Costs & Requirements of Starting a Poultry Farm in Nigeria (2024)

Poultry farming in Nigeria is a business that gives enough meat and eggs for daily consumption in the country. It entails raising varied domestic birds like ducks, turkey, geese, chicken, etc. In Nigeria, poultry farming is one of the most lucrative business endeavours to pursue. It does not require huge capital to start, and you can easily kick off your poultry farm at the comfort of your home.

In the course of this article, we would look at how much it can cost to start a poultry farm in Nigeria. We would also see some of the requirements that should be put in place before you start a poultry farm.

How Much Does It Cost To Start A Poultry Farm In Nigeria

Poultry farming is a capital intensive business. The cost of starting a poultry farm in Nigeria largely depends on the size of your birds. If you are farming over a hundred to one thousand birds, then you would need capital in the range of ₦100,000 to ₦400,000. And within three months, you can accrue profit ranging from ₦200,000 to over ₦3 million. If you are farming over a thousand to three thousand birds, then you would be needing at least over ₦500,000 to ₦2 million as start up funds.

Now, like I iterated earlier, the cost of starting up a poultry farm depends on the size of the farm. So this implies that if you want a bigger poultry farm, then you need a larger capital.

Other factors that affect the cost of starting a poultry farm include;

• Cost of buying birds for starting the poultry
• Cost of buying bird feed. 200 birds consume at least 25kg of bird feed per day and 1500 birds consume at least 190 kg.
• Cost of medication for the poultry birds
• Cost of battery cages. The number of units of cages you want to buy largely depends on the number of birds that you are farming.
• Cost of constructing a poultry house for the birds
• Cost of acquisition of land or property for starting the poultry farm.

What Are The Requirements Of Starting A Poultry Farm?

Have you made up your mind to start a poultry farm in Nigeria? There are a couple of things that have to be put in place in order to make your poultry business dream a reality. In subsequent paragraphs, we would be looking at some of them.

#1. Choosing The Type Of Poultry Bird You Want To Rear

Before you proceed with your poultry business plan, you need to have a clear picture of the type of bird you want to rear. It is usually counter-productive to rear more than one type of bird. So focusing on type of bird is the best fit for your poultry business. For the sake of this article, our bird of choice is the Domestic Chicken. This is it is the most popular poultry bird in Nigeria.

In the chicken family, there are so many genetic varieties, but we would be reviewing three major species breed mainly by Nigerian farmers.

Cockerels: The cockerels are a unique specie of chicken that is mostly reared by Nigeria poultry farmers. Another name for the cockerel is “rooster”. Cockerels don’t lay eggs and in such case have limited value in Nigeria. They are mostly breed for their meat and Traditional purposes.

Layers: This poultry breed are a special species of hens that are raised for the sake of laying eggs. They are used in Nigeria for commercial egg production.  A layer can lay only one egg in a day and would in some days not lay an egg at all. The laying schedule largely depends on the reproductive system of the hen (Layer). It takes about 26 hours for a layer to form an egg.

Broilers: This guys have nothing to do with eggs, they are breeds for the sole aim of meat production. The slaughter weight of a broiler is the weight it reaches before it is kitchen or market ready. It takes a broiler approximately 14 weeks to reach its slaughter weight.

#2. Choose A Good Farm Site Or Location

One of the most important requirements for your poultry farm is a good location. In other to have a thriving poultry business, you need a good location. The size of the farm site would depend on the number of birds you want to rear. If you do not have enough land at your disposal, it is best for you to start small.

A good poultry farm should not have access to dangerous insects and pests that would harm the birds. It should be also situated outside the chaos and hustle-bustle of the city. It would be noteworthy to also point out the need of a pollution free environment for the poultry. Finally, your poultry farm site should be easily accessible to main roads for easy transportation of your farm products.

#3. Providing Adequate Housing For The Poultry Birds

Another important factor that must be considered is the housing of the poultry birds. The housing plan for the poultry birds depends on the farming system and the size of birds that you want to rear. The housing system for the poultry needs to be spacious enough to allow for the free movement of the birds. The farm should also be built in a way that helps it to curb flooding. It should also be well ventilated and protected from harsh sunlight.

#4. Medication And The Feeding Of The Birds

For top-notch poultry production, the birds need to be fed with nutritious food. This is very important, as it would make your poultry to be productive and healthy. Endeavour to keep the feed dry and non-contaminated. In addition, the birds need medications, not just for sicknesses, but also to enhance their growth. Vaccinations are necessary for your birds, especially if you are growing them in large scale.

Conclusion

As I iterated earlier, poultry farming is a very lucrative business. However, the success of your poultry farm is a conditional one. When you play by the rules and meet the right start up requirements, you would see yourself accruing your desired profit.