How to reduce mortality in poultry farms

The greatest fear of most poultry farmers in Nigeria is perhaps high mortality rate. The moment a poultry farmer records high number of deaths of birds, especially in the early stages of production, the investor will certainly not reap maximum benefits. This obstacle has scared many people from poultry farming in the country and some […]

The greatest fear of most poultry farmers in Nigeria is perhaps high mortality rate. The moment a poultry farmer records high number of deaths of birds, especially in the early stages of production, the investor will certainly not reap maximum benefits.
This obstacle has scared many people from poultry farming in the country and some of those who dared it probably took a risk by investing sparingly.
Some farmers who seem to have succeeded in taming this ‘worst enemy’ of poultry farming gave insight into how mortality can be wisely tackled to ensure that the business is profitable.
One of the poultry farmers, Mr. Cornelius Ude, based in Nasarawa State, said: “I never thought I could do it, but a neighbour introduced me to poultry farming some years ago and kept encouraging me. I did it first time and recorded high mortality rate and almost gave up. But I was determined and did it again second time and the mortality rate reduced a bit.
“The third time, I got it right because I have known the secrets. I recorded only 2% mortality rate and became happy. Though I started small before increasing the stock, it was worth the effort as I made good profit to keep the business running.”
The poultry farmer said the first thing to do to avoid high mortality rate is to get a good stock.
“Your day-old-chicks must come from a very reliable source or else you miss it right from the foundation,” he advised.
Ude advised that vaccination, which he listed as the second item, should be adhered to by every poultry farmer, saying: “No stage of vaccination must be omitted, it’s very necessary. If you are careless or you think you are cutting cost and ignore it, you lose your chickens and your business fails. It’s a must do.”
He said the number three thing to do is sanitation, adding: “You must maintain high level of sanitation all the time. Disinfectants must be made available for use by farm workers and visitors and the pens, feeders, drinkers and the entire environment must be clean to avoid infection.”
The fourth item listed by the poultry farmer is feed. He said: “Never you cut corners in feeding the chickens. Do your research very well and get the right type of feeds. Don’t mix all sorts of garbage and feed the chickens in the name of saving cost. You will pay for it when they die in large numbers.”
Ude, who said he records about 50% profit on his investment, advised poultry farmers not to take advice from laymen and consult veterinary officials or poultry experts when they notice any sign of poultry diseases in their farms.
Another poultry farmer, Mr. Joshua Dankano, an animal health expert, who agreed with his colleague, summed it thus: “If you want to reduce mortality rate in poultry farms, you must watch your stock, vaccinate accordingly, maintain high level of sanitation, feed your chickens very well with high quality feeds and always consult poultry experts when need arises.”
The farmers agreed that housing arrangement for the chickens should be made in such a way that reptiles and other animals, heat stress, cold and overcrowding will be avoided to provide a good environment for the birds to flourish.
Lending credence to the advice given by the farmers, a poultry farmer and former president of Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), who is the current President of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Architect Kabir Ibrahim, said: “There are many dos and don’ts in reducing mortality rate in poultry farms. Adequate bio-security, correct vaccination, good quality feeds, good stock and ventilation, among others, are vital.”