1. The benefits of sustainable agriculture for poultry farming: a model
By : Clement Nyanhongo, Louise Barias, and Michaela LeDoux

2. Tadazna, Nicaragua Project Details
Bridges to Community has a new poultry farming pilot program that will hopefully boost the local economy
Five families will be chosen to raise 300 chickens to sell at the local market in Siuna
BTC hopes that this will become a self-sufficient operation over time. This will provide a steady income and another source of nutrition
First I’d like to give an overview of the project. Bridges to communtiy is introducing a new pilot program in tadazna to boost the local economy buy having families raise and sell chickens. They are providing families with the chickens and Purina chicken feed,
The model my group is going to present is looking into the possiblity of locally sourcing chicken feed if the pilot program is successful.
Our project is based on the assumption that the surveys distributed during our trip by the CD team would garner support and lead BTC to actually take on the poultry farming project.

3. Why Poultry Farming? Chickens are easy to take care of Louise
Chickens are inexpensive and need only a small amount of land to raise them. Their feed is cheap and can be held in small chicken coops in backyards
Chickens are a source of protein, and are a good addition to a diet
Chickens are a good return on investment. One chicken and one hen can make 4 more chicks, which you can sell at the market. They also produce eggs to eat and sell

4. Why Poultry Farming? Chickens are easy to take care of
They are a source of nutrition and diversify a family's diet
Louise
Chickens are inexpensive and need only a small amount of land to raise them. Their feed is cheap and can be held in small chicken coops in backyards
Chickens are a source of protein, and are a good addition to a diet
Chickens are a good return on investment. One chicken and one hen can make 4 more chicks, which you can sell at the market. They also produce eggs to eat and sell

5. Why Poultry Farming? Chickens are easy to take care of
They are a source of nutrition and diversify a family's diet
They are a good investment
Louise
Chickens are inexpensive and need only a small amount of land to raise them. Their feed is cheap and can be held in small chicken coops in backyards
Chickens are a source of protein, and are a good addition to a diet
Chickens are a good return on investment. One chicken and one hen can make 4 more chicks, which you can sell at the market. They also produce eggs to eat and sell. Chickens are profitable because the amount spent on feed is very cheap

6. Poultry Farming: Basic Feed
Louise ~ 2 min
Cereals, fats and oils, proteins
Must have fresh water. Fill drinkers 2x a day, if no automatic water system. They consume twice as much water as feed
Clement, ~2 min
(And Water)

7. Nutrient Requirements
To grow well, chickens require a balanced diet with the right amount of nutrients. The table below lists the basic classes of nutrients and ingredients that chickens need to grow well.
Nutrient
Examples of Ingredients
Carbohydrates
corn, sorghum, other grains
Proteins
soybean meal, meat products, amino acids
(methionine, lysine)
Fats
corn oil, blended fat products
Minerals
salt, limestone, calcium carbonate, calcium
phosphate, trace mineral mix
Vitamins
vitamin mix, other ingredients
Clement - Importance of nutrients

8. Types of chickens (commercial)
Broiler Chickens*
Layers
Fast growing (for meat), weeks .
Primarily for eggs, usually grows for more than 18 weeks.
Usually needs 22-24% of digestible crude protein in feed.
Usually needs between 16-18% of digestible crude protein in feed.
Source:
Clement ~ 3 min

9. Making Handmade Feed
Handmade feeds are usually 30 to 50 per cent cheaper for every 70kg bag of chicken feed.
To formulate feeds, farmers have to know the crude protein content of each of the ingredients they want to use.
For example (common ingredients): Whole maize — 8.23%, Soya — 45%, Fishmeal (omena) — 55%, Maize bran — 7%, Sunflower — 35%
Each category of chicken has its nutritional requirement. For example, if we want to make feed for layers, the feed should have at least 18 per cent crude protein.
Therefore, to make a 70 kg bag of feed for layers, a farmer would require the following ingredients: kg of whole maize, 12kg of soya, 8kg of omena (fishmeal), 10kg of maize bran. 6kg of lime
Clement

10. Making Handmade Feed
To meet the 18% crude protein standard, a farmer can do a simple calculation as follows:
Whole maize — 34kg x 8.23% = 2.80 kg
Soya — 12kg x 45% = 5.40 kg Hence, Total crude protein = 13.30kg
Omena — 8 kg x 55%= 4.40 kg
Lime — 6 kg x 0% = 0.00kg
Therefore for a 70kg bag of feed, total % of crude protein will be ÷70 ×100 = 19%
To ensure that chickens get all necessary nutrients including vitamins, minerals and amino acids, you need these additives in their standard quantities.
Clement

11. Sample Chicken Feed 10kg of whole maize 16.7kg of maize germ
Using the same method, the following are sample handmade feeds for broiler chickens.
Broiler starter feed (1-4 weeks)
(70kg)
40kg whole maize
12kg fishmeal (omena)
14kg soya bean meal
4kg of lime
70g of premix
35g of lysince
35g of Threonine
Preparing broiler Finisher feed (4-8wks)
(70kg)
10kg of whole maize
16.7kg of maize germ
13.3kg of wheat pollard
10kg of wheat bran
6kg of cotton seed cake
4.7kg of sunflower cake
3kg of fishmeal
2kg lime
3.4 kg soya meal
40g of bone meal, 5g salt,
5g coccidiostat
5g Zincbacitrach
Clement

12. How can Tadazna produce sustainable chicken feed?
Michaela
This is a transition slide. Just to tie in the chicken feed to the project in tadazna.

13. Existing crops in Tadazna
They already grow corn and beans, which are 2 of the main components for feed
Corn = carbohydrate (majority of feed)
Bean = protein
If this project were to scale-up, the community could grow these 2 crops in larger quantities to be used in homemade chicken feed.
Michaela

14. In the future...
Bridges to Community will be providing families with Purina chicken feed.
Once the project is established well, they could supplement the corn and beans grown by the community with the remaining chicken feed ingredients (instead of purchasing Purina feed):
Wheat (carb)
Oyster shells (minerals- calcium)
Methionine and Lysine (amino acids, protein)
Poultry grit
Michaela

15. Sustainable Agriculture Methods
If the community tries to grow more corn and beans for use in homemade chicken feed, it would be more cost-effective to use sustainable agriculture methods.
Crop rotation : growing different crops in different seasons to facilitate nutrient replenishment and pest control from one cycle to the other (for examples, growing cereals after growing nitrogen-fixing legumes).
Compost : Using by-products from crops and animal matter to make natural fertiliser.
Intercropping : Growing different crops on the same land simultaneously. Crops can be strategically selected for pest control and nutrient replenishment.
Cover cropping : Soil erosion washes away top soil with the highest amount of nutrients. Techniques such as contour ploughing in elevated areas also minimises erosion.
Michaela -- ADD CLARIFICATION
Long term = worthwhile
Investment -- labor intensive or concerted effort to do this
At this scale though to provide for the community, utilizing these methods to create homemade feel will ensure they have the highest yield
Over-time cost effective to locally produce as many components of the chicken feed as possible

16. Benefits: Economy and Environment
The poultry farming project will be able to stimulate the local economy and provide families with extra income.
Incorporating sustainable farming techniques to source feed materials will increase soil fertility, soil drainage. Sustainable farming methods also ensure long-term viability and increased crop yield from the land, bringing in extra income.
The poultry farming project will be able to stimulate the local economy and provide families with extra income. in addition, sourcing chicken feed locally will be cheaper, andIncorporating sustainable farming techniques to source feed materials will increase soil fertility, soil drainage. Sustainable farming methods also ensure long-term viability and increased crop yield from the land, bringing in extra income.

17. Extra Benefit: People
In addition, sustainable agriculture helps people in Tadazna. People in the community can use the crops grown for their dietary needs, and keep their soil fertile for the following year’s crop yield, providing extra income.
poultry farming
community
agriculture
economy
Louise, ~1 min
Overall, Poultry farming benefits agriculture and its effect on the environment, the local economy and the people in these communities.

18. On the ground: Informational Sheet
Will be distributed in conjunction with the CD team’s survey
Gauging feasibility and interest in project
Sheet gives overview of the way sustainable agriculture can aid in producing higher quantities of crops for use in homemade chicken feed
Michaela, ~1 min
This information sheet, which we will translate to spanish, will be distributed while the CD team conducts their survey that will gauge public interest and the feasibility of this project. This highlights the potential of the commuities to produce to create

19. Questions?

20. Selected sources
agriculture/sustainable-agriculture.html#.WCDz9BS987Q
Agriculture/ gvraez/index.html