Common mistakes that can cost poultry enterprises

Avoiding common mistakes can be the first step in building a poultry enterprise that is profitable and not exposed to disease threats. These threats can, in turn, lead to economic losses that will hurt the sustainability of the enterprise.

This according to Agribank’s technical advisor for crops and poultry Hanks Saisai, who said from the onset of starting a rearing poultry enterprise, one needs to conduct thorough market research to determine the vital information that can be used to establish a viable and profitable business. “When poultry farming, a few mistakes can be very costly, so it is important to identify and control them.”

Buy in bulk

The first mistake farmers make in a poultry venture is overlooking buying feed in bulk and having it stored on site at the farm over the entire production cycle, he said.

According to Saisai, it is crucial for a farmer to create a budget for poultry feed by understanding the daily feed needs of the birds. He explained that if someone chooses to start an egg production business, they should be aware that during the 122-month production cycle, there are 243 days of summer.

During this time, layer hens need to consume 110 grams of feed per hen per day.

“During winter months, there will be about 122 days of which hens will need to be fed 130 grams per day.”

Saisai said if one sets up an enterprise of 50 hens, it is essential to create a feeding plan that has feed available daily for the hens.

From January to April and September to December (summer months), the 50 hens will utilise 5.5 kilograms daily and over the 243 days of summer, the hens will make use of 1 336.5 kilograms, he noted.

With the feed packaged in 50-kilogram bags, a total of 27 bags will be utilised.

Saisai said, at the current unit price of N$530.95, the total cost incurred by the business for the feed will amount to N$14 335.

Procurement strategy

Meanwhile, during the winter months (May to the end of August), the 50 hens will be fed with 130 grams of layer mash per hen daily. Over 122 days, 793 kilograms will be utilised by the hens. “With feed being packaged in 50-kilogram bags, 16 bags in total will be needed. As the bags cost N$530.95 each, the farmer will incur a total cost of N$8 495.”

He added that the farmer will therefore purchase a total of 341 bags of feed at a total cost of N$22 830.

Upon determining the above, the farmer can devise a procurement strategy to acquire 16 bags of feed, sufficient to last for four months during winter, he said.

“This approach will eliminate the need for regular feed expenses during that period, thereby enabling the business to reduce spending on feed and transportation, leading to a significant increase in profit margins.”

Vaccination programme

According to Saisai, another mistake farmers often make is not having a vaccination programme for their birds. This can result in economic losses due to high mortality rates, he said.

“Additionally, it is common for this mistake to be associated with not having a designated sick bay or isolation house where sick hens can be separated from the rest to prevent the spread of diseases.”

Saisai explained that it is essential to have a sick bay house and a vaccination programme that utilises remedies that prevent Newcastle Disease, Infectious Bronchitis, Infectious Bursal Disease and Infectious Coryza. Additionally, farmers are encouraged to keep antibiotics to curb poultry ailments.

Another common mistake made by poultry farmers is not implementing biosecurity measures in their enterprises, he said. This mistake is the one that often leads to chickens being vulnerable to poultry diseases as it allows too many people to have access to the poultry. By restricting access to the poultry through a fence and a thorough disinfecting station at the entrance of the operation, one eliminates the possibility of disease occurrence in the operation, he explained.