Here are 8 practical ways to start  a successful poultry farm in Nigeria

Do you yearn to start up a Poultry Farm In Nigeria? If so, then you have to enter the business well prepared by considering all the basic requirement and what is needed to be successful Poultry Farmer In Nigeria. Right from setting up some basic equipment to raising the birds and then marketing your business, you have to take every step wisely. Do not forget that there are many poultry businesses. You will be competing with them; however, if you conduct your business carefully and professionally, the possibility is there that it will grow very fast.

The demand for poultry products is increasing daily. So, there is a lot of scope for fast growth of your poultry farm despite a tough competition, if you follow the basics of the business. Your return on investment will be very quick.

What do you need to have if you want to set up a  Poultry Farm In Nigeria?

Passion
The most important thing is passion. if you are not passionate about something, you will fail People that aren’t passionate about poultry business fail in the business. It is not a business you can just go into. If you’re not naturally passionate about it, you can develop it, because it requires serious attention.

Lets us now consider the 8 steps you can take to become a successful poultry farmer:

1.  Decide on the type of poultry farm you want

There are a number of things you can do as a poultry farmer; these include:

• Chicken breeding for sale
• Egg production for sale
• Chicken meat production for sale
• Producing and distribution of poultry feed (chicken feed)
• Egg processing

The type you pick should be determined by your capital, and the demand in your area.

For instance, chicken and eggs have high demand in urban areas. Moreover, it is more in saturated markets than in many other areas, so if you have enough money then processing eggs and chicken or even offering refrigerated storage facilities and transport could be a more lucrative option.

So it is very important to do your research by market surveying or asking other poultry farmers on what type of poultry farming is profitable in your area and how much it will cost you to start.

2. Get a Suitable location

• The most important step in starting up a poultry farm is selecting a suitable land. Getting a land anywhere is a tedious and expensive task.
• For someone who plans to farm for a long time it is better to acquire a parcel of land because owners can chase you from rented lands anytime and it will surely have an adverse effect on your total effort.
• The area of land to be acquired depend on some factors like the number of birds you intend to raise and most importantly the type of rearing system you intend to use.
• It is advisable to acquire land in rural areas that are little bit far from the city because Land and labor seems to be relatively cheap in such areas.
• Ensure that you have a source of fresh and clean water supply close to your land of interest because you will need to a lot of water for feeding the birds and cleaning your animal house
•  Think, what equipment do I need to buy?

In addition to constructing the house for the birds, you will need a decent amount of equipment and facilities for your poultry farm. it includes:

• Drinkers
• Feeders
• Nests
• Perches
• Lighting system
• Crates
• Incubator
• Waste disposal system
• Egg tray
• Heaters or brooders
• Cages and coops

4. Get Financial Help

You may not have much money at hand when starting your own farm. But setting up a poultry farm needs sufficient funding. You will be buying a lot of equipment such as feeders, drinkers, perches, lighting system, incubators, heaters or brooders, and many more. Most importantly, you need a huge amount of funds to purchase land. You will put facilities to enhance your productivity.

Moreover, you require funds to pay salaries/wages to your staff or laborers. So, analyze your financial requirements. Then, apply for a bank loan or try some other sources of financing your farming business.

5. Spread A Word for Your Farm

You meet many people on daily basis. Tell them about your plans to start your own poultry business. Start from talking to your friends and neighbors. Visit events related to poultry farming and try to make friends with as many people as you can. You may meet some of your potential clients. Make all of them aware of your farming plans and take their advice.

When you contact people and clients, present your business card to them. This is a professional way to introduce your business. The card gives them your contact details like your phone number, fax number, and website address. They will keep your card and many of them will contact you whenever they need your poultry products.

6.  Employ a Personnel

When it comes to hiring personnel, you will need only a few people (and not immediately at the start) such as Poultry farm manager, a Veterinary doctor and few workers. You have to consider the profit and expenses to be incurred so as to know the number of staff to recruit. Registration permits, Rent, Poultry house construction, territory arrangement, Purchase of equipment; Purchase of young birds, Purchase of feed mills, feed and supplementary foodstuff; Salary for employee are also considered. To get a tangible income, you should get at least 2500 birds.

7.  Keep ready vaccines for the chickens, and regular health check-ups

As your farm grows, it is very important to consult a veterinarian and get your chickens vaccinated to prevent disease epidemics from spreading among your flock, and even worse, to your customers.

Remember, the number one factor that clients are most concerned about is not your price but the the health of your chickens and freshness of your eggs and meat. (Though a competitive price is always good for business).

8. Advertise your business

As you are fully ready, having put every mechanism in place, the best way to make people know about your business is for you to create awareness. E.g. you can create a website online, which would enable people around the world using search engine to locate your poultry farm anywhere in the world. You can also turn to social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter etc. to publicize your business.