Many communal farmers report that their sheep, goats or cattle mysteriously die. The first question is: were the dead animals vaccinated beforehand? The answer is often “Yes”. But with a few more questio […]

Feed accounts for 65% to 75% of a poultry or pig farmer’s total input costs. To get the most out of your feed, start with the most efficient animals for your production environment.  The feed efficiency of gen […]

We all want to live in peace. They have evolved a social system to avoid conflict. Problems occur when considering how to house goats. Housing design might conflict with their natural social inclinations. That is […]

Piglets are also born with no immunity and can only get this from colostrum soon after birth. A minimum of 100 ml of colostrum per kilogram of birthweight within the first 16 hours is crucial to provide the […]

Most bottle calves are introduced to grain and hay any time after 2 weeks. In nature a calf will start to mimic its mother at about 2 weeks and you will see it “grazing” which of course isn’t really eating much b […]

Have you seen your goat limping? While it is not the cause of all limping and soreness, foot rot in goats should be suspected.

All hoofed animals risk foot rot and related foot scald. Both conditions cause […]

If any animal on the farm property has foot rot, the bacterium will now live in the soil. It’s important to keep shelters dry so Sheep do not bring disease in.

Not all limping is a foot rot symptom. Examine th […]

Most issues occur where there are high stocking densities and little opportunity to express natural chicken behavior. So, comfortable, interesting surroundings that provide for chickens’ behavioral needs are k […]

Rabbit owners sometimes become concerned about their rabbit’s drinking habits when they get a second rabbit. It seems that the new rabbit drinks a lot more, or a lot less, than the original one. But which rabbit i […]

Evaluate your risk
What are the risks to your herd at various levels of disease? How many goats are you willing or can you afford to lose to disease? If all of your does aborted one year would you be able to stay […]

Water is a critical ingredient in feedlot farming because it is a major nutrient for the cattle and is also used for maintaining hygiene.

A beef cow requires at least 40 litres of water per day and this may […]

It is important to take good care of kids so as to reduce mortalities and improve kid growth rate. A reduction in kid mortality translates into an increase in flock size and consequently the increase in […]

Rabbits exhibit a wide range of personality traits. Certain breeds are known for having specific characters. Depending on what traits a breed is known for, rabbits of that kind may only be suitable for certain […]

Management of Does (Females)
Young females should be mated as from the age of 12 months. Good nutrition ensures that the animal grows faster and ready for mating. It also increases fertility and litter size. If […]

Housing will probably be your most expensive outlay. There is always the possibility of buying second hand cages, or making your own. There are some rabbit breeders who hang the cages in unused sheds, and others […]

Local chicken is a broad name used for indigenous chicken breeds in Uganda, mostly reared in the village under the free-range method. They are also referred to as village chicken or road runners in other […]

Many Ugandans have taken on Kuroiler chicken rearing for both eggs and meat. This is because Kuroiler chicken breed which has indigenous traits, grows faster and lays more eggs than local chicken. However, some […]

A week before arrival:

• The brooder and all equipment must have been cleaned, disinfected and rested for 10 days prior to preparation. You will have to chose Viruchoc disinfectant, the wide spectrum and h […]

Heat detection is conducted early in the morning or late in the afternoon when it is cool. Once a gilt is observed to be in heat it has to be serviced there and then. A sow observed to be in heat is not serviced […]

The nutritional requirement of rabbits, as is the case in other mammals, varies according to age and productive performance. To obtain effective feeding efficiency, diets should be formulated to meet the needs of […]