Livestock division expanded; locally grown protein to be added to BAMSI student menu
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Students of the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI) will have a special item added to the school’s menu this fall — eggs produced by chickens grown at BAMSI.
Dr Raveenia Roberts-Hanna, executive director of the institute with oversight of the academic portfolio, said the newest addition to the farm’s animal division will allow for an expansion of the syllabus and further enhance student knowledge and training in poultry science, as well bring a nutritious and tasty twist to the school’s cafeteria offerings.
In May, BAMSI received 115 ISA Brown chicks from the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resource’s Layer Programme. ISA Brown chicks are the commercial variation of the Rhode Island Red and produce a brown eggshell.
“The addition of the layers will support the diversification of BAMSI’s syllabus and training,” Roberts-Hanna noted. “We currently teach animal science and production, so it’s now good to have all animals on the farm to support the practicals and hands-on training.”
The eggs will also be incorporated into the student meal plan for healthier and more economical meals, and will be sold in the community where there is an excess.
“They won’t have to purchase eggs for the cafeteria, plus the eggs provide students with an important niche for education, research and training,” Roberts-Hanna added.
According Assistant Director Andrew Pinder, the ministry’s role in the layer programme is to facilitate the distribution of baby chicks (layers) to individuals who are currently in table egg production, as well as individuals interested in getting involved.
Lennie McDonald, BAMSI’s farm administrator, has been busy preparing for the arrival of the chicks.
“A 60 x 20 chicken house has been constructed, and we are in the process of building some laying trays and getting ready to install the water bins for them to drink water — the free-flowing system will use five-gallon water bottles. We have also purchased four feeder boxes,” he said.
“We had a lot of materials on hand, but we got a few more things to protect them from the rain, including a plastic ground covering that is used in the aquaponics center.”
According to McDonald, the chicks will likely only use about a quarter of the large building at first before an increase in numbers fills out the space. He also noted that while some feed came with the birds, BAMSI has already sourced more feed to supplement and support the chicks as they grow.
“We are on our way. By the end of the week, they can be moved from present holding location to the actual house we constructed, which is near the aquaponics center, which makes it easy to access and operate because they will need to be provided with lights and a permanent water source,” McDonald said.
“We’re excited to move into poultry production and to see how we can produce these chicken eggs. Going forward, this is going to be something bigger for BAMSI.”
