Poultry Foundations for Smallholder Farmers

A few chickens can do a lot for a household. They give you eggs to eat and sell, meat for special days, manure for the garden, and a little money when you need it. But birds also get sick, eat more feed than you planned, and sometimes lay less than you hoped. This course helps you get it right from the start.

You will begin by choosing the right birds and setting a simple goal for your flock. Then you will build a coop from local materials, feed your birds without overspending, and raise chicks through their first six weeks. You will learn to tell a healthy bird from a sick one, why Newcastle vaccination matters, and the daily habits that keep disease away. The last part of the course covers collecting and storing eggs, raising birds for meat, finding buyers and keeping a record book that shows you what your flock costs and what it brings in.

The course has 26 short lessons in 8 modules. Each one takes five to ten minutes and is written in plain words, so you can learn on your phone, between jobs, even on a slow connection. Every lesson ends with one thing to do on your own farm, so you put what you learn into practice straight away. By the end, you will have your own plan for your first three months.