How To Start Broiler Farm In Nigeria

How To Start Broiler Farm In Nigeria

Broiler farming simply means ‘raising meat chicken or other poultry birds for the purpose of meat production’.

Broilers are just like other type of birds, broilers are specifically known for producing meat in a short period of time, and thats why they are raised mainly for meat production.

Broiler farming is really profitable. Its been confirmed that the return per naira invested ratio was 1.64, this means that for every naira invested, N 1.64 profit was made by the broiler farmer, this further explains that the business is profitable.

This article will be helpful for beginners who have interest in starting broiler farming as we would be giving out important tips below.

We will also cover everything from selecting the right breed of bird to setting up your brooder and raising healthy broiler chicks.

We’ll also discuss important topics like feed and feeding, vaccination, and also common diseases of broiler chickens. You need to follow these steps to ensure a successful broiler farming for you.

THINGS YOU NEED

– Brooding house or brooding cage
– Electric or charcoal boarder (heating)
– Feeders ( tray and cone feeders)
– Drinkers (nipple, fountain or bell drinkers)
– Brooder guard
– Lamps
– Wood shavings
– Water tanks or drums
– Buckets and bowls
– Feeds
– Vaccines and medicines
– Weighing scales
– Knapsack sprayer
– Ropes and binding wires
– Good source of water

BROODING CAGE

The brooding cage is designed for clean and convenient brooding within limited land spaces.

The cage is suitable for all kinds of poultry chicks as well as mature birds in all-in-all out intensive management system.

ELECTRIC OR CHARCOAL BOARDER
This is a cooling apparatus made from clay , made to release convectional heat to keep the chick’s brooding area very warm. The holes at the top of the pot also helps in regulating the amount of oxygen entering the charcoal chamber.

FEEDERS
A feeder is the item you use to dispense feed for your birds. Of course you could just dispense feed on ground or in a dish, but there would be a lot of feed feed wasted that way and chickens tend to scratch and scatter the feed around, so chicken feeders are designed to minimize that.

DRINKERS (NIPPLE DRINKING & AUTOMATIC BELL DRINKERS)
Nipple drinking is a modern way to serve water to chickens without having to carry water around in buckets.

The nipple drinking system is fully automated and is the most widely modernly used chicken drinking system.

There are three types of this kind of drinking system; Nipple drinker with drip cup, Nipple drinker with clip, Nipple drinker with detachable attachment. While the automatic is an innovative equipment ideal for providing clean and continuous water supply for poultry.

BROODER GUARDS
A brooder guard is used during the first week or two of brooding. It keeps the chicks near the heat source and out of drafts and used as fence for starting chicks.

LAMPS
Heat lamps can be purchased from pet stores. Most experts recommend red bulbs because they are not as bright as clear ones, allowing chicks to have a natural day/night cycle.

Red bulbs also prevent the birds from picking at each other, and these lamps helps in moderating the perfect temperature for the birds.

WOOD SHAVINGS
Wood shavings also popularly known as SAW DUST, helps in keeping the birds temperature checked and feel warm, also helps in cleaning too.

WATER TANKS
Used in storing clean water for your young and older chicks and also reduces shortage of water in your poultry.

BUCKETS AND BOWL
The poultry feed bucket or poultry bowl is a poultry equipment that is used to dispense water to your birds. It keeps the water clean and healthy for your birds.

FEEDS
Broiler chicks require broiler starter feed for the first four weeks of their life. The broiler starter feed should be at least 20 percent protein, preferably 23 percent protein. After four weeks, you should feed a 19 percent protein feed (broiler developer or finisher ).

VACCINATION AND MEDICINES
Poultry vaccination plays an important part in the health management of the poultry flock. Vacination helps in fighting against outbreak of contagious and infectious diseases.

WEIGHING SCALES
An automatic scale is installed at one place amongst the birds can consist of the scale itself and a hanging platform that birds can jump onto. The scale registers each increase and decrease in weight and records them automatically, the scale also weighs continuosly 24 hours a day.

KNAPSACK SPRAYER
Knapsack sprayers can be used to apply liquids such as fertilizers, herbicides, and fungicides. This knapsack sprayer is used to disinfect your poultry farm from diseases.

ROPES AND BINDING WIRES
Used in building of bird cage and protection from harmful pests like mole and it protects the bird and also ensures that the birds are protected and safe.

GOOD SOURCE OF WATER
Water is very essential to your birds. Water is needed for bird consumption, reducing air temperature , broilers consume a whole lot water to survive, they consume approximately 1.6 to 2.0 times as much water as feed on a weight basis.

NB: DO NOTE THAT BROILERS ARE BEST SOLD IN FESTIVE PERIOD.