Poultry Business In Nigeria; What You Must Know; Insights From An Expert Breeder

Some of us have it in mind to start up something but don’t know what to venture into, some of us want to enter into poultry but don’t know how to start, what to do or details about the business, some of us are already into it and are seeking more knowledge on the business, while some of us are just curious about the knowledge of it.

Whichever category you find yourself in, this article will satisfy your curiosity and guide you through all things poultry-related. Starting up, Housing, Feeding, Rearing, Medications and Marketing, all will be discussed in this article. So here we go.

I interviewed a professional breeder with 5 years of experience in the poultry business, Mr Okoli Chidindu Fortunate, from Ekwulobia, Anambra State. He currently still does the business but he is not majorly into it again, as he entered another line of trade, leaving the poultry for his mum.

I interviewed him because I saw him with my eyes doing the business, I knew when he wanted to start it, I saw him start it, even helped a little bit in the building of the first poultry house, I patronized him, and I saw him increase his poultry house size three times, which is a proof of progress and that he knows what he is doing.

So I assure you that this is quality information.

Starting the Business

According to Mr Chidindu, it is a very profitable business but you must know what you are doing.

His interest was sparked when he was at his home town food market and saw people selling chickens. He asked about the business and saw that it was something he could start up on a small scale.

He then did some market research so he could know how much he would need. He checked for the price of the chicks, how much it will cost to build the chicken house, the cost of the bag of feed and an estimate of how many bags you will need to buy throughout the rearing process, and also equipment to be used for putting the food and water.

I didn’t put the prices as things are now more expensive and the price of things also differ with location. However, with the things listed above you can go to the market to ask for prices and make your budget.

Choosing a Chicken Breed

His choice of chicken breed was the broilers. He chose this as he discovered that they grow within 3 months and will be ready for sale, unlike the layers that can take as much as 9 months. Also, layers are for those who want to go into egg production.

Breeding the Chicks

According to Mr Chidindu, during his market research, he discovered that the chicks, at that early stage, need enough heat. It helps in their growth.

He also mentioned a drug called Multivite. The drug is administered right from their early stage to make them hungry.

Although they eat much, they still need to eat more because they grow per how much they eat, so you can get two chicks the same day and one can end up growing taller and fatter than the other because of the feeding difference.

He stops administering this drug after 7 weeks because, at that point, they will be eating more than enough and money is usually consumed in feeding.

Chicken House Size

The chicks need space so they can run around, it also helps their growth. If the space is tight, you will see it in their growth. Tight space will also make it hard to clean their poop. So you should not downplay the need for space when planning the size of your chicken house.

Diseases with Chicks

He stated that the chicks normally experience a disease (name unknown) where their poop comes with blood. This kind of sickness is seen within two weeks to four weeks. He advised not to wait for the sickness but rather, to administer the medicine before it comes. The drug he uses for this is called Embazin Forte.

Daily Chicken Rearing Routine

According to Mr Chidindu, early in the morning, you will first remove the food and water container from the chicken house, and sweep away their faeces to prevent diseases. The biggest threats to these chickens are cold and diseases, which kills them in mass. So clean poultry promotes a healthy environment for the chickens.

After cleaning the chicken house, you change their water. According to Mr Chidindu, always change their water, and don’t give them yesterday’s water. Also, put the leftover food in a tray and separate the dirt and faeces that must have entered it, then mix it with new ones before putting it back. This way your chickens have lesser chances of getting infections.

Heat For The Chickens

Mr Chidindu advises against the use of lanterns to create heat for the chickens because of the smoke it brings, it is harmful to the birds. He recommended the use of charcoal pots, with small charcoal pieces, not large chunks.

Find a way of regulating your heat to be moderate, not too hot and not cold, just warm.

Medication For the Grown Chicks

In the 5th Week, they are likely to get a disease that makes their droppings (faeces) greenish. Therefore, he says you will give them enrofloxacin drug throughout the 5th week to avoid that disease. He also says if their faeces are whitish, you know they are having a cold.

Budget For Feeding

As I said earlier, I don’t want to give you any price because the cost of things is increasing every day. However, I asked Mr Chidindu for an estimate of the number of bags of feed that will be needed throughout the rearing of the chicken.

He stated that 15 bags will do 50 chicks for their 8 weeks, and 30 bags for 100 chicks. Therefore, you will find the current market price of the chicken feed and multiply it by 15 to get how much you will need for feed.

Marketing Strategic After Rearing

I asked this because it is important that after rearing your chicken, you can find buyers. You didn’t rear it to eat it.

According to Mr Chidindu, you start your rearing by calculating 3 months from the festive seasons. New Year, Easter and Christmas. You dont just start rearing at any time, you are doing it on a small scale and you are just starting. You will also take advantage of the festive season’s increase in demand and price of food which can help get back your money if there was a major problem when you were rearing.

Another Marketing strategy from Mr Chidindu is the Neatness of the Chickens Feathers. Broiler Chickens are white. According to him, if those feathers are kept neat by cleaning the chicken house regularly, the feathers will stand rather than stick together and fall. When its feathers are standing, it looks bigger.

Protection from Predators

Just have a good chicken house and you have nothing to worry about according to Mr Chidindu. When selecting materials for the housing, keep in mind, snake and hawks and owls. So your chickens have to be in a secure environment. Their door-lock should be intact, you don’t want a situation when the chickens somehow managed to come out of the cage. The real owners will help you and pick it. Even human beings are predators. If your chicken enters my compound, I will cook stew that night, stop playing.

Words of Advice and Encouragement

Mr Chidindu gave his words of advice and encouragement to those looking to start Poultry. He said, “It is not as easy as it seems, but you will be successful if you are serious about it. Don’t be afraid to enter the business, it’s a very profitable one, just be serious about it. When I wanted to start, I had double thoughts but I told myself how hard can it be, are people not doing it? Yes, I made mistakes when I started but I was able to keep it going because I was serious about it. Now I have given you some tips, and if you follow them, you will avoid those mistakes I made and you will rear your chickens like a pro. I am assuring you of that. I wish you success as you decide to enter this line of business. The market is an open space for everyone.”

So there you have it. These are the things you need to know in order to start and run a successful poultry. I hope you found it interesting and insightful. Thank you for reading

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli