can be fed with Broiler finisher mash for maximum output.  The chickens must be fed with at least 150 grammes per bird per day. When farming with Layers, it is essential to feed the hens 110 grammes (per day per hen) of layer mash during summer and 130 grammes in winter (per day per hen) daily.  When farming with dual-purpose chickens, it is advisable to feed them a poultry mix, a blend of sunflower seeds (protein base) and yellow maize (energy base).  Moreover, another critical consideration is providing water as an essential nutrient to raise chickens successfully. 

In areas where average temperatures are around 32 °C, the chickens must drink at least 220ml of water per chicken per day. The third factor that can determine success when operating a chicken enterprise is the production system in place.  A production system refers to the way a farmer uses his available resources to meet enterprise demands.  When rearing chickens, farmers have three production systems to choose from. 

Feeding 

The free-range production system is common in rural settings, where chickens are kept at minimal cost.  The farmer only incurs the cost of buying the birds but does not spend money on shelter, feed or veterinary drugs (vaccines, supplements and antibiotics, etc.). The downside of this setup is that chickens are exposed to predators and weather elements. 

The semi-intensive system is another option that a farmer can choose to implement.  In this system, shelter is provided for the chickens, along with feed rations and treatment when a disease or pest outbreak is suspected.  When feed runs out, the chickens are allowed to forage around the homestead. 

Finally, the last production system that can be implemented by farmers is the intensive production system. In this system, the chickens are kept in the chicken coop throughout the entire production cycle, where they are protected from weather elements, predators and diseases, and fed adequate amounts of feed.  This system has a higher production cost associated with raising the chickens.  However, the chickens are more productive in this setup. 

Overall, achieving success in chicken farming depends heavily on the housing, feed and production systems implemented by the farmer. Farmers are, therefore, urged to review and choose what works best for them – but most importantly, they must consider the well-being of the chickens for a successful enterprise.

 *Hanks Saisai is Agribank’s technical advisor for crops and poultry.