In Nigeria, the poultry farming business is one of the fastest developing sectors of the agricultural industry. Nigeria’s poultry industry is expected to be worth over N1.6 trillion by 2020, according to the Central Bank of Nigeria. According to the FAO, Nigeria’s egg production is the second-largest in Africa after South Africa, demonstrating that poultry farming in Nigeria is already a well-established and profitable industry.
Poultry Breeds
There are three types of breeds that are very suitable for commercial poultry farming in Nigeria. You can select any for your farm. They are the:
- Pullets: Popularly known as Layers are raised for egg production, which is the most profitable but also the most stressful. As a result, you must choose extremely productive layer breeds.
- Broilers: Are reared for meat production and grows very fast by consuming a certain amount of food. They are usually ready for sales from 12 weeks from hatch.
- Cockerels: Also reared for meat production but grew slower and can take up to 24 weeks before they are matured for marketing. They’re reliable in terms of survival and withstanding bad weather far better than Layers and Broilers.
Steps to Starting Poultry Farming in Nigeria
Poultry farming requires expertise in order to be able to do the right things and achieve the desired results. It requires a lot of effort and timely attention to detail. These details are as given below:
Location
The first thing you’ll need is land. The land is the most difficult and costly aspect of the poultry business in Nigeria, especially in cities such as Lagos, Abuja, and others.
For the time being, a plot of land measuring 120 x 60 square meters would suffice for establishing a medium-scale poultry farm in Nigeria.
Almost half of your needs are met once you have a large enough piece of land to set up your farm.
Due to the odor associated with poultry rearing and the resulting health effects, you might not be permitted to carry out poultry farming in a populated community.
My recommendation is that you search for land in a remote area or on farms.
Housing
This is the second most profitable and important aspect of setting up your poultry farm, and it is not as costly as acquiring land.
There are several different ways to build a chicken house. Just make sure it is spacious enough for the chickens to run around in.
The house should be built in such a way that the airflow can be controlled. If you’re planning a large-scale project, hire a competent engineer to design and build for you.
Otherwise, you should simply go to any good poultry farm to see how the house is built.
Day-Old Chicks
This is where the business gets off. Purchase chicks from a chicken hatchery that specializes in the supply of various types of day-old chickens.
It’s preferable to purchase from a hatchery. Hatcheries use incubators to grow a large number of day-old chicks.
Feeding
The bird stays healthy and active by eating fine. The secret to success in the poultry farming business is good quality, new, and healthy food.
Often, provide a sufficient amount of food based on the number of poultry birds and their size. Along with good food, always have enough clean and fresh water to meet the poultry needs on a regular basis.
Care and Management
Poultry birds are highly susceptible to disease and are quickly infected. They are generally afflicted with a variety of infectious, bacterial, fungal, dietary, and parasitic diseases.
Vaccinating your birds is important for keeping them disease-free, stable, and active.