KOTACK FISH & AGRO VENTURES

Fingerlings are essential part of every fish production. Growing fish in earthen ponds is an ancient practice, and ponds continue to be the most common fish culture system used worldwide. Over 95 percent of the catfish produced in the United States are grown in ponds. Nevertheless, pond culture of channel catfish is profitable only when the proper combination of resources is available. Water temperature cannot be controlled in ponds, and commercial pond culture is feasible only in regions that provide a growing season long enough to produce a 1-pound fish from egg in less than 18 months. Pond culture also requires large tracts of relatively inexpensive land. The land must be of the correct topography and soil type for economical construction and operation of ponds. Pond culture is water-intensive, and large volumes of high-quality water must also be readily available. Even when these resources are available, production of fish in ponds will be uneconomical if there is no market for th...

Longevity is affected by the environment in which the sows live. A vital factor is the strategy used by the farmer to cull the sows. The culling strategy is influenced by herd-specific procedures, except in cases where animal welfare or biosecurity guidelines necessitate involuntary culling. These guidelines describe when sows should be culled. However, the farmer’s own opinion of what constitutes a good production sow will also influence the culling decision. The differences in culling strategies between herds make it difficult to identify what is required for a sow to achieve high longevity. In general, the reproductive ability of a sow is influenced by different factors relating to both voluntary and involuntary culling. Longevity is, however, an important aspect of maintaining highly efficient and healthy sows in the pig pro-duction industry. Moreover, a robust sow with a long reproductive life must be considered a more sustainable sow, than a sow with a shorter reproductive lif...

Anthrax, a highly infectious and fatal disease of cattles, sheep and goat and is caused by a relatively large spore-forming rectangular shaped bacterium called  Bacillus anthracis . Anthrax occurs on all the continents,causes acute mortality in ruminants. The bacteria produce extremely potent toxins which are responsible for the ill effects, causing a high mortality rate. The bacteria produce spores on contact with oxygen.  Signs of the illness usually appear 3 to 7 days after the spores are swallowed or inhaled. Once signs begin in animals, they usually die within two days. Hoofed animals, such as deer, cattle, goats, and sheep, are the main animals affected by this disease. They usually get the disease by swallowing anthrax spores while grazing on pasture contaminated (made impure) with anthrax spores. Inhaling (breathing in) the spores,which are odorless, colorless, and tasteless, may also cause infection in animals and people. In the case of terrorism,...

Crumbled feed Pellet feed Mash feed Some first time  or inexperienced poultry farmers who don't wish to ask questions about which feed is or are for which type of poultry always face feed mix up challenge. Layers are poultry reared mainly for egg production either at commercial level or personal use. Now let's help you know your layers feed and when they are needed by your birds 1. CHICK STARTER MASH/CRUMBLED This is a high protein rich variety of chicken feed designed to meet the dietary requirements of baby chicks. Basically, baby chicks can live comfortably on a diet of starter feed and water for the first           6-7weeks of their life before progressing onto the next variety of feed. The crude protein content is usually between 20-24% and it helps young chicks grow into playful pullets, however it’s imperative that you phase out the starter feed once they are 6 or 7weeks old, otherwise the excess protein can cause liver damage. 2....

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 ...