|
|
Vidser Home Farm (aptly named after VIDEO
SERVICES) was the brain child of our Managing Director Samson J Abraham, an Electronics Engineer turned farmer,
was located about one mile East of Hastings Village towards Congo Village along the pipe line.
The 8 acres bush was purchased in early
1989, developed and utilised for both livestock and crop production. Suitable livestock included broilers, layers, ducks and
pigs whilst the crops were lettuce, cabbage, tomato, aubergine, capsicum, cucumber and marrow. Cassava, sweet potatoes, corn
and groundnut (peanut) were planted on a very large scale and used as bases for animal feed. We also used the poultry and
pig manure for soil conditioning (organic) which greatly enhanced our crop production.
|
 |
|
THE FARM ASSETS
The farm assets before the invasion, looting and burning down by the RUF rebels brought
in by Johnny Paul Koroma after his rebel coup on May 25th 1997 were:
3x Curfew egg incubators with 1200 egg capacity each,
2x Brinsea egg incubators with 110 egg capacity each,
1x 5HP Scotch feedmill and mixer,
1x 1.2HP Christie Hunt feed grinding mill,
2x 5KVA Lister Diesel power generator,
1x 3KVA Honda Diesel power generator,
1x 3KVA Robin Diesel power generator,
1x Short wheel base Land Rover,
1x Ford Sierra Hatchback saloon car,
4x Heavy Duty wall mounted Industrial Extractor fans,
8x Infra-Red Brooding heaters,
10x Ceramic 250Watts Chick heaters,
36x One gallon automatic plastic drinkers,
10x 10Kilos Tube feeders,
35x 24inches Feed hoppers,
45x Large Chick feeding trays for day olds,
20x 10 Kilo hanging feed hoppers,
|
|
|
THE FARM BUILDINGS
The farm structures were as follows:-
3, 30' x 50' poultry houses that housed 1500 broilers each. Built of mud bricks 3' high and chicken
wire a further 4' high for adequate ventilation.
1, 40' x 60' structure that housed 1200 Shaver 288 Hybrid layers, a brooding room, incubation
and setting room and a large store.
1, 30' x 50' solid walled building to house some 110 pigs.
1, 6 bedroom dweling house on the south side of the farm was the living quarters and offices.
1, 5 bedroom quarters for the farm workers.
LIVESTOCK
The farm was at its peak of production when the rebels
invaded us. The egg production was in the region of 90 dozen a day, 300-500 dressed broilers a week, our incubators hatched
nearly 900 chicks per week to maintain a constant supply of broilers.
We slaughtered up to 3 pigs weighing 250lbs and above every week.
The stock we had at the time of the invasion were:-
3500 Broilers at 3lbs weight average,
1110 Shaver 288 Hybrid layers,
52 Weaners,
8 Pregnant sows,
4 boars,
26 Ducks,
3 Drakes,
42 Ducklings,
over 100 African chickens left in the wild.
| |
|
