Poultry farming consists of different breeds that are kept for meat and eggs. The most common breeds of chicken are broiler, layer, and cockerel. Noiler are a newly developed breed by Amobyn for smallholder farmers. They are known as dual-purpose birds for their meat and eggs.
Noiler is a new type of breed developed by AMO Sieberer Hatchery Limited in 2008, and the project started in 2003 with the commercial sales of Noiler chicks in 2014. The breed is raised in West African countries, including Nigeria.
To some farmers, the name Noiler is not strange to them. They are already in the system, but most have little or no idea of how profitable they are and the guiding rules for running this breed. Some concentrate on egg production, while others concentrate on meat production. The most profitable part of Noiler is the breeding purpose, which is becoming popular now.
NOILER CHICKEN CHARACTERISTICS
They are known for their high growth rate, colors, and adaptability. They have a variety of colors, which include white, gold, black, brown, and gray. Furthermore, they have some characteristics of local birds, which include adaptiveness to harsh weather and scavenging for food if placed on free-range. Likewise, they lay 140 to 160 eggs throughout their lifetime, with the first laying starting at 20 weeks to 22 weeks of age.
Making a big profit from Noiler Chicken is not from selling eggs or meat. To make it big in NOILER production, you need to focus on breeders; that is, you're going to start crossing the birds neither through natural mating nor artificial insemination. There are some things you need to follow that will help you succeed in this business.
HOUSING
In my articles, "Becoming a Successful Farmer" and "How to Set Up a Poultry Farm," I stated the importance of having a good house on a livestock farm, mostly a poultry farm. It is important to have an intensive farming system by housing the birds inside a cage or deep-liter system. A cage system is used when practicing artificial insemination (AI), while a deep-liter system is used when practicing natural mating.
BIRDS SELECTION AND PURCHASE
Depending on your level of experience in farming, going for day-old chicks of NOILER is best in order to have proper monitoring in terms of feeding, medication, and vaccination schedule. If you are not expert enough to handle a day-old chick, go for a 4 week old NOILER.
SORTING
No matter how good or experienced you are at poultry farming, you are bound to experience some having faster growth than others. Once they clock 8 weeks of age, sort the small ones from the big ones. If possible, remove all the males from the flock.
BREEDING
At the time they start laying, the ratio of male to female shouldn't exceed 1 male to 6 females to have a good result, but 1:5 is good. The standard ratio is 1:10. The results from the experience are not encouraging.
HATCHING
The reason behind putting the male in with the female is mainly for fertilization. A female will always lay eggs, whether they are mated or not. That's why fertilization is important. Ensure you observe the flock to confirm successful mating among them, and wait 2 weeks before picking eggs that will be taken for hatching. Hatching always takes 21 days, giving you the opportunity to always take the eggs to the hatchery every week, mostly on Wednesday or Thursday, depending on the hatchery you are using. You can visit a commercial hatchery, or you can set up your own incubator, which you will use to hatch your eggs if you have the capacity.
MARKETING AND SALES
NOILER day-old chicks have never required any marketing skill or connection, nor does it involve any stress. All you need to do is visit your hatchery at the time of pick-up of your hatched birds; the marketers are always there to plead for your birds. You have multiple choices for negotiation without stress.
In conclusion, making it big in NOILER production is possible, but be prepared for any unforeseen disease to avoid complications and delay in egg production. In every commercial hatchery, you pay per egg, which is not too much, and it's for renting space inside their incubator. Don't forget to share your experiences and questions in the comment box.
