Home chicken farm: where to start your business?

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Since ancient times, almost the entire rural population has been breeding poultry. Initially, chickens were kept exclusively for themselves and their families, but over time, people began to understand that a home farm in the village could become a source of stable income. After all, eggs and poultry meat are widely used for cooking various dishes.

Home chicken farm as a business: how to start a business?

First of all, you need to accurately determine the purpose of breeding birds. Today, in addition to the traditional production of meat and eggs, selective breeding of chickens is widely practiced with the aim of subsequent sale of young animals of expensive breeds. But the most win-win option is a home farm focused on breeding layers. The success of this business is due to the lack of such high competition as in the field of growing meat breeds. Not the last role in the organization of the enterprise for breeding egg-laying chickens is played by the relatively quick payback of the investments made. ExceptIn addition, such a home farm as a business does not require initial capital and solid financial costs.

It is clear that a small family business will not be able to seriously compete with large factories. However, in recent years there has been a trend of increasing consumer demand for environmentally friendly home products. Therefore, the product will definitely find its buyer among the part of the population that is ready to pay for natural eggs and meat, which do not contain chemicals.

List of initial expenses

The first step towards starting your own business should be a home farm business plan that includes all possible risks. A well-designed plan will not only allow you to clearly understand where you need to start developing your business, but also make it possible to determine the approximate payback period for the enterprise. Those who plan to seriously engage in this business can be advised to register an official farm in order to simplify the procedure for obtaining the necessary certificates for their products. In the meantime, documentation will be drawn up, you can decide how the poultry will be bred. To date, two main methods are known:

• cellular;
• outdoor.

The calculation of priority investments is made taking into account the chosen method of farming. A home farm where chickens are kept in cages will cost much more. This is due to the cost of purchasing the necessary equipment and feed. Forto reduce the cost of keeping birds, you can independently equip feeders and drinkers for laying hens. In addition, the list of expenses should include the payment for veterinary services and the salary of employees.

Arrangement of the chicken coop

A home farm differs from large factories in scale and number of livestock. In any case, for keeping and breeding birds, you will need a spacious and well-insulated chicken coop. It can be built by hand. It is important to pay special attention to the quality of the building materials used. To build a chicken coop, you can use cinder blocks, lumber and ordinary slate. Straw and sawdust diluted in lime are recommended as a heater. To ensure ventilation in the room, a small window is made, closed with a strong mesh.

The height of the house should not exceed two meters, and its area is calculated on the basis that there should be no more than two laying hens per square meter. As nests, you can use ordinary wooden boxes placed in secluded corners of the chicken coop.

Purchasing chickens

Those who have clearly decided that the home farm will be focused on breeding laying hens need to purchase young egg breeds. Such birds are small in size, and therefore do not bring much meat. Due to the accelerated achievement of puberty, the profit from them will begin to flow much earlier than from birds of meat breeds. The most popular among laying hens are Hamburg, Andalusian, Italian,Spanish breed and Minorca. All of them are not too different from each other, so when choosing, it is recommended to focus on your own taste.

Spring is considered the best time to acquire young animals. It is advisable to buy poultry from trusted farmers with a good reputation. Before purchasing, you must carefully examine the chicks. They should actively move and squeak. Particular attention should be paid to the limbs of the selected individuals. They must be of the correct shape and without visible damage.

What to feed and how to care for a bird?

Average house temperature should be maintained at 20-27 degrees. It is this range that is necessary for the chickens to lay well. To make it easier for the birds to clean their feathers and get rid of parasites, there should be a container with sand and ash in the chicken coop. At least once every three months, it is recommended to disinfect the house with an aqueous solution of lime.

Special attention should be paid to feeding chickens. Chicks need to be given specially selected compound feed with the addition of carrots, goat cheese and nettles. Two-month-old chickens can be fed root crops and food waste. In general, it is necessary to ensure that chickens receive corn, bone meal, millet and grass daily. Their diet must include eggshells and chalk.

Seasonality of business

The most favorable and profitable time for a laying hen farm is the period from early April to early July. Then until the beginning of autumnthere is a slight calm. To improve egg production, the poultry house must be kept at a comfortable temperature, and the laying rations must include quality certified feed.