It is estimated that Nigerians consume over 1.5 million tons of poultry annually. Poultry is the third most consumed meat after beef and goat. Local production only covers about 30% of local needs which means there is a demand and ready market for poultry.
With about 100,000 naira, you can start running a small poultry farm. A big farm would require more money. It is advisable to start small even if you have the money to go big. This is because starting small gives you the chance to learn the ropes and understand the business with minimal losses.
How to start a poultry business.
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Learn the fundamentals of poultry farming. Failure to do this would result in heavy losses which you may not be able to recover from. Research the market and understand the demand, considering factors such as consumer preference, price points and distribution channels. You can do this by speaking with potential customers and other poultry farmers. In other words, carry out a feasibility study.
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Make a business plan. This would help you with details such as target market, production and management process, financial projections and marketing strategy. A business plan can also be useful in securing funding and attracting investors if needed. Here is what your business plan should look like. https://smartsmssolutions.com/blog/83-updates/1784-sample-business-plan-template-for-an-agriculture-business
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Carve out a niche for yourself. What kind of birds do you plan to raise; chickens, turkeys, ducks, pigeons, quail, guinea fowl or a combination of two or more types of birds? If for instance, you choose to specialise in farming chickens, are you going to deal in broilers or layers? You should at this point also determine if you want to raise a free-range, intensive or semi-intensive system of poultry farming. To decide this you should take into consideration the size of your farm, your budget and the type of poultry you have resolved to raise.
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Secure a location: proximity to the market and clients is key to choosing where to locate your farm. Once you have gotten a good location, you should construct housing that supports natural behavior and protects the birds from excessive sunlight, wind and rainfall. It should also be able to keep the birds warm, especially at night.
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Register your business and proceed to obtain all necessary permits and licenses. Decide on a business name before proceeding to register your business. Here are great tips for choosing a business name. https ://smartsmssolutions.com/blog/118-sms-marketing/small-business/1736-tips-and-tools-for-great-business-names
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Purchase equipment such as incubators, feeders, drinkers etc.
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Go on and get your chicks from reputable hatcheries or breeders.
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Put a poultry health plan in place. Draw up a feeding and management plan such as parasite and disease control, monitoring and growth assessment. To do this efficiently, a veterinarian needs to be in your employ even if on a part-time basis to ensure that the health plans are adequate to give proper vaccination and implement all necessary hygiene practices.
Marketing strategy
As with most other businesses, the best way to market your business is on the internet. Create social media pages for your business. Let people see what you do online. What people are after when sourcing poultry is the size and quality of your birds. People can assess size by sight but would not be able to assess quality so easily. How can you make this easy for your clients? Take pictures of your veterinarian while on duty and upload them on your social media pages so that people can see that your birds are healthy.
You can even choose to give out tips on bird handling at regular intervals on your page or website. Look up ways to promote your business online. https://smartsmssolutions.com/blog/83-updates/1780-how-to-promote-your-business-online
While social media is a powerful marketing tool, do not ignore those around you. They are your closest potential customers. Seize every chance you get to tell people about your business. Do not wait until the birds are ready to be sold before you start marketing them. Right from when they are still chicks, spread the word.
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