How to Start Poultry Farming in Nigeria — A Practical Setup Guide for 2026

Setting up a poultry farm in Nigeria requires more planning than most first-time farmers expect. The cost of day-old chicks, the equipment you need before they arrive, the medications to have on hand from day one — getting any of these wrong in the first week can cost you the entire batch. This guide covers what you actually need, in the order you need it, whether you are raising 50 birds or 500.

Step 1: Decide on Your Bird Type First

Before purchasing anything else, decide what you are raising. This determines every other input decision.

• Broilers (meat birds): Ross 308, Cobb 500, Marshall, AMO, Zartech. Market weight in 6–8 weeks. Lower capital holding period, faster cash cycle.
• Layers (egg birds): ISA Brown, Hy-Line, Zartech Pullets, CHI Pullets. Produce eggs from week 18–20. Longer capital holding but steady income stream for 12–18 months.
• Dual-purpose (Noiler/Kuroiler): Slower to market but hardier in harsh conditions, lower mortality, popular with smallholder farmers. Good for free-range and semi-intensive systems.

Step 2: Set Up Your House Before the Chicks Arrive

Day-old chicks cannot regulate their body temperature for the first two weeks. Your brooder setup must be ready and at the right temperature (32–35°C) before the birds arrive — not while they are in transit.

Brooding equipment you need:

• Gas brooder or electric brooder: 1 brooder per 300–500 chicks depending on capacity
• Chick drinkers (manual or nipple): 1 chick drinker per 50 birds for the first week
• Chick feeders (mini trays or round feeders): 1 feeder per 30–50 chicks
• Litter material: Wood shavings or rice husks spread 7–10cm deep across the floor
• Thermometer: Hang at bird height to monitor temperature accurately
• Guard ring (brooder ring): To keep chicks close to heat source in the first 7 days

Common mistake: farmers who skip the brooder ring lose chicks to chilling in corners, especially at night when ambient temperature drops.

Step 3: Prepare Your Medications Before Arrival

Day-old chicks are stressed from transport. The first 72 hours are the highest mortality window in any poultry cycle. Have these ready before the birds arrive — not after you notice problems.

• Vitamin and electrolyte supplement: Given in drinking water on day 1 to rehydrate chicks after transit. Calcinor Plus or Vitamix are commonly used.
• Anticoccidial drug (Amprolium): Coccidiosis kills chicks fast and silently. Start prevention from day 3–5, especially on farms with a history of the disease.
• Antibiotic (optional but available): Only use if your vet recommends it, and only for confirmed bacterial infections. ASP Antibiotics (Doxytylynor) is used for respiratory infections — but only on diagnosis, not routinely.
• Newcastle Disease vaccine: Your first vaccine is typically given on day 7–10. Source from a trusted vet or supplier, keep refrigerated, and administer at the right time.

Step 4: Order Your Chicks from a Trusted Hatchery

The quality of your day-old chicks determines your farm’s ceiling. Poor-quality or weak chicks from an unreliable hatchery will underperform regardless of how well you manage them.

When ordering chicks, confirm the following with your supplier before paying:

• Vaccination schedule at the hatchery (Marek’s disease vaccine should be given at hatch)
• Expected delivery time to your location — chicks should arrive within 24–36 hours of hatching
• Whether the hatchery provides a certificate of hatch and health status
• Your farm’s nearest drop-off point or delivery logistics

Farmsquare supplies day-old chicks from Zartech, CHI, Marshall, AMO, Kuroiler, and other certified brands with nationwide delivery. View available day-old chick options →

Step 5: Feed Management

Feed accounts for 60–70% of your total production cost in poultry. Getting this wrong is the fastest way to lose money on a poultry operation.

• Weeks 1–2 (Starter): 20–23% protein content, crumble form. Feed ad libitum — birds at this age eat small and often.
• Weeks 3–4 (Grower for layers / continued starter for broilers): 18–20% protein. Transition gradually if changing feed brands.
• Weeks 5–6 (Finisher for broilers): 16–18% protein, pellet form. This is where your birds put on the most weight.

Always buy from reputable feed mills. Check the manufacture date on every bag — poultry feed has a short shelf life and nutrient quality degrades within 2–3 weeks of production.

What Does It Cost to Raise 100 Broilers?

This is a rough guide for a standard 6-week broiler cycle in Nigeria at current 2026 market rates:

At current live broiler market price of ₦5,500–₦7,500 per kg, 100 birds averaging 2.5kg each generates ₦1,375,000–₦1,875,000 in gross revenue. Margins depend heavily on feed conversion rate and mortality.

Equipment You Will Need for a Full Poultry Setup

If you are setting up a permanent poultry house rather than temporary brooding, you will eventually need:

• Battery cages (for layers) — 64-bird, 96-bird, or 128-bird configurations
• Automatic or clip nipple drinkers for consistent water delivery
• Hanging tube feeders or trough feeders for grow-out phase
• Automatic debeaker to reduce pecking and cannibalism in layer flocks
• Knapsack fogging machine for disease prevention and heat management
• Egg crates (paper or plastic) for layer operations

Starting or expanding a poultry operation? Farmsquare supplies everything from day-old chicks and medications to battery cages, feeders, drinkers, and feed — all available online with delivery to any state in Nigeria.

For bulk orders of chicks or equipment, enquire about wholesale pricing here or send us a WhatsApp message on +234 902 244 4522.