Preventing poultry from getting ill

64. Buy at the animal husbandry centres day- old chicks or three- month- old pullets

That way you get poultry of a good breed that resist heat, dampness and diseases.

These birds are in good health and have usually been vaccinated.

65. Pay attention to cleanliness

The poultry house, and the feeding and drinking troughs must always be very clean.

You must clean them out often.

66. Do not put too many birds together

If you put too many birds together, they may wound or even kill each other.

The stronger ones peck the weaker.

The grass in the run is soon eaten up by the birds, and cannot grow again.

Diseases are passed more easily from one bird to another.

67. You must not put hens together with ducks, guinea fowls, turkeys.

The diseases of ducks, guinea fowls and turkeys can be given to the hens.

For 50 laying hens, you need an area of about 25 x 20 metres.

68. Take any sick birds out of the run

You must not eat sick poultry.

You must kill them and burn them so that the microbes are not left in the ground to be passed on to the other birds.

It is also better to take out of the run hens that are too thin and do not grow any more.

They do not resist diseases well and can give them to the poultry in good health.

69. Ask the animal husbandry service for advice

When a bird is sick or dead, take it to the animal husbandry service, or to the nearest veterinary assistant. Then you must follow his advice, so that the disease is not passed on to all the poultry in the village.

Often you see all the poultry of a village killed by the same disease. This must be avoided.

70. Get all poultry vaccinated

All poultry bought at animal husbandry centres that have not already been vaccinated, for instance day- old chicks, must be vaccinated.