NewStats: 3,263,807 , 8,181,464 topics. Date: Sunday, 08 June 2025 at 02:01 AM 6xa3d

My Story

Okay, hmmm... where I wan start sef? Let me start by quoting a saying of my loving mother (God bless her mightily for us her children) which goes thus; "farmers needs to be prayerful oooo omo mi (omo mi - My child in yoruba). O ni la ti kun fun adura (you need to pray fervently) because everything & all things can go south at any time in a sec". Those were are words anytime she enquired about how my business was going with regards to agriculture. Believe me now my people, farming is highly spiritual and you certainly must believe in God or whatever works for you to tackle the spiritual aspect of it.

Sometimes in second quarter of last year I engaged in a massive project which involved me soliciting for funds & even went as far as getting loans to carry the successful running of the project. It was a contract I secured to raise a large quantity of birds for just 3-4weeks max of age before offloading to the buyers. Everything was set and the project commenced successfully. It was so successful that in a batch of a thousand broilers, we recorded just 12 mortality at the 3 weeks of raising them. I was so satisfied that I boasted like the one who built the titanic that nothing could sink this ship.

Then Nigeria happened

In the 3rd week of raising the birds, the buyers suddenly compromised on our deal and told me they had to slash on the agreed price. I was furious and refused to renegotiate with them. C'mon this was concluded deal I fumed at them. For the first time in my life, I regretted not putting legal structure in place. The negotiations went on and on and before I knew it, the birds were in their 5th week. At this point in time, I was expending unbudgeted funds on the project running into thousands. I already made up my mind to hell with them, I had to the means to turn the whole disadvantage to my success.

the devil came
After much persuasion and urging me to sell at a ridiculous price to them, they came visiting this final day saying that they knew the funds to raise such number of birds was above me (Thanks to family ooo), and I should stop being stubborn and just part with at least some; then one of them just said; Mr. Jide, if you don't sell to us all your birds go die oooo. Immediately, I and my partner on ground rebuked him and that was it.

Lo and behold, in less than 2 days birds wey die ehn!!!! I repeat, birds wey die ehn... I was afraid. Everything proved abortive. Nothing worked. (My people, I visit vet I taya. Test upon test no worked). ALL was lost. It was a disaster. At this point, I had spent millions & I was using my hand to bury my millions.

Series of events followed. The worker on my farm taking care of my goats & pigs resigned without my knowledge. He simply wrote a note on a piece of paper and put it at the entrance of my gate. Unfortunately, I didn't go to the farm for 3 weeks (I was trying to salvage the situation of the other project). I only did realise something was wrong when I got a call from the supplier of spent grains that I haven't been coming patronize her again, saying I have gotten another customer abi? I was stunned. Another customer bawo? I called my worker, he wasn't answering....to cut long story short. I got to the farm and tears started rolling down my cheeks when I saw what was left. At a point, I was asking myself, so na only 1% of Job's ordeal be this ooo!!! How e take endure?

To tell the truth, I lost everything... (God bless my friends I swear). Iyawo was a pillar in it all. She just kept praying and thanking God while I was angry at Him.

I put up so many things for sale (God no go allow us dey sell our property because of trouble ooo), at least, I go sha pay people back their money and pay off my loan debt.

Moreover, I had to stay away from a lot of things including social media and the likes. Debts come full ground yakata . I had to channel my chi into staying alive and staying healthy, na who dey alive dey get hope ooo. Once again, God bless my family (I tried putting up an all is well face, realising it was never a crime to ask for help) who intervened in their own little ways.

So far
Well, so far so good, i haven't ventured into anything farming this year. I recently visited my farmland last week since last year and I literally had a good laugh. Maybe, I will be hunting grasscutters & snakes for a while before kickstarting again.

Nevertheless, I have been able to learn alot from this experience which i will be stating later.

With regards to that particular man & his unterrance, I did confront him (Another epistle).

My absconded worker case dey Area K police station. Nevertheless, I have forgiven him and moved the situation. All can be recovered so long grace abounds and His breath remains in me.

I do appreciate all who reached out in one way or the other. I felt loved despite all chips down.



Let me share my experience!!!

Good to be back.

May Nigeria not happen to us all in Jesus Name.

Alhajiemeritus:
It's quite unfortunate...
But do you think you can feed the remaining batch from your vaccinated birds Apple Cider Vinegar and any other organic treatment you use?
I'm not saying it works 100%, but at least...
You can also get miracle leaf, it hasn't been tested yet in poultry but it works wonders in humans.

Yup.
They all are already on organic treatment. I can observe some are on their way to recovery; being able to eat and drink water unassisted. No deaths in the last hour, that's a good one if you ask me. Nevertheless, I will be re-vaccinating all birds once again.

Once this is over, it is going to be long vac in brooding business. It is time to sanitize the whole environs.

Alhajiemeritus:
Sorry boss.
God will replenish your losses.
Only God knows what went wrong.

Amen boss.

We win some we lose some. Quite an unfortunate turn of events.

Disposal

In honor of their struggle against death yet failed, took my time to dig a hole about 3'5ft for the second mass burial. I which I could the other chicks around to morn their deaths

The burial ceremony was short, izal was poured all over the carcass and that was it.

Gooo News & Bad News.

Good news first:
Today is Sunday and it is a good time to get refreshed in His presence.
Secondly, the result came out and it is as mentioned earlier; the culprit being gumboro. I am still quite shocked and surprised anyways.
Moreover, close observation showed that only the birds I was brooding using vaccines were affected. None of my organic birds succumbed to the viral infection (at least not at the moment).
So many questions comes to play here; was it a case of failed vaccination? Vector transmission of infection through carelessness? I even suspected the feed!!! Unfortunately, I left it in someone care to attend to another pressing issues.
The good news is that I know for sure what the problem is now. It eliminates the thought of village people interference.

Bad News:
As off this afternoon, the death toll had reached its peak. Additional 17 birds gave up the ghost and embarked on the journey to chicken Paradise. I expect a few more deaths anyways but I am currently trying to see if I can rescue as much as possible.

mortality so far: 43

jidestroud:
Goodnews

Another 300 broilers at 4 weeks to be ready for sales soon.

Attention please

I'm sorry to announce this particular batch has been cancelled. I wouldn't be putting this particular batch out for sales again in other to protect my brand.
To the few who made bookings with me through this forum I am sorry I wouldn't be able to supply you again.
Moreover, brooding will be stopped for the time being to address the outbreak currently being experienced.

Thanks for your understanding and sorry for the setbacks in your programs caused.

Another 3 gone making a total of 30 birds.

As if that wasn't enough, 3 of my foreign turkeys are dead. He claimed rat entered their cage and ate them. I was forced to bury the pieces on getting back home this morning.

Well, this is nothing compared to what Job experienced but it quite a lot at the moment; ranging from blocked to loss of birds to loss of turkeys.


It is well

My Jobs Experience - series of unfortunate events

Omo, these last two days has been so challenging and heartbreaking. I can proudly say I have had my own share of disaster in the poultry business. It all started with a credit alert into my (which is supposed to be a great news) which later turned into an nightmare. Due to the frequent bank visitation to unfreeze my , I had to delicate a friend to help out in taking care of my birds. This was where it all started.

On getting to my poultry this morning, the death rate had gotten to 26 broilers and still expecting more to succumb to death. A close examination showed that my birds are down with gumboro

26 birds gone, just like that under 24hours!!! For me, it's a colossal loss. As I typing this, one is dying in front of me .

At the moment, I am trying to stabilize them one by one (presently having over 80 birds all folded up with their 3-piece coats on.

mcdokwe:
@Jidestroud,

Good morning.

Please what's your experience with rearing turkeys?
Two of the turkeys I had are female, they disappeared soon after they started laying and one was later seen around and vanished too. I was hoping they were brooding (where? I don't know) would return soon after. It has been over months and no eight of them.

Is there a possibility they can survive that long in the wild? Especially considering the rainy season and does the egg really take that long to hatch? That's assuming brooding is the reason they disappeared.

Thank you

I have had a couple of turkeys over the years, both local and exotic breeds for breeding and as garden pets.

Turkeys are quite hardy and I barely lost any turkey once its over 6weeks of age over my years of raising them. The earliest I have had my female turkeys laying is 6months and 3 weeks, while some silly ones started laying at 10months of age .

With regards to their egg incubation period, let's just put it at 28 days (+/-2 ), same as my ducks. Sometimes, I even give the eggs to my ducks to help out .

To your question, you clearly stated your turkeys are females right? Are there any male turkeys around?

If No? Then if truly your turkeys are brooding over eggs in the wild, they will most likely stay on the eggs till it either dies or gets lucky something gets it off the eggs for it to come back home. This is because the eggs are unfertilized and it won't be hatching till thy kingdom come.

If Yes? Then a month is a little overboard for its incubation of the eggs. When you say wild, do you mean wild wild? Like with reptiles; snakes, cane rats, crocks and allis etc? Why not go in search of the turkeys and collect their eggs, force them to incubate it in a place close to the house before something in the wild harms them?

obaaderemi:
What signs do you use to tell male and female noilers apart?

I bought 4 noilers thinking they were male, only for me to discover they were female months later. They are laying well now.

Hmmm... At 2 to 3weeks of age, the male / female features (legs, feathers, tail, head etc) should be very obvious. Well, I know I didn't answer your question.

Alhajiemeritus:
Do you have Day old kuroilers?
Don't worry about my location.

@izzymore is my plug.

denziz:
Hello,do you vaccinate your birds or they are raise organically?

Birds sold out to newbies are vaccinated. Those close to me and can be monitored are given organic birds.

Alhajiemeritus:
Price and location?

Lagos & Ojo precisely. I guess you are in Abuja right?

Update on my turkeys

Day 9: clean water

Day 10: Neem extract

Day 11 - 12: Coconut water

Day 13 - 15: Aloe vera extract

Day 16: clean water


So far so good. No mortality so far.

Pics tomorrow.

Goodnews

Another 300 broilers at 4 weeks to be ready for sales soon.

Shellsploit:


Ok, thanks.
Here is a pics of one of the noiler chicks at 11days

On point. Although, this is a female.

noblebaba:
I followed Mr Jide instruction and succeeded in getting two seedlings from a single Ugu seed,he actually tells us we can get 4 seedlings from a single seed I tried two seedlings and it works I'm going to try 4 seedlings from a single seed. Let's keep on learning so that we can feed the nation organically.

Nice one!!!

I also found out from someone on this forum on how to maximize a single seed when it matters the most. (I will be crediting the moniker once I ).

So oga shellsploit, just feed your birds good broiler starter feeds available and observe their vaccination/medication chart given to you. Your birds should do just fine.

Shellsploit:


Thanks for your response.
I always monitor them regularly especially the feeding aspect. They have never lacked food from day 1.

Oh, i thought they grow fast like broilers cos i have 4days old broiler, they are almost the size of the 1week noiler.

Ehya... But frankly speaking, there shouldn't be much variation between the noilers and your broilers at one week of age (even up to 3weeks of age, quote me) if same age. Except for the male to female ratios of noilers, it would have been an excellent alternative to cockerels and maybe broilers to an extent, but, getting a carton of almost 40% male to 60% females for me is total absurd and not good for market. I can even recollect buying a carton with just 10 males inside, imagine!!!
On size, I have raised noilers on a 4month duration with the minimum weight at not less than 3kg for the males and the females started laying (Yes, at 4 months), but, was it worth it is another question for another day.

Another issue I have with noilers is the issue of adulterations. There are so many imitations out there (same goes for all the useless birds out there, be it broilers, noilers, kuroilers, sassos etc. Too many self acclaimed unbranded hatcheries. Pls note: A few are good and have excellent birds that I have patronized over the years)

Update on my cuties

Cats wahala too much abegi. You need to see me and iyawo talking to the cats like our children, especially when it's way past their feeding time; meow meow meooooooow like say na swear dem swear for them .

Recently, I have been in a fix on what to feed them with after they got bored with their last food. No pet shop around my axis seem to give a hoot about cats. All of them just dey tell say buy dog food for them, all na same same.
Well, I guess I will have to continue with their old food b that.

Another set sold out!!!

Few to go!!! And another batch getting ready!!!



Broiler Variant: Marshall

todto:
How much did u buy the turkeys? success on your poultry journey.

@izzymore is my plug

Day 8

So far, everything seems to be going okay with the turkeys.

Organic medication given from Day 1 till present includes;

Day 1: Coconut water (on arrival)

Day 2 - 3: Cayenne pepper + ginger

Day 4: Tagiri extract

Day 5: ordinary water

Day 6 - 8: Bitter leaf extract

Zero mortality so far:

This foreign turkey project will engage varieties of potentially useful ingredients that could be added to the feed or drinking water of a poultry flock to improve production and as well help tackle disease.

Yup! It's time to raise these large birds once again. This time around apart from the commercial feeds which will be supplemented with as time goes on, every other thing used will be 100% organic.

Total Numbers of Turkeys: 10.


Note: I will be raising 50 broilers alongside, but that isn't the subject of the project.

3 weeks and still counting

Mortality 2 still.


Sold 97 pieces off

Broiler strain: Marshall

stanvesco:


You are forgiven bro...since you personally ate sylvester....you are forgiven!
But just know my next tom would definitely be jide....lol

Then get ready to accommodate all the wahala the tom is going to bring you.

stanvesco:


My name as guinea fowl name?

They all bare my surname boss mi... . My apologies. Sorry Oga Sly.

isey4u:


Please jidestroud how do I get this Marshall. I'm in Kaduna, can you link me up.

Cc Izzymore is your plug.