Poultry for Profit

            

BROILERS PRODUCTION

Animal protein is one of the  most important food items in the world. Protein helps in body building and growth, in reproductive system and in the prevention of diseases.

Sources of animal protein include:
1. Fish
2. Beef from cow, goat meat
3. Pork from pig
4. chicken from fowl

Poultry broiler is one of the easiest sources to get protein in commercial quantity. Broilers are special breed of chickens, which are raised under intensive care for the sole purpose of slaughtering within eight weeks. They are rich in protein, very palatable and fleshy.

Investment justification
Nigeria market is the largest In Africa for food items. Market for broilers is also almost automatic because less than 50 percent of food requirement is currently being met. Therefore no matter the volume you produce, there is a ready market.
The ban on importation of frozen chicken has made commercial broiler production lucrative as competition between imported frozen chicken and locally produced has been removed

Land requirement
The land requirement for broilers production is very minimal. 5000 broiler will only require about two plots of land

Startup information
To establish a poultry broiler farm, a farm site that is accessible all year round is acquired. On acquisition, poultry house is constructed with a section as the brooder house to nurse day old chicks for two weeks before being transferred to the broiler pen.
Genetically sound and good breed is sourced from reputable hatcheries. Personally, I use CHI, Agrited and Farm support. There are other reliable sources too.
On purchase, they are bought to the already prepared brooder house for two to three weeks before they are transferred to the main pens. Other routine works needed feeding with a rich and nutritious formulated feed, (I recommend Top, livestock, Animal care and Hybrid feeds), poultry drug administration; and provision of clean water.
Within eight weeks of ad-libitum feeding, the broiler would have attained market size ready to be sold to interested consumers, catering houses, eateries and reputable markets. A large scale farmer may eventually go into sales of frozen chickens.

The first 14days of chicks' life is the most crucial because that's when the foundation for their lifetime performance are laid. The skeletal, muscular, and neurological system are all developing at a very rapid pace within this period.
The secret of succes in poultry business is what I call, "Seventh day mortality and weight gain." That's the secret and ultimate performance gauge to a successful brooding. I spell them out in three benchmarks:

• Know the weight of your birds at day old

• Weight measurement at the end of seven days should be four to five times the day old weight i.e if your bird weighed 40grams at day old, by seven days, they should weigh 160-200grams averagely
• The permissible mortality rate should not be more than 1% cumulatively.

Failure to achieve good seven days weight means poor result at the end of the rearing period.
It is possible...
If you start well, you will finish great.