Beginners Guide for Poultry Farming

POULTRY FARMING FOR BEGINNERS

Poultry refers to all birds of economic value to man. They include chicken, pigeon, ducks, goose, turkey, quail, guinea fowl and ostrich.

Poultry farming means raising various types of domestic birds commercially for the purpose of meat, eggs and feather production, it has already been proven to be a lucrative business, that’s why there are many poultry farms out there. As a beginner following a poultry farming guide will help you a lot in setting up your new poultry farming business.

Advantages of Keeping Poultry Birds

Small area of land is required to produce chickens. This makes production possible even in urban areas where there is limited availability of land.

The initial capital outlay for production is moderate. One can decide to start production with small numbers then expand with availability of funds.

Poultry production is not labor intensive, it can be combined with other regular work and with automation an individual can manage large number of birds.

The generation interval is very short. There is quick turn over on investment because within eight weeks one can begin to sell birds, slaughter and get returns on the investment.

There is ready market for poultry products since it is not accomplished by any religious or nutritional bias.

Beginners Guide For Poultry Farming

Farming business follows specific operational principles for making good profit. If such principles are ignored by the farm management system, it results in serious loses, poultry business is not left out. So before starting, it is wise to learn more about the business. Take some time and try to understand why most of the poultry farmers make good profits and some of them fail. Beginners especially have been forced out of the business when they could not operate it properly and thus lose money. Successful poultry farming business requires with lot of work and it’s easy at the same time. But it’s not a lazy man’s business. You have to do everything timely and perfectly according to a plan.

The step by step guide to start your own poultry business

Get your capital: Poultry farming requires capital, you can raise the capital on your own, through friends and family or you approach the bank for loan. As a beginner you should start with minimal number of birds that won’t cost you much.

Know the type of birds you want to raise: Poultry birds are raised either for meat, egg or both. Broilers are birds raised for meat while layers are birds raised for eggs. You can also start your poultry farm for selling poultry products and breeding stocks directly to your local customers. Determine your production purpose, select proper poultry breeds according to your desired production and go for the detailed planning

• Farm Location: Selecting a good farm location for your business is very important. Select a location which has all required facilities and favorable for your business. It can be slightly far from the town, where land and labor is pretty cheap. But don’t setup the farm too far from the town. Because most of the towns have high density population, and you have to target that market. Also try to avoid setting up the farm in residential areas, because poultry farms produce offensive odor. While selecting the farm location, consider transportation system and medication facilities also.

Construct A Pen:

After selecting farm location, construct a good pen for your birds. Ensure all required facilities are available in the new house. There are three types of poultry housing system you can use. Extensive, semi intensive and intensive. For commercial production, intensive system is most convenient. You can raise your birds in floor or in cage system. On an average, broiler poultry needs about 2.5 square feet space and layer poultry needs about 4 square feet space. For example, if you want to raise 200 layers then you have to ensure about 800 square feet space is available. About 4 square feet space is required per bird in cage system. Don’t forget to add proper lighting and ventilation system in the house

Required Equipments

You need to purchase some equipment for your poultry farm. Few equipments are listed below for running a poultry farm successfully.

Feeders

Waterers

• Nests
• Cages
• Coops
• Crates
• Incubator
• Egg tray
• Lighting instruments
• Perches
• Brooders or heaters
• Ventilation system
• Waste disposal system

Etc.

Labor or Manpower

In this our article on poultry farming for beginners guide we advice that  based on the number of birds, you need more or less manpower/labor.  If you start with a minimum number of birds (200-300) then you can manage your farm by yourself easily. If you plan for raising more birds then you will need additional manpower. Ensure cheap labor is available in your selected area.

Purchasing Day Old Chicks

After setting everything up and having everything ready, purchase quality day old chicks from trusted sources like ours, we can supply day old chicks to various locations east west north or south and you will get your birds in perfect conditions. Set the brooder ready before the arrival of the chicks on your farm. As a beginner, it is wise to start with day old chicks instead of older chicks. If you are a complete beginner without any prior experience, keep the number of chicks to minimum (anyhow not more than 100 – 200 birds).

Feeding

Feeding is the most important part of poultry farming business. After constructing house and purchasing equipment and chicks, you have to spend a large amount of money for feeding your birds. About 70% of your total project expenses will go towards the feeding. And the success in the business also depends on quality and adequate feeding. You can purchase the feed ingredients from the market and prepare the feed by yourself or purchase ready-made poultry feeds from the market. Different types of commercial poultry feeds are available in the market for each type of birds. Please review the following webpages for more details about poultry feeding.
Broiler poultry feed
Layer poultry feed

Health Management

As we have mentioned above, you have to ensure proper medication system in your area. Poultry birds are prone to various types of diseases and you have to be ready for controlling them. We know ‘prevention is better than cure’, so you have to be conscious and take proper care of your birds to keep them safe. Vaccinate them timely and always try to provide them fresh water and food. Also stock some required vaccine and medicine so that you can use them when needed.

Marketing

Good marketing strategies influence the profit from your business. If you can sell your products in the market easily, then it will encourage you in getting more production. We always recommend determining marketing facilities in your area before starting any farming business. Because your business will not be much profitable if you can’t market your products properly.

Hope this poultry farming for beginners guide will help you to plan for your new business. Before starting, try to learn more about the business and visit some farms if possible. Consult with other farmers in your area and start with a minimum number of birds for the first time. Gather experience and gradually expand your farm.

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