Agro Tips with Kuda

29/07/2026

HOME VEGETABLE GARDENING WITH LIMITED SPACE
Grow Fresh Food Even If You Only Have a Small Yard, Balcony, or Windowsill

You don’t need a farm to eat fresh.
Even with lowest amount of income, growing your own veg is one of the fastest ways to cut your grocery bill, save and eat healthier.

The secret is: Grow upwards, grow in containers, and grow smart.

WHAT ARE THE RIGHT VEGETABLES FOR SMALL SPACES?

Choose "cut-and-come-again" crops that give you harvests for months, not just once. These may include:
1. Leafy greens: R**e, spinach, covo, tsunga, lettuce - that you can harvest leaves weekly.
2. Herbs: Coriander, spring onions, mint, parsley, rosemary, garlic - which can grow in tins.
3. Tomatoes: Determinant dwarf/bush varieties grown in buckets.
4. Chillies & Peppers - Grown in buckets. 1 plant gives fruit for months.
5. Cucumber - loves the sun, grows in small spaces when grown vertically.
6. Beans - Green beans and runner beans can grow upwards on a string.
7. Carrots & Radishes- grow deep in buckets
8. Onions - you can regrow them from cut onion bottoms in water.
AVOID: Maize, pumpkins, butternuts. They need too
much ground space.

WHAT WAYS CAN YOU USE FOR GARDENING WHEN SPACE IS TIGHT?

1. CONTAINER GARDENING
Use what you have: 20ltr paint buckets, basins, grow bags, old tires, plastic crates.
Rule: Must have drainage holes at the bottom.
2. VERTICAL GARDENING
Grow UP, not out. Use pallets, hanging bottles, shoe organizers, or trellis + string.
This is perfect for beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries.
3. WINDOWSILL/BALCONY GARDEN
Herbs, spring onions, lettuce, and chillies do great in 5ltr containers on a sunny windowsill.
4. SQUARE FOOT METHOD
Divide a 1m x 1m bed into 9 squares and plant a different crop per square. Zero waste of space.
5. COMPANION PLANTING
Plant basil with tomatoes. Plant onions around carrots. They help each other and save space.

WHAT ARE THE KEYS TO SUCCESS WHEN GARDENING IN SMALL SPACES?

1. SUN - Most veg need 5-6 hours of direct sun. Balcony facing east/west is perfect.
2. SOIL- Don’t use yard soil alone. Mix: 1 part compost/manure + 1 part river sand + 1 part garden soil. Add a handful of Compound fertilizer or organic compost at planting to ensure a healthysoil mix.
3. WATER - Water early morning. Containers dry fast. Stick your finger 2cm in. If dry, water.
4. FEED- Every 2 weeks, give organic compost tea, kraal manure tea, or a small amount of foliar fertilizers to ensure crop is well fed.

WHAT DO I NEED FOR MY START-UP PLAN?

You don’t need muchmoney to start.
- CONTAINERS: Free - buckets, tins, crates
- SOIL: 1 bag compost + sand
- SEEDS: r**e, spinach, tomato, onion, chilli
- EXTRAS: string, small watering can, garden tools

In 6-8 weeks you can be harvesting r**e and spring onions. That’s money saved from buying vegetables every month.

COMMON MISTAKES TO LOOK OUT FOR WHEN HARDENING IN SMALL SPACES

1. OVERCROWDING- 1 tomato plant per 20L bucket. More = less harvest
2. NO DRAINAGE - If your growing containers dont have holes, your plants may rot.
3. GIVING UP TOO SOON - First 3 weeks look like nothing. Week 4-8 it explodes
4. PLANTING EVERYTHING AT ONCE - Plant a little every 2 weeks so you always have a continuous supply of food i.e. you have plants at different growth stages.

BOTTOM LINE
Limited space is not a problem. It’s just a reason to be creative.
Start with 3 containers this month: 1 r**e, 1 tomato, 1 herbs.
In 90 days you’ll be eating from your own garden and saving money.

YOUR CHALLENGE: Pick 1 spot in your home today. 1m x 1m. Start there.

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27/07/2026

PRACTICAL 100 BROILER BUDGET IN ZIM

* 100 x Chicks @ $1/chick = $100.00

* 1 x 50kg Starter Crumbs @ $35.00 each = $35.00

* 3 x 50kg Grower Crumbs/Pellets @ $35.00/50kg bag = $105.00

* 3-4 x 50kg Finisher Pellets @ $34/50kg = $136.00

*1 x Stresspack ($2.00)
*TOTAL $378.00

Allow 10% of your chick and feed costs to cover other costs that include transport, bedding, heating and other antibiotics. In our case 10% of $378.00 = $37.80

TOTAL PRODUCTION COST THEREFORE IS $378 + 37.80 = $415.80

REVENUE
Let's assume our selling price is $6/Bird and 5% mortality (which is in the normal range)
95 x $6.00 = $570.00

NET PROFIT FOR 100 BROILERS = $154.20

NOTES TO INCREASE PROFIT

1. GOOD MANAGEMENT = LESS MORTALITY
With 0% mortality: 100 x $6 = $600. That’s an extra $30
2. FASTER GROWTH = LESS FEED
If birds reach target weight in 5 weeks, you may only use 7 bags instead of 8.
Saving 1 bag of finisher = $34 SAVED

POTENTIAL PROFIT WITH GOOD MANAGEMENT: $154.20 + $30 + $34 = $218.20

KEY TAKEAWAYS
1. FEED IS 70% OF YOUR COST. Buy quality feed and don’t waste it.
2. HEAT + CLEAN WATER + BIOSECURITY in weeks 1-3 will cut mortality.
3. WEIGH WEEKLY. Track growh rates. Sell at 1.8kg - 2.0kg to avoid over-feeding.

Livestock Technical Advisor
Kudakwashe Chishaka

23/07/2026

POST-PLACEMENT CHECKS FOR BROILER CHICKS

In our previous lesson, we talked about CHICK COLLECTION AND PLACING. Here is a quick recap of the key points:

* COLLECT CHICKS EARLY - preferably before 10am.
* PRE-HEAT THE BROODER 24hrs BEFORE- to ensure floors, walls and bedding are warm.
* INSPECT + COUNT CHICKS AT THE CHICK DISTRIBUTING POINT, NOT AT THE PROJECT SITE - get any dead/defective chicks replaced before leaving.
* CHECK BATCH No. AND PARENT AGE ON THE BOX - parent age is very important if buying multiple boxes. Same parent age = better uniformity + easier temp control.
* GIVE STRESS-PACK ON ARRIVAL - NOT brown sugar.

Now, assuming everything above is done correctly, there are *2 important checks* you need to do on day 1 to see if your brooding is giving the desired results:

1️⃣ CHEEK CHECK
DO THIS 6 HOURS AFTER PLACING

Gently place the chick’s foot on your cheek.
- WARM FEET = Pre-heating was effective and the chicks are warm.
- COLD FEET = The air may be warm, but the floor/walls are still cold and the chicks are losing heat. You may need to increase or better insulate your heat.
Chicks lose a lot of heat through their feet, so this is the fastest way to tell if the brooder is truly warm.

2️⃣ CROP FILL CHECK
DO THIS 24 HOURS AFTER PLACING

Gently feel the chick’s crop.
- CROP FULL + SOFT = Chick found BOTH feed and water. Our target in a successful case should be 95% of the flock.
- CROP FULL + HARD = Found feed but NO water. Check drinker access, water temp + quality.
- CROP FULL + WATERY = Found water but NO feed. Check feeder height, placement, and cold spots.
- CROP EMPTY = Not eating or drinking. Investigate and fix IMMEDIATELY.
Some of the common reasons for poor crop fill include cold pockets, wind drafts, feeders/drinkers too far or too high, or chicks avoiding certain areas.

REMEMBER: Good brooding in Week 1 = good slaughter weights at week 5.

LIVESTOCK TECHNICAL ADVISOR
KUDA CHISHAKA

18/07/2026

I know many of us have one or two dogs at our farming premises either for companionship or for security, and we need to also make sure they are well taken care of. So here is the standard deworming and vaccination program of man's best friend to make sure its also well taken care of.

DOG DEWORMING PROGRAM (according to the international CAPC/WSAVA guidelines)
- 2 WEEKS: 1st dose
- 4 WEEKS: 2nd dose
- 6 WEEKS: 3rd dose
- 8 WEEKS: 4th dose
- 3-6 MONTHS: Monthly
- 6 MONTHS+: Every 3 months, or monthly if on heartworm preventative

TYPICAL DOG VACCINATION PROGRAM (should always be administered by a registered Vet, at the local Government Veterinary department or organizations like SPCA)
- 6-8 WEEKS: DHPP 1 (Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus, Parainfluenza)
- 10-12 WEEKS: DHPP 2, Lepto 1(Leptospirosis)
- 14-16 WEEKS: DHPP 3. Lepto 2, Rabies
- 1 YEAR: DHPP + Lepto + Rabies booster
- ANNUALLY: Lepto + Bordetella if needed.
- EVERY 3 YEARS: DHPP and Rabies

Livestock Technical Advisor
Kuda

13/07/2026

CHICK COLLECTION & PLACEMENT: GET THE FIRST 24 HOURS RIGHT

The first day sets the tone for your entire flock. If you mess up chick collection and placement, you’ll fight poor growth and high mortalities for 6 weeks.

Here’s my checklist as a Livestock Technical Advisor when collecting and placing day old chicks:

1. PRE-HEAT THE CHICKEN HOUSE
Heat the brooder house at least 24hrs before placing for commercial scale, and at least very early in the morning for small scale, backyard farmers.
This ensures that the walls, floor and ambient air are sufficiently warm. Cold floors = chilled chicks = pasty butt + deaths.

2. COLLECT EARLY
Aim to collect and place chicks as early as possible, preferably before 10am.
Why? To avoid heat stress in transit and to ensure early feed + water intake.
If it’s collection day, make it your #1 priority.

N.B: Communicate with your distributor if you cannot collect before 1pm. Many have a policy to sell uncollected chicks after 1pm to avoid stressing the birds, especially during hot days.

3. CHECK YOUR CHICKS BEFORE LEAVING THE SHOP
Verify: the brand, batch number, and parent flock age.
If buying multiple boxes, make sure they’re all the SAME PARENT AGE for uniform chick size and easier brooder house management.
ALSO COUNT AND INSPECT YOUR CHICKS. Report any dead, injured or crippled chicks to the distributor before leaving the shop, as most will not accept shortage complaints after you leave.

4. GIVE WATER + STRESSPACK ON ARRIVAL
Give VITAMIN STRESSPACK in drinking water immediately after placing.
N.B: Brown sugar is NOT the same. Sugar is just an energy source, whereas stresspack has vitamins + electrolytes to replace lost electrolytes, boost immunity, appetite and improve feed conversion.

5. SET UP SUFFICIENT FEEDERS & DRINKERS
Have enough equipment for all chicks according to the supplier's standard recommendations.
Additionally lay CHICK PAPER between feeders for the first 3-4 days to increase feeding space and encourage early feed recognition and uptake.

BOTTOM LINE :
Warm house + Early collection + Correct placement + Stresspack = Strong start.

Get the first day right, and the rest of the cycle becomes much easier.

What’s your biggest challenge during chick placement? Let’s discuss in the comments 👇

13/07/2026

CONCENTRATES VS STRAIGHT FEEDS: WHICH ONE SHOULD YOU CHOOSE?

One of the most common questions I get is: “What performs better, concentrates or straight feeds?” The short answer: THEY CAN PERFORM EXACTLY THE SAME- if mixed correctly.

SO WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?
STRAIGHT FEEDS are complete feeds. They already contain energy, protein, vitamins, minerals, and everything the animal needs e.g: Layer Mash, Broiler Starter Crumbs, Dairy Meal. You just open the bag and feed.
CONCENTRATES on the other hand, are “super feeds” with protein, vitamins, minerals, and additives but no carbohydrate/energy source (which is usually maize in Zimbabwe). You just add crushed maize to the concentrate at a set ratio, mix thoroughly, and you get a complete feed.
If the mixing is done correctly and in the right ratio, 1 BAG OF CONCENTRATE + MAIZE WILL GIVE YOU THE SAME NUTRITION AS 1 BAG OF STRAIGHT FEED.

ADVANTAGES OF CONCENTRATES
1. CHEAPER IF YOU GROW YOUR OWN MAIZE OR IF YOU BUY MAIZE AT A GOOD PRICE.: You only buy the expensive protein/mineral part.
2. FLEXIBLE: You can adjust the ratio slightly for different stages or to suit the maize quality you have.
3. LESS BULKY TO TRANSPORT/STORE: 1 x 50kg concentrate + 2-3 bags of maize = 3-4 bags of finished feed.

DISADVANTAGES OF CONCENTRATES
1. DEPENDS ON YOU: Performance now depends on your mixing accuracy and maize quality. A bad mix = poor results.
2. MORE WORK: You must source, crush, and mix maize every time.
3. CAN BE EXPENSIVE if maize is scarce or costly in your area. In that case straight feed may be cheaper.

4 KEY TIPS IF YOU USE CONCENTRATES
1. USE CRUSHED MAIZE, NOT “MAKRESH EPACHIGAYO ”: Remember we need the carbohydrate from the grain, not the roughage waste. Roughage has almost no energy value.
2. USE GOOD QUALITY MAIZE ONLY - Avoid weeviled, mouldy, or rotten grain. If you wouldn’t eat it, don’t feed it to your animals. Bad maize = sick animals + poor performance.
3. *MIX BY WEIGHT, NOT BY VOLUME- A bucket of pressed maize meal vs loose maize meal will give you the different quantities and different ratios. So use a scale for accuracy.
4. MIX THROUGHLY- If the concentrate and maize are not mixed evenly, some animals will get too much protein and others too much maize. This causes uneven growth, poor egg size, and wasted feed.

SO, WHICH ONE SHOULD YOU CHOOSE?
Choose CONCENTRATES if: You have access to cheap, good quality maize and you can mix accurately.
Choose STRAIGHT FEEDS if: You want convenience, consistency, and don’t have reliable maize.

Both will work. The key is QUALITY + CORRECT MIXING + CONSISTENCY.

Livestock Technical Advisor
Kuda
0719 125 206

11/07/2026

09/07/2026

"THE FIRST 6 HOURS DECIDE THE NEXT 6 MONTHS"

In livestock, we spend a lot of money on feed, vaccines and housing but we often forget the cheapest, most powerful “vaccine” a newborn will ever get:COLOSTRUM, (that thick, creamier yellowish coloured milk that comes out in the first few hours after birth.)

Here’s why I tell every farmer I work with: "If you get colostrum right, you’ve already won half the battle." And these are some of the reasons why colostrum is non-negotiable in the first 6 hours.

1. PASSIVE IMMUNITY
Newborn calves, lambs, piglets, and kids are born with almost zero immunity. Their gut can only absorb antibodies for the first 6-12 hours.
Colostrum is that antibody transfer. No colostrum = open door for E.coli, pneumonia, and scours.

2. ENERGY + HEAT
Birth is stressful. Colostrum is 3x higher in energy and fat than regular milk. It fuels the calf/lamb/piglet to stand, suckle, and maintain body heat — critical during our cold Zim nights.

3. GUT DEVELOPMENT + SEALING
Colostrum literally “seals” the gut. It provides growth factors that develop the digestive system and blocks bad bacteria from entering the bloodstream.

4. LAXATIVE EFFECT
It clears meconium from the gut. A calf that doesn’t pass meconium in 24hrs is already behind.

My field advice is: Don’t “wait and see if the mother will feed it”, instead take active measures if there is a delay in colostrum uptake. Milk the mother and tube/bottle feed if you have to because the cost of 4ltrs of colostrum is $0 but the cost of treating a scouring calf for 2 weeks can easily reach $30+ and you still might lose it.

As a technical advisor, I can give advice on best management practices in production, disease control and vaccine programs all day, but none of that matters if the animal didn’t get colostrum.
You don’t raise a healthy herd in month 6. You raise it in hour 1 by ensuring colostrum intake.

What’s your farm’s colostrum protocol for newly born animals?

30/06/2026

Did you know that the number 1 cattle killer in Zimbabwe is actually the tick?

A single tick can carry 3 diseases all at once and cause diseases like Babesiosis, Anaplasmosis, Heartwater & Theileriosis which wipe out herds, slash milk yields, and drive up treatment costs for many small as well as commercial farmers.

So if you are a cattle farmer, make sure you protect your herd by religiously dipping your animals at 7-day intervals as well as practicing early treatment when you notice any signs of sickness.
Don’t wait for red urine or massive dramatic signs.

Dip. Vaccinate. Act fast.