Lenford Peart devotes a lot of time to his layers.
SEVEN YEARS ago, St. Ann farmer Lenford Peart obtained a loan from the Micro Investment Development Agency (MIDA) to increase his brood of layers from a mere 12 to 1,000.
He knew that he would have to work hard in order to reap optimal benefits of this new expansion and he knew that there would be obstacles in his bid for success.
But he never expected that just a few months after purchasing the chickens, he would have lost all 1,000 of them due to bad weather. However, he persevered, and today he raises more than 1,700 birds with plans to increase this number to 3,200 by August.
"Poultry, including layers, are very expensive to keep because you have to keep your birds in very good condition," said Mr. Peart, adding that he was only able reinvest in another set of layers with another loan from MIDA. "God has helped me and I picked up back," he said, adding that he was now concentrating on repaying the loans he accessed from the agency.
Mr. Peart said that he collects just over 950 eggs per day from a coop of 1,100 birds with another 600 birds expected to start laying soon.
Most of the eggs are sold to hotels in St. Ann, while the remaining quantities are purchased by other entities and community members.
In recognition of his attainments in poultry farming, Mr. Peart was named the 2003 St. Ann's Bay Community Development Fund (CDF) 'Client of the Year'. The CDF is the local lending agency of MIDA. Commending Mr. Peart on his success, MIDA field officer, Camille Johnson, described him as a dedicated client who honours his debt obligations on a timely basis.
In the meantime, Mr. Peart advises that persons wishing to venture into the chicken-rearing business should devote a lot of time to the activity.
-JIS
Tips for raising layers
Do not allow anyone who is not a part of the production team to enter the coop.The floor should be properly covered with sawdust.Feed receptacles must be kept cleanWater bottles should be washed every morning and the water changed Egg-boxes should be cushioned properly to prevent/reduce cracking of the eggs Birds must have adequate lighting. Deworm every three to four months.
