Learn how to start a profitable Poultry Farming Business in Nigeria from scratch.
This article reveals a step-by-step guide designed for anyone willing to learn about the fundamentals of poultry farming business venture and make money while doing it and what is so hard about starting this business.
What is Poultry Farming?
Poultry farming is the rearing of domestic birds for personal consumption, for sales or egg production. These birds include chicken, duck, turkey, quails, emu, etc. This system of farming has been in Nigeria for a long time and has helped so many prevail against poverty.
Poultry farming is a lucrative business idea and requires capital, training, energy and adequate knowledge to venture into. Paying attention to little details would also help a lot in the poultry farming business. Also people see it as a small scale business in Nigeria but you can also do it on a large scale.
About Poultry Farming in Nigeria
Before you embark on the journey of poultry farming in Nigeria, it is important for one to be aware of these fundamentals. Poultry has been an important part of Nigerian life since pre-colonial times, with evidence showing domestication as early as 3200 BC – making it one of the earliest livestock species on earth.
The demand for livestock increases everyday considering its nutritional value. A lot of people are placed on animal protein and they need these meats often and on. Considering also the population growth in Nigeria, one would say that this business is a lucrative business with small capital.
Amongst all kinds of poultry farming birds, chicken is the most common one to establish and its end product too is massive. The end product of chicken, which are chicken meat and eggs, are in demand in the market. During festivals too, people buy it to commemorate events and enjoy the festive season.
7 steps to starting a poultry Farm in Nigeria
Poultry is a popular meat choice in Nigeria. You can start your own poultry business by having access to chickens, feed, land and knowing the proper incubation methods for eggs that are not fertile or infertile. Let us discuss these 6 steps.
- Business Planning and sourcing for fund
- Reading and learning the things involved in starting this small scale business and keeping bird
- Identifying the type of poultry bird to rear
- Getting a suitable land and location
- Building a shelter for your birds
- Feeding and medication of the birds
- Marketing strategies for the bird and identifying the target market
Step 1: Business Planning and sourcing for funds
Before starting any business, you need effective plans and capital to start. First pen down ways to go about it. Check out for things needed. Write lists of components needed for the birds. Components like their feeder, trougher, heater for keeping the birds warm, etc. All these things need to be noted down.
Moreso, coming to the aspect of sourcing for funds. There are ways of raising capital for your business and loan platforms in Nigeria where you can get legit small business loans to augment yourself and kick off business. Loan platforms like banks, loanspot, branch, etc.
Step 2: Reading and learning the things involved in keeping birds
You need to attend training on poultry farming and have a little or vast knowledge of what you want to venture into. As it is one of the fast moving small scale business in Nigeria.
You can also go online to educate yourself. Read and learn the ways to care for poultry birds. The business can be a delicate one, hence adequate knowledge is needed to enhance proper care.
Learning is what entrepreneurs struggle with most and solution to it is paying more attention to small details and constant learning.
Step 3: Identifying the type of poultry bird to rear
The best way to start a poultry business in Nigeria is by starting with cost-effective chicken brooders.
If you want to go into chicken rearing, we have:
- The Broilers species
- Layers
- Cockerels and other species.
Have a clear picture of the breed to farm.
1. Broiler species
Broilers are raised mostly for meat.
2. Layers
Layers are for egg production and also for meat.
3. Cockerels
Cockerels are also for meat but have a special market for it. They can grow in many environments unlike the broiler. They are stronger and take a space of 6 to 7 months to grow into big meats for consumption.
Step 4: Getting a suitable land and location
Location of your poultry farm is very essential. It is advised to start small and the size of your farmland determines the number of birds you plan to get. The site should be pollution free and free from all forms of predators like rats, cats, foxes, etc.
However, getting locations close to the market and main road helps in fast sales and lessens transportation cost.
Step 5: Building a shelter for your bird
After sourcing the land, the next thing is building a shelter. Know the kind of structure to build and size you want to start with.
As time goes on, you can expand. Build it in such a way that it permits free movement of birds and easy access to the birds.
Consider flooding risk while building. Heavy floods can carry your birds away, especially chickens. Take note of proper ventilation and protection from sunlight and rain during the rainy season.
Step 6: Feeding and medication of the poultry bird
For sales, consider high nutritious food for the poultry birds. Avoid buying contaminated food. Clean their feeder always to avoid unhealthy worms eating their body up. Yes! Worms eat chicken.
When your poultry farm is not kept clean, thousands of worms can grow and eat up your birds. Make sure they have access to water and drugs when you notice any unhealthy changes.
Remember to apply the right vaccine to the right ailment. Treat according to the directions of the veterinarian. Run proper checks on them on a routine basis.
Step 7: Marketing strategies of the birds and identifying the target market
Poultry farming is a profitable business when managed properly by the farmer. Pay attention to seasons, marketing and sales strategies and festive periods.
You can choose to take your marketing online, offline to hotels, restaurants, run home delivery, etc. Either way you choose, make sure it yields results or you can use other methods of marketing.
Remember that these digital marketing places built for startups can help you sell your product.
Note:
Going further, you can also include researching laws regulating raising animals locally and getting permission from landowners as one of the steps.
How can I start a Small Poultry Farm in Nigeria?
Let us define the cost of starting a small poultry farm in Nigeria, using chicken as a case study.
- You can begin with 100,000 as the capital.
- Buy day old chicks for approximately 400 naira each or even less. You can start with 30 chickens, which amounts to 12,000 naira
- Buy a bag of feed for 7,000 naira or even lesser depending on the type of feed. 11 bags can feed them for approximately 6 to 7 weeks.
- Budget drugs for 2,000 naira
- Then buy 4 feeder and drinker each which will cost nothing more than 8,000 naira
- Then the total transportation to and fro for the whole period can be kept at 1,000 depending on distance.
- Finally, it can amount to a total of 100,000 naira. With this amount, you have set up a small poultry farm of 30 birds.
Note: this is a rough estimate. It can be lesser when you source for vendors that will give you day old chickens at a lesser price or hatch on your own.
It can also be slit higher with just a little difference. Also know that when you go for 20 birds, the money will go down.
Innovation in Poultry Farming Business
There are different innovations in the poultry farming business both here in Nigeria and abroad. The innovations include, mechanical ways of removing chicken excretes, mechanical ways of feeding them and other innovations.
To watch a very unique innovation, click here.
How much does it cost to start a poultry farm in Nigeria?
Rearing birds, hatching eggs and selling day old chicks are the other options in poultry farming. Normally, small scale poultry businesses like chicken have a relatively low startup cost. You can start with 50,000 to 100,000 depending on the number of birds you intend to start with.
Rapid revenue in poultry farming business in Nigeria
Poultry farming comes with quick turnaround and rapid revenue unlike other businesses. In 7 to 8 weeks, you have already started selling your birds.
So starting a poultry business in Nigeria can be an exciting and also a profitable opportunity.
Who can go into Poultry Farming
Males and females of all ages are welcome to enter the industry. From children who take care of laying hens or chicks at home, up through adults with managerial roles on larger-scale farms.
It also employs mostly unskilled labor and even other employed workers keep it as side hustle which generates income for them.
Minimum duration for rearing birds
The minimum duration for chicken to go off the market is from 6 weeks to 10 weeks.
How many bags of chicken feed 50 birds
Approximately 11 bags can feed 50 birds you can sell at the rate of two thousand five hundred each or 15 bags for the birds you can sell at the rate of 3,000 to 3,500 each. Each depends on the duration you wish to feed the birds.
Conclusion
Poultry farming is one of the most promising sectors for economic development because it employs mostly unskilled labor and consumes comparatively little water (a scarce resource in many parts of Nigeria).
It also produces eggs that offer affordable nutrition; and provides income opportunities even during periods where other sources may not work out so well – such as when crops fail because of drought conditions.
Some simple steps you should complete before starting your own poultry farm were extensively discussed in this article. And note that owning your own business with liberate you from poverty.
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