How to Start a Poultry Farm in Nigeria? Poultry farming is the practice of growing various domestic birds such as chickens, turkeys, emus, ducks, geese, and so on for their eggs or meat. This has been a prevalent practice in Nigeria for so long that it has become an essential component of the farming and agricultural systems.
Poultry farming is one of the most profitable agricultural business ideas in Nigeria today. You don’t need a lot of money to get started because you can do it from the comfort of your own home provided you have the space to keep the number of birds you want.
Poultry Farming In Nigeria
As a result of population expansion and rising urbanization, demand for livestock products, especially poultry, is rapidly increasing in Nigeria and across Africa. Poultry farming is one of Nigeria’s fastest-expanding divisions of the agricultural industry. According to ThisDay Newspaper, Nigeria’s chicken sector is valued at more than N1.2 trillion in 2017.
In terms of market size, Nigeria has the largest egg output in Africa, followed by South Africa. Nigeria banned chicken importation (save for day-old chicks) in 2003, which boosted indigenous poultry output. The Nigerian poultry industry is highly fragmented, with the majority of chicken raised in ‘backyards’ or on poultry farms with fewer than 1,000 birds.
Among all types of poultry farming (birds, turkeys, geese, and ducks), chicken farming is the most prevalent since farmers receive a large number of chickens on a daily basis, either for food or for farming meat. The high consumption of the end product; chicken and egg are in continual demand in the market and even in various homes in Nigeria today, making poultry farming very profitable as it appears to be a formidable source of animal protein other than fish, hog, and beef.
How to Start a Poultry Farm in Nigeria?
1. Choose The Type to Start a Poultry Farm in Nigeria
Before you begin your poultry farming business, you should have a clear idea of what type of chicken breeds to farm (most importantly, poultry breeds that lay a lot of eggs). Aside from locally raised chickens, there are two major breeds that are popular among poultry farmers in Nigeria today.
Broilers: Male and female young meat animals. They grow from a hatch weight of 40 g to a weight of 1.5 to 2 kg in about 6 weeks.
Layers: Hens are employed for commercial egg production before being slaughtered for meat. Layer chickens are reared from the age of one day. They begin laying eggs at 18-19 weeks of age and continue until they are 72-78 weeks old.
Cockerels: Cockerels, like broilers, are used for meat production and have a specific market need; but, unlike broilers, their growth is gradual. Cockerels may live in a variety of habitats.
2. Select A Suitable Farm Location
The location of your poultry farm is critical to the success of your business. A farm site is required to begin raising poultry. The size of the poultry farm should be defined by the number of birds that will be raised. If you have adequate property in your backyard and can’t afford to move to a new location, it’s always advisable to start small. You can begin with what you have, but make it a priority to upgrade to a better farm as soon as you can.
A decent chicken farm location should be away from the city’s commotion and hustle-bustle. It should be a peaceful, pollution-free atmosphere. Nearby drinking water supplies must be adequate, clean, and fresh. Furthermore, the location must be devoid of poultry enemies and predators such as foxes and leopards. The land must be easily accessible from major roads so those farm products may be transported when they are ready for sale.
3. Provide Good Housing to Start a Poultry Farm in Nigeria
After acquiring a farm property, the next most significant aspect in chicken farming is housing. For the security and survival of your commercial poultry birds, adequate poultry housing is required. The housing system you select is entirely dependent on the poultry breeds and farming approach you use. Housing design varies according to the sort of chicken growing method used.
The new habitat should be large enough to allow the birds free movement and running. Shelters must be raised sufficiently to avoid floods. It should be large enough to allow the birds to run about freely. Furthermore, the shelter must be well ventilated and sun-protected.
4. Feeding and Medication
Good quality, highly nutritious food is essential for commercial chicken production. Quality and clean feeding keep the bird healthy and productive at all times. Because tainted feed might infect birds, it must always be kept clean and dry. Fresh, nutritious food is the key to success in the chicken farming industry. Your birds will not go thirsty. Inadequate water availability can stifle their growth.
Many poultry diseases can be avoided with proper medicine and vaccination. As a commercial poultry farmer, you must have a veterinary doctor on call to check on your birds as needed. There are a variety of routine treatments and immunizations that can help your birds stay healthy by protecting them from viruses and bacterial infections if they get an infectious condition.
5. Marketing and Sales
Poultry farming is a profitable business, and every poultry farmer hopes to make a significant profit after each harvest. As a result, you must focus on the marketing and sales aspects of your organization. Don’t get too caught up in the operational side of your business that you overlook the sales side.
Nonetheless, the following suggestions can help you promote and sell your chicken: going online, selling to hotels and restaurants, advertising your items, hiring marketers, home delivery, and so on.
Cost of Starting A Poultry Farming Business
Many new enterprises necessitate a big capital outlay, which most business owners cannot afford. A typical beginning company also takes a long time to generate a return on investment. A small-scale poultry business, on the other hand, has a minimal start-up cost and quick returns.
You can start with as little as N50,000 (which covers the cost of buying day-old chicks and feeding them) and obtain a 100% return on investment in six months. And, because chicks hatch in just 21 days, you can start earning money three weeks after you start. No other company can match our turnaround time.
Conclusion
Commercial poultry farming in Nigeria has produced and continues to create a profitable business opportunity for entrepreneurs as well as a good source of employment for job seekers. The majority of entrepreneurs prefer to raise day-old chicks and sell them to farmers since it is easier and less hazardous. The choice, however, is up to you.
As a business owner, you must have your business finances in order from the start. At the heart of these feasible business prospects in poultry farming are platforms like our online invoicing software, which allows you to easily keep track of your business income and expenses.
Also Read: How Much Does it Cost to Start a Poultry Farm?
