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Introduction to Black Australorp Chicken Farming

The Black Australorp is dual purpose chicken which is becoming more common to most small scale farmers due to it ability to produce better results compared to local chickens. The Black Australorp hen weights an average weight of 2.5 kg and lays brown like shelled eggs. The hen has daily feed consumption requirements of 120g and is known to be docile. The the dual breed, the Black Australorp performs better both for meat and egg production.

The Black Australorp is a heavy hen (2.5 kg) and lays light-brown (tinted) shelled eggs. It is docile but eats a lot of feed (120 g/day); but their meat may be important. If these breeds are found in your country, they could be valuable and used to produce table eggs on a commercial layer farm.The Black Australorp chicken is for dual purpose (for meat and eggs). The fully grown cock normally weighs 3.5kgs and the hen weights 2.5kgs. The Black Australorp chicken lays between 240-265 eggs per year.

Research has shown that Black Australorp chicken has been proved to be the best chicken to survive well in the adverse conditions of the country. The adverse conditions are high temperatures, diseases, pests, parasites etc.

Importance of Black Australorp Chicken

Easy to keep as they don’t always need already formulated feed.
They are disease resistant
They produce many eggs compared to local chickens
They produce much meat carcass than local bird.
They can be kept at free range system hence are easy to manage.

Black Australorp Management Rearing System

Free range system
Semi intensive system
Intensive system

1. Free range system

Under free range system chickens are allowed access to pasture during the day time. The area needs to be enclosed and good green feed should be available.
The management of free-range birds is labour intensive and very complex due to the uncontrolled environmental conditions and unpredictable diet composition.
This system is adopted only when adequate land is available to ensure desired stocking density by avoiding overcrowding. We can rear about 250 adult birds per hectare. A range provides shelter, greens, feed, water and shade. Foraging is the major source of feeding for birds. Shelter is usually provided by temporary roofing supported by ordinary poles.
This is common in many rural areas .

Advantages

Easy and cheap to keep Black Australorp chicken as they don’t need formulated feed and any special care.
Chickens find feed ( insect , grass etc) for themselves
Very cheap as materials are locally obtained when constructing chicken house.
Less capital investment
Feed requirements are less since birds can consume fairly good amount of feed from grass land.

Disadvantages

The Black Australorp chickens are easily attacked by predators, thieves and diseases.
The chickens are difficult to treat when attacked by diseases.
Eggs are difficult to collect as chickens lay in the bush.
Chickens are difficult to gain weight as they don’t have formulated feds.
Egg size is small and low in number because chickens are not accessible to good made feeds.
Chickens are difficult to monitor the mating system because the farmer can’t know whether the local hen is mate with the Black Australorp cock.
The scientific management practices can not be adopted.

Conditions necessary to be considered when running a free range chicken system

A farmer should provide necessary conducive environment and comfortable resting areas to chicken
A farmer should make sure fresh water is always available and same applies to fresh food or die.
A farmer should ensure there is protection of birds from predators and discomfort
A farmer should make sure chickens or birds are able to express innate behaviors

Beak trimming

Taking birds out of cages increases cannibalism. Although free-range systems enable greater freedom to express natural behaviour, vices such as feather pecking, cannibalism and mislaid eggs continue to be a problem in free-range.

Beak trimming is necessary to stop feather pecking and cannibalism under free-range conditions, especially when birds are overcrowded in the shelters.

2. Semi intensive system

As the name indicates birds are half-way reared in houses and half-way on ground or range. Semi-intensive systems are commonly used by small scale producers and are characterized by having one or more pens in which the birds can forage on natural vegetation and insects to supplement the feed supplied.
It is an intermediate compromise between extensive and intensive system
This is common in both rural and urban area.

Advantages

Easy to treat when chickens are sick or when to vaccinate them.
Free from predation, theft and diseases as chicken are easy to be checked within the premises.
More economical use of land compared to free range system
Protection of birds from extreme climatic conditions
Control over scientific operation to some extent is possible
Chickens can get already formulated feeds.
Easy to keep as the Black Australorp chickens are free to get already formulated feed and free feeds e.g. insects, vegetables etc.

Disadvantages

The egg size and quantity is poor as much energy is wasted in moving in and out the house.
Chickens are easily attached by predators, thieves and diseases.

Key points under semi – intensive system

This system is commonly practiced both in the urban and rural areas
The farmer can build any type of the poultry house according to his /her choice as already listed earlier on.
The rural farmer, he/she may start with any number of chickens say 10 – 30
If the farmer keeps Black Australorp chickens he/she should have 3 males. This gives a mating ratio of 30 females (hens): 3 males (Cocks)= 10:1
The farmer should always remember that a chicken house space of 1m² is equivalent for 6.1 birds
Therefore 33 Black Australorp Chickens require about 6.5m² chicken house spaces.
If the farmer has constructed a house to accommodate 33 chickens, he/she should fence the house with fence or any other materials so that the chickens should not be let outside.
The farmer should make his/her own feed as per formulae explained below or the farmer should buy already made feed or concentrates.
The farmer should have 3 tubular feeders and 3 tubular drinkers as a guide line for 33 Black Australorp chickens
The farmer, as a guideline, should have 5 nesting boxes for 30 Black Australorp hens placed in a dark place inside the house.
The feeders and drinkers should be placed either inside or in the fence. But preferably they should be placed inside the house for fear of rains, wild birds, etc.
Some additional feeders should be placed in the fence for any other additional supplementary feeds such as leftovers, relish, Vegetables, madea, crushed fried Soya, crushed groundnuts and beans etc.
The farmers should also always have local hens which are also always in lay so that they should be sitting on the Black Australorp fertilized eggs to hatch pure Black Australorp chicks.
The farmer should also have the Black Australorp cocks to mate with the local hens so that they should be hatching half hybrid chickens which are high in meat and egg production.
When the chicks are hatched, the farmer should brood the baby chicks .
When the farmer sees that, he /she now have many chickens he/she should now practice intensive system because there could be enough money to be generated from the sales of eggs and chickens.

Brooding

When chicks are hatched the farmer should separate them from the hen and brood them.

Cocks

The mating ratio of Black Australorp is 10 hens to 1 cock. The farmer should encourage the Black Australorp cocks to mate with the local hens to improve meat and egg production.

Manure

The farmer should regularly collect manure to the farm for crop production.

3. Intensive System

Under this system Black Australorp chickens are totally confined to houses either on ground / floor or on wire-netting floor in cages or on slats. It is the most efficient, convenient and economical system for modern poultry production.
Very common in urban areas and in rural areas where commercial Black Australorp production is practised.

Advantages

Free from predation, theft and diseases.
Easy to collect eggs.
Easy to mate chickens ( Black Australorp can mate each other or Black Australorp cocks can mate the local hens).
Easy to monitor egg production; i.e. to know whether the egg production goes down or up.
Easy to cull the non layers.
Easy to check the broody chickens.
Farms can be located near market area.
Day-to-day management is easier.
The production performance is higher as more energy is saved due to restricted movements.
Scientific management practices like breeding, feeding, medication, culling etc. can be applied easily and accurately.
The sick birds can be detected, isolated and treated easily.

Disadvantages

Expensive to construct the Black Australorp building.
Already formulated feed is always required.
Birds’ welfare is affected. They can not perform the natural behaviour like roosting, spreading wings, scratching the floor with legs etc.
Since they are not exposed to outside sunlight and feed sources, all the nutrients should be provided in balanced manner to avoid nutritionally deficient diseases.

Housing

The purpose is to protect the birds from dogs, cats, snakes, rats and other pests and thieves and to keep out mice, rats and birds from eating valuable poultry feed and transmitting disease.

Basic requirements for the building are:

it is rain proof
it protects poultry from direct sunlight
it is not subject to flooding
it is wild bird proof (difficult to do)
it has enough space
it is easy to clean out
it has a solid door with a lock

The house should be low-cost and constructed from as much local materials (bamboo, thatched roof, woven palm leaves etc.) as possible. A disadvantage is that the house may last only 4-5 years unless refurbished when wear and tear occurs.

More expensive material can be used for a more permanent house constructed from sawn timber, poles, cement, wire-mesh, galvanised iron etc.

Positioning of the house is an important consideration in order:

to protect poultry from wind and rain storms

to prevent direct sunlight from entering the house and stressing the birds
to have good drainage around the house to protect it from flooding
to avail of the prevailing wind to cool the house in a warm climate

The house should have a roof with a steep slope to allow rainwater to run off, and have a good overhang. The house should be at least 1.8 –2.0 m high so that a person can stand upright

Water

A continuous adequate supply of clean fresh water is essential at all times to avoid dehydration.
Water and feed intake are directly related and without adequate water intake, feed consumption is depressed and growth rate reduced.

Drinkers

It is essential that birds always have access to clean, fresh water. A simple floor drinker can be made out of a can or drum inverted in a dish or tray with a hole punched about 2.5 cm above the end of the can. Other kinds of plastic drinkers can be purchased that can either be suspended from the ceiling, and height above the floor adjusted, or sitting on the floor. Bamboo can be used to make drinkers but you must provide a regular, ample supply of clean water. In larger chicken houses, a 44 gallon (200 litres) drum can be used with a ballcock in a cistern to provide a constant supply of water with a hose connected to the drinkers. Floor drinkers should be moved regularly as the litter gets wet around the drinkers. Ideally they should sit on a raised bamboo or timber platform. Drinkers get dirty very quickly particularly in a warm climate. They must be cleaned thoroughly and regularly to prevent disease. This may mean scrubbing them

Feeding

The major constraint to raising meat birds and laying hens in developing countries is often the feed supply. Manufactured or compound feed is usually not available on site and must be brought in. It is extremely expensive and may make commercial poultry keeping uncertain since feed is about 60-70% of the total cost of producing commercial poultry. A disadvantage of modern poultry breeds (hybrids) is that they need a high-quality diet if they are to produce to their genetic potential. Under certain circumstances, there is therefore a case for using dual - purpose breeds which do not need such a high - quality feed and importantly it does not need to be pelleted but can be fed as a mash

Feeders

Laying hens and meat chickens should have a continuous supply of feed. Any attempt to restrict their feed will give reduced production and a smaller profit. Feed troughs can be made from local material (bamboo) or made from old 20 litre drums (tube feeder). The feed drops into a feeding tray just below the drum, as the birds consume their diet. Feeders are either on the floor or suspended from the ceiling and adjusted according to bird age. Feed troughs can be purchased but they should always have a lid to prevent birds from entering the bin.

Nutritional Principles

Protein

Poultry need a source of high-quality protein to allow them to grow and produce meat and eggs. Protein sources differ greatly in that the number and type of amino acids (building blocks) determine quality. The closer the protein building blocks match those in the proteins in meat and eggs, the better is the quality of the protein. Fish meal, meat & bone meal and soybean meal are the most common providers of these amino acids. Some amino acids can also be mixed into the diet in pure form (e.g. methionine, lysine, threonine and tryptophan) to make up a shortfall.

Energy

The requirement for energy (body fuel) is met by feeds that provide carbohydrates, usually starch. Although grains traditionally supply starch, and other carbohydrates, local roots and tubers are also rich in starch but very low in protein. Grains contain 8- 15% protein, but the quality is not good.

Minerals and vitamins

There are 13 vitamins that are essential and if deficient in the diet, it will result in a specific disease and/or reduced production. There are at least 9 essential minerals. Calcium and phosphorus are deposited in bones and egg shell, and salt is often deficient in poultry diets.

Keeping poultry out-of-doors on green pasture allows them to forage for protein, minerals and vitamins and birds are less likely to become deficient compared to birds kept indoors all of the time. Normally a mineral and vitamin supplement is added to the feed but these are not always available in developing countries

Brooder

In commercial and semi-commercial production, the young chick needs to be kept warm (brooded) as there is normally no mother hen to brood them. In countries where the days are hot the chicks need very little (if any) additional heat except possibly when the temperature drops at night. If there is a supply of electricity a 60 or 100 watt bulb can be suspended above the chicks or placed in a can on the floor. There are also special heat lamps. Alternatively, a small kerosene lamp within a surround (small can) can be put in the brooder.

The chicks are confined in the brooder by placing a chick guard (a ring of cardboard or woven grass, palm or bamboo strips) around the chicks with a diameter of about 90 cm and 40-48 cm high. The cardboard ring can be adjusted according to the number and age of the chicks.

Key Points to take notes

Brooders are in form of charcoal burner, electric heaters etc.
Brooders are used to provide adequate heat to the baby chicks during brooding period.
As a guide line one brooder is enough for 1000 chicks at summer and 850 in winter.
The temperatures must range from 32- 33ºaround the brooder and 29ºc where the light spectrum ends.
A good guide to the brooder temperature is the behaviour of the chicks.
If the chicks huddle together near the brooder and sound distressed, it is too cold, the farmer should increase heat on the brooder.
If the chicks congregate (gather) away from the brooders it is too warm, the farmer should reduce the heat on the brooder.
The farmer should always remember that the ambient house temperatures should be gradually reduced by 2ºc each day per week until 18-21ºc is attached and maintained by around 35 days old.

Mortality is normally highest during the first few days so the chicks need special care. Very small chicks are particularly vulnerable and dead chicks should be removed immediately and buried.

Litters

Litter should be in form of rice husks, wood sharing etc.
Sawdust should be avoided because of the high tunnim content and susceptibility to splinter which can cause perforations of the crop and gizzard if eaten.
The farmer should always use fresh litter and should avoid using musty or mouldy litter to prevent aspergillosis.
The farmer should regularly turn the litter to avoid litter from making lumps and production of ammonia gas which is hazardous to birds and poultry attendant.
The humidity in the stock area should be around 65% for good growth and feathering of the chickens.
Regular turning and replacement of litter is also essential to prevent the breeding area for parasites and disease causing organisms such as coccidia for Coccidiosis.

Lighting

Black Australorp chickens are grown on a programme of continuous light from day old through 6- 8 wks old, but an hour period of darkness should be provided each day
An hour period of darkness each day is essential to avoid birds from huddling together (panic) resulting in crowding and suffocation at a time when there is no light.
The farmer should make sure that light is evenly distributed throughout the house to ensure that chicks have access to feed, water and heat.
The farmer should always remember that Black Australorp chickens are reared in dull light between 6- 20weeks old as they are feeding on growers mash , this is to make sure that there is good accumulation of calcium in bones and the reproductive system is fully developed
When the chickens reach point of lay (20 wks old) the light intensity is gradually increased from naturally 12hrs to a maximum of 15 hours if possible by use of light. That is switch on light at 6pm and switch of at 9 pm giving 3 hrs additional light. Therefore 12hrs + 3hrs =15hrs required a day.
The farmer in the rural societies should not use paraffin lamps during laying period because it is expensive and produces gas which is bad to birds. But the farmer should just use the natural 12hours light. This can also work in urban areas where electricity is expensive.

Sun

The farmer should always remember that chickens don’t have sweat glands; therefore the chickens should not be exposed to direct sun.
Black Australorp chickens should be protected from direct sunshine as they are unable to cool their body properly even if the ventilation is good.
When sunshine penetrates into the house, the chickens huddle together at at point encourages crowding and suffocation promotion mortality.
The penetrated sunshine into the stocking area encourages the chickens eating litter promoting disease outbreak e.g. Coccidiosis.

Stocking rate

The stocking rate or density is the number of fully grown chickens in a given area in the stocking room.
The stocking rate for the Black Australorp chicken is 6.1 birds per square meter or 1 bird per square foot.
Correct stocking rate is essential as it promotes good growth rate and good health of the chickens.
Correct stocking density promotes good air circulation, control and prevention of diseases and parasites.
Correct stocking rate promotes chickens to have adequate feed and water at the right time and promotes better egg production and reduction in egg damages.
Correct stocking rate reduces water and feed spillage.
Correct stocking density promotes good body heat production and influences to attain and maintain the desired 18 - 21ºc temperature during laying period.

Brooding

Brooding

Brooding is confining the chicks to heat, water, feed and light sources of between day old to 7 - 12 days old depending on weather.
Brooding can be either whole house heating or using surrounds.
During brooding period an hour of darkness in a week so that the chicks should not panic and crowd together and suffocate when there is no light.
Supplementary feeders and drinkers are generally used and are gradually removed within a period of 7 – 12 days depending on growth rate and weather.
The farmer should always remember when charcoal burner is used to make sure that charcoal is completely burnt outside before taking it to the stocking area to avoid carbon monoxide gas.
The best guide when chicks are on brooding is the behaviour of them as explained earlier on the brooders.
During brooding period chicks feed on chick mash (pullet starter) from day old through 6 -8 wks old.
During brooding period, it is very important to start giving chicks water with vitamins when they have just arrived.
Some farmers prefer giving at once both feed and water when they have just arrived.
The farmer should know that the chicks eat 1.5kg – 2kgs chick mash [pullet starter] from day old to 6 – 8 weeks old.

Rearing

Rearing is putting chickens on growers mash (pullet grower) from 6 – 8 weeks old to point of lay which is 18 – 20 weeks old.
During rearing period only permanent feeders and drinkers are available in the stocking area and all heaters and surrounds are removed.
During rearing period light intensity is reduced to promote calcium accumulation in bones and good development of the reproductive system.
The farmer should trim the upper beak of the birds when they are 8 – 10 weeks old and repeat at 17 – 18 weeks old.
The farmer should give the birds vitamins in drinking water during time of beak trimming.
The farmer should separate the hens from the cocks at 8 – 10 weeks old to promote good growth rate and reduce perking and cannibalism.
The farmer, if possible should screen the parent stock at a point of lay (18 – 20 weeks old) before they come into lay.
The farmer should know that a chick eats 6.5kgs – 7kgs from 6 – 8weeks old to 18 – 20 weeks old.

Laying period

During laying period the chickens are given layers mash from 18 – 20weeks old to depletion (98 – 112 weeks old).
The farmer should increase the light intensity by removing curtains in the stocking area.
The nesting boxes should be fitted in the laying house at a dark place as chickens like dark places to lay.
The farmer should always remember that the Black Australorp chicken only comes in lay when they reach a body weight of 1.65kgs.
The farmer should remember that the mating ratio of Black Australorp chickens is 10hens to 1 cock.
The farmer should know that the chicken eats 44 -53kgs [ 112 – 120 gm] feed from 18 – 20 weeks old to depletion (98 – 112 weeks old)

Mating and hatching

The mating ratio for Black Australorp chickens is 10hens to 1 cock.
The farmer must know that it is difficult to find the hatchery in the rural communities where there is no electricity.
These fertilized eggs can be used as food and source of income for the farmer.
Some poultry farmers associations have mini hatcheries for about 200 – 500 eggs capacity.
Since the Black Australorp chickens are hybrid birds which does not sit on the fertilized eggs to hatch, the farmer should use the local hens to hatch the eggs into pure Black Austrolorps if they have crossed themselves.
The Black Australorp normally lays 240 – 265 eggs per laying period therefore when mate with the local hen chickens, the offspring (young ones will lay better number of eggs about 180 – 220 eggs per laying period.

Management of the Black Australorp Chicks Hatched by the Local hen Chicken

Since local chickens are generally kept free range, the farmer should wean the chicks and brood them as explained earlier on.
It is good for the farmer to keep many local hens with the provision of the pure breed of Black Australorp cocks.
Many local hens are important during hatching period.
It is essential for the farmer to practice semi intensive and intensive systems to avoid birds from predators, thieves, parasites and diseases.
The chicks should be given adequate vitamins and vaccines as per program prepared.

Chick placement

Chick placement is the receiving of day old chicks in the house for brooding.
The heaters (Charcoal burner or Electrical heaters) should be placed in the brooder 24 hours prior to receiving the chicks.
When the farmer has received the chicks he/she should not delay them to put in the brooder for fear of dehydration which could result in higher mortality rate and permanent poor growth rate.
When chicks are received the farmer should gently count them near feed, water, heater and entire brooding area.
Surrounds are essential during brooding because they confine the birds to the heater, water, feed sources with the help of the light.
The farmer should leave the chicks to settle for 1-2 hours in the brooder area and check if they have find feed, water and are evenly distributed

General Care of Black Australorp during Brooding, Rearing and laying periods

The farmer should always remember that the success in keeping Black Australorp chickens depends on a systematic and efficient management programme start well before the baby chicks arrive at the poultry house.
The farmer should have one age group of Black Australorp chickens at one house to ensure that the management, sanitation, vaccination and feed programmes become easy and effective at all times.
The farmer should know that litter is even at a depth of 5-6 cm in the house because uneven spread of litter creates uneven floor temperatures causing groups of chicks/ chickens huddle (crowd) in pockets of shavings or under equipment, depriving themselves of feed and water at a critical time when growth is at its most rapid.
Heaters should be placed in the brooder area 24-36 hours prior to receiving chicks. Because this helps to ensure that shavings are warmed and the air temperature in the house is correct when the chicks arrive.
The farmer should ensure that there is at least adequate enough fresh air entering the house especially when using direct charcoal heating at brooding while at the same time taking care to avoid draught,(cold air).
As a guide line, the farmer should provide 1-2 drinkers and 1-2 feeders for 10 full grown up Black Australorp chickens.
The farmer should remember that parasites and diseases are introduced into the flock by visitors, poultry attendants or through litter and dust etc.
The farmer should remove all the sick birds from the rest of the chickens as the microorganisms multiply faster in weak birds.
The farmer should restrict the movements of visitors coming to the poultry unit.
The uniforms (boots and overalls) used in the poultry unit must not be used outside the poultry unit.
The sick and dead birds should not be consumed at home but burnt and buried away.
The farmer should always knock on the stocking area door particularly when they are in lay to avoid chickens from explosion and cause egg peritonitis.
The farmer should always use the same colour of clothes (uniforms) to avoid birds from being disturbed [explosion] particularly when they are in lay. Poor conditions will result into:-

(a) Poor weight gain.

(b) High mortality rate.

(d) Disease out breaks.

(e) Decreased income.

(f) Poor feed conversion.

Conditions That Encourage Disease Outbreak

Poor feed quality and quantity.
Wet litter which could encourage the production of ammonia gas and aspergillosis. Ammonia gas is bad to birds and human when it particularly reaches 50 parts per million [50ppm] in the poultry house.
When there is high concentration of ammonia gas of 50ppm chickens normally have their heads up and shaky and the farmer feels it in eyes and nostrils.
Human develop sneezing and coughing.
The chickens develop coughing, sneezing, diarrhoea and poor egg production and body weight.
Dusty litter encourages sneezing and chronic respiratory diseases (coughing and sneezing) in chickens.
Poor stocking density – sometimes chickens are overcrowded encourages spillages of feed and water.
Poor housing –the house that doesn’t have the ventilation system and leaks.
Poor feeding and water spacing –the farmer sometimes provides very few drinkers and feeders to many chickens hence they do complete and spill feed and water resulting into malnutrition.
Regular visitors at the farm who are the carries of several diseases and parasites at the farmer eg Coccidiosis, New Castle etc.
Not following the feeding and vaccination programs.