ENTREPRENEURSHIP: Tips on Starting Your Poultry Business in Lagos

In the past, Lagosians have been nonchalant when it comes to poultry farming. But now, many people are starting to realize the fast rising potential of the business. Also, with the increased awareness on the health implications of red meat; there’s an increased demand for white meat in Lagos.

HERE IS A GUIDE ON HOW TO RAISE POULTRY ORGANICALLY IN YOUR BACKYARD

1. Select your Poultry Niche

Poultry farming is a very broad business, it goes beyond chicken or turkey rearing. Therefore, you have to choose your area of specialization. Of course, if you have enough capital and skills, nothing stops you from doing all the businesses. But it is always better to select the most attractive aspects to concentrate on.

2. What type of bird will you be focusing on?

Another important factor to consider is the type of birds you wish to rear. There are several types of birds that you can rear. For instance, you have to decide on whether you want to rear domestic fowl or Chicken (Broilers and layers).

Layers are usually raised mainly for laying eggs so if egg production is your area of specialization, you would need to stock your farm with layers but if you prefer to opt for meat production instead, then you would need broilers instead because broilers have the ability to grow very fat and gives more return on investment because they weigh a lot more than other breeds.

4. Poultry Location

An ideal poultry farm should be sited where there’s a large availability of cheap land and at the same time; should be close to areas with high population density. While it is smart to start your poultry farm in a place where the odor and noise would not disturb other people, you should also consider the security factor.

Lands in sparsely populated settlements are cheap and you would have fewer issues with community disturbance and zoning but it may be far from your market and buyers. You need to find a balance, look for a place that is favorable to you and would also be favorable to your customers at the same time.

5. Housing your birds

Poultry housing system and fencing options determines up to 40% of the rate of success you would achieve in this business. A good housing system is very important for your poultry farm.

6. Poultry equipment and appliances

There is a very long list of equipment and facilities to put in place in order to fully manage a poultry farm. You would need to construct a house for the birds, provide feeders and drinkers, a good waste disposal system, source of water, lightening and heat, egg crates and storage space for keeping feed and eggs.

Therefore, you should make a list of all the items you would need, find out the prices and compare different prices to further give you an idea of the costs of setting up the poultry farm.

7. Feeding your birds

There are two ways to go about feeding:

Producing your feeds by yourself
Buying already-made poultry feeds
I recommend the former for large commercial poultry farms because it helps you to save a lot of money on feeding costs. You can easily learn how to make poultry feeds, purchase equipment and start producing feeds for your farm. You can even make some extra income for yourself by selling to others but it is important that you get the right feed formula and ingredients that would enhance the growth of your birds.

8. Health

Just like you need regular health check-up to stay in good shape, the birds in your farm also need regular check-up. They need proper vaccines and medications to prevent diseases and promote growth. Chicks need more care after they hatch especially within their first 3 weeks.

9. Projected return on investment

The incubation period of the domestic fowl is 21 days. You can start selling off your birds as early as 8 – 12 weeks but full maturity is reached between 20 – 24 weeks. The payback period of this business is between 3 – 5 years.

-(Source: mytopbusinessideas.com)