DOG FOOD.

Feeding dogs can be conventional,local or home cooking,however the route you choose food safety is very important.The dog food industry has suffered quite a blow of late with several disease outbreak linked to contamination of food from the point of production,this has led to several recall episode in which several dogs and dog owners were major actors. The cases of rise in E.coli infection in several countries leading to death in several dogs,has led to so many questions on food safety in dog food industry,for starters the nutritional facts were found to be inaccurate, some contain harmful preservatives that were masked and contamination during preparation and packaging. Many of the companies have traced the contamination to source of the raw material such as chicken and beef used, thus beaming the light on the producers of these animals. These recalls have shifted the paradigm of dog food from conventional to home cooking, where we are sure of what the dogs are eating, the source,nutritional fact,and the most important fact that the food are chemical- free. Nutritious food for your dogs will include carbohydrate,protein,fat/oil,vitamins/minerals and lots of fresh water.The sources of carbohydrate are rice,pasta, bread,plantain e.t.c,these can be cooked with meat,fish,chicken,turkey,gizzard,liver and heart as protein sources.These food can be prepared with olive oil,coconut oil or fish oil as fat sources. Vitamins /minerals can be in forms of fruits and vegetables such as carrots,apples,watermelon,banana,spinach or you can supplement the feed by giving the dogs as additives. The variety and safety home cooking provides has made it very acceptable and a better alternative to ensure health of the dogs.Home cooking also has the advantage that it can be a source of therapy to manage dogs with certain conditions such as obesity,anemia,liver,kidney disease,allergy and diabetes.The best way to go about home cooking is to determine the food stuff you need to use, determine the combination, consider the number of your dogs and the time interval of the meal.It is usual practice to make in large quantities and keep in freezer,to serve warm and fresh when required. A simple home cooked meal is pasta,with cubed liver,garnished with spinach, a drop of coconut oil is added to mixture with atovi ,this will not only supply the needed nutrients but its also filling and palatable to the dogs.

FEED MILLING IN POULTRY VALUE CHAIN..

Feeding accounts for the majority of the cost of running a poultry venture.The feed quality and quantity is paramount to achieving desired outcome of large eggs,market weight and proper growth and development. The feed milling aspect can be done in 2 ways;1) concentrates can be procured from established feed millers and maize/wheat offal can be mixed at specified proportions. 2) The procurement of all ingredients and making your feed based on a proven formula that will stimulate growth and development. The basic feed requirement are a) carbohydrate b)protein c) mineral sources and d) roughages The common carbohydrate sources are 1)sorghum,millet,cassava chips and maize. The protein sources are fish meal, blood meal,soya beans,groundnut cake meal and cotton seeds. Roughages are in form of brewers spent grain,rice bran and wheat offals,these are supplemented with minerals such as oyster shell,bone meal and dicalcium phosphate. The other inputs are salt,vitamin and minerals All ingredients must be properly crushed and thoroughly mixed to produce a feed of high quality.This is achieved in the milling section by using a crusher and mixer.

FARMERS USING PHONES TO ENSURE FOOD SECURITY.

Information is vital to growth of any economy.The rate at which information is generated,disseminated and utilized is rapidly changing how businesses are run thus imparting the economy.

Information communication technology has changed the playing field in various strata of the economy,with the advent of mobile phones,internet ,apps, and cloud services.

 Telecommunication has been utilized to collect data,analyze data,process the data and disseminate this as information to individuals and corporations thus ensuring perfect operations in these fields resulting in economic development. The possibilities of telecommunication as a growth driver of the economy is endless.

CHICKEN PROCESSING IN LIVE BIRD MARKET.

Attaching a modern processing plant to an abattoir will increase the profit revenue of poultry farmers.The plants can be zoned in various districts,this will control influx of various birds from different location.This will enable disease surveillance and proper tracing of products.

CHICKEN SLAUGHTER LINE..

Slaughtering in an hygienic condition to produce wholesome chicken.

Climate-smart knowledge empowers women farmers in Kenya| CCAFS: CGIAR research program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security

Climate-smart knowledge empowers women farmers in Kenya| CCAFS: CGIAR research program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security

POULTRY VALUE CHAIN

 POULTRY VALUE CHAIN.  PROVIDING MORE PROTEIN FOR THE NATION.  OBJECTIVE .  Provision of animal protein which is essential for growth and development.  Source of revenue generation.  Promote entrepreneurship.  Employment opportunities.  JUSTIFICATION OF PROJECT.  The dietary intake of protein according to nutritionist is 0.8g/kg body weight.  56g/day is required for men and 46g/day for women but there is a deficit.  According to the FAO the average intake is below recommendation, so more protein(animal sources) should be incorporated in diet. Eggs and chicken will makeup for the deficit.  An egg a day, keeps the doctor away.  POULTRY PRODUCTION.  Birds reared for meat and eggs are referred to as poultry.  These include cockerels, broilers, layers and turkey.  Ducks, guinea fowls and quails  Birds to be reared are raised within a time line so that profit can be realized from the venture .  PRODUCTION OVERVIEW.  The scale of project could be small, medium or large, depending on the number of birds and space.  Adequate housing is paramount to success of the venture. This could be temporary or permanent structures, but which must be well ventilated and rodent proof.  PRODUCTION OVERVIEW( 2)  Feeders, drinkers and lighting equipment are provided.  Healthy birds sourced from reputable hatcheries.  Birds are properly housed and good quality feed and adequate quantity are provided.  Essential vaccination and medication are provided.  Strict bio security measures enforced.   METHODOLOGY.  The project will encompass production(rearing) ,processing and packaging.  It will be a year long project, divided into phases so as to make money at specific periods in the year.  Broilers reared and marketed at 42 days,this phase is the 42-dayturn over. Investors with limited funds can access this chain at this level.  METHODOLOGY (2)  Layers reared for eggs starts at about 21 weeks of age, and some breeds can lay up to 300 eggs in a year. The layers could be sold out after a production cycle.  Cockerels mature at 5 months,this can be reared towards a festive period to increase revenue.  Turkeys can also be reared twice in a year ,and also targeted towards festive season.  PRODUCTS. Eggs and chicken are sold for profit.  Feathers from the birds are processed and used as accessories, home décor, mats and fashion accessories. This will also generate revenue.  The waste generated from the birds can be channeled to a digester, to produce electricity.  The blood waste and gut waste can be processed and incorporated into animal feed.  PROJECT COST AND ESTIMATE.  Land depends on size and location.  Laying pens..7.6mx7.6m @# 900,000.  Cages units @#70,000  Farm implements such as wheel barrow, shovel, bucket and water drums. @ #35,000.  Day old chicks ranging from #180-250.  Feed; this accounts for 70% of production hence it will be advisable to have a feed mill that will cater for the birds.  REARING COST . Brooding @25# per chick.  Vaccination/medication @ #40 per chick.  Labour…#7,500 .  Feeders/drinker depending on type and model. Polythene sheets and cardboards@ # 3000.  Broiler..0-3 weeks requires 100g of feed/chick/day.  REARING COST( 2)  Broiler at 4-7weeks require..180g of feed/chick/day.  Layers----o-8weeks requires 60g of feed/day/chick.  9-20 weeks require..90g of feed/day/chick.  Then from 21 weeks require 120g of feed/day/chick.  Water is made available at all times.  PROCESSING AND PACKAGING.  RECOMMENDATIONS.  Healthy birds must be procured.  Bio security measures instituted.  Employment of interested workers.  Good working conditions for workers.  Advertisement of processing plant to expand market.  Good water source and proper waste disposal methods.  A mini processing plant can be attached to live bird markets to process birds. This is another investment opportunity.  Conclusion.  The poultry value chain is a very lucrative venture with rapid return of investment.  Investors could actually invest in short term aspect such as broiler production.  The long term investors will go for layers/egg production.  The seasonal investors will look into cockerels and turkeys.