25/07/2022
STARTING A POULTRY FARM
Poultry farming in Nigeria is a business that gives enough meat and eggs for daily consumption in the country. It entails raising varied domestic birds like ducks, turkey, geese, chicken, etc. In Nigeria, poultry farming is one of the most lucrative business endeavours to pursue. It does not require huge capital to start, and you can easily kick off your poultry farm at the comfort of your home
In the course of this article, we would look at how much it can cost to start a poultry farm in Nigeria . We would also see some of the requirements that should be put in place before you start a poultry farm.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO START A POULTRY FARM IN NIGERIA
Poultry farming is a capital intensive business. The cost of starting a poultry farm in Nigeria largely depends on the size of your birds. If you are farming over a hundred to one thousand birds, then you would need capital in the range of 250k to 2.5million respectively for layers, And 150k to 1.5million respectively for broilers.
in a good season, you can sell one broiler at 1800 to 2500, so if it costed you 1200 to 1800 to raise, you would have got 600 to 700 profit from every bird.
in a bad season, you can sell 1700 to 2300 per broiler raised up to week 5. so you will have fetched 300 to 400per bird. either way, you won't make loss ,if you search for the right markets.
If you are farming one thousand layer birds, you will fetch a profit in a range of 13,000 to 14,500 per day. the birds lay for 18 months.
Now, like I iterated earlier, the cost of starting up a poultry farm depends on the size of the farm. So this implies that if you want a bigger poultry farm, then you need a larger capital. but just know that a layer bird will cost you approximately 2200 to buy it, vaccinate it, feed it, pay a worker, change litter, water, etc....all what's is needed from purchase until 50% egg production whereas a broiler bird will cost you 1200/1800
HOW CAN ONE REDUCE THIS START UP COST?
🐥you can grow your own maize. since maize makes up about 60% of the feed, having cheaper maize from your garden puts you at an advantage.
🐥you can employ your self for the start. since you dont want to spend too much on sourcing external labour, start with labour from the family! yourself, your family members can do some of the works.
🐥learn how to do some of the activities your self.
🐥if you buy good quality chicks, the expenses on medication will be less, and losses from mortalities will be minimized
which other costs are involved?
cost of medication,
Cost of constructing a poultry house for the birds
Cost of acquisition of land or property for starting the poultry farm.
CHOOSING THE TYPE OF POULTRY BIRD YOU WANT TO REAR
Before you proceed with your poultry business plan, you need to have a clear picture of the type of bird you want to rear. It is usually counter-productive to rear more than one type of bird. So focusing on type of bird is the best fit for your poultry business. For the sake of this article, our bird of choice is the Domestic Chicken. This is it is the most popular poultry bird in Nigeria.
In the chicken family, there are so many genetic varieties, but we would be reviewing three major species breed mainly by Nigeria farmers.
Cockerels: The cockerels are a unique specie of chicken that is mostly reared by Nigeria poultry farmers. Cockerels don’t lay eggs and in such case have limited value in Nigeria. They are mostly breed for their meat and Traditional purposes.
Layers: This poultry breed are a special species of hens that are raised for the sake of laying eggs. They are used in Nigeria for commercial egg production. A layer can lay only one egg in a day and would in some days not lay an egg at all. The laying schedule largely depends on the reproductive system of the hen (Layer). It takes about 26 hours for a layer to form an egg.
Broilers: These guys have nothing to do with eggs, they are breeds for the sole aim of meat production. The slaughter weight of a broiler is the weight it reaches before it is kitchen or market ready. It takes a broiler approximately 6 weeks to reach its slaughter weight.
CHOOSE A GOOD FARM SITE OR LOCATION
One of the most important requirements for your poultry farm is a good location. In other to have a thriving poultry business, you need a good location. The size of the farm site would depend on the number of birds you want to rear. If you do not have enough land at your disposal, it is best for you to start small.
A good poultry farm should not have access to dangerous insects and pests that would harm the birds. It should be also situated outside the chaos and hustle-bustle of the city. It would be noteworthy to also point out the need of a pollution free environment for the poultry. Finally, your poultry farm site should be easily accessible to main roads for easy transportation of your farm products.
PROVIDING ADEQUATE HOUSING FOR THE POULTRY BIRDS
Another important factor that must be considered is the housing of the poultry birds. The housing plan for the poultry birds depends on the farming system and the size of birds that you want to rear. The housing system for the poultry needs to be spacious enough to allow for the free movement of the birds. The farm should also be built in a way that helps it to curb flooding. It should also be well ventilated and protected from harsh sunlight.
MEDICATION AND THE FEEDING OF THE BIRDS
For top-notch poultry production, the birds need to be fed with nutritious food. This is very important, as it would make your poultry to be productive and healthy. Endeavour to keep the feed dry and non-contaminated. In addition, the birds need medications, not just for sicknesses, but also to enhance their growth. Vaccinations are necessary for your birds, especially if you are growing them in large scale.
