If you are just starting
poultry farming as a beginner, then definitely, you will need to
think of how to make money in your business.
In this article, you will find core ideas that will help you to make
money from your poultry farm.
So, if you are ready for this, let’s dive right in.
1. Housing
system:
This is a very important factor you need to put into consideration,
no matter the number of birds you are keeping the housing can make or destroy
your success in poultry farming.
If you have successfully worked on the housing system more than 40%
of problems have been solved. I have met some farmers who have poorly
constructed houses. Some poultry houses are as a result of poor housing. Ensure
that you source for the services of a good poultry house mason. Note that
housing is the second most expense of the poultry venture after feeds.
2. Feed and
feeding:
You need to map out a feasibility studies on poultry farming before
you kick-start anything this will go a long way to help you achieve your goals
and succeed, feeds and feeding carries larger part of the expenses in a poultry
farm and adequate plan towards feeding can help make the journey easier. You
can choose either to produce your own feeds yourself or buy various stages
feeds from feed mills. Proper feeding makes the birds grow well and to a larger
extend their health is secured.
Making your own feeds can cut the cost of production by 50%. New
farmers should not make their own feeds until they break -even. Remember feed
making increases the cost of raw materials as you will have to buy machineries
like feed grinder/hammer mill and feed mixer which are very expensive. Farmers
with over 500 birds can make their own feeds as this will prove economical.
3. Record
keeping:
This is another very important factor in poultry system management.
A proper record
keeping can foster your poultry business development, record keeping
will help you determine your success and failures, flaws and where amendment is
needed, keep a proper record for your poultry farm in order to increase your
production level always.
Some farmers don’t even know how many birds they have or the
mortality level in their flock. I have been to some farms where a farmer
requests me to count the birds for him/her during vaccination or debeaking
because of poor records.
4. Changes and
differences:
You need to be sensitive to changes and differences in your poultry
farm, which includes the growth, feeding, their droppings, the laying capacities,
number of birds, sound amongst others.
This will help you as a farmer to be sensitive to changes in the
system. For instances: when layers are about to start laying, they makes a lot
of noise, feeding rate and body weight increases, and sometimes when there is
disease outbreak you can quickly take note of this happenings by their
droppings, if it changes from what it use to be when they are healthy then
something is wrong, you can call on your vet doctor for inspection. Be
sensitive to regular changes in your poultry farm always.
5. Types of
birds:
This is another important factor you should consider in a poultry
farming business what are the types of birds you want to raise? Chicken?
(Layers or Broilers as applicable to other birds) Turkey? Goose? Duck? You
should source for quality chicks from breeders. First generation chicks f1 are
the best. Only source chicks from reputable breeders.
6. Areas of
concentration:
This is a very important factor to consider in a poultry farming
business. Do you want to keep them for: Egg production, meat production, breeding
(hatching of eggs into chicks), feed processing and production, packaging of
poultry products, marketing and lots more?
7. Capital:
Capital is one of the major factor that determine what happens and
what goes on in the system. Capital is the fund (total amount of money you are
investing into a business)the main reason why poultry needs enough fund is that
you can’t be managing poultry birds you have to provide the best for them in
order for you to get the required products at the end of your production.
8. Poultry equipments
and facilities:
It is very important to get adequate equipment ready and set before
starting a poultry farm so that you don’t get stocked on the way. Some of the
necessary equipments includes:
·
feeders,
·
drinkers,
·
egg trays
·
heat source,
·
waste disposal,
·
incubator,
·
culling cage (for keeping sick birds),
·
clean water,
·
feeds, and so on.
9. Poultry
location:
It should be in a place the smell cannot affect people living around
them and disposal of waste is easy, actually you can run a poultry farm at home
as well in your backyard but in a situation where you are considering thousands
of birds, try and locate the house in an environment with less population of
people and settlement so that you can run your business without any
interference and disturbance.
When all the above factors are looked into then farmers in Kenya and Africa at large will be successful at farming. We will no longer take poultry farming as a hobby but as a serious venture just as real estate and other serious businesses.
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