AGRICULTUTRAL SCIENCE

SCHOOL BASE ASSESSMENT

Name: Nataliya Reid

Teacher: Miss. Vassianna

Candidate Registration #: 1000660726

Centre #: 100066

Location: Maldon High School

Start Date: September 23, 2019

Termination Date: November 26, 2019

 TABLE OF CONTENT
TITLE PAGE

PROBLEM STATEMENT 3

AIM 4

EXPERMENTAL DESIGN 5

MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENTS 6

ACTIVITIES 7

DATA COLLECTION 8

PRESENTATION AND INTERPRETATION 9-12

DISCUSSION 13-14

CONCLUSION 15

LIMITATION 16

RECOMMENDATION 17

REFERENCE 18

PROJECTED BUDGET 19

ACTUAL BUDGET 20

COST ANALYSIS 21

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 PROBLEM STATEMENT

Mrs. Brown a resident of the Maroon Town housing scheme located in the parish of St. James

expressed her concern of rearing boiler birds to daughter Kayla Reid who is an agricultural

science student at the Maldon High School. Kayla reminded her mom that she needs to be

mindful about the ammonium scent that will be given off the poultry house. She further goes to

tell her that the neighbors will start to complain and she could be in trouble with the law. Mrs.

Brown who is still interested in rearing her boiler birds visited her friend Veronica who also live

in the housing scheme and is rearing boiler bird, ask her how she controls the ammonium in her

poultry house. Veronica told her she could use sand as her litter material has sand gives a lower

ammonium scent better carpass quality (chest blistering), feet quality and a better conversion

ratio.

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 AIM
1. BUSINESS AIM

To investigate if the sand has a litter material gives a better yield than saw dust.

2. Technical Aim

To investigate if sand as a litter material will give a better FCR, chicken foot quality, less chest
blistering and ammonium scent than sawdust

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 EXPERMENTAL DESIGN

STEP 1: 400 boilers were purchased.

STEP 2: The brooding area was established, 4 (four) feeders and waters were placed

inside, along with four heat lamps.

STEP 3: At the end of 2 weeks, the birds were divided into two groups 200 each.

STEP 4: 200 birds were placed on sand, while the other 200 were placed on saw dust.

STEP 5: At the end of the 6 weeks the birds were slaughter and results were taken.

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 MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT

Heat lamps

Sand

Saw dust

Boiler ration

Feeders

Waters

Knives

Hay fork

Scale

Polly bag

De-feathering machine

Ice

Refrigerator

Super Hi-provit

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 ACTIVITIES

HOUSE PREPARATION
The poultry house was decoded webbed, old litter materials were removed and the
poultry house disinfected with bleach.

LITTER MANAGEMENT
Both litters was turned daily and wet litter removed and replaced with dry litter when
necessary.

Medication
There was no need to vaccinate birds has they were vaccinated from the hatchery;
however birds were giving super hi-provit in their water on arrival.

CONSTRUCTION OF BROODING PEN

A brooding ring was constructed in the poultry house using ply. The ring was
constructed base on the space requirement of each bird (1/2sf). Therefore the
dimension of the ring was 200sf.

THE SLAUGHTERING AND DRESSING

12 hours before slaughtering feed was removed. On the day of slaughtering the
abiatoure was cleaned and disinfected along with all the tools needed. The pot was
placed on the fire with water to be warmed. The bird was catched stunt in the head
and placed in a funnel and the head was removed. The bird was allowed to drain for
two minutes, then the foot of the bird was placed in the warm water and cleaned up,
then the entire body the bird was dip in the water. The wing and the tail feathers were
removed first then the remaining feather. The birds were plucked, washed and chill
and leave to drain. Birds were then packaged in a poly bag and placed in the
refrigerator.

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 DATA COLLECTION

Total mortality = 25 birds

Number of birds to slaughter: 375

Litter materials Carcass Feet Callousness F.C.R. Ammonium

Quality(chest scent

blistering) concentration

1 weak

2 moderate

3 strong

Sand 53 25 2.8:1 1

Saw dust 98 40 3.2:1 2

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 PRESENTATION AND INTERPRETATION OF RESULT

TITLE: BAR GRAPH SHOWING THE FCR FOR

BIRDS ON SAND AND SAWDUST
3.3

3.2

3.1

3 Series1

2.9

2.8

2.7

2.6

2.5
Sand sawdust

The pie chart above shows that the birds that were placed on sand consumed 2.8lbs of feed
to gain one lbs of body weight. Those that were on sawdust consumed .4 more of feed than those
on sand. Therefore birds on sawdust feed conversion 3.2:1.

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 TITLE: PIE CHART SHOWING THE CAR-
CASS QUALITY(CHEST BLISTERING) FOR
BIRDS ON SAND AND SAWDUST
sand sawdust

sand
53

sawdust
98

The carcass quality of the birds placed on sawdust was increased. This is so because of the wet
litter conditions of the sawdust. While those birds on sand carcass quality decreased.

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 TITLE: DOUGHNUT CHART SHOWING THE AM-
MONIUM SCENT OF BIRDS ON SAND AND
SAWDUST
Sand sawdust

Sand
1
sawdust
2

A scale was given for the ammonium scent of the poultry house which was 1being weak,
2 moderate and 3 strong. Those birds that were placed on sawdust ammonia scent was moderate,
meaning that not every time you could smell the poultry house. While those birds on sand
ammonia scent was weak.

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 TITLE: BAR GRAPH SHOWING THE FEET
CALLOUSNESS FOR BIRDS ON SAND AND
SAWDUST

40
Series1
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
sand sawdust

The birds that were placed on sawdust feet callousness increased by 10%. This is so, because of
the moisture that is in the sawdust. Those birds that were on sand feet callousness decreased by
15%, because the sand can hold the moisture.

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 DISSCUSSION

In this SBA we look at growing broiler birds on two types of litter material. The litter materials

that were used are sand and saw dust. We also look at a few parameters such as: Feed

Conversion Ratio, Ammonium Scent, Feet Callousness, and Carcass Quality (chest blistering).

The feed conversion ratio for the birds on sand was 2.8:1, while those birds on sawdust were

3.2:1. This therefore shows that over the six week period these birds consumed much more feed

than those on saw dust. The lower the F.C.R. the better since it means that birds will use less

feed to produce the unit gain in weight. According to Dr. Grant in 2009, birds kept on sand will

have a higher feed conversion ratio because birds have the ability to move freely than wet litter.

From the F.C.R farmers can tell whether his/her birds are efficient converters or poor converters.

A callus or callous is a very thick layer of skin that is usually found on the bottom of the broiler

birds feet, this is caused by too much moisture in the litter material. The feet callousness of the

birds on sand was 25, while those birds on sawdust were 40. Therefore this is showing that the

birds on sand feet callousness weren’t very erosive as those birds on sawdust. Footpad dermatitis

is characterized by lesions on the footpads and has important economic and welfare implications

for the poultry house. Farms that control moisture well produce the best feet quality. Farmer

should ensure that the litter material that they are using can hold moisture, so that it is not wet

and being caked up to the birds feet. In our SBA the birds that were on sawdust showed most

callousness sine the sawdust had high incident of wetness due to an automatic drinker that was

not working properly.

According to Frederic J. Hoerr carcass quality is caused by the wet condition of the litter

material that was used. Therefore, because the sawdust litter material is always wet, when the

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chest of the birds rub against the flooring it remove the feather from the chest of the birds. The

birds have a bursa lined with synovial membrane is normally present over the projection of the

knee bone. When the bursa becomes inflamed by trauma or infection, fluid accumulates and

appears as a fluid blister 1-3 diameters. Trauma to bursa is caused by poor feathering, hard

flooring and leg weakness. Coarse bedding or wet litter condition are predisposing factors and

should be corrected when identified. In this cause the birds on sawdust was exposed to wet litter

which therefore caused a higher level of chest blistering.

According to Mark Karimi ammonia in poultry house comes from the birds themselves. Unused

nitrogen is excreted as uric acid, ammonia and urea. When ammonia gas is exposed to moisture,

it reacts and from a basic, corrosive solution called ammonium. Those birds that were on sand

had low level of ammonia because sand has large particles that allow for drainage, while that on

sawdust was moderate because of the exposer to moister.

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 CONCLUSION

It is concluded that birds that are raised on sand litter material gives off a lower ammonium
scent. However both litter materials are ideal to for raising broiler birds.

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 LIMITATION

There were a few things getting in the way of me participating in the practical and getting more

information about the School Base Assessment.

 The practical area that I am in at school.

 Being a food nutrition and health student, it hampered me in being unable to participate

enough in practicing on how to slaughter the birds like the other students.

 Pictures were unable to been taken, because there was no camera.

 Not every day the birds got water because they have to pump water to the poultry house

and we had to give the birds water out of feeders.

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 RECOMMENDATION

I would recommend that the agricultural department needs a little improvement by:

 Investing in a camera, so pictures can be taken when we are doing our practical.

 Making sure the students get enough practice before doing any activities.

 Ensure that there is constant amount of water at the poultry house.

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 REFERENCE

(ragoonanan, 2001) retrieved date: January 14, 2020

www.wattagency retrieved date: January 14, 2020

www.thepoultrysite.com retrieved date: January 19, 2020

www.biomin.net retrieved date: January 19, 2020

www.msadvetmanual.com retrieved date: January 19, 2020

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 PROJECTED BUDGET

Income $ ¢

1800lbs of chicken @ $185.00lbs 33,000 .00

60lbs of chicken foot @ $120.00lbs 7,200.00

30lbs of chicken neck @ $100.00lbs 3,000.00

35lbs of chicken liver @$130.00lbs $4,550.00

Total income =$347,750.00

Expenditure

400 chicken @ $100.00/ bird 40,000.00

72 bags of feed @ $1,600.00/bag 115,000.00

2 pack of hi-provit @ $180.00/ pack 1,000.00

4 pack of polybag @ $180.00/ pack 720.00

Transportation 4,000.00

Total expenditure 160,720.00

Profit

Total income – total expenditure = $347,750.00- 160,720.00 =$187,030.00

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 ACTUAL BUDGET

Income $ ¢

1312.5lbs of chicken @ $180.00lbs $236,250.00

63.5lbs of chicken foot @ $140.00lbs $8,820.00

61.5lbs of chicken neck @ $100.00lbs $6,150.00

50lbs of chicken liver @ $150.00lbs $7,500.00

Total income $258,720.00

Expenditure

400 chicken @ $107.00 $42,800.00

72 bags @$1,714.73/bag $123,460.56

2 pack of Hi-provit @ $615.00/pack $1,230.00

4 pack of polybag @ $150.00 $1,320.00

Total expenditure $168,810.56

Profit

Total income – total expenditure

$258,720.00 - $168,810.56 = $89,909.44

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 COST ANALYSIS

The projected budget had a total income of $346,550.00 while the actual total income was

$258,720.00 which shows a decrease of $87,830.00. In the projected budget our total expenditure

was $$160,720.00 while the actual expenditure was $168,810.56 there was an increase because

the prizes of some of the items increase. Both budgets would have made a profit the actual profit

was $89,909.44 while the projected profit showed an increase of $97,120.56.

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