If you are looking for a guide on how to start poultry farming in Nigeria, you are in the right place. This article will cover everything from the basics of poultry farming to how you can cash in on this new market.
It will explore what makes a good poultry farm, how to find one, and the latest trends. in the market.
What is Poultry Farming in Nigeria?
Poultry farming is a form of animal husbandry, where birds are grown for meat, eggs, or feathers. It also includes breeding and management of poultry on farms.
The majority of poultry farms here in Nigeria raise chickens for meat that can be eaten or sold as a whole bird.
Poultry farmers are also known as poultry producers or poultry raisers.
An estimated 21 billion eggs are produced annually in Nigeria, making over 20% of Nigeria’s GDP and at least 30% of Agriculture GDP.
At the same time, Nigeria’s chicken egg consumption is 60 eggs per annum per capita, compared to 250 eggs per annum per capita in advanced countries.
Therefore, it doesn’t come as surprise to learn that Nigeria is the fourth-largest producer of poultry meat in Africa.
That aside, the way birds are raised for meat varies from farm to farm, depending on their size and whether they will be sold whole, cut up, or as a particular part of the bird.
For example, chickens may be raised for meat in permanent buildings called houses and spent their entire life there, or they could be raised for meat outdoors using portable pens.
Why Invest in a Poultry Farm
From the numbers we talked about earlier, it is clear poultry farming in Nigeria is an excellent investment.
They are a low-risk, high-yield business that has a lot of potential for growth.
Poultry farms offer investors a great return on investment (ROI). And if you are looking for consistent profits, then this is the business to start right now in Nigeria.
How Do You Get Started With Poultry Farming?
Poultry is a type of domesticated bird kept primarily for its eggs and meat. It is one of the most common types of livestock found in the world.
There are many different types of poultry that can be found all over the world. The most popular ones include chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, and guinea fowls.
They are raised for food in large numbers in order to meet demand from both human consumption and commercial production. This article discusses how you can get started with poultry farming in Nigeria if you want to start your own business or become a commercial producer of poultry products.
What you need to start raising poultry as a business or for commercial production
If you want to raise your own poultry, there are a few things that you will need. You will need an area that has adequate space and the ability to provide shelter from the elements.
You will also need housing, food, water, electricity, and all other basic necessities that poultry requires.
If you want to pursue a commercial production route, you will need supplies such as chicken feed, nutrition supplements, cleaning supplies, and disinfectants.
It is also necessary to have an incubator and chicks if you are going to raise your own poultry for commercial purposes.
The basics of raising poultry for food
In order for a chicken or other type of poultry to grow its feathers, feed, and water, it must be kept warm.
The temperature in the chicken coop should be between 28 degrees Celsius and 33 degrees Celsius.
Chickens need a certain amount of heat to make their body feathers grow faster and to help them digest food more efficiently.
If possible, provide your chickens with an outdoor area that includes straw or shavings to sleep on and sand or gravel to scratch in (Please note, this is not an option for chickens that live in a coop.)
What about? the eggs and meat?
When the chickens begin to lay eggs, they can be washed with a bar of gentle soap and water and then placed on racks in the refrigerator.
The eggs are good for up to 45 days when stored this way.
By starting them early, you can collect a few eggs per day from each chicken. If desired, the eggs can be collected and placed in a safe container to freeze for later use.
The meat from your chickens can be stored much the same way as the eggs. The meat is good for about 3-4 days when stored this way and should be cooked before being eaten if it hasn’t been eaten by then.
With that said, here are the steps to start poultry farming in Nigeria:
#1). Decide The Type Of Poultry Bird To Rear
Poultry birds are the most common type of domesticated birds. These are the birds that we keep for their meat, eggs, and feathers. They are raised in large numbers for commercial purposes.
In order to raise chickens or other poultry birds successfully, you need to make sure that you have a good understanding of which type of poultry bird is suitable for your needs and what the best conditions would be for them.
The types of poultry birds available include:
- Chicken – These are the most common poultry bird in use today. They lay eggs, grow quickly, and have a long productive life span. They also can be brooded by humans rather than being kept in cages with other chickens.
- Turkey – Turkeys can be raised on pasture land or with access to food at all times due to their feeding style. They are usually not kept in cages and have a slower rate of growth than chickens.
- Duck – Ducks can be raised on pasture land or with access to food at all times due to their feeding style.
- Geese – Geese are kept more for their meat than for the eggs they lay, and can grow quite quickly if allowed to forage freely.
Which type of poultry is the best to breed?
For generations, chicken has been a staple food in many households. In the 21st century, people are moving towards healthier and more environmentally friendly foods. This means that many people are now looking for alternative breeds of poultry to raise.
#2). Pick the Right Farm Location Rear Poultry
The term “farm location” can be confusing for some people.
It is important to understand the difference between a farm and a location. A farm is what most people think of when they hear the word “farm” – a large piece of land with animals, crops, and buildings on it.
A farm location is where the animals are kept for production purposes. It is an area that has been cleared off of any natural vegetation and has been prepared for animal husbandry.
When people talk about picking the right farm location, they are usually referring to their own backyard or property that they have chosen to use as their poultry production site. The issue with picking a local spot is that it might not have enough space or resources necessary for chicken production, which can lead to problems.
You should consider several factors when deciding on a poultry farm location, including:
- The cost of the land – The location’s overall quality, such as proximity to transportation and markets. How much you are willing to invest in your farm location
- Type of poultry farm you wish to open – If you are looking for a large, commercial-style poultry farm, then you should consider locations that are close to markets and transportation hubs. If you want to be on a smaller scale, then consider farming in regions with more rural areas.
- Consider where you will get water – You should consider whether or not it is possible to provide water on your farm. If so, then you need to find a source of clean, drinkable water nearby. It’s also vital to determine how much land the farm will take up.
- Consider the size of the animals that you are planning on raising. You’ll want to know if there’s a limit on how many chickens or pigs you can raise, for example. If you’re going to raise chickens and say, pigs, you need to make sure there’s enough room for them so they don’t get squished.
#3). Build a Suitable Housing And Shelter For The Birds
It is important to have suitable housing and shelter for the birds before you start poultry farming in Nigeria. You need to make sure that the housing and shelter have good ventilation because it will be better for the health of your birds.
Make sure that your birds have a good living environment, so that they can live comfortably in their new home. A good environment will help them thrive and prevent any potential sicknesses from happening.
Here are some of the reasons your poultry farm in Nigerias needs a good housing:
- To protect birds from adverse climatic conditions
- To ensure easy and economic operation
- To ensure scientific feeding in a controlled manner
- To facilitate proper micro-climatic conditions in near vicinity of bird
- For effective disease control measures
- To ensure proper supervision
Poultry farming may seem like an easy thing to do, but it requires knowledge of poultry care and management in order to succeed.
And this starts with knowing how to build the right housing and shelter for birds. Here are different types of poultry houses
- A brooder/chick house-It is used to brood and rear egg-type chicks from 0 to 8 weeks of age.
- A grower house-It is used to grow egg-type birds from 9 to 18 weeks of age.
- Brooders cum grower house-Here, the birds are reared from 0 to 18 weeks of age (the entire brooding and growing period of egg-type chicken).
- Layer house-In which birds over 18 weeks of age are reared, usually up to 72 weeks of age.
- Broiler house-In which broilers are reared up to 6 weeks of age.
- Breeder house-In which both male and female breeders are maintained at an appropriate sex ratio.
- Environmentally controlled (EC) house-In which, the entire environment is manipulated in such a way that is optimum for the bird’s growth.
#4). Think About Poultry Feeding and Medication
Poultry feed is one of the most important components of raising healthy chickens in Nigeria. In order to make sure that the poultry is well-fed, it is important to understand how food should be mixed in the feeder.
However, it can be difficult for a human to do this because of the size and shape of the feeders.
Fortunately, it is possible to make a feeder that will be easy for humans to use. To construct a poultry feeder, one should consider the following:
- Size of the product to be mixed in the feeder – The size of the product that is mixed in with other food sources determines how big or small it needs to be. For instance, if one were to mix in a handful of grains, the feeder would need to accommodate that size and be able to hold it.
- The shape of the product – The shape of the product will determine how much mixing space is needed. For instance, if one were to mix in a cup of corn, it should be big enough for all parts of the corn and not be too tight.
- Design of the product – The design of the product should match the size and shape. For instance, if one were to mix in a cup of corn, a square feeder would be best because it can fit into spaces easily without having to make adjustments.
What type of feeds should I give my poultry birds?
There are several types of feed you can give to poultry birds. The type of feed you choose depends on the species and their needs.
- Feeding food scraps – You can offer food scraps to poultry birds. Scraps can include fruits, vegetables, and leftover table scraps. There are limits to what types of non-animal feed you should give your flock. You should not feed your flock any processed foods as they may be contaminated with harmful bacteria or chemicals. You should also include grains, including corn and wheat in their diet.
- Feeding live food – There is a variety of live foods you can feed to your flock. Fresh bugs, worms, and crickets make an excellent option for poultry birds. Mealworms are a great source of protein for poultry birds.
Most chicken diets aren’t complicated, but there are a few that give special instructions for their use.
For example, pelleted rations like Avi-Med’s “Bird Chow” allow chickens a balanced diet and space to roam outdoors. With other feed, chickens rely primarily on corn for energy and are fed soybean meal or poultry pellets for protein requirements.
#5). Poultry Marketing and Sales
Now that your poultry farming is up and running, you need to start thinking about marketing and sales.
Poultry marketing and sales are very important for the success of a poultry farm. The main goal of marketing is to reach out to as many people as possible and drive sales.
There are a lot of different ways to market your poultry products. Here is an overview of some common marketing strategies that you can use:
- Direct mail: This type of marketing strategy is used when you want to target a specific group or location. It’s best used in long-term campaigns that have a clear objective and message.
- Public relations: Public relations is the process of building, maintaining, or restoring relationships with various publics such as policymakers, media outlets, community members, etc.
- Social media: Social media can be used to create awareness about your brand or product while also increasing sales.
- Online marketing: This type of marketing strategy is used when you want to target a wide range of customers and traditional media isn’t ideal for your product. It’s best used for short-term campaigns that have a clear objective and message.
- Local events: Local events are great ways to market your products in an easy, personalized way. They can be a great way to get your name out in the community and increase brand awareness.
- Word of mouth: Word of mouth is a fantastic marketing strategy – it’s free, cost-effective, and builds brand loyalty.
Top 4 Ways to Increase Your Income as a Chicken Farmer
If you are looking for ways to increase your income as a chicken farmer in Nigeria, then this section is for you. It provides the top 4 ways that you can increase your income as a chicken farmer.
1. Increase your flock size:
The cost of starting a chicken farm is always an important initial investment, which means that one of the most important ways to increase your income as a chicken farmer is by increasing your flock size and generating more eggs.
The average cost of starting a chicken farm is N50,000. The Nigerian poultry industry comprises about 180 M birds.
2. Increase your sales:
Your next step to increasing your income as a chicken farmer is to sell more eggs.
A large part of this will depend on selling your eggs through the trade markets, but you can also consider expanding your sales through farmers’ markets and other outlets.
3. Expand your operation:
One way to increase your income as a chicken farmer is by expanding your operation. Consider adding new breeds of chickens, or farming turkeys instead of chickens for increased income.
4. Increase the size of your coop:
Another way to increase the size of your flock is by increasing the size of your coop. Consider adding multiple chicken coops to the property for increased stocking capacity and decreased costs.
Most importantly, you need a website to showcase what your farm has got. Register a domain and get hosting now.