Heatwave: Poultry farmers in Bauchi decry losses

Some poultry farmers in Bauchi State have decried loss of birds following the current heatwave in the state.

The farmers who spoke in separate interviews with the Newsmen on Thursday in Bauchi, said that the situation had led to increased cost of poultry management.

One of them, Mrs Zainab Hassan, told Newsmen that she recently lost 16 chickens aged between four and five weeks.

She said that each of the birds was valued between N14,000 and N15,000, saying, “the heat is a serious cause for concern”

“The heat is affecting mostly bigger birds, smaller chickens of between two and three weeks old are not badly affected,” she said

Hassan further explained that because of the heatwave, farmers were spending more to procure medications to keep their birds alive.

“Chickens from five weeks and above eat a lot. They can finish a bag of feed worth N28,000 in three days.

“There is risk and gain in every business, but this heatwave is making it hard to see the gain,” Hassan said.

Another poultry farmer, Alhaji Saidu Mohammed, said that he lost 43 out of 100 birds that he was rearing for Easter sales.

“I am now working on preventive measures to ensure that the remaining ones are alive for sales at the festive period.” he said

Mohammed urged the state government to support poultry farmers by mitigating the losses incurred as a result of the current heatwave.