How Much Does It Cost To Start A Poultry Farm In Nigeria?: In Nigeria, poultry farming is an emerging, profitable, and sustainable business. The industry is an alternative to the beef, pork, and fishing industries, which are heavily reliant on imports and pose a threat to Nigeria’s food security.
Poultry farming in Nigeria starts with a small backyard farm where the farmers keep hens, ducks, and other poultry species. But at present, the Nigerian poultry sector is dominated by large broiler (chicken) farms. The broilers grow rapidly, reaching a weight of 1.5 kg in 24 days, which allows them to be sold to supermarkets as young chickens.
The Nigerian poultry industry has been growing exponentially as a result of its demand for food security. From an annual average of $60 million before the crisis, the business is now worth an estimated $2 billion annually and is sustained by domestic production coupled with increased exports to South Africa and the Middle East.
Materials Needed to Start a Poultry Farm in Nigeria
The materials are:
- 50 fertilized hen eggs
- A timer or alarm that can be set to turn on and off every day
- 500 ml of water
- A hen house, coop, or shed
- Plenty of food for your chickens: grains, greens, legumes, and fish meal (if you live in a coastal area).
- Enough ground for 50 feeds with 10 meters per feed. Each feed should have enough room for two nesting boxes attached to it.
- If you plan to use electricity for lighting and warmth in the hen house, then a wire cutter or electrician is needed. The wire clipper can also be used when installing an electricity line from the generator to the hen house or coop.
- A spare diesel
- A net to collect the eggs after they have been laid. You can either use a net that is already in your possession or buy one from any local hardware store.
How Much Does It Cost To Start A Poultry Farm In Nigeria?
The cost of starting a poultry farm in Nigeria is very low. Firstly, you need to have the site prepared and the chicken house built on it. You can do this with a friend or relative. The cost of building a chicken house will be very low depending on its size; one to two persons working for about three months can build a small-sized chicken home in Nigeria for as little as N25,000.00 (twenty-five thousand naira), but if you want to build a large home with enough space to let your chickens roam in, then the cost will be a bit higher.
Keeping chickens requires some skill, and if you are fortunate enough to know someone who raises chickens, then they may train you on how to do this. Most people who raise chickens in Nigeria prefer to keep them on an egg-laying farm, which is a bit more preferable as you get the eggs directly from your chickens instead of a market where the chicken eggs are sold by weight in bags or boxes.
You will not reap any profits if you do not sell, and this goes for every business that you may want to start. If you sell the chickens and eggs, then they will provide you with enough income to support your poultry needs.
This is where you sell the eggs and other products that your chickens produce, such as chicken feed, chicken formula, and chicken diapers. You can also add value to your products by marketing them.
Steps to Starting a Poultry Farm in Nigeria
The steps are:
- Site Preparation
- Chicken House Construction
- Raising Chickens
- feeding and watering chickens
- Handling of Poultry Waste
- Egg collection and storage
- Sales of Produce for Profit
- Site preparation: this is the most important step of all. This is where you create a good
environment for your chickens to thrive.
- Chicken House Construction: Chicken house construction is the second-most important field of attention after site preparation.
- Raising chickens is an art and science in itself, and you must know how to do it well if you must make money from this business or hobby.
- Chicken Feeding and Watering: Chickens must be fed and watered on a regular basis.
- Handling of Poultry Waste: Birds will tend to go over the house and yard, and it is up to you to sweep, clean, and prevent the filth from getting into your poultry house.
- Egg Collection and Storage: Chickens lay for about 15 days, after which they stop laying.
- Sales of Produce for Profit: Chickens make eggs, but their only purpose is for human consumption. The eggs will be sold by weight in bags or boxes, depending on where you live in Nigeria.
Benefits of Starting a Poultry Farm in Nigeria
The benefits are:
- Improved Income
- Lower Cost for Animal Feed
- Control over livelihoods
- Environmental Preservation (No Livestock Diseases)
- Improved Livelihoods
- Improved nutrition
- Sustainable and Clean Farming
Conclusion
Poultry farming in Nigeria is becoming more popular for both commercial and domestic purposes. Many Nigerians are getting into this business as it offers a promising future for them.
- Cheap Livelihoods
- Low Capital Investment
- No risks are involved in the business at all.
- Very profitable in the long run.
- Long shelf life of eggs produced
- Good return on investment both short and long term.
This is one of the most profitable farming methods in Nigeria today, and it also produces a wide variety of products, making it marketable and thereby increasing your profit margin by leaps and bounds. It’s very easy to establish since you don’t have to build any structure, unlike other businesses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is poultry farming profitable in Nigeria?
In order to lift people out of poverty, poultry farming in Nigeria is a lucrative business with a promising prospect; the country has the most significant number of chickens in Africa and the largest annual egg production.
Which farming is most profitable in Nigeria?
Chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, and birds in general, would always be in high demand for their meat or eggs. Therefore, this puts poultry farming as one of the most lucrative agric businesses in Nigeria that you can do.
What are the challenges of poultry farming in Nigeria?
This paper reviews these challenges to include; disease and pest attacks, lack of loan and credit procurement, lack of technical knowledge, high rate of mortality, high cost of poultry feed, supply of poor quality chicks, inadequate extension services, and inadequate access to and high cost of veterinary service.
Which agriculture gives more profit?
Organic farming is a perfect business idea for new-generation farmers. These days most people use organic products for better health. It means the demand for organic products is increasing. By the production of organic fruits, vegetables, and flowers, you can earn good returns.
What is the main danger from poultry?
Chicken can be a nutritious choice, but raw chicken is often contaminated with Campylobacter bacteria and sometimes with Salmonella and Clostridium perfringens bacteria. If you eat undercooked chicken, you can get a foodborne illness, also called food poisoning.
References
- Naturenews.africa – 5 Steps To Starting A Poultry Business In Nigeria
- Allafrica.com – Lucrative Agricultural Business in Nigeria
- Njap.org.ng – Challenges Of Poultry Farming in Nigeria
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