Thread by @tonyOWEI

ONLINE POULTRY CLASS

LESSON FOR WEEK ONE!
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You are all welcome to the maiden edition of the online poultry class. It will be a series in the next few weeks. The focus of the class will be centered on raising birds for chicken meat and chicken eggs.

So, sit back and let's enjoy this ride together.

For this week, we will start from the basics. Talking about what poultry farming is and how it is faring in Africa and Nigeria. Apologies to our audience outside Nigeria and other parts of the world.

So here we go!

#Poultry

What is Poultry Farming?
Poultry farming is the process of raising domesticated birds such as chickens, ducks, turkeys and geese for the purpose of farming meat or eggs for food.

I classify poultry production into two - the technical knowledge and the business knowledge of it. A wise man once said the business of what we do is more important than what we do.

The technical knowledge involves the production/operation processes of poultry farming: equipment and housing, biosecurity and other security measures, feeding, brooding and rearing techniques, water quality/management, vaccines/vaccination, diseases control, among others.

The enterprise side = turning it into a business that serves a hungry market. You need to know this to stay afloat and profitable. Your vision, fundraising, business model, record keeping, determining your location, getting the right people, and of course, KNOWING YOUR MARKET.

The Poultry Industry In Africa At A Glance
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1. Every year, the continent imports more than two million metric tons of poultry products valued at nearly US$3 billion to meet domestic demand.

In 2012 alone, more than five million tons of poultry meat and two million tons of eggs were consumed in Africa.

2. Africa's population makes up more than 15 percent of the worlds population but contributes less than 5% of global egg production.

Poultry Farming In Nigeria
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1. Our chicken population is about 180million - National Veterinary Research Institute, Vom; while UNDP puts it at over 150 million in 2006. Over 60% are raised via backyard farming while the rest are commercially raised.

2. Poultry is an important source of high quality animal protein, providing about 36.5 per cent of the total protein intake of Nigerians and it has one of the highest investments in agriculture with net worth of N250 billion.

3. Nigeria consumes about 1.5 million tonnes of chicken annually and our population grows by 2.6% annually.

4. One-third of children under five are stunted & if 36.5% of Nigeria's protein intake comes from poultry farming, then poultry farming is key to food security in Nigeria.

5. Nigeria imports almost one billion US dollar worth of powdered eggs every year.

6. According to Index Mundi, Fertilizer consumption (kilograms per hectare of arable land) in Nigeria was 10.88 as of 2014. Its highest value over the past 12 years was 16.18 in 2013, while its lowest value was 4.21 in 2007.

Fertilizer application is estimated at 13kg/ha in 2009 by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture as against 200kg/ha recommended by Food and Agriculture Organization.

Some people might wonder how did fertilizer gist entered the poultry class. Because chicken droppings are excellent organic fertilizers. They work wonders.

7. Nigeria produces over 14.2 Billion eggs annually, as the largest in Africa followed closely by South Africa – 10.3 billion eggs but out population is over three times more than that of South Africa’s 57 million people.

Next week, we will discuss the importance of poultry production, the economic potentials, and of course - the business side of poultry farming.

Thank you all for coming. 😁😁😁

Let the questions come in and the engagements begin.