A lot of people see my fame and wealth, but they dont realise that what created it all is a value system that operates on the principle of cause and effect: What you put out comes back. Do the emotional and spiritual work required to develop authentic power (using your personality to do your souls work), and you will always be rewarded
Oprah Winfrey
(The Oprah Magazine June 2007 Edition)
Copyright 2015 Francis O. All rights reserved. No part of this publication maybe reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other except for brief quotations in print or online reviews, without the prior permission of the author/publisher.
The writing of this material has been a humble undertaking by the author to facilitate chicken farmers and other interested parties in chicken farming, with useful information, as they go about day to day running of their farms.
While the author has made every effort to ensure that the information contained herein is accurate and up-to-date, you should always exercise your own independent skill and judgment when using contents herein.
Always readily seek for advice from relevant poultry professionals within your area, should certain emergent scenarios arise from your chicken farm.
Picture on cover courtesy of pixabay.com.
Acknowledgements
I am most appreciative of the many people who offered their invaluable views and ideas towards the making of this book.
In particular, I want to thank, with lots of humility, all my family members, friends, and relatives: for their relentless prayers and unceasing physical support during the time of writing this book, without which, I highly doubt if this material would have come out in a timely hour. Thank you all and may The Almighty God richly bless you.
Finally, but most important, I thank God for the gift of life and for His endless blessings upon my life. Indeed, great is the faithfulness of God: His grace, love, and mercy, surely endures forever.
Special Dedication
Are you passionate about keeping chickens and long for profitable ways of raising them; for domestic gains, or for meeting commercial ends? Then this book is specifically dedicated to you.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Lao-tzu
Thank you for investing your most precious resource; time, to go through this material. It is my sincere and honest belief, that the contents herein will not only motivate you, but will equally challenge and provoke you towards undertaking profitable chicken rearing. A journey taken through this book is an investment that you will never regret to have taken.
Lets Begin
T here is an age old question which has refused to fade away; in relation to the origins of chickens. Up to date, there is never any universal agreement on between the egg and chicken, which one first existed. I do not want to plunge into the egg vs chicken myth, but will be looking at how best we can profitably undertake chicken farming, and derive quality proceeds out of any investment channeled towards it.
But first, since we must start from somewhere, lets try to dig a little bit into the history of chickens. Across the globe, chickens are generally referred to as a domesticated fowls, usually kept for their meat or eggs. This definition of chickens is universally accepted.
According to Encyclopedia Britannica (2007), it is recorded that human beings first domesticated chickens of Indian origin, for the sole purpose of cock-fighting in Asia, Europe and Africa. Notably, back then, very little attention was given to keeping the birds for either meat or egg production, unlike today, where keeping them for meat and eggs is the order of the day.
Scientifically, a chicken is referred to as gallus domesticus. Chickens fall in the Animalia Kingdom, Phylum of Chordata , Class of Aves , Order of Galliformes , Family of Phasianidae , Genus of Gallus and Species of G.gallus.
Let me switch off a bit and tell you a little bit of a personal story. I grew up in the country side and part of what I enjoyed most during my free time, was feeding our chickens on corn seeds (maize seeds), and other homemade chicken edibles.
Back then, I had no idea about the difference between hybrid chickens and pure breeds of chickens. However, I can still vividly recollect that those chickens were of pure breeds: a mix up of different pure breeds to be precise.
In order to have the chickens gathered for the meals, I had to first attract their attention, and lure them towards my direction. I easily did this through whistling softly; while at the same time, I could throw a few maize seeds/other edible pellets on the ground. Within no time, the chickens would emerge from all corners of the farm, and hurriedly gather at my location: fighting for both space and for the precious feeds. In fact, I religiously undertook this activity on each passing day because just like any other child, I used to wonder where those chickens would find a meal if I didnt dedicate myself to feeding them.
Then one day, as I was out with my mom in the garden, I spotted one of the chickens feeding on a worm. I got so scared and thought that the chicken would die from the worms poison. Yes, as a child, I grew up with the notion that all worms were poisonous and would lead to death if consumed. Shaken by what I had seen, I swiftly informed my mum, but to my surprise, she just laughed at me. To cut the whole story short, that was the very first time that I learnt that chickens have no limitations on what they can feed on when left on their own. Yes, that was the day I learnt that Chickens are omnivorous; capable of feeding on a variety of vegetables, grains, and even meat.
The Three Most Vital Questions You Must Ask Yourself Before You Start Chicken Farming
If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there
Lewis Carroll
B elow are the three most vital questions that you need to ask yourself before you embark on chicken farming activity.
Whats my purpose for rearing the birds?
This is usually the very first vital question which anyone who intends to venture into chicken farming must ask himself/herself. Do you want to raise the birds just for the fun/love of them as pets in your backyard? Or for meeting your familys consumption needs? Or do you want to raise them for commercial gains? Anyone can raise chickens, but an extra push is very essential to profitably raise them.
What kind of resources do I have at my disposal?
Some of the basic resources needed to start or operate a chicken farming venture includes: land, housing units, and basic knowledge on chickens.
However, the most vital resource anyone would ever need is money: as it easily leads to acquisition of the other resources you may need for your venture. With money, you can purchase land, a housing facility and even secure services of professionals with world class knowledge on chicken farming. Your purpose for breading, coupled with the amount of resources you may be willing to put aside towards chicken farming, will effectively guide you towards determining the size and nature of your chicken farming activity.
Where do I intend to locate my chicken farming activity?
It would be very rare to find an individual who exercises, say, free range system of keeping chickens in an urban set up: specifically in a rented apartment where there are other neighbors close by.
