Author: HILDA MHAGAMA
AfricaPress-Tanzania: THE Vocational Educational Training Authority (VETA) has produced a cost-effective paraffin-powered egg incubator that uses kerosene efficiently.
The incubator, which works like any other, uses less than a quarter a litre per day and only takes three days to manufacture.
VETA Chang’ombe Teacher, Mr Emmanuel Bukuku, told the ‘africa-press’ that the incubator can hatch a chick after 21 days, using five litres of kerosene but in a warmer climate, it can use less than that.
“It can be used by farmers who do not have access to electricity and an excellent alternative for smallholder farmers who cannot afford standby generators. “The machine can also use other sources of power such as electricity, gas or kerosene depending on the user’s preference,” he said.
According to him, an incubator that holds 30 – 120 eggs costs 500,000/- while the one with a capacity of 240 eggs costs 800,000 / -.
The incubators are not only good for places where there is no electricity but they also come in handy when there is a power blackout, added Mr Bukuku.
Expounding further, he said the incubator needs close supervision where the temperature has to be maintained at 380 Centigrade and eggs turned at least three times a day for the first 14 days, then this reduces to twice a day and finally, no turning is required in the last three days.
In Tanzania, traditional poultry kept are mainly chicken comprising 90 per cent with the remaining small proportion being ducks, ostriches, pigeons and geese.
Traditional chicken shows a high potential to improve food security, household income of rural people – particularly disadvantaged groups such as women and children.
Despite traditional chicken being dominant, it is still characterised by low production coefficients that are, high chick mortality, low annual egg production, low chick turnover and low annual offtake.
