Poultry farming is a business that gives enough meat and eggs for
daily consumption. 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 ₦250 000 to ₦2.5 million respectively for layers, and
₦150 000 to ₦1.5 million respectively for broilers.
In a good season, you can sell one broiler at ₦1500 to ₦2000, so if
it costed you ₦900 to ₦1300 to raise, you would have got ₦600 to ₦700 profit
from every bird.
In a bad season, you can sell at ₦1200 to ₦1300 per broiler raised
up to week 6. So you will have fetched ₦300 to ₦400 per bird. Either way, you
won’t make loss, if you search for the right markets.
If you are farming 1000 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 ₦1,800 to buy it, vaccinate it, feed it, pay a worker,
change litter, water, etc…all what’s needed from purchase until 50% egg
production whereas a broiler bird will cost you ₦900 to ₦1000.
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 yourself for the start. Since you don’t 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 yourself.
- 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.
5 steps to
starting a poultry farm in Nigeria
Poultry farming is of different types such as duck rearing, rearing
chicken, quails, turkey, emu, broiler, etc. However, the principles and practices
underlying are the same. Below are the five basic steps you need to follow to
start a profitable poultry farming business in Nigeria.
Step 1 – 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 a 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.
Step 2 – Choose a good farm site or location
One of the most important requirements for your poultry farm is a
good location. In order 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 also
be 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.
Step 3 – 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.
Step 4 – 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 on a large scale.
Step 5 – Marketing and sales of the
poultry birds
Poultry farming is a profitable business and the desire of every poultry farmer
is to make good sales after every harvest. So you need to pay attention to the marketing
and sales aspect of your business. Do not be caught up in the
operational aspect of your business so much that you ignore the sales aspect.
Nevertheless, the following ideas can help you in the marketing and
sales of your chicken; taking your business online, selling to hotels and
restaurants, advertising your products, employing marketers, home delivery,
etc.
Do you have any questions or other forms of contributions, kindly use the comment section below!!
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