Andrew
Natasha Mushanyuki
Munashe Private High School in Mutoko is making headway in livestock rearing.
The idea to start the project was mooted by our agriculture teacher, with the support of the school administration.
The learners rear free-range and broiler chickens, ducks, turkeys and rabbits. They also breed dogs.
Free-range chickens have an advantage in that they are cost-effective, since they feed on vegetable waste from our horticulture project.
These chickens freely move in their spacious enclosure, foraging for food.
However, supplementary feeds are also supplied from time to time.
The project so far boasts 124 free-range chickens, which are also known as roadrunners.
We started venturing into broiler rearing recently, with 100 day-old chicks.
Broilers are diametrically different from roadrunners.
Broilers are highly susceptible to diseases and call for utmost care. Housing for such birds needs to be constantly cleaned. It also has to be well-ventilated. There is need to maintain proper temperatures and good lighting at night.
The bedding ought to be changed from time to time.
Broilers require proper chicken feed, given in prescribed quantities.
It is also worth noting that the broiler project is capital-intensive.
If broilers are not well taken care of, the mortality rate may be high. This may result in losses at the end of the day.
We try to ensure that within six weeks, the birds can be sold and at the right weight.
Challenges we face include diseases, including coccidiosis.
On the whole, the benefits outweigh the challenges in that we derive skills, income, manure and meat from the broiler project.
Natasha Mushanyuki is a Form Two learner at Munashe Private High School in Mutoko
Online Reporter