GARDENING: Make money with free-range chickens

03 Aug, 2014 - 06:08 0 Views
GARDENING: Make money with free-range chickens

The Sunday Mail

Free Range Chickens

Free Range Chickens

When I was a child it was always a joy to travel to the rural areas, not just because of the cows but also because everything there tasted different to the usual fare in the city.

The difference was not only restricted to food but just about everything else as the stars seemed brighter, the sounds more angelic and visuals brighter and more splendid.

And what really stood out for me was the taste of the chicken.

There is no doubt that free-range chickens and eggs taste better, but it has been proven that free-range eggs contain six times the amount of vitamin A and twice the amount of vitamin E than penned produce.

The meat is much tougher, takes longer time to cook and is free of antibiotics.

The raising of free-range chickens could offer some form of income for just about any family with a bit of space.

Free-range chickens can cost as much as US$10 per bird compared to the average price of a broiler which ranges at about US$5 to US$7.

The trend today is for a return to the way we used to do things in the old days, that is, producing food organically.

There is a ready market internationally for organically produced chickens so long as they are certified to be such.

Locally, there are more and more restaurants and hotels that will pay good money for these chickens because clients increasingly prefer them.

Free-range chickens will do your garden a lot of good too as the chickens will feed your lawn through their droppings.

But a word of caution though is that they love digging, creating small craters that you would have to cover.

When raising chickens at home one has to stick to council by-laws which state that the maximum number of birds allowed for a household is 25.

For anything in excess of this, one will have to seek written authority from council and get concurrence from neighbours.

These free-range birds (huku dzekumusha) can be given supplementary feed but if the area is large enough, they can fend for themselves.

The birds can be fed with most of the popular traditional crushed grains like sorghum, millet, maize, wheat, and rice bran.

Free-range chickens will eat a variety of natural foods as well, such as worms, insects and vegetation in general.

Ensure that the birds have easy access to clean drinking water.

When raising organic birds the traditional way, ensure that there is one good male for your hens.

There is no extra cost to purchase chicks as the hens will hatch their own eggs, the good old-fashioned way.

Do seek the permission of your neighbours as the morning calls of the rooster may be frowned upon by those that love their sleep.

After you have sourced your birds also ensure that they have a secure place where they can roost at night because there are many predators which can prey on them such as cats or the neighbour’s dog.

The young chicks must be kept indoors for the first week and gradually introduced to the outdoors.

The mother hen will usually look after the chicks until they can fend for themselves.

If the birds get sick treat them the way we have always done; with aloe chabaudii (gavakava), unless it’s a major outbreak where you have to consult your local vet.

However, keeping these birds is usually stress-free as long as their environment is kept clean all the time to minimise the possibility of disease.

Your birds can be ready for the market in two to three months.

The birds are particularly in great demand during the major holidays.

For any questions please feel free to contact Andrew at [email protected]

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