Poultry Farming in Nigeria
is probably one of the most lucrative in the world especially when it is setup
and managed properly. This aspect of livestock farming presents one of the
finest opportunities for entrepreneurs to make good money within the shortest
period of time possible due to the quick maturity of chickens.
With over 100 Million
consumers in the country who buys poultry products on daily basis, the market
is always there.
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| The California White Birds |
I have written some number
of articles before on this blog on poultry rearing which you can find here.
This very post will take more critical look at the business and how
entrepreneurs who are interested in this business in Nigeria would be able to
start easily without wasting much time and resources.
Anyone can engage in poultry
business, it doesn't matter your education background nor how rich you are, you
can start at any level and grow as big as you want with time. The most
important thing is that you are interested in starting somewhere.
This article will focus on
how to start small and grow big which I think will interest anyone with limited
financial capacity who wants to start small without involving much risks.
One of the factors that
makes poultry business ideal business is because chickens grows very fast.
Unlike goats that takes 2 to 3 years to mature, a chicken can be ready for the
market within 28 weeks from birth. That is why it is considered ideal business
for loan takers who may actually invest the loan and within 30 to 40 weeks,
they may start paying back through the money realized from sells.
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Profit potential in poultry business
1. Chicken do reproduce fast
and in large numbers - Average healthy Layer lays egg almost everyday or at
least 4 times in a week. Some Breeds can lay as much as 325 eggs in a year and
take 21 days to hatch. This means that technically a Layer is capable of
producing another chicken twice in three days.
So, if you have 500 healthy
layers of good breeds (such as California white) they are capable of
reproducing a whooping 12,000 chicks within 40 days!
2. Chicken grows very fast -
Within 21 days, the egg is hatched and within 28 weeks, they are ready for the
market. That means a farmer could start making his money in just 34 weeks after
successfully setting up his farm and whatever returns he make could be doubled
in a year based on this calculation.
3. Chicken sells at a very
good price - A fully grown healthy chicken sells between 2,000 to 2,500 naira
in Nigeria. Therefore, if you produce 12,000 chickens in your farm, you will be
making N24 million by the time they are completely sold.
4. Egg market in Large too -
Apart from the chicken, the egg is another money of it's own. A crate of eggs
sells for N500 - N550 for smaller eggs and N600 - N650 for bigger ones. Each
crate contains 30 eggs. Therefore, if you have 500 layers that produces 12,000
pullet in a month and decides to sell all, you will be making N200,000 to
N260,000 monthly.
As you can see, the profit
in poultry business is mouth watering and the turn over time is fantastic as
well, but the big question now is how to start.
Draw out your effective
business plan. Poultry business plan is like a road map leading you to where
you are going in you business. It will help you know where you are at any point
in time. Hence your business plan should include:
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| Poultry_Farm_design - A Big new poultry with day old chicks |
1. Type of Bird you want to
concentrate on - Here you choose
Chickens (Layers and Broilers). We choose chicken because that's what this
article focuses on. There are other types of birds that are good for livestock
business too, such as Goose, Duck,
Turkey, etc.
2. Write down your area of
interest - You can't just be in all aspect of poultry farming. You have to
choose your area of interest where you would like to concentrate your business.
This will ensure high level of focus and professionalism. If you can do two
area, no problem. Below are some of the major Niches in Poultry Farming
Layers Breeding which is egg production by
Layers
Broilers breeding which referrers to the
chicken meat production by Broilers
Hatchery which has to do with breeding
chicken for the purpose of Hatching new chicks
Poultry feed which is producing feeds for
other poultry farmers
You may choose to Breed
Layers and Broilers at a time or one of them. Hatchery is better done
independently just like feed production. So, you choose your area of focus
3. Sort out Location - This
has a direct effect to your startup cost. A location in a very remote rural
area will cost far less than the one close to the urban area. Remote rural area
with good road is the ideal location as you will be free from regulatory
agencies and drive down the cost of labor too.
As a new person to Livestock
business, you don't want to invest all your capital into buying lands in urban
area which may turn out not being used because Government policy is against
setting up poultry farm near residential/urban areas for health implication.
4. Investment Capital - With
location in mind, you now have clearer idea of the capital required of you.
Write down your detailed capital and investment requirements and set to source
it. You can apply for a Loan
Like every other farming
projects, the bigger you plan to start, the more investment required. You need
to decide on the level of capital investment you are willing to commit into
this business before starting.
(a) Small scale Chicken
Rearing (of about 50 birds) kept in cages at the backyard of your resident will
take about N70,000 to start.
(b) A medium scale poultry
farming that requires land and housing and other materials in 1 - 2 plots of
Land takes about N500,000 to N5 Million to start.
(c) Large scale or Intensive
poultry farming that requires high level of sophistication and more careful
planning and professionalism, using advance Livestock farming techniques takes
from N10 Million.
Set Up Your Poultry Farm
With your business plan is
in place, the next is to proceed to setting up your farm without delay! At this
point, it is my believe that you already have the money in your hands. So here
are the things you need to acquire and put in place.
1. Buy land - Like we said
earlier, look for land in a remote location but make sure it's not too far from
the city. A place like Ijebu Ode, Remo Area, Imota in Ikorodu - these places
are perfect if you are in Lagos. Other places like towards Oshogbo after Ibadan
isn't too far too from the major city like Ibadan.
You can get Acre of land
there for cheap price, cost of lands in most cases is determined by the
sellers. But we may suggest price during commenting. So drop your comments
below and let's get the discussion going.
2. Build your Structure -
House is very important for chicken rearing and effective keeping and
management. Poultry housing are classified according to the scale and the
management system. The most common types of poultry housing used in Nigeria
are:
• Deep litter-
• Half litter and half slats -
• Battery -
• Semi-fold -
Buy day old chick - Look for
good Hatchery where you can get healthy day old chicks to start with. It costs
from N140 to N200 sometimes up to N300. If you are looking for where to get day
old chicks in Nigeria, You can get good day old chick at Chris Farm Nigeria. Or
any other farm you know in your area. You can ask other poultry farmers near
you where they get their chicks.
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| Picture of day old chicks and unhatched eggs |
Other Items you need -
Feeders, Drinkers, Perches. Nests, Crates, Lighting system, Waste disposal
system, Incubator, Heaters or brooders, Egg tray, Cages and coops.
What's Next...
1. Click on the Facebook and
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forward.
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comment box. You can ask any question related to poultry farming or share your
knowledge with us.
If you need addition
resources, you can Join hundreds of other poultry farmers who have made bought and gotten our e-Book of different courses their companion towards starting their poultry farms and managing it
effectively. You too can Get our e-book - Click Here. And the best part is that it contains Complete Poultry Business Plan and Feasibility Study.
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