epainos:
Arbor Acre Plus: Small-Scale Breeding Program
This is a program I am starting as a result of the suggestions and discussions in this thread. I was right to take the bull by the horns and bring the issue here, knowing that I would get answers to the high cost of day-old chicks. This is the breed Chi (Ajanla), Amo, and some other hatcheries produce here in Naija. You can easily attain 3kg in 6 weeks. And if you decide to grow it beyond 6 weeks, it can give you massive meat yield.

Summary of 40 weeks of Egg Production
Note that these projected figures are for one female bird.

Age at depletion - 448 days (64 weeks)
Total eggs - 192.7
Hatching eggs - 180.6
Chicks/female housed at 175 days (25 weeks) - 156.5
% Hatchability - 86.6
Age at 5% productions - 175 days (25 weeks)
% Peak Production - 89.6
Body weight at depletion - 4.1kg to 4.22kg
Liveability (rearing period)% - 95 - 96
Liveability (laying period)% - 92
Approx feed per bird for the project: 56kg (Still working on getting the real accurate figure).

Feed Quality
These parent stocks contain a moderate amount of protein. We start with about 19% crude protein and gradually reduce it to 13% crude protein. Not as expensive as commercial ones, we require 20 - 23% starter and finish with 17%.

The bulk of the feed is 13% to 14%, and a bag can cost up to N14,000.

The cost of feeding a bird
I will not go into detail about the total cost of production, but since we know that the feeding cost is the most important, let us look at it right away. Please, kindly note that I am going to dig more into this.

Each bird will consume 56kg for the project. The bulk is 14% crude protein. Of course, there are cheaper brands. Each bird will eat N31,360 worth of feed. Shikena. 12 birds will be less than N400k. (This will be reviewed further...I am making a rough estimate here...I will still dig more into this).


Sales
Sales per bird
Approx 180 Hatching eggs.

1. Day Old at N900 per bird. Sales is 162,000. 10 birds will give 1.6 million naira. You can easily remove your cost of production from this.

2. 4 weeks old birds at N2,500 - N4,500 (depending on the size). 10 birds will give (5% mortality rate): 5.99 million naira at 3,500 each.

3. If you choose to grow to 2kg and 3kg, you will have 40 to 50 chicks per week.

I laugh at the guy who argued with me that it is not worth it on this thread. Please carefully review these projections. I tell you, if you do not know how to handle data and figures, you will just talk nonsense. Indeed, your operation will be "ye-ye-lism." Data Science is currently the order of the day. When you have figures, you can better prepare yourself.

These big boys make good money because they can invest. What is stopping five people from putting this together?

Criteria for joining me
1. Previous experience successfully managing at least one carton of broilers. I will carefully ask you questions.

2. If you have a thread on NL, show me. That's gonna be a straightforward pass.

3. NL's teachers are welcomed. I have seen some interesting broiler management threads here, and if any of you are interested, I would be delighted to welcome you.

If you have any questions, please post them here. For the time being, I will not engage in private chat or email. It is for my peace of mind. I have learned to put everything here first... When I have a clear direction, I can open private chats. For the time being, everything is centered on this thread.

Sincerely Yours!


Note: I am not managing birds for anyone. 5 interested people can take 10 birds each. 4 can take 12 to 13 each. Carry your birds to your place and start breeding. Of course, we are going to learn together. So, don't come and ask me for ROI. "Shi-shi".... a no dey do. Find your ROI elsewhere. Strictly for practising poultry farmers. Breed, sell day- old chicks, 4 weeks chicks, or 3kg plus chickens consistently.

I meet all the criteria. I sent you a DM.

stagger:


I meet all the criteria. I sent you a DM.

Oh! Pardon me. I missed your DM. I will reply soon. Sure, you are welcome sir.

Pepperdemisback:

It is normal Agric eggs, I know about.

To the best of my knowledge. Most egg commercial producers stock female only and the eggs from such farms can never hatch.
For an egg to be fertile, a rooster must hv mated with the layer.
I am open to corrections though if there are new technologies like artificial insemination etc..

Ameboperoo:

Where will one get fertile egg?

When hens are fed a well-balanced diet, they will naturally produce eggs. The number of eggs laid depends on the breed. Modern breeders try to come up with breeds that lay more eggs. This is why farmers prefer these types of breeds. However, farmers balance everything by comparing the cost of maintaining each breed. Some lay more eggs, but the costs of keeping them are high.

In this thread, we are discussing how to get fertile eggs for broilers. Normal broilers raised by farmers cannot produce well-formed chickens from their eggs. A special type of bird known as parents' stock produces fertile eggs. Males of these birds pass their sperm to females, who lay fertile eggs. If there is no semen, the female will lay dead eggs that are only suitable for human consumption.

So we are trying to find sets of birds that can lay fertile eggs. One male per ten females. That one male will serve all ten females. And you will get between 40 and 55 eggs per week.

I hope this explanation helps you understand the process better.

Nazgul:
I remembered those days full chicken barbecue used to be 4k.

Point and kill (full cat fish pepper soup) N700.

Stazenbaru (hope I spelt it correctly) beer used to be N100.

If you cannot afford 4k for full chicken barbecue, just buy full catfish N700 and 3 bottles of stazenbaru bringing the total to 1k, and you go de alright.

Tinubu is really making relaxation impossible for the common man. I bought 1kilo of chicken last Sunday for N5,500. It was just one full lap and another small meat they cut to add so that the weight would reach 1kilo. I was just shaking my head.

Things you could just buy those days without breaking a sweat have become luxuries under Tinubu. Yet people are still defending him.

Where are you buying 1kilo of chicken N5,500

I bought same 1kilo at N4,300 here on Saturday and I was still complaining.

folake4u:
Where are you buying 1kilo of chicken N5,500

I bought same 1kilo at N4,300 here on Saturday and I was still complaining.

Prices of groceries in Lagos isn't fixed. It's mostly determined by the cost of shop rent in that environment.

That's why someone can buy Kote fish for 8k at Lekki and another person would be buy the same fish at mushin market for 3k. Because you can't compare the rent the shop owner at Lekki is paying to the shade space the seller at Mushin is managing.

Same goes for areas in the mainland. Groceries in areas with high shop rent would obviously be more expensive as compared to areas with cheaper shop rent.

Nazgul:

Prices of groceries in Lagos isn't fixed. It's mostly determined by the cost of shop rent in that environment.

That's why someone can buy Kote fish for 8k at Lekki and another person would be buy the same fish at mushin market for 3k. Because you can't compare the rent the shop owner at Lekki is paying to the shade space the seller at Mushin is managing.

Same goes for areas in the mainland. Groceries in areas with high shop rent would obviously be more expensive as compared to areas with cheaper shop rent.

This is true though.

My colleague once complained of how much she spends on groceries at Ajah, I was shocked because it is quite cheaper on the Mainland.

folake4u:
This is true though.

My colleague once complained of how much she spends on groceries at Ajah, I was shocked because it is quite cheaper on the Mainland.

Even on the mainland, the prices aren't fixed.

That's why most people like going to the market to buy their groceries cos it's definitely going to be way cheaper than getting them in shops along residential areas.

Nazgul:

Even on the mainland, the prices aren't fixed.

That's why most people like going to the market to buy their groceries cos it's definitely going to be way cheaper than getting them in shops along residential areas.

Yeah I know that too.

There' are three markets close to me. I usually buy my stuff from the closest even though the other two seem way cheaper.

folake4u:
Yeah I know that too.

There' are three markets close to me. I usually buy my stuff from the closest even though the other two seem way cheaper.

The more local the market is, the cheaper their prices would be.

Nazgul:

The more local the market is, the cheaper their prices would be.

Yeah true that.

I nor get power to go those places abeg.

folake4u:


Yeah true that.

I nor get power to go those places abeg.

Imho you need to go round everywhere and take mental notes. Prices vary wildly. And strange as it may sound often the larger supermarkets sell at better prices.

But costs are all over the place. One supermarket will sell oil at 7k, another sells at 5k. One has sugar at 2k and other at 3k. There is sometimes no rhyme or reason to their pricing. But once you have gone round them and mentally mapped their prices you can decide where to go to buy different items

folake4u:
Yeah true that.

I nor get power to go those places abeg.

Lol... sometimes you'd get to save a lot by going there. Sometimes you might be feeling too lazy and just patronize the grocery store in your environment. Thus paying more for your provisions. For me, it all depends on how lazy I feel going to the market.

GloriousGbola:


Imho you need to go round everywhere and take mental notes. Prices vary wildly. And strange as it may sound often the larger supermarkets sell at better prices.

But costs are all over the place. One supermarket will sell oil at 7k, another sells at 5k. One has sugar at 2k and other at 3k. There is sometimes no rhyme or reason to their pricing. But once you have gone round them and mentally mapped their prices you can decide where to go to buy different items

You have a point sha. But I don't have the luxury of time to be moving upandan. I just want to sleep at every chance I get.

Although I use Supersaver Supermarket in my hood and even have an account with them, sometimes I feel their goods are a bit expensive and sometimes cheaper. I don't even know again.

I will try to experience other markets/shops though.

Nazgul:

Lol... sometimes you'd get to save a lot by going there. Sometimes you might be feeling too lazy and just patronize the grocery store in your environment. Thus paying more for your provisions. For me, it all depends on how lazy I feel going to the market.

See ehn. After a long and stressful day at work, I Just want to sleep. I do my shopping during the weekend after my gym session. I just patronize the closest market to me instead of going to the main market.

I just want to sleep abeg.

folake4u:
See ehn. After a long and stressful day at work, I Just want to sleep. I do my shopping during the weekend after my gym session. I just patronize the closest market to me instead of going to the main market.

I just want to sleep abeg.

Lol... na so Lagos stress hold you reach.

Eyah sorry.

Nazgul:

Lol... na so Lagos stress hold you reach.

Eyah sorry.

Yes oh. Your city is very stressful.

I'm still not used to waking up early, trying to adapt slowly.

Thank you. 😊

Special Invitations
I am taking my time going through the massive amount of information in this NL, both old and new threads. I assure you that there are exceptionally skilled individuals who have produced, marketed, and sold chickens and eggs here. Let us learn from their extensive experience.

I hope they all respond; however, if none of them respond, we will move on. According to the Bible, "Ask and you will receive answers." Seek, and you shall find. Knock and the door will be opened for you.

Jidestroud is number one on my list. Bro! I am personally asking you a favor here. I noticed that you can easily sell unusual breeds and ages of poultry. You once raised krunoilers and sold over twenty-five four to eight-week-olds. Another time, you sold broilers that were four weeks old. I read that you also sold more than ten eight-week-old turkeys. Around 2020, you stated that you would be unable to satisfy your duck market.

Please explain how you are able to easily sell them off. us Please give us tips on how to do the following:

1. Sell approximately fifty 4-week-old broilers per week.
2. Sell approximately fifty live 3kg - 4.5kg well-grown chickens per week.

If you follow this thread, sir, I intend to get some people together to start breeding broilers and produce 45 - 55 day old chickens per week. So, before we begin, we should broaden our horizons and seek assistance. Marketing is the sole of this business. Even the layers you are currently working on, you could easily sell some of them to make room for the chickens. And also to raise money for feed. I believe that any farmer who can operate in this manner is good to go on any given day or time.

We look forward to learning from you, sir.

Nazgul:

Lol... na so Lagos stress hold you reach.

Eyah sorry.

Hi Nazgul| Gloriousgbola

You guys were correct.

I did a market survey today of the three markets closest to me. Turns out the prices are wayyyyy different in these markets.

Finally found a seller for provisions in the cheapest markets.

Thank you. 😊🤗

Imho you need to go round everywhere and take mental notes. Prices vary wildly. And strange as it may sound often the larger supermarkets sell at better prices.

folake4u:


Hi Nazgul| Gloriousgbola

You guys were correct.

I did a market survey today of the three markets closest to me. Turns out the prices are wayyyyy different in these markets.

Finally found a seller for provisions in the cheapest markets.

Thank you. 😊🤗

folake4u:
Hi Nazgul| Gloriousgbola

You guys were correct.

I did a market survey today of the three markets closest to me. Turns out the prices are wayyyyy different in these markets.

Finally found a seller for provisions in the cheapest markets.

Thank you. 😊🤗

You're welcome.

Ameboperoo:

To the best of my knowledge. Most egg commercial producers stock female only and the eggs from such farms can never hatch.
For an egg to be fertile, a rooster must hv mated with the layer.
I am open to corrections though if there are new technologies like artificial insemination etc..

Hatcheries hatch thousands of eggs everyday. Which rooster mates to get such quantities per day?

stanvesco:


Bro lets rubb minds on WhatsApp na.
I have conceived this idea so so much
091 250 60 953

Bro! I sent you a message. I am also working on some things. So, let me hear what you have conceived...and see how it can help us all.

I thank everyone who has contacted me, and I am humbled by the various conversations I have had thus far.

DOC costs can undoubtedly be eliminated.

Most people see only the cost of feed as the ONLY hindrance
Well! Can you take the bull by the horn? Cos I have solutions to this nasty issue. However, you must start small and progress gradually.

Main Problem
You do not know how to grow and treat grains to produce easily digestible feed for your birds.

Multiple Adjustments Needed to Reduce More Costs of Production
Guys, bandits, and kidnappers will not let you grow crops, but poultry is fine. So, in my opinion, if you focus primarily on the feed, you are not yet ready. Grains are human food, so do not expect them to be inexpensive. You gat to reduce costs here and there.

I have had enough conversations with people right now, and I am not willing to go any further for the time being. So I will not respond to the emails and WhatsApp messages that did not continue this conversation with me. When there is another opening, I can consider you. Sorry....Next time ....check your emails, WhatsApp messages, and reply promptly.

Day Old Chicks Production & Marketing Is Our Focus
If you have 10 female parent stocks, it means you will have around 50 chicks weekly. So, we are exploring ways to market them. Day-old chicks, 4 weeks old birds, or above 3kg birds. It is a lot of work, but if you can get it right....that's it. Of course, I asked two people to downsize to 3 birds each so they can have 15 to 18 birds per week.

Retailing
I believe so much in retailing in a nation with an explosive population, yet many are extremely poor. We will learn the kind of recipes that can run Nigerian streets based on your location. Follow the street, sell gradually, and watch your profits grow gradually.

If you are waiting for a large number of buyers, be prepared to sell at a low price while producing more. Personally, I believe you are a micro-scale producer, and you should consider your target market segment.

Some of these issues can be discussed further here as well.

[quote author=epainos post=129687378]
Lol!

Bear it in mind that livestock farmers are actually grasses and legumes producers. Some people pushed out intensive livestock farming without farming grasses and legumes, but the result is using concentrates, leftover food, and it is extremely hard. Plus, such livestock is very unhealthy to eat.

For example, if you are a dairy farmer, you scale your livestock to the number of acres of land you have. Then, cultivate your land, and let your livestock graze it. Or you harvest your plants and feed them inside the pen.

For me, the same goes for poultry, but since you are going to feed your bird seeds instead of leaves and stems, many farmers don't get it right. The process of removing antinutrients from seeds is hard and out of the reach of small-scale farmers.

What you call large-scale is not. I can bet you that if I give you the cost of raising chickens, you may just be barely able to afford to feed even just 50 chickens. This is not large scale. It's still extremely micro scale.

You will need to know what you want to do. Sell meat or eggs. If meat, do you want to sell live or processed? These are questions you need to answer.

At jovana farms Ltd one of the best livestock breeder in Nigeria, we deliver nationwide our services ranges from Grasscutters, Antelope Ostrich, Snail, Tarpaulin fish pond, fish smoking klin(for your smoked fish) Goats, Ram e.t.c.
Kindly write to us today on
Whatsapp: +2348167952746
Facebook: Jovana farm Ltd
Email: jovanafarms.ng@gmail.com
Phone: +2348167952746

epainos:
I am flabbergasted with the recent high cost of broiler day-old chicks. It is going to hit N1,000 or get as high as N1,700 per chick this year, according to a friend I discussed this issue with.

What exactly is the reason behind this sudden price increase? How are farmers coping?

I was told low production is one of the reasons. Low production? What are the reasons producers are getting out of the business?

Please suggestions on how to survive this period will be highly appreciated.

They are all available as seen
At jovana farms Ltd one of the best livestock breeder in Nigeria, we deliver nationwide our services ranges from Grasscutters, Antelope Ostrich, Snail, Tarpaulin fish pond, fish smoking klin(for your smoked fish) Goats, Ram e.t.c.
Kindly write to us today on
Whatsapp: +2348167952746
Facebook: Jovana farm Ltd
Email: jovanafarms.ng@gmail.com
Phone: +2348167952746

[quote author=happney65 post=129567257]I bought 500 pieces at 830 per DOC just last week Thursday in Ibadan. I waited till Thursday instead of buying on Monday thinking it would come down but it never did. It was even 700plus on Monday.

I think it's the demand if I'm right. The demand for broilers DOC right now seems to be the highest in recent times. The high dollar rate has affected those bringing in frozen chicken while the demand for local production seems to have gone off the roof

And No,It isn't low production. The Demand right now seems to be the highest in recent times. Was told by now if it were previously,it would have been selling far lesser

At jovana farms Ltd one of the best livestock breeder in Nigeria, we deliver nationwide our services ranges from Grasscutters, Antelope Ostrich, Snail, Tarpaulin fish pond, fish smoking klin(for your smoked fish) Goats, Ram e.t.c.
Kindly write to us today on
Whatsapp: +2348167952746
Facebook: Jovana farm Ltd
Email: jovanafarms.ng@gmail.com
Phone: +2348167952746

Facts I Learned While Interacting With Poultry Enthusiasts Who Contacted Me Because of This Thread

1. The majority of people believe they can only cope if they can get high-quality, low-cost food. While I do not dispute this, I believe you should dig deeper. To reduce production costs, you may need to consider farming. But let me tell you something: if you grow soy or corn, you will make more money selling them than feeding them to your birds. Lol. I will never grow corn on a small scale to feed birds. NEVER! In addition, you may need to investigate algae, insects, and maggot production. The majority do not want to do this extra work.

2. Most people focus solely on bulk supplies. While I do not deny that bulk supplies can be beneficial, I believe that most are far too inefficient to enter the supply business. How many of you are able to supply consistently?

3. Almost no one considers going into retail. However, this is where they should operate. Retailing is selling to the end user, so if you supply that malam who is doing barbecue, you are still not in retail.

Now, consider the suggestions I made in point 1. Learn the items I mentioned there. Remove your thoughts from point 2 and then focus on point 3. Since you are adding point 1, reduce the number of birds you produce. Try it. If you want to buy from a marketer, the bare minimum is a half carton. Some will not even sell half a carton.


New Direction: Pre Breeding Program - Retailing Birds
Anyone interested in learning how to retail their birds is welcome to join us. I realised that only well-established poultry farmers have the courage to venture into breeding, and the problem for many is making a profit. I understand that you are unable to easily reduce feed costs because you lack the courage to learn crop farming and insect production. When compared to grain production, poultry wahala is a piece of cake. Lol. Your heart will run "weella." So, let's learn retailing.

My suggestion is to start small. Because you can buy a carton at a minimum, but you want to use fewer chickens, purchase 5 or 10. Then, feeding should be cheaper. Then, try retailing them. 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 8 weeks, etc. How many can you roast and sell? How many can you dress and sell? Combine everything...and then begin planning the number of birds you will need each week. It may take you 6 months to perfect it.

Your Goal
I am confident that within 6 months, you should be able to sell a carton within 8 weeks. This should be your goal so that you can remain consistent. Though, it will be weekly sales. As of today, I believe 3.3kg to 3.7kg broiler should go for N15,000. I don't mean live chicken, but the finished goods you retail. Though, during festive periods, you can sell live chickens of such weight for more than N15k, in my opinion.

So, every 50 birds you sell within two months, you can get N500k profit. I am confident that this is possible; however, you must first establish your market.

You do not want to start with 50 birds, but you can manage 5 to 10. If you do not sell them all, you can eat them and be content, and then abandon the venture because you are terrible at retailing. At the very least, you will know you tried it. What if you are good in it and you don't even try? Because you need to buy fewer birds than what is sold, you will need to find like-minded people and pool your resources. Purchase DOCs, feeds, and medications together and share.

Lets Do This
So, I am creating another platform for this. The first one I made here was for breeders, and now this. The breeders platform has not picked up, and I have not opened any platforms yet because the majority of them are still figuring out how to best incubate their eggs. Power is a big problem in Nigeria.

Contact me if you want to buy 10 birds and use them to learn retailing. Let us work together to accomplish this.

Note
You can share your ideas here, and criticism is also welcome.