INTRODUCTION TO POULTRY PRODUCTION

Definition of poultry

Poultry are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of harvesting useful products
such as meat, eggs or feathers, and the practice of raising poultry is known as poultry farming.
Poultry farms are those where birds are raised, either for personal consumption or for
commercial purposes.

Examples of poultry

Chicken

Turkeys

Ducks

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Geese

Quails

Guinea fowl

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Ostriches

Pigeons

IMPORTANCE AND ADVANTAGES OF POULTRY FARMING

Something being of importance means that it is of great significance or has some value while on
the other hand advantage puts a person in a more favorable conditions or it gains a person some
profit.

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Importance of poultry farming

Nutrition

Poultry provide humans with food and fiber in the form of eggs, meat which are a rich source of
protein and other kinds of vitamins and minerals.
Manure
Their waste material (the droppings) is used as a good source of manure which enhances the
fertility of the soil.
Employment and income
Poultry Farming practice creates employment opportunities for many people. Unemployed
educated youth can easily opt for this to raise their source of income. They also provide
employment to many daily wage workers.
Culture and sports
Poultry are used for socio cultural activities such as traditional engagements and weddings,
making ornaments from poultry feathers. In sports arena they are used for entertainment for
instance in cock fighting.
Provide raw materials
Poultry feathers are used as raw materials for making jackets, pillows, and for decorations.

Foreign exchange

Poultry industry earns foreign exchange to the country through export of eggs, meat, birds and
other poultry products.
Many people love to raise and show chickens and other poultry species at fairs and other poultry
shows. Others just love to raise them for backyard pets

Advantages of poultry farming

Less space is required for start up

Poultry farming does not require a large space for practicing this technique. As these birds do not
require any kind of special space for their growth. The main thing which they need is just a cage
for their safety.
Require less capital
Poultry farming practices do not require more capital. As it only needs less investment just to
buy birds and for food to feed them. So anyone can start a poultry farming business to earn a
profit on a large scale as this business is in demand.

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High-profit rate
Poultry farming is among one of those businesses which give you a high-profit rate to a large
extent. As it is cost-efficient, animal husbandry practice gives you more profit than expected.
You can start this business from a few birds also and extend your poultry from them only.
Require low maintenance costs
By taking care of a few things you can prevent these birds from various harmful diseases, just by
investing a very small amount of money. The only thing which is needed is cleanliness and
hygiene.
Easy Marketing
Selling poultry farming products is very easy as they are in high demand. So, they do not need
too much cost and effort to sell them.
Birds reproduce faster and in large numbers.
Average healthy layer lays eggs almost every day or at least 4 times in a week.
Grow very fast.
Within 21 days an egg is hatched and within 28 weeks, they are ready for the market. That means
a farmer may start making money in just about 34 weeks after successfully setting up his farm
compared to other livestock enterprises.
Excellent product acceptance
There is no strong social or religious taboo against the eating of poultry products compared to
other enterprises like piggery.
Can be managed by ladies and children easily.
OVERVIEW OF THE POULTRY INDUSTRY IN UGANDA

Uganda’s poultry industry is one the fast growing segments in the livestock subsector. It is one
of the most popular types of livestock kept in the country. Livestock contributes about 5% to the
national GDP and about 17% to the agricultural GDP, with 4.3% of the annual agricultural
revenue being from the poultry sector.

Between 2013 and 2018 the poultry population grew by 9.6% and egg production grew 9%.
Poultry Meat production in Uganda is expected to rise to around 76,000 metric tons by
2026, up from 72,000 metric tons in 2021.Between 2017 and 2021, production has grown at
a steady rate of 0.9 percent year-on-year.

Uganda’s total poultry population is estimated at about 47.6 million birds and of these, about
41.7 million is free local breeds with the highest number being reared in the eastern region and

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5.85 million being commercial or exotic breeds with the highest population being reared in
central region. (UBOS 2018)

The poultry industry in Uganda is primarily composed of chicken farming (both broilers and
layers). It is dominated by small scale farmers with the significant number of them operating
at the subsistence level. However there has been a steady increase in commercial poultry
farming in the recent years.

The key stakeholders of the poultry industry

 Commercial and subsistence poultry farmers

 Poultry breeders, keeping parent stock flocks for production of day old chick
 Poultry feed processors
 Traders of animal feeds and raw material ingredients

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  Poultry drug dealers
 Poultry product traders and transporters
 Ministries, departments and agencies (MAAIF, UNBS, NAGRC&DB)
 Development partners (USAID, FAO)
 Training institutions (GU-FAE, MUK, BUKALASA etc)
 Research institutes (NARO, NALIRI)

Dominant poultry species in Uganda

Among the poultry species kept in Uganda, indigenous chickens are the most dominant, being

kept by over 90% of poultry farmers (Augustine & Shukla, 2017). The dominance of indigenous
chickens in Uganda is attributed to the desirable traits that they possess, in particular, the tastier
meat and eggs, and good mothering ability (Magala et al., 2012). Other common poultry species
in Uganda also include, ducks, turkeys and pigeons.

In spite of these desirable attributes, indigenous chicken exhibit slow growth rate and lay fewer
eggs compared to improved breeds (Habte et al., 2013). As a result, depending on these
indigenous chickens to boost Uganda’s chicken production may not be a feasible pursuit.

In an attempt to improve productivity of Uganda’s chicken sub-sector, the government of

Uganda imported Kuroiler chickens in 2009 from India. The Kuroiler chickens were particularly
introduced for their high egg production capacity which is up to 200 eggs per hen per year as
opposed to the 40 eggs per year laid by an indigenous chicken in Uganda (USAID, 2017).

CLASSES OF CHICKEN IN UGANDA

There are two main classes of chicken kept in Uganda;

 Local or indigenous chicken.

 Exotic or commercial chicken.

Local or indigenous chicken

Some of the breeds of local chicken in Uganda include,

 Ugandan black and red breeds

 Ugandan short legged
 Ugandan brown
 Ugandan red
 Ugandan white
 Teso chicken

Characteristics of local chicken

o Small body size

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 o Take longer to mature (up to 36 weeks of age)
o Low production in terms of eggs and meat
o The eggs have thick shells and a deep yellow yolk color
o They are adaptive to the environment and they can perpetuate naturally
o They have pronounced maternal instinct (good mothering ability)
o Lower feed conversion ratio compared to exotic breeds.

Exotic or commercial chicken in Uganda

This includes broilers and layers.

Broiler breeds include,

 Cob 500
 Ross
 Hubbard

Layer breeds include,

 ISA brown
 Bovan brown
 Shaver
 Hisex

Characteristics of exotic chicken

 Fast maturity
 High productivity in terms of eggs and meat
 Less adaptive to harsh environmental conditions
 Large body size
 Higher feed conversion ratio
 Less tolerance to extreme conditions in the environment such as high and low
temperatures
 Highly susceptible to diseases like Coccidiosis and fowl pox.

DEVELOPMENT OF COMMERCIAL CHICKEN (MODERN HYBRIDS)

A hybrid is the product of cross breeding pure breeds to create super chicken that is more
productive. They are made in order to increase hardiness, increase egg production, and fasten
maturity.

Heavy lines are mainly broiler birds kept mostly for meat production and they weigh more than
2kg. Broiler farming is just a part of the poultry farming business but unlike poultry where the

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birds are raised for multiple purposes, broiler farming is where the birds are raised for the sole
purpose of meat production.

Characteristics of heavy lines

 They are large bodied with heavy bones

 Feathered shanks
 They are poor layers.
 They are mainly breeds of meat type chickens.

Primarily include broilers, fryers, and roasters.

Examples of heavy lines (broilers)

Ross

Characteristics

 High daily weight gain with high feed conversion ratio.

 Broad chest and wide feet with avid appetite
 Grow faster.

Cob 500

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Characteristics

 Lowest cost of live weight produced

 Superior performance on lower cost feed rations
 Most feed efficient
 Excellent growth rate
 Best broiler uniformity for processing
 Competitive breeder

Hubbard

Characteristics

 Strong initial growth coupled with very good feed conversion.

 Adaptability to any temperature and feed conditions.

Rhode Island red

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Rhode Island Reds have red-orange eyes, reddish-brown beaks, and yellow feet and legs, often
with a bit of reddish hue on the toes and sides of the shanks. The roosters usually weigh in at
about 8.5 pounds (3.9 kg), the hens average slightly less at 6.5 pounds (2.9 kg)

Kuroilers

Kuroilers are dual purpose breeds that were introduced into the country from India and due to
their mixed nature they bring in a lot of money due to their ability to grow at a faster rate. After
its introduction into the country, many small scale farmers started rearing them however due to
their ability to reproduce at a faster rate, many farmers jumped on the bandwagon and now it is a
household name among many farmers in the country and the market for poultry produce.

It is also commonly referred to as the improved indigenous chicken and can easily be identified
due to the white spots that cover their feathers. The kuroiler hens weigh an approximate weight
of 2.5kgs whereas the roaster weighs about 3.5kgs.

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Characteristics

 Have white spots that cover their feathers.

 They have a high growth rate
 Kuroilers also weigh more than the normal chickens leading to a high competition on the
poultry market
 They can easily survive in harsh conditions and can easily look for their own food.

Egg production lines

These are egg laying poultry birds which are reared mainly for commercial egg production.

Characteristics of egg production lines (layers)

 Bright red comb and wattles.

 Alert eyes.
 Width between pelvic bones should measure at least 2 fingers.
 The beak and claws should look bleached.
 The cloaca should be moist.
Examples of egg production lines (layer birds)
Isa brown

 The ISA brown laying hens are able to adapt well to different climates, poultry
management styles and housing systems.
 Has exceptional feed conversion and is capable of laying up to 500 first quality eggs
per year.

Bovan brown

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The Bovans Brown is a highly versatile and robust laying hen.
Combined traits for the Bovans Brown laying hens include,
 High peak production
 Great laying persistency
 A flat egg weight curve, resulting in top quality dark brown eggs.

The Bovans Brown laying hens have excellent feed intake capacity and robustness so that it
fully expresses genetic potential in multi-age and free range environments.

Shaver white

 One of the world's most efficient laying hens with a low feed intake

 Produces high numbers of first quality eggs suitable for table egg and processing
markets.

 It performs well in many different environments, housing and management systems.

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Hisex white

 The Hisex White is a strong productive laying hen with a flat egg weight curve.
 They are well known for their excellent egg quality with impressive feed efficiency.
 They have been bred for high peak production and excellent laying persistency,
resulting in a very large number of eggs per hen housed.
 It is well suited for commercial egg producers looking for high internal quality and
strong egg shell strength.

White leghorn

 White Leghorn hens can lay up to 300 medium white eggs per year.
 Because of this white Leghorns have been used to create highly productive egg-laying
hybrids for commercial agriculture.

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REFERENCES
Poultry training manual for extension workers in Uganda by ministry of agriculture, animal
industry and fisheries (MAAIF).

Poultry development review by FAO 2013.

Regionalization in poultry development in East Africa by Adriaan Vernooij, Mackenzie N.

Masaki, Daphne Mejjer-Willems, Wageningen University and Research.

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