BLACK Astrolopy Center

27/11/2025

HOW TO HATCH EGGS AT HOME

Hatching eggs at home is a fun and rewarding process if you do it with care. With the right warmth, moisture, and patience, you can bring healthy chicks into the world. Here’s a simple, easy-to-follow guide:
◯ Set Up the Box
Find a cardboard box with good airflow. Line the bottom with wood shavings or sawdust so the eggs stay steady and cozy. Place the eggs in one layer, leaving small gaps for air to move around.

◯ Add Heat
Use a 40–60 watt bulb about 10–15 cm above the eggs. Keep it on all the time to give steady warmth. Avoid sudden changes in temperature or cold drafts.

◯ Watch Temperature and Moisture
Keep the box at 37–38°C (around 99–100°F). Put small bowls of water inside to keep the air moist. Aim for 60% humidity at the start, then raise it to about 70% in the last few days before hatching.

◯ Turn the Eggs
Gently roll the eggs three times a day for the first 18 days. This stops the chicks from sticking to the shell. After day 18, stop turning so the chicks can get into the right position to hatch.

◯ Let Them Hatch
By day 21, you’ll see cracks in the shells. Don’t help—let the chicks break out on their own. Keep the box warm, quiet, and stable until they are fully out and dry.

THE RESULT
With steady heat, good moisture, and patience, even a simple homemade incubator can give you strong, healthy chicks. The secret is gentle care and consistent monitoring.

27/11/2025

What Is Frost-Induced Nasal Discharge?

Frost-induced nasal discharge in poultry is a secondary effect of cold stress rather than a primary disease. The primary issues include:

Frostbite: Damage to extremities like combs, wattles, and toes due to freezing temperatures.

Cold stress-related respiratory problems: Low temperatures suppress the immune system and damage the respiratory mucosa, making birds more susceptible to infections that produce nasal discharge.

This condition is observed worldwide, particularly in regions with harsh winters or poorly insulated poultry housing.

25/11/2025

Giving chickens salted pap (or sadza) isn't a common practice, but let's break it down.

*Benefits:*

- *Energy source*: Pap (or sadza) is a carbohydrate-rich food that can provide energy for chickens.
- *Palatability*: Adding salt might make the pap more appealing to chickens, encouraging them to eat more.

*Side effects:*

- *Excess salt*: Chickens have a limited ability to process salt. Excessive salt consumption can lead to:
- Dehydration
- Kidney damage
- Electrolyte imbalance
- *Nutrient imbalance*: Pap is relatively low in protein and other essential nutrients. Feeding too much pap can lead to an imbalanced diet.
- *Health issues*: Excess salt and an imbalanced diet can contribute to health problems like:
- Water belly (ascites)
- Poor growth rates
- Increased mortality

*Recommendations:*

- *Use plain, unsalted pap*: If you want to feed pap to chickens, use plain, unsalted pap in moderation.
- *Balance with other nutrients*: Ensure the overall diet is balanced with protein-rich foods, vitamins, and minerals.
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02/09/2022

WHY CHOOSING JERSEY GIANT AS A FARMER

They were originally created as a dual purpose chicken that could lay eggs.

Giants are a heritage breed which means they are slow growers and can reproduce naturally. Sadly the fact that they are slow growers is the reason for their decline from favor.

Newer breeds that matured quicker surpassed the Giant and the once popular chicken became a rare sight.

Fortunately in recent years they have seen an upsurge in their popularity again thanks to the smaller poultry breeders and backyard flock keepers.

The Jersey Giant is a regal and imposing chicken to behold.

This giant chicken stands around 2 feet tall and can weigh up to 15lb.

Why We Love This Breed

Jersey Giants are friendly and are perfect for families with children and pets.

They rarely go broody which makes them good for egg laying.

Very docile temperament.

They do not fly well due to their weight so they are easy to keep in a run.

This is a rare breed which makes them even more special.

Appearance

Begin

WhatsApp Group Invite

16/07/2022

Koekoe for sale

16/06/2022

*Quick Poultry Medicine Guide*

1⃣ Flue-like symptoms(kuti kororo kororo) and/ swollen heads:
use any of these; Respimint, Coloxan, Doxin, Interflox or Coliflox

2⃣Sick birds with red/blood droppings(coccidiosis) :
*for these use Sulphur drugs* like Sulfacox, Esb3 and Bremamed.

3⃣ Sick birds with watery, greenish or whitish dropping.
:Coloxan, Doxin, Interflox, Coliflox, Sulfacox, Esb3 and Bremamed.

4⃣ Fowl pox, kuvhara maziso, sores and blisters:
use Aliseryl, Nemovit, Sulfacox, Esb3.
N.b. Also control biting insects which spread the disease

5⃣ General sickness, inactive birds that seem cold, drooping wings *but having normal droppings*
:Aliseryl, Nemovit, Terranox, Tylocip

6⃣ Worms in bird droppings or intestines:
Piperin

7⃣ Growth suppliments (boosters)
: Aminogrow, introchick, broiler vitaboost

8⃣ Egg production suppliments (egg booster):
Breeder vitaboost, Nemovit, introchick, aminogrow

9⃣ Heat stress:
Betasol-c

🔟 Huge liver, water in belly of dead birds , ascites (just a remedy but not cure):
Bedgen-40, introchick.

15/06/2022

*Farmers Lessons to Note!!!*

1. Never target peak seasons, peak seasons come with their own challenges. Be a farmer not a gambler.

2. Choose at least two main crops and a rotational crop plan. Jumping from one crop to another is not right to your pocket.

3. Plan your farm and always have the crops at different age stages, to ensure constant supply.

4. No crop that is not profitable, just master the pro and cons of a particular crop.

5. Having a lot of money is not a licence to successful farming.

6. Have a spray and fertilizer plan and stick to it.

7. Never take advise from agrovets and agrochemical sales agent. Most of them are sales persons and not agronomists.

8.Try as much as possible to cut down on farm expenditure without compromising on produce quality.

9. Never hold back on a produce, if its a quick perishable product. Sell it at the prevailing prices.

10. Never plant a new seed on large scale before doing trials unless you have seen it somewhere.

11. Never entrust your million dollar idea against a farmhand, ensure you are present during critical stages of crop development untill marketing.

12. Never employ a close family member to manage your farm, most of them will fail you.

13. If you are neighbouring farmers plant same crop.

14. Never apply any farming information you get online, without consulting your agronomist.

15. Always have a farm plan.

16. Old is always good.
Most of the old seed varieties and chemicals will never disappoint you.

17. Passion in farming is key and will take you far.

I thought you should know.

Good luck.

25/05/2022

Below are some of the traditional (ethinoveterinary) medicine that can be used to treat or prevent some poultry diseases ;

1) *For septic wounds*

• Muvengahonye- grind the fresh leaves apply to the wound

•Muvheva- apply the powder of the dried fruit to the wound.

• Murenja- crush the fruit apply the juice on the wound

2) *Eye problems*

• Nhundurwa - crush the fruit apply the juice on the eyes .

• Snails Shells - grind the shells into powder and apply on the eyes

• Tomato leaves- crush the leaves and apply on the head of the fowl poxes.

•Matamba - crush the fruit apply the juice

• Mupangara- crush the leaves

3). *Worms*
• Muzhozho- grind leaves make the animals swallow the mixture

•Banana - add water to the fresh crushed roots

• Gavakava - crush the leaves add water birds should swallow the mixture .

• Mhiripiri- crush fresh or powder add water and give birds .

• Mubvamaropa- put the barks in water and give birds .

• Fodya - fresh or dry leaves chemical free . Put in water

4) *Diarrhea diseases*

• Mutiti - the barks in water

• Mhiripiri

•Muchakata

• Muonde - the barks

• Chin’ai

• Garlic

•Rusungwe

• Nyakadombo

• Murovamhuru

• Mufandichimuka

• Mucherekesi

5) *Respiratory diseases*

• Muwora

• Mucherenje

• Chin’ai

• Gavakava

• Gowa

6) *Chitosi*(chinonamira pa huku)

• Matsito

7) *Newcastle*
• Ndove yedhongi- take the dried one put in drinking water .

• Gusha - crush the leaves in drinking water

8)*Fowl pox*
• Apply iodine spray or black shoe polish on the sores .

9) *Chronic Respiratory Diseases*

• Mucherekesa - use the powder from the pods for most bacteria based problems

10) *Infectious Bronchitis*

• Mutiti bark

• Gowa

•Muonde bark

11) *External Parasites*

• Spray Garlic

12) *Traditional Vaccination program *

*Day old*

Coccidiosis

Mutifeed (Mucherekesi)

Drinking Water

3 days every week for the first 3 weeks

*Day 10*

Infectious Bronchitis- Mutiti and Gowa -Drinking Water

10/05/2022

Day old chicks now available