POULTRY
From hobby to business: starting with eggs
F
rom keeping a few hens
to supply the household
with eggs to starting a
small egg business is not such
a great step if one has some
simple plans and precautions
in place first.
With an expanding flock one
is often left with the uneconomic prospect of giving away
eggs to staff, friends and
family, which might keep one
Useful book on weeds from ARC
T
he Agricultural
Research Council (ARC)
offers a useful book for
smallholders who grow crops,
entitled Common Weeds of
Crops and Gardens in
Southern Africa, by Chris
Botha of the Grain Crops
Institute.
This comprehensive publication only assists with the
identification of the different
weeds, but does not elaborate
on weed control.
It is critically important to
identify the weed correctly,
even in an early growth stage,
before chemical or any other
control can be considered.
Weeds also play an important
role in other disciplines, such
as entomology and plant
pathology, where insects or
fungi, bacteria and viruses
may survive, hibernate or
reproduce in or on weeds,
from where they can infect
crops. Detailed colour
photographs and short
descriptions, together with the
common names of the weeds
ensure implementation of
cost-effective and sufficient
control measures, minimising
the danger of contamination
and ensuring continuous
production, regardless of the
scale of farming.
For more information: Mary
James, [email protected].
19
www.sasmallholder.co.za
in their good books but
certainly doesn't help to
balance the budget. The time
may therefore come that
maybe one could make some
money by selling eggs.
Before one commits oneself
and the layers to this, do your
research, as one would for
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