How many birds are recommended to be kept in a room?
How many birds are recommended to be kept in a room? What happens if the number exceeds?
The recommended number of birds per house or room depends on the type. There are those that can handle when squeezed in a room while others will not.
For Layers, they should be four to six birds per square metre of an area in a room. Broilers can go up to 13 birds per square metre of an area in a room. Because they are reared for meat, they do not need much exercise because of the weight they should have at the time of sell.
Kuroilers are not so different from Layers; they should be four to six birds per square metre of an area in a room. In case you exceed the recommended number, there will be aggression; the birds will start fighting each other and this can lead to death. They will fight for food and some may even miss out on the food.
There is easy transfer of diseases due to poor hygiene and lack of sufficient air. Living in a squeezed room affects the performance of birds because they do not eat well. If they are layers, the egg production will be cut because of stress.
To avoid this, get advice about space from where you purchase the birds from. It’s better to know the requirements of the type you are going to rear from the start.
Answered by Samuel Ssewagudde, a veterinary doctor affiliated to Genesis East Africa
How best can I keep and feed my pigs? What is the best type of food for them? Can they be fed on food leftovers?
Rearing pigs depends much on the type and the purposes, either breeding or meat. However, to get profits, each animal should be fed about 3 ½kg of food daily. A breastfeeding mother should, however, be given a little more, an allowance for the young one.
The ½ kg that is given only helps the mother pig to get more milk. For pigs to grow well, they should be fed on grains. Leftovers can be good because they are cheap and easy to get.
They can, however, be dangerous to the animas because they do not have a balanced diet and they can easily carry disease. Most pigs that feed on left overs suffer from diarrhoea. This means that one should not base or rely on leftovers if you are to have a successful enterprise.
Answered by Samuel Ssewagudde, a veterinary doctor.
Ask the EXPERT
Do you have any question about a great output in your produce or livestock? We have experts ready to answer any questions for you.
Reach us on [email protected].
Interviews by Christine Katende.
