Celestial Challeng: Poultry Farming, A Guide To Egg Production
Poultry Farming is the breeding of birds for egg and meat production. Poultry and fishery are some of the most profitable farming business in Nigeria, I am thinking of venturing into medium scale poultry farming for the purpose of egg production in Edo state Nigeria.
Terms Used in This post
BCS: Battery Cage System
DLS: Deep Litter System
DOC: Day old chicks
POL: Point Of Lay Birds between fourteen to twenty weeks of age.
Time Duration Of This Project: 15 Months
POULTRY FARMING
The Druids Farm Project Is a Homestead Project on a 100 by 100 feet land consisting of different projects:
- Concrete Fish Ponds
- Plantain Plantation
- Pineapple Farm
- Paw-paw
- Poultry Farm
The Farm
The Poultry farm is a four section complex made of deep litter and battery systems to accommodate 500 birds for the purpose of breeding broilers for meat and layers for egg production.
I intend raising the birds from Day Old Chicks to Point Of Lay Hens combining the deep litter system and battery cage system.
DEEP LITTER SYSTEM
The deep litter system is a poultry system which uses a confined space in the form of a cubicle to house birds. The Floor is made of concrete and filled with about 6 inches of litters which serves as bedding for the beds and protects the bird from adverse weather conditions.
Example of Litters:
- Wood shaving
- Saw-dusts
It is more advisable to use wood shavings as saw dusts may cause respiratory problems due to the fine particle nature of the litter making it easier for the birds to inhale them.
Deep litter system requires intense management in order to minimize feed and water wastage and prevent enteric diseases such as coccidiosis; a disease caused by the coccidian protozoa in the intestinal tracts when the birds are in contact with infected faeces from the litter.
The Chances of infections are higher in the DLS because of the proximity between the birds and droppings.
Battery Cage System
Battery cage system is a poultry housing system in which laying hens are kept and arranged in rows and columns on metallic wire mesh cages. This system is widely used by poultry farmers and one which I plan to adopt. The BCS is most favorable for egg production because:
Reduces Loss; minimal egg breakage.
Minimal Feed and water wastage due to a restriction in the movement of birds.
Cleaner eggs
Reduces the risk of enteric diseases such as coccidiosis and other infection associated with poultry droppings.
Maximizes Farm Space.
Optimized Egg production.
Farm Management, Record Management and Profitability
Managing the homestead requires at least three personnel: The Poultry Manager and two attendants in charge of feeding the birds, periodic changing of water and collection/arrangement of eggs in crates.
Layering starts when the birds are twenty two to twenty four weeks of age (22-24), the farm manager is required to adjust the feed to a layer feed formula.
Record management
The Farm Poultry Manager is in charge of supervising the farm and keeping records:
Number of hen purchased
Mortality Rates
Feed Consumed
Employing Veterinary services
Eggs Collected
Crates Sold
Eggs Lost
Grading and marketing the eggs
Profit
Using Point Of Lay and 500 birds as reference:
Cost Price Per Bird = #900/$2.76
Total Cost For 500 birds= #450,000/ $1384.7
Bag of feed cost = #2800/$8.62
Feed consumed per day for 500 birds= 2 bags
500 birds should be able to produce 14 crates/420 eggs at peak performance.
A Crate of egg cost #800-#1000/$2.46-$3.08 depending on the egg grade.
A day we should be able to sell 14 crates at #14,000
A Month will give us #420,000/$1292.3 depending on the market condition.
Feeding the birds 2 bags of feed for 1 month will incur a cost of #180,000/$553.8 at #2,800 per bag.
Veterinary services and workers wage = #100,000/$307.7
Total Cost= #280,000/$861.54
Total Sales= #420,000/$1292.3
Profit= #140,000/$430.77
In a 12 months span you should be able to at least get a profit of #1,500,000/$4615.4 taking into consideration drop in egg production as layering hen get older.
The birds can be Sold after the duration of the project at #1100-#1200 per bird to recover the start-up capital for a new project.
Total Sales= #550,000-#600,000/$1692.3-$1846.15