The demand for poultry products is on the rise, making poultry farming one of the best business ideas. For beginners, starting a poultry business can be a daunting process.
Whether looking to rear chicken or any type of poultry, getting it right from the start will set you up for success. Poultry farming for commercial purposes can be a great source of income.
In this guide, I’ll explain everything you need to know about starting poultry farming for beginners. I’ll explain the steps you need to take to start a successful poultry farming business.
What’s poultry farming?
Even before we get started, let’s understand the meaning of poultry farming.
Poultry farming is the raising of domestic birds for meat, eggs, and feathers. The different birds can be chicken, duck, turkey quail, etc.
For the purpose of this guide, I’ll focus on chicken farming. It’s understandable, considering chicken is the most common poultry in the world.
Chicken poultry farming, when done correctly, is a very profitable agribusiness. But to make profits, you need to manage the poultry farm very well.
Poultry farms for beginners
Poultry farming, like any other business, must follow certain operation principles. The principles must also be followed by proper farm management.
Below are some steps every beginner should follow when starting a poultry farm.
Learn Poultry Farming
Start by taking a course on poultry farming. You need to understand the basic rules of poultry farming to succeed.
Basic training will teach you how to rear day-old chicks to maturity. These are skills you need to learn before starting any poultry business.
Enroll in an online course and reach out to a nearby farmer for training. There are also many agencies that run poultry courses. Learning gets you the basics and a few tricks that come in handy when the poultry farm is up and running.
Choose a poultry sector
Next, you need to choose the right bird and sector. On the type of bird, we are going with chicken for the sake of the guide. But depending on your purpose, you can choose what best works in your area.
Next, you need to decide between broilers and layers. Are you raring chicken for meat or for eggs? You can even decide to run a hatchery for other chicken farmers. Below are some chicken products to focus on:
- Checking to process
- Broiler chicken for meat
- Chicken for eggs
- Poultry feed production
- Poultry farming equipment
- Poultry feed production
Set a farm location
With a chicken product decided, you need to choose a farm location. Consider a location with good access to electricity, water, security, etc.
Your location should not be too far away from the consumers. You don’t want to incur excess transportation costs.
Construct a house
With a location picked, go ahead and construct a poultry farmhouse. Visit a few farms near you and get ideas on the best farmhouses.
The ideal house should protect the birds from snow, wind, sunshine, rain, pests, and diseases. Make sure you construct a house that best matches your business plan needs.
How many birds do you want to rear? Such questions will help you choose the right house for your chicken.
Get necessary equipment
Next, you need to get all the necessary chicken equipment. These are items and tools you’ll use on the farm on a daily basis. Quality equipment will ensure your chicken eats well and lives healthily.
Some of the equipment you can get include:
- Feeders
- Nests
- Cages
- Coops
- Egg tray
- Ventilation system
- Lighting
- Heaters
- Waste disposal system
- Waterers
- Brooders
With all equipment ready, get your first stater chicks.
Buy starter chicks
You can now get quality chick breeds from a reliable farm. Do some research and get chicks from a dependable breeder.
Make sure the brooder is ready and set up when the chicks arrive. Ensure each brooder holds just the right number of chicks.
Feed chicks properly
You also need to know how to feed the chicks properly. This is why taking a course on poultry farming is essential.
Poultry feeding can be expensive, taking up to 70% of your production costs. Start with feeds sold in the market as a beginner. You can make yours with some experience in the business.
Maintain a proper health management program
Most mortality cases in chicken rearing arise from poor health management. Ensure you have a proper health management program to prevent the spread of diseases.
Market and sell your poultry harvest
Lastly, you need to get a ready market for your products to avoid making losses. Products like broilers need a market right away to avoid extra feeding costs.
Final verdict
This is just the tip of the iceberg regarding poultry farming. The best way to learn is from experienced poultry farmers near you. Make sure you network with fellow farmers and share ideas.
As always, write a poultry business plan to help guide you with the decisions you make.