Abuja: Olam Agri has urged poultry farmers to adopt best practices to maintain healthy flocks, maximise profits and ensure quick returns on investment. Olam Agri Regional Manager, North Central, Patience Nnadozie, made the call at the Olam Agri Farmers’ Forum in Mararaba.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Nnadozie emphasized that the forum was organized to expose farmers to best practices in flock management. She highlighted that the event aimed to enlighten farmers on ways to improve productivity and achieve better returns from their poultry businesses. Nnadozie introduced the organization’s upgraded Chikun and Ultima Layer feeds, as well as Ultima and Ultima+ Broiler feeds, to the farmers.
She explained that the upgraded feeds contained higher levels of protein and energy, which were essential for enhancing productivity and improving farmers’ income. The higher protein and energy content would support peak egg production, superior egg quality, and improved profitability. Nnadozie noted that the upgrade is intended to maximize farmers’ returns by increasing egg production, either through higher egg yield per bird or by expanding flock size. However, due to the current low availability of point-of-lay birds, expanding flock size is not viable, making increased yields from existing birds the most viable strategy.
On the upgraded Ultima and Ultima+ broiler feeds, Nnadozie stated that they would promote better nutrition, faster weight gain, lower production costs, and higher profits. She urged farmers to focus on achieving faster weight gain and shorter production cycles to improve profitability.
Ochi Ogbode, Area Sales Manager, added that the feed upgrade was aimed at helping farmers produce more birds annually, increase production cycles, and maximize profits. Ogbode advised farmers to keep poultry litter dry to prevent exposure of birds to coccidiosis and other infectious diseases that could result in high mortality.
Dr. Daniel Stephen, Veterinary Technical Executive, recommended routine testing, equipment maintenance, monitoring of feed and water consumption, and staff training as best practices in poultry production. Stephen encouraged farmers to regularly monitor their birds’ water consumption to detect potential health challenges early, stressing that adequate water consumption was critical to maintaining healthy flocks and preventing potential problems. He also emphasized the importance of ensuring birds consume quality feed high in protein and energy to help reduce diseases in livestock.