TVET Lecturers Grow their Practical Poultry Knowledge

Recently a group of agriculture lecturers from TVET Colleges across KwaZulu-Natal spent a week at the KZNPI to expand their practical poultry knowledge.

It turned out to be a week of mutual learning as this delightful group of people shared with the KZNPI team their broad knowledge of agriculture and their experiences of working with students who have made agriculture their career of choice.

The group spent much time on the KZNPI farm working with all types of poultry : broilers, layers, breeders and in the hatchery. They honed their skills in feeder, drinker, ventilation and brooding management, egg handling, vaccination and blood sampling as well as learning about table egg quality and hatchery procedures.

Four speakers addressed the class on current innovations in their fields :

• Mr Lindani Nkwanyana of Meadow Feeds topped up our understanding around managing feeding progammes for the modern fast-growing broiler.
• Mrs Linnet Crow of Leading Edge Poultry Software tackled the technology / farming interface and addressed on the use of advanced record-keeping software in layer flock management.
• Dr Nicky Tyler of UKZN illuminated everyone’s thinking with her presentation on current research into the effects of light in poultry.
• Mr Michel Bradford of De Heus Feeds shared an eye-opening overview of global innovations in the animal feed business.

Team TVET returned to their Colleges with a deeper understanding of the poultry sector and new enthusiasm to share their poultry experiences to their students.