AGRICULTURE

FORM 1
Chapter 12
CHICKEN PRODUCTION

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Compiled By: Madalitso Damaliphesa

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 CHICKEN PRODUCTION

OBJECTIVES
By the end of this chapter, the student should be able to:
1. list main practices in chicken production
2. describe breeds of chickens
3. explain the housing requirements of chickens
4. describe how to construct a chicken house
5. discuss how to feed broilers
6. discuss how to feed layers
7. describe causes of chicken diseases
8. discuss how to control chicken diseases
9. describe the effects and controll of chicken parasite
10. describe control measures of predators in chickens

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CONTENTS
• practices in chicken production
o breeding
o housing
o feeding
o disease and parasite control
• Breeds and breeding
o local
o exotic
• Housing
o Types of chicken houses
▪ deep litter
▪ battery cage
▪ traditional
o Qualities of a good chicken house
o Construct a chicken house
▪ choose design for a chicken house
• deep litter
• battery cage
• traditional
▪ materials required for constructing a chicken house
▪ constructing a chicken house
• Feeds and feeding
o Feeding broilers
▪ types of broiler feeds
• broiler starter
• broiler growers
• broiler finisher
▪ how to feed
• day old broiler
• growing broilers
o feeding layers
▪ types of feeds for layers
• chick starter

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 • pullet growers
• layers’ mash
▪ how to feed
• day old chicks
• pullets
• layers
• Disease, parasites, and predators
o Diseases – causes, signs and symptoms, transmission,
control
▪ newcastle,
▪ fowl pox,
▪ gumboro,
▪ coccidiosis,
▪ fowl typhoid
▪ fowl cholera
o parasites
▪ list of parasites, their effect and control
• fleas
• tampans
• leg mites
• roundworm
• hookworms
• tapeworms
• lice
▪ classes of parasites
• internal
• external
o Predators of chickens and their control
▪ wild cats
▪ hawks
▪ eagles
▪ ravens
▪ alligators

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INTRODUCTION
Chicken production is under poultry farming. Poultry refers to all
domesticated birds. These domesticated birds include: chickens, ducks,
ostrich, turkey, geese, guinea. Chickens are kept for different purpose
such as eggs, meat, feather production, cock fighting sport.
Husbandry practices in chicken production
The main husbandry practices in chicken production are:
1. Breeding
2. Housing
3. Feeding
4. Disease and parasite control
CHICKEN BREEDS
There are two types of chicken breeds
• Local breeds
• Exotic breeds
Parts of the chicken

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Figure 12.1: external features of a chicken
Local breeds of chicken
• The local breeds of chickens are also known as indigenous
chickens. The local breeds are kept mainly for meat and eggs.
Characteristics of indigenous chickens
• They are low yielding
• They produce few and small sized eggs
• They are hard – they resist diseases and parasite attacks
• They like brooding
• They are adaptable to tropical conditions
Exotic breeds
Most exotic breeds originate from temperate regions. They are kept for
both meat and eggs. The categories of exotic breeds are given below:
• Light breeds

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 • Heavy breeds
• Dual purpose
• Hybrids
Light breeds
These chickens are mainly kept for eggs production. Example of these
chickens include white leghorn, brown leghorn, black leghorn, and
anacona. The light breeds are also known as layers.
Characteristics of light breeds
• They are medium. Cock weighs about 3 kgs, hen weighs about 2
kgs
• They do not brood
• They can lay up to 220 eggs per year
• They are poor meat producers
• Females have large comb flops over one eye
• Male comb is large firm and upright
• Cannibalism rate is very high
Leghorns
Leghorns originated from Italy. The popular ones are white, brown, or
black. The eggs of leghorns are white.

Heavy breeds
This is a breed of chickens kept for meat production. The heavy
breeds are also known as broilers. Heavy breeds are good converters
of food to meat. These breeds include: Light Sussex, Cornish dark,
jersey black giant.

Characteristics of heavy breeds

• they provide high quality meat
• they are brooders
• the breeds are heavy and bigger in size

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 • they are fast
• they lay few eggs
light sussex
it originated from Britain. It is reared for meat production. The cock
weighs about 4 kg and the hen weighs about 3 kg.
characteristics of light sussex
• small eggs are laid although it is kept for meat production
• the body is large, good depth, and broad shoulders
• the breast is wide and produce good quality meat
• the colour is white with black hacle feathers
Cornish
It originated from England. The cock weighs about 3.6 kgs and the hen
weighs about 3.5 kgs.
Characteristics of Cornish
• it has yellow skin with high meat production
• it has thicket feathers
• it has deep broad wide shoulders
Dual purpose breed
the word dual means two. Dual breeds are kept for both meat and
eggs. Examples includes rhode island red, black australops, New
Hampshire red
characteristics
• they go broody
• have good meat
• slight cannibalism system
• disease resistant
rhode island red
it originated from america. The cock weighs about 4 kg while the hen
weighs about 3.5 kg. it has a dark-red or brown-red colour. This is a
common breed with brown eggs.
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Characteristics
• has brown shelled eggs
• they are docile and easy to handle
• have a broad deep angular body
New Hampshire Red
It originated from America. The cock weighs about 4.5 kgs and the hen
weighs about 3.0 kgs.
Characteristics of New Hampshire Red
• Has less angular body
• Have rapid growth rate
• They are very hardy
• Have early maturity
• Have high fertility and hatchability
• They produce brown shelled eggs
Black australops
They originated from Australia. The cock weighs about 4 kgs and hen
weighs about 3 kgs.
Characteristics
• They are upright with a long back
• Have slopes towards the tail
• They are good layers
• Have beautiful appearance
• They are poor brooders
Hybrids
These are birds bred to withstand certain environments. A hybrid is
produced after crossing two different pure breeds. Hybrid lay over 220
eggs per year. Their performance is higher than the pure breeds.
Examples of hybrids include Thorn Ber 404, Hyline Stock, Shavers,
Sterling, Ross, Super White.

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Characteristics
• Lay many and large eggs
• Get fat quickly
• Has advantage of better disease resistance
• Convert feed to production better
HOUSING CHICKENS
Chickens survival and production are highly influence by housing.
Conditions for a chicken house
• Lighting – a chicken house should have light for proper feeding.
During the night, light dimming is necessary to discourage feather
picking habit and egg eating.
• Size of the house – the house should be large enough to
accommodate the number of birds kept and void overcrowding.
Overcrowding leads to the spread of diseases and parasites. The
space per bird should be approximately 0.5m to 1m.
• Security – the house should be built strongly to aboid predators.
The house should be leak proof to avoid rain.
• Ventilation- the house should be well ventilated to reduce
accumulation of moisture and dumpness inside. Part of the house
should have wire mesh to ensure enough ventilation.
• Cleaning- the house should be built to ease cleaning. The house
should have concrete floors and should allow the droppings to be
removed easily.
• Location – the house should be constructed at a well-drained area.
• Fittings – house equipment should be put in the house. These
include nests, laying boxes, feeders, water troughs, perches, and
brooders.
Housing systems of chickens
The systems are
• Intensive
• Semi-intensive
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 • Extensive or free range
Intensive system
The birds are kept indoors all the time. Examples are deep litter and
battery cage system
Semi-intensive system
The birds are kept in the house for some time and are allowed to move
to feed on grasses within a fence.
Extensive system
Under this system, the birds are allowed to move freely picking insects
and sand particles anyhow. This system is also called free range system
or traditional system. The system is common is Malawi.
Construction of a chicken house
Materials
The following materials are required
• Bricks
• Iron sheets or thatching grass
• Wire mesh
• Roofing poles or timber
Walls
The walls can be made by the bricks, iron sheets, wire mesh, or timber.
Roof
Roofing can be done with either of the following materials – plastic
sheets, iron sheets, thatching grass.
Floor
The floor can be made of soil, timber, or concrete cement. Factors to
consider when constructing a chicken house:
• Insulation – it shousl be well insulated
• Lighting – it should have lights

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 • Ventilation – it should be well ventilated
• Nests – it should have nests
• Perches – perches should be provided
• Bedding – there must be some litters for soft bedding
• Protection – it should be protected from rain, sun, wind and
predators.
Semi-intensive
The system consist of a house in the middle of partitioned areas. In the
middle house nests are placed. It is important to have a movable house
to facilitate easy relocation from one run to another. It may also be
constructed at the center of the runs. The partitions are called pens
(figure 12.2).

Figure 12.2: semi-intensive house system

Advantages of semi-intensive
• There is uniform spread of the manure
• The food supplied to the chickens is less due to supplement feeds
from the pens

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 • The birds are transferred to different pens hence reducing worm
attacks
• There is no need for fencing
Disadvantages
• Egg production record per bird is difficult
• Labour requirements is higher to control the birds from one pen to
another
Intensive system
The birds are kept indoor all the time. The feeds and water are provided
from within the poultry housing unit. This system needs high level
management. The farmer is always responsible for the supplements of
chickens requirements. Examples of intensive systems are deep litter
and battery cage systems.
Deep litter
The birds are kept in the house. The house has partitions but has litters
on the floor for beddings.

Figure 12.3: deep litter system

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Requirements for deep litter system
• Site – it needs to be constructed at a well-drained site. It is
necessary to round the house with a trench to drive away rain
water and any excess waters
• House – the house should be made of bricks for almost 60cm high
above the ground surface. Above 60cm, the house be made up
of wire mesh or timber. The house should be well ventilated
Litters
• The litters should have well absorbing ability
• The litter materials can be mixture of saw dust and wood shavings
or cut straw and saw dust, coffee husks or crushed maize cobs.
The litters should be 30cm deep. Perches should be scattered to
spread dropping all over the litter.
Perches or roosts
Perches should be provided in the house. Perches are wooden frames on
which birds sit on to rest. The perches should be 1 – 2.1 m high.

Figure 12.4: perches

Feeding troughs and water troughs

The feed and water troughs should be provided in the house. They
should be easy to refill and clean. It is important to use gravity feeders

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to refill themselves. The feeders should have pointed tops to avoid birds
sitting on them. The waterers should also have pointed tops.

Figure 12.5: water troughs

Figure 12.6: Feeders

Advantages of deep litter
• More birds are kept on one area
• There is low labour requirement
• Manure collection is fast
• It is suitable for breeding stock
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Disadvantages
• It is difficult to attend birds individually
• Cannibalism and egg eating are common
• Birds are encouraged by the conditions to brood
• The chances of coccidiosis and parasites infestation is very high
Battery cage system
This is an important chicken rearing system. The birds are confined in
wire cages. Each cage carries 1 to 4 birds according to bird size and
environment. The birds are arranged in rooms called tiers. The tiers are
built over one another. They are stacked in 2 or 3 in number. The cages
should be arranged 60-90cm feet above the ground for ease of cleaning
of the floor.

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Figure 12.7: battery cage system
Advantages
• The system takes a large number of chickens since all spaces are
utilized.
• It is easy to have an individual production record
• Production performance is high since there is no bird movement
• There is reduction in cannibalism rate
• The eggs produced are very clean
• It minimise egg broodiness since eggs and chickens are not in
contact
Disadvantages

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 • There is too much costs in buying cages it needs high standard
management the system is not good for breeders and broilers
• The cage is uncomfortable to the birds since it stays under panic

Feeding chickens
Chickens are fed depending on purpose kept.
Broilers
These are chickens kept for meat production. Broilers grow very large
and have a high feed conversion into meat. They can weigh 2 kgs at two
months from birth.
Practice for feeding broilers
1. The broiler chicks should be fed broiler starter mash or broiler
starter pellets. The feed has 20-24% protein content.
2. Provide adequate clean water at all times.
3. From 4-5 weeks start giving the chicks a broiler finisher meal.
This contains 18-20% crude protein. The finisher encourages
meat development and provide ad libitum which controls over
fattening.
Layers feeding
• The layers chicks are fed chick mash from day old (0-8 weeks)
• After 8 weeks (9-20 weeks), the chickens are supplied with
growers mash (growers pellets)
• From 2o weeks, the chickens are provided with layers mash
Feeding chicks (0-8 weeks)
• From day old chicks, the mash provided should be placed on the
floor or newspaper
• Train the chicks to feed from toughs and feeders
• After six weeks supply the chicks with grit or sand to help
digestion
• In the seventh week provide growers mash mixed with chick mash
• Later supply the chickens with grower’s marsh

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 • The chickens should also be provided with clean water and feeds
• Keep the house equipment clean all the time
Feeding growers marsh (9-20 weeks)
• The birds should be fed 115 grams grams feed per bird. The birds
at this age are called pellets. This feed has 15-20 % protenins
and vitamins. At 2oth week, soluble grit should be introduced in
the diet to provide calcium for egg shell hardening and formation.
• Provide as libitum clean water
Feeding layers (20 weeks)
• Layers mash should be provided
• The layers marsh has 14-16% crude protein which has high
energy content
• Provide enough water all the time
• Give the birds grains up to 50% of the daily ration and supplement
with the green leaves
• Supply grit or sand to help in digestion

DISEASE, PARASITE AND PREDATORS OF CHICKEN

A disease is any physical disorder the body. When an animal is suffering
it has indicators known as symptoms. A disease affects animal
production rate. This result into losses in the production level. Disease
in chickens are caused by pathogenic organisms called bacteria, viruses,
protozoa and fungi. Table 12.1 shows the signs, symptoms, transmission
and control of diseases
Table 12.1 Viral diseases
Disease and Signs and Transmission control
cause symptoms
New castle • Nasal Through • Vaccination
discharge inhalation • Quarantine
Caused by • Head shaking and ingestion • Proper
paramyxovirus. • Green of stocking
incubation is 5 diarrhoea contaminated • Proper
t0 7 days feeds stocking
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 • Dropping of discharge • Farming
wings from nose hygiene
• Reverse mouth • Destroy all
movements dropping and birds
and eggs from
circulating affected birds
• Twisting of
head and
neck
• Eyes closure
• Stagger
movement

Fowl pox • Wide spread Inhalation, • Vaccination

lesions skin direct • Isolation
Caused by fowl comb contact, • Hygiene
pox virus. wattles, legs, biting flies • Burn or
Incubation vent feet and bury dead
period is 3 – 14 under the birds
days wings
• Difficult
breathing
• Loss of
appetite
• Drop in egg
production
Gumboro • Whiote Through • Regular
(infectios diarrhoe faeces, feeds, vaccination
bursal disease) • Soiled vents and beddings through
and feathers the eye
It is caused by • Pecked vents • Hygiene
adenovirus due to • Kill, burn
group. Attack irritation and burry
3-6 weeks • Inflammation infected
birds of the cloaca birds

Table 12.1 Bacterial Diseases

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Disease Signs and transmission control
and symptoms
cause
Fowl • Dullness Eggs and • Vaccination
typhoid. • Respiratory droppings • Cleanliness
problems • Provide
Bacteria • Green sulphur
called diarrhoe drugs in feed
salmonella • Dropping • Kill infected
gallinarum. wings birds
Incubation • Pale claws
is 4-5 days and comb
• Whitish
passing of
vents
• Bird huddle
together
on heat
Fowl • Fast and • Direct contact • Antibiotics
cholera difficult of infected (aureomycin)
breathing birds • Kill infected
Bacteria – • Greenish • Wild rodents birds
Pasteurella diarrhoea • Contaminated • Proper
multicide • Drop in feed bags, sanitation
and production human • Vaccination
Pasteurella • Wattle and clothing, in 10-14
auiseptica comb drainage weeks old
become equipment
red, later
turn dark
red
Coccidiosis • Copious • overcrowding • hygiene
bloody • contact with • use
Protozoan • ruffled infected prophylactic
called feathers chicken drugs
coccidia. • dullness
and sleepy
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Incubation • sudden • isolate
in 7 days death in infected
birds animals
• dropping • avoid
wings overstocking.
• Use
furazolidone
amprollium

Parasites of chickens
A parasite is a living organism which gets its food as a host on another
living organisms. The host parasite relationship is greatly beneficial to
the parasite but harmful to the host. This relationship is called
symbiosis. The parasites of chickens include: fleas, tampas, legmites,
roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms, lice
Classes of chicken parasites
There are two groups of parasites: internal parasites and external
parasites.
External parasites
• They are also known as ecto-parasites
• The ecto-parasites feed on the skinof rhe host externally.
Examples are leg mites, tampas, fleas lice.
Signs of external parasites infestation
• Parasite presence on the skin or eggs
• Irritation
• Loss of feathers
• Sores or wounds on the skin
• Emanciation
Fleas
These are tiny wingless insects. They are blood sucking insects. They
have strong legs which enable them leap for a distance. the fleas
attack the comb and eye region of poultry.

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Figure 12.8: fleas
Effect of fleas
• The bird suffers irritation and anaemia due to biting and sucking of
blood
Control of fleas
• Apply petroleum jelly on the affected parts
• Apply pyrethrins in the poultry pens through dusting
• Hygiene in the poultry pens
Tampan (fowl tick)
They have a soft body and are mostly available in tropical areas. The
free-range reared birds can be attacked by tampan. Nymphs and adults
can be attacked under the wings

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Figure 12.9: tampan
Effects
• Anaemia
• Irritation
• Drop in egg production
• Nymph and adult suck blood to cause anaemia
Control of tampan
• Spray acaricides e.g. permethrine and carbonates
• Use battery cage system or confinement
• Clear the surrounding
Scaly legmites
They hide under leg scales.
Effects
• Irritation
• Anaemia
• Loss of weight
• Low egg production
Control
• Disinfect the poultry house
• Painting the house equipment
• Petroleum jelly application on legs
• Spray acaricides like permethrin

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Figure 12.10: Scaly legmites
Lice
These are diamond shaped wingless organisms. They like very dirt
animals. They feed on feathers and shed skin cells.

Figure 12.11: louse

Effect
• Irritation
Control

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 • Use chemicals like carbayl, prethrin, permethrin
• Proper hygiene
Internal parasite (indoparasites)
These include roundworms, tapeworms, hookworms.
Round worms
They have cylindrical shape and pink to white in colour. They exists as
male and female sexes. They live in the alimentary canals of animals
like chickens, goats, and pigs. They are available in the gizzard and
crop.

FIGURE 12.12:roundworms
Effect
• Drop in egg production
• Loss of weight

Control
• Drench the birds with drugs

Hook worms

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These are a type of roundworms that are fully grown at 1cm of length.
They attach themselves to the chicken intestine wall. These worms suck
blood the intestines, gizzard and oesophagus.

Figure 12.13: hookworm

Effect
• Anaemia
• Weakness and restless
Control
• Proper disposal of bird droppings
• Disinfect the house and the surrounding
Tape worms (taenia spp)
It has two divisions
• Head (scolex)
• Body (strobila)
The scolex has suckers and hooks used to attach itself onto the host.
Strobila has segments. Each segment is called proglottid. Each
proglottid has both sexes (male and female). Tape worms suck blood in
the livestock like chickens and mammals.

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Figure 12.14: tapeworm
Effects
• Suck blood and reduce body immunity
• The animal becomes thin
Effects of parasites on chicken
• Food intake competition in the intestines
• Damage the skin through piercing
• Anaemia due to blood sucking
• Disrupt digestive system
• Act as disease carriers (vectors)
• Animal restless due to irritation
HOW TO PROTECT THE BIRDS FROM PREDATORS
Chicken predators in Malawi include wild cats, ravens, hawks, alligators,
and eagles. Common measures include:
• Fencing – avoid wild cats, dogs, alligators
• Roofing – to avoid flying predators
• Scaring (shouting) – keep eagles away.
• Free range birds should be provided with grains in the morning,
afternoon, and evening to keep them around
• Housing – it should not be constructed under the trees.
o Seal all unplanned openings

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 o The house should be in foot above the ground to avoid those
preys which bore the ground
o If there is electricity around, put some light to shine around
the chicken house
o Ensure there is a rooster among the chickens since it stays
active to vocalise when the predator attacks
REVIEW EXERCISE
1. what does poultry mean?
2. Differentiate local breeds and exotic breeds of chickens
3. Mention three chickens rearing systems
4. State what causes new castle disease in chickens and how it can
be controlled
5. Describe two symptoms of gumboro diseases in chickens
6. State two effects of external parasites on chicken production
7. Draw a tapeworm and demarcate the scolex and strobila segments
8. State two ways of protecting chickens from predators

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