1.1 Introduction
A poultry keeping information system is a database software system that can be used to record needed or relevant information pertaining a poultry farm. The system is needed because of the importance associated with adequately monitoring the activities in a poultry farm. Automated Farm Management System is a software packaged that contains a lot of files and records the file that was designed in details. These files include sales, files which each of this record consist of files like varieties of pigs, quantity, price, weight, sub-total, total amount, grand total, etc. The term poultry used in agriculture generally refers to all domesticated birds kept for egg or meat production. This includes chickens (domestic fowls), Grallus domestics, turkeys, ducks and geese. Poultry has so many advantages over other domesticated animal whose production is very much hindered by lack of money, high temperature, disease and lack of good at certain periods of the year.
As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.
1.2 Background Of Study
The need for, use and benefits of information for farm decision making has engaged the attention of farmers, researchers and policymakers over the years. Information is data that has been transformed into a form that is meaningful and useful for decision-making with data distinguished as raw facts, figures, objects et cetera. The ‘system’ about information relates to the connection or integration of components of collection, processing, storage, and distribution of information to support decision-making (Laudon & Laudon 2002). By extension of this non-farm definition, farm information systems (FIS), then, can be appreciated as a tool to assist farms in forward planning, risk management, and by the use of information (Doye, et al., 2000). Poultry production enterprises require good information systems to ensure success.
Poultry production is a very important source of livelihoods for most rural communities because it provides ready cash for emergency needs, supplies the fast-growing human population with high quality protein, contributes significantly to food security, poverty alleviation and ecologically sounds management of natural resources. Since there is a continuing rise in the cost of production of cattle, sheep and goat meat, consumer preferences have shifted now for poultry meat (white meat) given the ecological, economic, social and health advantages it has over the other types of meat (red meat). The poultry is the most commercialized (capitalized) of all the Nigerian livestock agriculture. The types of poultry that are commonly reared in Nigeria are chickens, ducks, guinea fowls, turkeys, pigeons and more recently ostriches. Those that are of commercial or economic importance are chicken, guinea fowls and turkeys, amongst which the chickens predominate.
Poultry production in the past was not counted as an important occupation. Poultry management system in Nigeria is of three types which are intensive, extensive and semi-intensive, they are differentiated on the basis of their flock size and input and output relationship. Flock size in intensive production are in thousands, whereas semi-intensive production system flock size range from 50-200 birds and keeping of big flock size in as a result of research development in artificial incubation, nutritional requirement and disease control. Poultry birds mature earlier than most breeds of livestock, they bring economic return within relatively short periods of about 10-12 weeks, poultry eggs and meat play a very important role in bridging the protein gap in Nigeria and they are generally accepted (Adedeji et al., 2014).
A detailed set of records is essential to making sound farm management decisions. This publication discusses the importance of farm records, explains the basics of bookkeeping, and outlines other major record keeping components and concepts including asset inventory, depreciation, profit and loss, enterprise accounting, and cash flow. Computer based record systems are widely available and should be considered when setting up a record system. Software capability to support farm records has grown dramatically in recent years. Different software packages differ in complexity and price. However, the output—balance sheets, cash flow, income statements and enterprise accounts—provide the information necessary for farm business planning and management. Computers can be used to generate these documents Carkner (2000).
1.3 Statement of the Problem
Investigation revealed that many poultry farmers still make use of the manual approach of keeping farm records. The consequence of this approach is it is time consuming, needed information may easily be misplaced, un-organized and inefficient.
Also, needed reports concerning different aspects of the farm cannot be easily retrieved when needed. This situation makes it to monitor the state of the birds in the poultry, income and expenses and other relevant information. To overcome these problems there is need for an information system for proper management of the poultry farm.
1.4 Aim and Objective of the Study
The aim of the study was carried out to develop a Poultry Farm Management Information System. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:
- To automate the manual means of recording poultry farm records
- To develop a database application that can be used to maintain and provide information about the livestock and financial information aspect of the poultry farm
- To provide a system that can facilitate the update of poultry farm records
- To develop a system that will aid the presentation of reports pertaining the poultry farm
1.5 Significance of the Study
The relevance of the study is that it will provide useful information and means to enable the management of the poultry farm automate their record keeping process for better updating and presentation of reports. It will also serve as a useful reference material to other researchers that need related information.
1.6 Scope of the Study
The scope of this research focuses on the Design and Implementation of a Poultry Farm Management Information System. It is restricted to recording information concerning the birds reared and the financial aspect of income and expenses of the poultry farm.
1.7 Limitations of the Study
During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:
- Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
- Establishment Policies: Establishment policies posed a serious limitation as most staffs are not ready to release information needed for this project work. There were lots of information needed from the staffs of this institution to enhance the study which took them time to release or they did not release at all for security purposes, hence the scope was reduced.
- Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
- Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
- Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet).
1.8 Definition of Terms
Automation: This is the use of technology or computers to control and process data reducing the need for human intervention.
Database: This refers to a large store of related data on a computer that a user can access and modify.
Registration: This means to keep records received from the management for reference purposes.
Management: It is the co-ordination of all the resources of an Organization through the process of planning, Organization, directing and controlling
