Any body,in the house that can give a detailed info on plantain farming. from scratch to marketing of it.

I’ve read about the health benefits of molasses for birds. But I can’t remember the dosage.

Hello evryone. I heard that some feed can poison rabbits, so I’ll like to know what they can safely eat. And what can kill them.

Can we say snails are the only animals in the whole world that does not fight? But before we say that, have you ever seen snails fighting?

I’ve been wondering, why buy day old chicks when someone can just hatch their own?

Is it healthy to eat a well cooked dead chicken?

I intend going into snailery – the free range method of housing. But soldier ants will be my greatest enemy. How do I deal with them without killing the snails?

I salute all oo, pls What is the best gauge of wire for rabbit floor?

In animal housing you'll hear them saying that ventilation is good but you should avoid draft. what is the difference between the two?

What causes blood spots in eggs?

Where can I do soil test in Nigeria?

How long does it take a baby cricket to reach adult size?

I’ve heard and read about so many claims of 100s of diseases quail eggs can cure, but are all these really true or just snake oil?

Just wondering.

Anyone knows any wormer you can give to laying birds without having to throw their eggs away?

Some give at day old but some say it’s not good. So which one do I take?

Weakness in chicks may be due to transport stress, bad management, illness and a bunch of other reasons. A weak chick will often not eat or drink and there are several ways to help them recover. Let’s look at them.


Maintain Optimal Temperature: The temperature under the brooder heater should be 95oF (35oC). Weak chicks may not have the strength to find the warmest spot by themselves. So pick them and place them under the brooder. Also make sure that there is no draught. If there is draught, the chicks will move away from its path as shown in the image below.




Check for Pasting: Pasting occurs when dry droppings seals the chicks vent and prevent it from passing out droppings. This condition has to be treated immediately. You have to constantly check your chicks for any sign of pasting.


To remove pasting, first use a warm, wet towel to soak it before removing. The chick must not get too cold during the process else the pasting will reoccur.

Give Sugar Solution: If the weak chick is free from the 2 problems already discussed, try giving it few drops of sugar solution. The sugar solution will give the weak chick a boost of energy and hopefully, it will start to eat and drink. But note that you shouldn’t give sugar solution for a long time as it can cause diarrhea, which could cause pasting.

Give Yogurt and Boiled Egg: If the weak chick can eat and drink, then consider giving it warmed, plain yogurt and possibly boiled egg mixed in feed. Again, don’t give these for a long time.

Other Things to Do: If the weak chick is being pecked by others, separate it using wire mesh so that it can still see other chicks (flock animals like chicks need company). Keep it comfortable by providing food, water and warmth. You can also add multivitamins in their drinking water. If you suspect that the chick is sick, it will be better if you call a vet to check it out. This decision can help save the others from impending sickness.

Interesting finding:


You can produce maggots from fibrous vegetable material and poultry droppings. You’ll need something like a tank with a capacity of one cubic metre (1m3). Fill it with water until the water level is about 15cm from the top. Then dried stalks of maize, amaranth, groundnut, soya and other legumes are soaked in the water and some poultry droppings are added. Flies will come and lay their eggs in the soaked material. After five to seven days, the eggs will hatched and larvae would have attended a large enough size. Beyond 7 days, the maggots will develop into adult flies.


You must cover the tank to protect the eggs from intense sunlight. If you don’t, up to 50 percent of the eggs will die.


You can produce maggots this way, dry them and use it to formulate feed for various animals.

Another mtd is described here: http://www.farmersjoint.com/thread-301.html. I've tried it out!
   

I read that duckweeds can be fed to pigs. I think this will be a very cheap source of protein to the pigs, especially if you dry it. Duckweed grows very fast - it can double its weight in less than 2 days under the right condition. I wonder if you know anybody utilizing duckweed for any animal.

To make fermented feed for animals like chickens, you place the feed in a bucket and cover it with water. Leave it for at least 2 days and you get a fermented feed. You have to make sure the feed is completely covered with water at all time, else it will spoil.


Some people online said they get good result with fermented feeds. What I’ve read range from less smelly droppings, improve digestion and intestinal health, increase egg production and egg weight, stronger shells and improved growth. The good thing about it is that it is easy to make. Large commercial farms don’t use it not because it is not beneficial, but because they don’t have the necessary equipment to handle wet feed. Their costly feed equipment were designed to handle dry feed. But for small holder farmers with fewer than a thousand birds or so, you can still make fermented feed for your chickens! I’ll be doing it for my next batch of chicks.