General Considerations for a Broiler Business

Broiler Production as a business

The size of your enterprise really depends upon factors such as:

 Knowledge and experience

 Available starting capital

 Market size

It is best to spring up from humble beginnings whilst you garner knowledge and experience and
as well gaining some market intelligence. This base once set-up is a spring board for one to
launch to bigger initiatives; and paves the way for one to be able to approach lending institutions.
Small beginnings also allows one to be hands on the project thus giving the much needed street
wise experience as opposed to just delegating everything to employees.

Project Ownership

Most small scale broiler producers run their businesses as sole traders. They are the sole owners
and carry all the risk and the benefits that accrue from keeping broilers. Partnerships that
include two or more individuals are quite common. Risk is spread, there is sharing of ideas and
the task load between Partners. Partnerships may also result in increased starting capital for the
project. Private Companies involve the incorporation of a company with the Company
Registrar. It is a more complex type of business ownership and the most organized. However the
success of poultry project does not depend on the type of ownership chosen but more on the
character and vision of the business owners.

Funding

Self funding is a very common means of raising capital for projects. One can begin to save for
the project from a salary by foregoing certain expenses. This is a limited type of funding and it
may take long to start the project. However it is the focus and the tenacity of the one desiring to
do the project that comes into play.

Taking a small loan from micro-finance houses is a possibility which the writer discourages.
Currently small loans are costing anything between 5-12% per month. This may sound very
cheap, but when the cash flows are done and other expenses are considered the burden of
repaying interest and monthly installments may be burdensome. Obviously you are getting into
business to make money for your family and not to lose your hard earned assets to lenders. The
Bible says a borrower is a slave to the lender. So do not start as a beginner by taking a loan.
Persevere and start with self-funding then when the inertia has begin gained you can leverage on
it and seek funding from a lending institution. This is when cash flows are backed with actual
figures and not just flowery future projections.

It is good to open a bank account with a reputable bank and to consistently bank all receipts. This
track record is crucial and is bound to be aplus in accessing cheaper loans at the bank. This will
be discussed later in the chapter on Administration.

Do not borrow money from friends and relatives; you certainly do not want to have a situation
where you make enemies out of these good people and sick broilers in the chicken run. Besides it
does not make sense to contract high blood pressure from keeping broilers.

Avoid being impulsive and offering your house as collateral for a loan; in case of failure you
still need a house to live in, if you don’t but certainly your family does.

Avoid being fanciful and spending money on unnecessary gadgets and expensive broiler
housing.

Be realistic

Plan to succeed

You are going to fail if you start your project without a business plan. Broiler keeping is first a
business and should be treated as such. Business plans are not for loan seeking but are the blue
print of how you plan to move the project from zero to hero. Rigorous adherence to the plan and
to its revisions is a key to success. If you do not know where you are going, you may end up
anywhere.

A business plan guideline has been included in the appendix for your personal use, go through it
at your pace and please do not be foolish enough to allow someone to do your business plan.
You might as well let that person run the business for you. Let me remind you that a business
plan is not a complicated and high sounding document; it is a working paper worthy of practical
application.
 Planning system for Broilers
In order to achieve a high rate of meat production, the broilers must be well bred, reared and fed
in their short life span of 6-8 weeks. This section gives a run-down of the elements needed to
plan for in a broiler system. Detailed sections will then look at each element in order.

Planning Data for Broilers:

General  Day old chicks are kept in brooders for 3-4 weeks
Floor  0.10 m2 per bird.
space
Drinkers  10 mm linear space per chick, or 3x4 litre founts per 100 chicks.

 25 mm linear space per broiler until slaughter

 Or at least 6x4 litre founts per 100 broilers.

 No chick should walk more than 50cm to a feeder/drinker, for larger birds
work with 2m.
Feeders  10 mm trough space per chick during brooding.

 80 mm trough space per broiler to slaughter, 40 mm if trough has two

sides.

 Or one tubular feed of 10-15 kg per 25 broilers.

Feed Each bird for 9 weeks to reach 2 kg live weight consumes:

 1.5 kg starter mash

 3.0 kg finisher mash.

 Never keep broilers for more than 10 weeks, food conversion is poor.
 Broiler Live Weight Chart

Age in weeks Minimum ( kg) Average (kg)

Day Old 0.040 0.040

1 0.100 0.100

2 0.200 0.230

3 0.360 0.410

4 0.550 0.650

5 0.760 0.940

6 1.000 1.200

7 1.250 1.500

8 1.530 1.800

9 1.800 2.000

Source: UNDP/OPS RAF/88/R51

Management Chart for Broilers

 Management Suggestion

issue

Buy as day old chicks from reliable breeders. for the first 3-4 weeks.

Chicks

The deep litter house (see section on housing) is the most common method

Housing to use with broilers. The house should be easy to clean and access.
Disinfect after each batch of broilers.

Drinkers should not leak thus ensure that the litter is kept dry and mould

Feeders and free at all times. Fill these to half capacity and keep the feeders to the

drinkers height of the birds’ back.

Must be kept dry and mould free at all times. Use locally available and

Litter suitable material. Start with a depth of 15cm on the floor. Turn the litter to
keep dry and remove wet moldy litter. Keep the same litter on the floor
and just add on new litter to keep it dry.

Keep the birds well fed with access to food regularly and adequately. Filling

Feed the feeders to full capacity may however lead to food wastage. At the end
of the fourth week the feed has to be changed from broiler starter to
broiler finisher, this can be done gradually by mixing the two feed types
over 7 days (fourth week). Broiler feeds have more starch and protein than
layer feeds so do not give your broilers layer feeds.

Clean drinkers daily and provide birds with fresh water. Ensure that

Water drinkers are not leaking.

 A temperature of about 20-250C gives the best food conversion efficiency.

Temperature This is typically your normal room temperature. Thatch or white paint on
the roof helps to lower temperature. Use covering such as plastic sheeting
to cover the wire mesh in times where there are cold spells.

Withdraw feed from birds 12 hours before slaughter. However water

Slaughter: should be made available. Stun the birds with a rap on the head using a
small heavy stick before killing and bleeding.

The scalding method of plucking is the easiest and normally used. Simply

Plucking deep the whole bird into water of 500C for 40-70 seconds. Use a blunt knife
to remove feathers. Ensure that only clean utensils are used and the
working area is tidy. Practice hygiene at all times.

Package and Immediately remove offals from bird, package and store in a deep freezer.
storage

Keep the broilers comfortable. Ensure the litter is dry and the temperature

Health is neither too hot nor too cold. There are four major problems shown in the
table below:

Major
Causes of problem Prevention
Problem

Leg  Lack of minerals and vitamins.  Add minerals and water.

 weakness  Feed which does not meet  Use another feed.
requirements for broiler growth.  Use a different supplier of
 Inherent in chicks chicks for the next batch

Cannibalism  Insufficient water and feed space.  Ensure enough feed and
water space.
 Insufficient water and feed  Supply birds with adequate
 Too much light water and feed.
 Encourage exercise, throw
grain on the floor.
Coccidiosis  Soiled drinkers and feeders.  Clean drinkers daily and
feeders frequently.
 Wet and moldy litter.  Manage litter well.
 Use an anti-coccidia
Stress  Badly designed buildings leading  Handle the birds calmly and
to uncomfortable surroundings. with great care.
 Keep birds in a good
 Noise and sudden changes in the environment.
environment.  Ensure good bird
management.

Records
All expenses and income from broiler production must be recorded. Possibly record daily feed
consumption and meat production (weight of birds). See Appendix xxx.