Pls who know the maize variety that will do well during the dry season? In the south east to be specific. Thanks.

Good evens. all. Pls who knows plants that can survive whitefly infestation? That pest is a big problem in dry season when farming is more profitable.

Pls does anyone know where I can get whitefly sex pheromone? I want to use it to attract, trap and kill whiteflies. They said it is effective.

I have read about the good fungicidal activities of phosphoric acid. So I'm wondering if i can make it myself by combining bone ash (rich in phosphate) and acid. Are my getting it?

Watering plants with a solution of NPK in water is one of the fastest ways of supplying nutrients to young plants that have not develop enough roots. But what I will like to know is the quantity of NPK needed per liter of water. Too much fertilizer will kill the young plant. Pls can anyone help?

I once soak manure in water for 3 days and spray on some plants and those plants almost died. Was the concentration too much or what? Experience farmers pls come in.

I noticed that whiteflies are problematic especially during the dry season. What is the best way of controlling them?

When is the right time to start prunning pepper. Is it before or after transplanting?

Every maize farmer knows what fall armyworms can do. There are chemical control methods but due to their risks - cancer, organ damage, etc - organic control methods are welcomed if they are effective. Some sites recommended neem oil, nimbecidine or Mix 85g of crushed garlic with 50ml of vegetable oil and add 10ml of liquid soap. Mix 50ml of the garlic and vegetable oil emulsion with 1l of water, shake thoroughly before spraying.
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Problem is, I don't know how effective these will be and I don't have access to neem oil and nimbicidine. So I have only the 3rd optionto try out and tell you guys the result.
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If you know any effective organic control methods, pls share.

Pls Admn I want u to enlight me on when to start given my layers chicken with layer's feed after I have seen egg for like a week now . Thanks for always been there

pls can someone differentiates btw d uses white and red maize on concentrate. And secondly what is the diff btw concentrate of 30% and that of 40% . Thanls

This is one of the most common questions newcomers in poultry farming ask and it is a very important one. One thing you should know is that your birds must not be overcrowded to prevent the spread of diseases. In an overcrowded pen, droppings quickly pile up and stink, exposing the birds and farm workers to diseases. It can also result to problems like pecking and slow growth.

On the other hand, giving too much space for the birds doesn’t make economic sense because you’re wasting money. A pen that’ll house 150 birds should not be used to house 120 birds. The number of birds living in a given area is called the stocking density. So what is the optimum stocking density for birds?

Well, it depends on the type of bird (layers or broilers etc), age of the birds and climate (hot or cool periods, humidity). The advice here is suitable for those who use open-sided, deep-litter, naturally ventilated houses in tropical climates like Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya etc. Below are the steps to follow for finding broiler stocking density:

1.    Determine the final weight of your bird (that is, the weight they’ll attain before you sell them)

2.    If the final weight is below 3kg, use a stocking density of 20-25kg/m2. E.g. assuming you plan selling your broilers when they attain 2.5kg, you’ll need 8-10 birds per square meter (i.e. 20kg/m2 ÷ 2.5kg=8 birds per m2. 25kg/m2 ÷ 2.5=10 birds/m2). So if your pen measures 20m x 40m, the area is 20m x 40m = 800m2. So you can raise 6400-8000 broilers in the pen.

3.    At the hottest times of the year, or at final weight above 3kg, reduce stocking density to 16-18kg/m2. Here let’s say you’re raising Christmas or Easter broilers that will weigh 4.5kg. At this stocking density, you’ll need 3.5-4 birds per square meter (16 kg/m2 ÷ 4.5kg = 3.5 birds per m2 approximately. 18 kg/m2 ÷ 4.5kg = 4 birds/m2). An 800m2 pen will accommodate 2800-3200 broilers.

Keeping broilers beyond 7-8 weeks is expensive and often the difference between profit and loss. Exception is during festive periods when people prefer bigger broilers and are willing to pay high price for them.

For laying hens, you can use a stocking density of 13.6 birds per square meter.

Note that when the birds are still young, you don’t give them access to the whole pen. This will prevent the birds from running around which will waste energy that would have been directed towards growth or egg production. Feed cost can be enormous if you ignore this. So what you do is to restrict them to one part of the pen with plywood boards. Then, gradually expand the area as they grow.

Many Christians sing evil songs like ‘One Corner’, ‘Panti no n’ilo’ and other immoral songs from Flavor, Davido, Wizkid etc. This short article is meant to reveal the dangers in immoral songs and dirty jokes - two common practices among many ‘Christians’.

1. Evil Thoughts and Desires are Sinful: Ephesians 4:17 - I warn you, do not continue to live like the heathens, whose thoughts are worthless and whose minds are in the dark…

James 1: 14-15 -But people are tempted when they are drawn away and trapped by their own evil desires. 15. Then their evil desires conceive and give birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

2. Evil Thoughts and Desires will Make You to Crack Dirty Jokes and Sing Immoral Songs:

Luke 6:45: A good person brings good out of the treasure of good things in his heart; a bad person brings bad out of his treasure of bad things. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

3. The Evil Things you Say or Do Can Lead Others to Sin. And if You Lead Others to Sin, You’ll be Thrown into Hell Fire on the Last Day:
Matthew 13:41 - 42 -Theson of man will send out of his kingdom all those who cause people to sin and all others who do evil things. 42. And they will throw them into the fiery furnace, where they will cry and grind their teeth.
 
Luke 17:1 - Things that make people fall into sin are bound to happen, but how terrible for the one who makes them happen! 2. It would be better for him if a large millstone were tied round his neck and he were thrown into the sea...3. So watch what you do!

4. You May Claim to be a Christian (Like Christ), but if what you do or Say does not Lead people to Christ, you are not a Christian:

Mathew 12:30 - Anyone who is not for me is really against me; anyone who does not help me gather is really scattering.

5. God Strongly Condemn Dirty Words - be it Dirty Jokes or Dirty Songs:

Ephesians 4:29 - Do not use harmful words, but only helpful words , the kind that build up and provide what is needed, so that what you say will do good to those who hear you.

Ephesians 5:4 -Nor is it fitting for you to use language which is obscene, profane or vulgar. Rather you should give thanks to God.

Note:
Obscene words means words that are offensive because they are connected to sex.
Vulgar words are words that are likely to cause offense.
Profane words are words that show no respect for God or holy things.

Colossians 3:8 - No insults or obscene talk must ever come fromour lips.

Jame 1:26 - Do any of you think you are religious? If you do not control your tongue, your religion is worthless and you deceive yourselves.

Mathew 12:36 - You canbe sure that on the judgment day everyone will have to give account of every useless word he has ever spoken. 37. Your words will be used to judge you - to declare you either innocent or guilty.

Conclusion
Will you allow the pleasure of evil songs or dirty jokes to lead you to hell fire for eternity? Do you know that so many musicians, celebrities, actors and actresses are instruments the devil is using to destroy moral values? Escape for your life. Be born again. Deny sin and sinful friends and follow Jesus.

To successfully grow as a Christians, you must join a bible-practicing church where experienced Christians will teach you the bible in a way you’ll understand. You can’t get such teachings on Sunday services. Rather you need to ask your pastor/priest and he’ll tell you when they do bible study. If you’re an Anglican, join EFAC fellowship and you’ll get the right teachings there. Scripture Union is also a good fellowship to join.

Thanks for reading. Remain bless.

Daniel 12:2-3:
2 Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.

You are free to photocopy this and share it to your friends.

I have always read that unripe tomato is poisonous because it contains a glycoalkaloid called tomatine. But I’m quite surprise when I came across a research that claims that tomatine may help cure cancer. Some people also eat tomato leaves as vegetables! I guess I’ll follow suit. Below is the research:

Quote:Title: Tomatine-Containing Green Tomato Extracts Inhibit Growth of Human Breast, Colon, Liver, and Stomach Cancer Cells


Interpretive Summary: In a collaborative study with colleagues at Korean universities, we found that tomatine-rich green tomato extracts and pure tomatine inhibited the growth of cancer cells. These findings extend related observations on the anticarcinogenic potential and other beneficial effects of the tomato glycoalkaloid tomatine and suggest that consumers may benefit by not only eating high-lycopene red tomatoes, but also high-tomatine green tomatoes. Our results also suggest the need to create high-tomatine red tomatoes as well as tomatine-containing potatoes. Such tomatine containing potatoes are currently being developed by John Bamberg associated with the USDA/ARS Vegetable Crops Research Unit, Madison, Wisconsin.

Technical Abstract: Tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum) synthesize the glycoalkaloids dehydrotomatine and a–tomatine, possibly as a defense against bacteria, fungi, viruses, and insects. We investigated six green and three red tomato extracts for their ability to induce cell death in human cancer and normal cells using a microculture tetrazolium (MTT) assay. Compared to untreated controls, the high-tomatine green tomato extracts strongly inhibited the following human cancer cell lines: breast (MCF-7), colon (HT-29), gastric (AGS), hepatoma (liver) (HepG2), as well as normal human liver cells (Chang). There was little inhibition of the cells by the three low-tomatine red tomato extracts. We also evaluated cell death induced by the pure glycoalkaloids dehydrotomatine and a-tomatine isolated from green tomatoes and characterized by HPLC, GC, and GC/MS, as well as their respective aglycones tomatidenol and tomatidine. a-Tomatine was highly effective in inhibiting all the cell lines. Dehydrotomatine, tomatidenol, and tomatidine had little, if any effect on cell inhibition. The results show that the susceptibility to destruction varies with the nature of the alkaloid and plant extract and the type of cancer cell. These findings extend related observations on the anticarcinogenic potential of glycoalkaloids and suggest that consumers may benefit by not only eating high-lycopene red tomatoes, but also green tomatoes containing glycoalkaloids. Possible mechanisms of the anticarcinogenic and other beneficial effects and the significance of the cited observations for breeding improved tomatoes and for the human diet are discussed.

Citation: Friedman, M., Levin, C.E., Lee, S., Hyung-Jeong, K., Lee, I., Byun, J., Kosukue, N. 2009. Tomatine-Containing Green Tomato Extracts Inhibit Growth of Human Breast, Colon, Liver, and Stomach Cancer Cells. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 57:5727-5733.

I got this from a secondary school agric text book.

Beef Cattle Ration:
Maize: 24 kg
Groundnut Cake: 11 kg
Brewers Dry Grain: 59 kg
Bloodmeal: 2.5 kg
Dicalcium Phosphate: 3kg
Salt: 0.5kg
TOTAL: 100kg

Dairy Cattle Ration:
Maize: 33.5 kg
Groundnut Cake: 17 kg
Brewers Dry Grain: 42 kg
Bloodmeal: 2.5 kg
Dicalcium Phosphate: 3kg
Salt: 2kg
TOTAL: 100kg

6th May 2015

Number and Type of Birds: 607 brown day old chicks from Crown Hatchery, Issele-Ukwu, Delta State.

Mortality so Far: Total of 22 chicks died. 5 died due to DOC screening test at the lab. 1 was found dead on arrival. 6 died from avoidable causes. Others died due to respiratory problem – they find it difficult to breath.


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Cost/Chick: N180.

DOC Screening: It was done on day 2 and the cost was N7000. The test covers serological test and antibiotic sensitivity test (AST).  Through serological test you’ll get a vaccination plan suitable for your birds. The later (AST) was for Staphylococcus and Candida spp. It helps you to know the best antibiotics that will work against those bacteria. In my case, Gentamicin and penicillin & streptomycin were effective while Oxytetracycline, Furaltadone, Collistin etc were not effective. If you want to see the lab test result, view it here:  AnimalCare Lab Test.

Lab Location: ANIMAL CARE® TECHNICAL SERVICES DIVISION (POULTRY DISEASES DIAGNOSIS AND AQUACULTURE LAB), Asaba, Delta State.

   

Was DOC Screening Useful? Yes! They found out that the chicks have low resistance against Newcastle and I have to vaccinate them fast! They recommended giving gumboro on day 5, followed by Immucox on day 6 and lasota on day 7. But due to some reasons, I have to give the vaccines on days 6,7 and 8 respectively. Most of the chicks that died did so before and some days after these vaccinations, meaning that if I had followed the ‘normal vaccination plan’, there would have been more death.

See: How to Administer Coccidiosis Vaccine.

Brooding: We used kerosene stoves and lamps, but next time I plan investing in gas brooders that cost about N13k. With gas brooders, brooding will be easier and even cheaper, free of clumsiness. For bedding, I used rice hull and covered it with nylon for the first few days (I did this to prevent the chicks from eating the bedding). When I uncovered it, I noticed some molds on the rice hull. I have to remove the affected spots because mold can be dangerous to chicks. I even suspect it could have contributed to the respiratory problem the birds suffered from. Next time I won’t be covering the bedding.

Feeding: We use top feed and feed them ad libitum (i.e. feed is always available).

Vitamins: When I checked how much spent on vitamins for our last batch, I have to buy 1 carton this time. I bought 1 carton of Vitalyte for N14,720. A carton contains 32 satchets.

Merek’s Vaccination: You can see the vaccination plan in the AnimalCare Lab Test. Marek’s vaccination was given on day 25. The vaccine cost N3500 and workmanship N3000.


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It’s been a long time. Here is a summary update:

Mortality so far: 7.1% out of 607 birds. Most were due to diseases, but some were avoidable accidents.

Birds Left: 564

Eggs per day: 16 crates and 15 eggs recently. This is 87.8% laying, though they once reached 89%. Egg production wasn’t constant due to unreliable lighting (not much) and disease signal. Whenever we notice the slightest sign of disease, we give complete dose of a broad spectrum antibiotics (tylodox, conflox, terramyccin etc).

Lasota vaccination: Every 4-6 weeks.

Feed cost from 1-20th week: N113,400 for starter (42 bags) and N218,050 for growers (119 bags).

Drug cost from 1-20th week: N22,500

Vaccination and Debeaking cost from 1-20th week: N66,774.

Vitamin cost from 1-20th week: N13,410.

End of Lay: Towards ending of September 2016. 516 hens made to the end. Each was sold for N1368.6 (i.e. N706,200).

Complete update coming soon.

How much feed do you think a cow will need per day? If you want to store feed through the dry season, how do you know how much feed will be enof for them? Thanks buddies.

Hello all, I'm planning to plant some yam and I know that one major challenge I'll face is weeding. Is there any selective herbicide for yam I can use? By selective I mean a herbicide that will kill the weeds without killing the yam. Thanks.

Which one do you think is better?

Slug and snail are both part of the same creatures called gastropods. Most gastropods live in water. Snail and slugs are the only gastropods that can also be found on land. Both are similar but one obvious difference is that a snail have shell while a slug doesn’t. Because of the absence of shell in slugs, they can squeeze through tight spaces.

Slugs and snails can eat plant leaves, stems and roots, causing massive destruction in an infested farm if not controlled. They are most active at night when the soil is wet. One way to know that snails or slugs are in your farm is to look out for their slimy trails. They are silvery deposits on leaves, stems, and soil.

Using Cigarette and Beer: Put about 50ml beer in plastic cups and add dried tobacco contained in cigarette. Bury the cups so that their tops are flush with ground level. Leave a 3-5m space between each cup. The pests will be attracted by the smell of beer and killed by the nicotine in cigarette. Replace the mixture every 2 days. Prevent rain from diluting the mixture by shielding them with plastic covers supported by and weighed down by stones.