Raising Small Flock of Chickens ; Feed & Water

0 - 6 weeks Start the chicks with medicated starter crumbles / ayam kampung starter on crumbles feed plates or chick feed troughs. Feed with chicks starter until they are 6 weeks of age. Feed troughs; during the first 4 weeks, 50 chicks will require 2 chicks troughs. Feed troughs can be filled full the first 3 days, but should be filled no more than 1/2 to 2/3 full as to reduce feed wastage. These can be replaces with one hanging feeder per 20 chicks at 5 to 8 weeks. The chicks should have access to the feed and water at all times.

6 - 20 weeks Feed them a grower ration. Their feed must contain at least 75% cereals and cereals products (fattening purposes). Recommended to add of at least 30% feed from grasses/weeds/green vegetables.

20 weeks onward Start feed the chickens with layer or breeder ration. Daily intake per bird; average 110g of commercial feed / average 170g of wet mash (household scraps). Recommended to add minimum 30% of green leafy vegetables/weeds/grasses daily. If birds raised for eggs, the medicated feed then replaced with a non-medicated feed.

Notes
1. Insoluble grit (small stones) are required by poultry if they have access to grain or other foodstuffs. Soluble grit (kulit kerang/siput/ec) cannot be used in replacement. It is not grit, it is used to give laying hens extra calcium for egg-shell production. This extra calcium will cause bone development problems in young chickens.

Cerita di pasar

Harini seperti lain-lain hari, mesti kena pergi pasar. Gi amik lebihan sayur dan hampas kelapa. Dah beberapa hari uncle yang biasanya bekalkan hampas kelapa tak dapat bekalkan seperti sepatutnya. Tapi nasib baikla ada ramai lagi orang lain kat pasar yang jual santan kelapa, jadi takde masalah sangatla untuk dapatkan ganti. Ada masa tu, bila terlampau banyak bekalan hampas kelapa sampaikan tak terlayan nak amik dari mereka. Sejak mula ternak ayam itik sampai harini, most everybody at Bahau Wet Market know me. Even sometimes, when 'm not there for couple of days...sure ada auntie or uncle akan tny "hello amoi, lama tak nampak..mana pegi?" hohoho dlm hati punyala gembira...ada juga orang perasan kewujudan aku kat pasar ni. Kat pasar, semua orang akan dapat panggilan "uncle" atau "auntie"...tak kesahla tua ke muda, semua dipanggil yang sama, sebab dah terbiasa. Ada masa kena tegur juga "eh..aku ni nampak tua sangat ke? ko panggil aku uncle plak.." Senyum je la...
Tapi harini kelakar giler, selalu amik lebihan sayur kat orang lain, tapi harini terpaksa amik kat orang lain plak. Bawa guni satu, berdiri depan bakul lebihan sayur dia "uncle! saya mau ambil ini sayur boleh?" then uncle respond "ala amoi, itu sayur belom habis pilih" hmmm...kenapa pulak dengan uncle ni? last-last pergi berdiri sebelah kaunter dia "uncle...saya bayar la untuk sayur2 tu.."...uncle tu dengan cepat minta pekerja dia tolong masukkan lebihan sayur dalam guni...huhuhu sungguh kelakar uncle ni. Nasib baik harini wife uncle tu takde, kalo tak lagi berkira dengan wife dia...ada masa rimas juga dengan kerenah mereka-mereka ni, tapi nak buat macamana, kita sama-sama cari rezeki. Janji tadak tipu-tipu, gaduh-gaduh... kira no hal la tu. Senyum je la hari-hari jumpa mereka ni walopon kadang-kadang depa tak balas pon senyuman kita...yang penting, ayam kat rumah kenyang makan dahla. Inila rutin seorang penternak kecilan. =)