KOTACK FISH & AGRO VENTURES

Care and management of pregnant animals The gestation period of sow varies from 109-120 days with an average of 114 days. Pregnant animals should be housed in groups in separate enclosures and should not be mixed with new animals to avoid fighting which at times may result in abortion. It would also be advisable to house pregnant gilts and sows in separate groups during gestation. About 3 m2 of dry housing should be available for each sow. The pregnant animals should be allowed to move about every day in the morning on a free range or a pasture if available. A pasture area is presumed to be clean if a cultivated crop was raised. Management at farrowing Farrowing time is the critical time in pig production. Death rate is high during farrowing and the first week after farrowing. Sows may be farrowed in pens equipped with guard rails and a creep space in farrowing crates or in farrowing stalls. A pen equipped with guard rails and a creep space is adequate. The pen should be maint...

 Risks Involved in Catfish Farming in Nigeria Managing a fish farm is relatively more difficult than a goat or snail farm or even poultry. Losses resulting from mistakes or management slips is always more fatal in fish farms than in any other case. Fish from fish farms are always priced higher than freshly caught fishes. So you might find it more difficult selling your fishes if there are many fishermen in your market. Setting up a fish farm is very capital intensive. Much more than most other animals. Advantages Fish sells faster than most other animal products in the market. Fish grows faster than most other animals; hence, the period of the ROI is shorter. Fishes are bought in bulk also by people making health and beauty products. There’s a very steady demand for fishes in the market. The ROI from fish farming is very attractive and is enough compensation for your time and money. If you want to go into fish farming full time, be sure to make inquiries and ask questio...

The feasibility study included in this guide is for a farm capacity of 10,000 fingerlings and for a farm that is just starting. The Capital covers from pond construction (which is the common concrete type), fish feeding, production, to marketing. The farm has 10 ponds to contain 1,000 fingerlings cum Catfish each. To construct one concrete fish pond measuring 3m X 2.5m X 1.4m (l/w/h). The materials and prices below are rough estimates of materials. Blocks (N120,000), Sand (N28,000), Cement (N130,000), Gravel (N64,000) General Farm treatment (N50,000), Water supply (N58,000), Misc (N100,000) Fingerlings (1 is N30, so N30 X 10,000 = N300,000), Cost of feeding from day one to full maturity stage (N1,000,000), Workmanship (N150,000). Total: N2,000,000 Note: The more the quantity you purchase, the better since you can get every one of the fishes out alive when they’re ready to be sold. In this case, 300 fishes died and the rest were sold at N800 each. The selling price also depends on ...

Catfish Farming in Nigeria: Required Facilities As with almost any other farming business in any location, starting a Catfish farming business in Nigeria requires you have some important facilities on ground, where you can comfortably set up your farm and without which you are yet to start. Piece of Land  : You would unavoidably need an area of land to start your fish farming business, but it all depends on what you can afford. If it’s for a small scale Catfish farming business, then you can use a space as small as 1.5 square metres by 1.5 square meters. However, if you have some extra cash to spare, especially since  the bigger your space, the more fishes you can rear; which also means the more returns you’re looking at, then you use half a plot of land or even a full plot. Fish Ponds  : You can get a space or a land for yourself but construction of fish ponds, not very likely. You need to hire the service of a pond construction expert/engineer. It must be careful...

Seven out of every ten Nigerians do eat catfish on weekly basis. That’s a whooping percentage of above 65. The production of catfish in Nigeria however, from current studies showed that catfish production, distribution and marketing are way lower than its demand. Unfortunately, a lot of people, especially those who have an interest in agricultural related businesses, don’t know the potentials of catfish farming in Nigeria. That is exactly why we’ll be discussing how to start the profitable business of Catfish Farming in Nigeria, and the hidden opportunities therein. Catfish Farming in Nigeria :  You will agree that catfish is one of the commonly eaten fishes in homes, hotels, bars, joints, relaxation spots, and so on. When the word “ point and kill ” flashes by your ears, don’t squeeze your face wondering what it means. At joints, you could walk up to the fish bowl and point to a live (fresh) catfish you want killed and either used for Pepper-soup or just grilled and pepper...

⁣⁣⁣Female pigs chosen for breeding should be given special attention from the husband man if sows are expected to yield massively. Sows shouldn’t be allowed to grow too fat. When this happens, the affected sows will have leg and fertility problems. Allow all sows to get plenty exercise in order to stay fit, burn out excess fat and develop their legs well.⁣⁣⁣ Normally, young sows (gilts) are ready to conceive at 6 months of age, but mating them at this age is not advisable. They should be allowed to attain good weight before they are serviced. So wait until the gilts reach 8 – 10 months before they could be serviced. If gilts are serviced too early, there will be poor growth, small litters, farrowing (birth) problems and loss of conditions.⁣⁣⁣ Few weeks before servicing gilts or sows, they should be well-fed with protein-rich food or feed and extra quantities of feed should be provided. These make them fit and strong for mating, and allow the animals to produce more eggs for ferti...

WAYS TO CONTROL ODOR IN POULTRY FARM The problem of offensive odor in chicken farm is natural  but can be controlled; farm odor control needs a practical approach. If these ways can be adhered to, poultry enterprise can be situated in any part and environment around the world. These ways are: Use of Phytogenics : Phytogenics are  feed additives in poultry made from plant materials; they can also serve as poultry odor eliminator. They help to improve the health of the guts, improve  feed digestibility and nutrient utilization in chickens. They also improve overall performance of the chicken. Phytogenics are herbs, spices, non-volatile extracts and essential oil. They have other properties that are of great benefits to poultry keeping. Some of them are: antibacterial, antioxidant, antibiotics and anti-inflammatory. They are natural and have no detrimental effects on the chickens. Proper ventilation : Ventilation plays a very prominent role in poultry production....