How to Start a Profitable Poultry Business in Nigeria with Little Investment.
Poultry Business in Nigeria… The practice of poultry farming is one of the most remunerative agricultural businesses in Nigeria. Many poultry products are consumed daily, which ranges from chickens, eggs, turkeys, ducks, etc.
Profitable Poultry Business in Nigeria
Poultry business has created job opportunities for every class of individual and serves as a regular source of income for a vast number of Nigerians.
Though most individuals have invested in this business, there is still a short supply of poultry products in the country. Frozen chicken are being smuggled into the country due to the fact that most poultry farmers operate a small-scale system and cannot meet up with the demands of consumers. In order to profit more in this business, it will be advised to carry out a commercial farming system.
Profits in Poultry Business.
FOOD: poultry animals like chickens, turkeys are consumed almost every day by individuals. Poultry products, e.g., eggs which are proteinous in nature are also consumed for its health benefit.
GROWTH RATE: poultry animals reproduce and grow fast. It takes 21 days for eggs to hatch and lesser using an incubator and at 28 weeks, the chicken become ready for market. So within few weeks, the farmer begins to earn.
PRODUCT YIELD: the poultry product, egg, fetches lots of money in the market. The price of a crate of egg ranges from 500-650, smaller and bigger ones respectively, each crate containing 30eggs. Individuals, who sell retail and wholesale, will have high demand of these eggs, thereby fetching the farmer more money.
CHICKEN PRICE: the price of chicken has been rising over the years. A chicken costs 1, 800 Naira, selling at least 10,000 chickens monthly amounts to 18, 000, 000 Naira as gross profit.
Factors to Consider Before Starting a Poultry Business
1. TYPE OF POULTRY: The types of poultry include chicken, duck, turkey, goose, etc. the most widely used in Nigeria is chicken (layers and broilers) because it is the most consumed.
2. INTEREST: An aspect of poultry farming must be chosen to concentrate on; this will ensure high level of rivet and professionalism. Some of the major aspects in Poultry Farming in Nigeria are listed below:
a)Breeding of Layers: this refers to production of egg by layers.
b)Breeding of Broilers: this refers to production of chicken meat.
c)Hatchery: this is the breeding of chicken for the hatching of chicks.
d)Poultry Feed: this refers to the production of feeds for other farmers.
3. LOCATION OF BUSINESS: The location is very important. Setting up a poultry farm in a distant area is cheaper and encourages large-scale farming unlike in the urban area. It also doesn’t pose a threat health wise. The location must not be too far from the urban area for easy availability to buyers and ease of transportation.
4. CAPITAL: Starting a poultry business in Nigeria requires lots of capital. This however depends on the location and scale of the farm, which could require between 150, 000 Naira to 15, 000 000 Naira to start. The scale of the farm determines the amount of output.
5. INFRASTRUCTURE: The poultry housing system is important in a poultry farm business. There are three types of poultry housing systems, they are:
a)Free Roam: This is a system whereby chicks are purchased and allowed to feed themselves by roaming the environment. This system is not suitable for anyone who has interest in a large- scale commercial poultry farming business because the birds could get lost.
b)Battery Cage:This is a system in which the birds are kept in cages and fed regularly. This system is the most recommended and effective poultry housing system. Here, using troughs and laying nests, the birds have access to feed and water. The cages are segmented into compartments and also create a hone environment for the laying of eggs.
c)Deep Litter:This is a system which involves the pouring of saw dust on the ground over a wide area to make the birds comfortable. It is relatively easy for cleaning. There is difficulty in disease outbreak management in this method which is a major disadvantage.
5. EQUIPMENT: Asides the poultry house, some equipment that will make your poultry farm successful are: Egg trays, laying nests, feeders, heaters, drinkers, fly tray, egg scale, crates, incubators, cages and coops, perches and lots more. These would enhance the growth of the poultry farm.
6. FEEDS: These are the most important to the survival of the birds. None of them will survive without food. Feeding accounts for over 70% of all the total outlay that will be incurred in this business. The poultry feeds can either be purchased or manufactured. Manufacturing the feeds is efficient in a large-scale poultry farm because it reduces cost of expenditure. In a small-scale poultry farm, it is advised to purchase feeds because it requires huge amount of money to setup a feed manufacturing plant.
7. HEALTH: Vaccines and medications must be provided to ensure the birds are healthy. Healthy birds grow properly and generate lots of revenue because consumer will be interested in them.
In starting a poultry business, these information must be taken into consideration in order to run a successful business.
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NG Team.
Poultry farming is good.