Are you looking forward to starting a poultry business?

The poultry farming business can be done from both backyards as well as medium and largely integrated contract farming business. Worldwide poultry farming has transformed into a techno-commercial industry from the status of the backyard for three decades. poultry farming is the fastest-growing sector of agriculture and farming business globally. The annual growth rate 8-10% in eggs and 12-15 in the broiler  industry

Due to the increasing population and worldwide demand for food protein, many people are now realizing the potentiality of providing food proteins as a basic need. Many countries have adopted a poultry farming business as a micro[small or medium] enterprise with women empowerment as a model for rural economic sustainability. Poultry farming includes; the activity of raising various types of domestic birds commercially for meat, eggs, and feathers production. The most common and widely raised poultry birds are chicken. Any new member in poultry farming  ought to consider the following before embarking on a poultry business

1.Purpose

What are you rearing poultry for, is it for commercial, domestic, or ornamental? This will guide you on the quantity and suitable breeds, housing, marketing, inputs e.t.c

2.Market target

Who is the targetted buyer of your poultry products? what is the likely competition and what is that you are going to do better than your competitors? Ensure you do a proper market survey to avoid losses i.e the more you keep chicken beyond the recommended period, the bigger the losses you will incur for example broilers may end up dying. Begin with a manageable number as you grow.

3.Feeds and other inputs

Plan well for feeds and other inputs to avoid unnecessary frustrations. Get technical advice on how much  feeds and other inputs you might need and if possible stock them in advance so that you don't run out of supplies

4.Structure

Put up a secure structure, well ventilated and, easy to clean. Avoid a too expensive and complicated structure by using cheap and locally available materials. Ensure your birds are secured from  predators, cold, strong winds and, dumpness 

5.Disease control and general hygiene

Ensure your chicks receive the potent vaccine on time, treat the chicks on time, and remember  to separate  the sick from the healthy ones  to reduce infections and keep your poultry house dry and well aerated

6.Plan well and keep records

Know when to keep the highest number of mature chicken[during the festive season like Christmas ]

7.Choice of birds 

Buy your birds from a reputable farm, don't buy chicken at the market place for rearing

8.Keep records

 Records will help you access yourself if you are making a profit or loss. Keep records of what you are doing and learn from mistakes 

9.Learn, learn, learn

Be open-minded, learn from others, but remember what works best for me may not necessarily be the best for you

 

MAJOR BENEFITS OF POULTRY FARMING BUSINESS

Does not require huge capital

Does not require huge space; yes, it requires space. You can also raise them in your backyard  with one or numerous coops or cages

One can generate   a very high profit within a very short time with commercial poultry farming

Almost all types of poultry birds are domestic. one need not obtain any  major licenses

The broilers intake of feeds is comparative very low while it produces the maximum possible weight

Marketing is very simple. Apart from fresh chicken, you can also establish  a chicken  processing unit

It's a continuous source of income, it is not seasonal and can produce income for the entire year. While chicken lay eggs between 6-8months, broilers take only 6-10 weeks  to bring income

Poultry droppings are rich in nitrogen and organic  materials and hence, are considered valuable as manure

Almost all banks and financial institution approves the loans for commercial poultry farming projects

Keep up with records and accounting of your business and operation so that you can always be sure you are making money or not. The normal incubation period for birds is 21 days and full maturity is reached between 20-24weeks. The payback period of a poultry farming business is between 3-4years