Farmafric: Farming and farm in
put is our business!

Farmafric: Poultry farming comes in different practices;
1. Egg production
2. Meat(broiler) production
3. Cockerels Production
4. Ornamental and Rare bird rearing
5. Parent stock(fertile egg production)
6. Turkey production
7. Quail farming
8. Ostrich farming. etc.
In Nigeria, the demand for poultry products far outweigh the supply, hence it is a money spinning venture for every willing entrepreneur. The uniqueness of poultry industry is that it has room for persons with large source of fund(millionaires) as well as starters with little capital. With as low as N5,000 one can venture profitably into this industry and yet with as much as a billion Naira, one will just be brushing the surface in Nigerian poultry industry
Poultry farming is suitable for professionals such as veterinarians, animal husband men, trained farmers, poultry specialist as well as school leavers, non experts and persons with a willing heart to learn and no matter the angle or level one is entering the industry from, training, peer reference and consultancy is a conditio sine qua non for success in the industry. Many had entered poultry farming and came out burnt, some others are in it reaping fortune; the dividing factor is 'information'. Entering poultry industry blindly is suicidal! For the sake of the Nigerian market, I will in these series deal first with the two major aspect of the industry and highlight the potentials.
EGG PRODUCTION.
Going into poultry production for the purpose of egg production means you intend to raise laying hen. They could be from Day-old-chicks(DOC), or stock as Point-of-Lay(POL) birds. Layers can be reared on Deep liter system or Battery Cage system. Caged birds need more capital but the merits include; easy of management, cleaner eggs, safety from breakages, minimal feed wasteage, reduced water contermination and maximized space. A unit of cage from my company with the capacity of 120 birds cost N90,000. Most cages come with automatic drinkers; some even come with full automation meaning, feeding, manure management as well as egg collection systems; are all automatic thus greatly reducing human contacts, disease spread and labour cost. Cage system is therefore the appropriate system for large scale farmers.
Beginners with limited resources could start with deep litter system. It is affordable, litter material are readily available. The major requirements are conducive housing and more intense management of the water, feed and litters. The roof in all cases should be heat repealing, made from asbestos, thatch etc. Vent, created to let out heat, wall should be less than two feet high, 'curtain' from sacks or tarpaulin provided to prevent entrance of rain water to prevent incidences of coccidiosis and other enteric diseases.
Beginners should minimise the cost of poultry house construction and utilise local materials as equipments so that the limited resources could be channel into productive running cost such as DOC or POL and feed. To give you an idea of cost as of today, a million naira, if meticulously utilized can construct a poultry house that could hold five thousand birds. From our company too, persons that want to enter the venture with cages with all the added advantages, could purchase same with about N4.2million for 5,000 birds. We also supply DOCs and POLs. DOC cost between N120 to N210/chicks depending on time of the year and hatchery. Beginners could start with POL, these are birds in their fourteen to twenty weeks of Age,(birds often start dropping their first egg from 22weeks to 24weeks of age). Advantage of acquiring Point Of Lay birds is the reduced risk. Prices of POL at press time ranges from N750 to N950/bird.
In budgeting for feeding, a bag cost about N2,200 today and could feed 100birds for 3 days.
Let me open your understanding to how profitable egg production could be under proper management, a bird at good lay point generate between N6 to N10/day as gross profit. This means that a flock of 100 laying birds could generate N800 profit per day, and about N24,000/months hence by implication 1000birds could generate N240,000/month and 10,000 bird farm, a N2.4million profit per month. At the end of the 54 to 72weeks of lay, the spent layers would be sold for nearly the equivalent amount with which the POL is purchased. You can see that egg production is terrifically profiting. The demand for eggs is seemingly insatiable.
MEAT PRODUCTION.
I will briefly explain what meat production entails in poultry farming. The meat is call broilers, fryers, poultry or simply chicken. To succeed on this side of the industry, the farmer must target eateries, hotels, and cold rooms or start ones own outlet. Breeding broilers for live sales is only sustainable under small scale and seasonal. For a farmer to be successful in broilers, he should rear between 1000 to 10,000 birds and above per batch. Harvest should be at least weekly. A large poultry house is needed. Provision of constant electricity is necessary for lighting and cold room.
Broiler production entails purchasing DOCs (broiler), brooding, and raising them for six to seven weeks. Feeding is ad libitum(i.e continuously). Well managed flock will weigh between 1.8 to 2.4kg within this period and upon dressing, weigh between 1.4 to 1.8kg/bird which is the standard weight for most eateries. Some companies that buy live birds pays between N410 to N600/kg live weight. Eateries and some cold rooms pay N600 to N820/bird dressed weight. Profit expectation from raising broiler is between N150 to N250/bird.
Factors to consider before venturing into broiler production also include but not limited to the following: good source of DOC, conducive housing, good feed, technical know how, heat for brooding, cold room facility, defeathering machine, and a ready market.
The demand for broilers is ever high and with the ban on importation on poultry product, the sky is the starting point for any bold entrepreneur.
Which ever aspect you wish to participate in, always seek and pay for consultancy, employ experts or get trained and start gradually.
In my next series I will go into the next two form of poultry production. I will also, in similar series, give hints on how to avoid common pit falls in poultry farming. For further consultation, call: 08182537352, 08099515923,08074349597,08136241647.
Email: adoyipaul@yahoo.com

Farmafric: Turkey broiler, imported is available

Farmafric: We just got 13,000 Birds. They are 24 weeks adult birds. Call for how you can buy them