Dear Poultry Entrepreneur Ebook Compilation by MR Temi Cole

“Dear Poultry Entrepreneur…”
PDF eBook
Excerpts from an email newsletter series
Real newsletters sent to poultry farming entrepreneurs from
Temi Cole, author of The Big Book Project during
Spring/Summer 2020.
Poultry farming like you’ve

never
seen it before…
From Herbert, a beginner poultry farmer:
“I love your daily mails to me and I appreciate you for the wealth
of experience you brought to table.”
This series of emails opened up a most lively

correspondence exchange between Temi Cole and the world’s
most avid poultry entrepreneurs.
From Giri, a respondent starting an organic

Kadaknath poultry farm:
“…a very useful report for ages that are to come.”
This is the original email newsletter series:

As a free subscriber, you automatically get access to all parts.
For more exclusive poultry farming advice: Advanced Poultry Pickup eProgram.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

https://thebigbookproject.org/subscribe/
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A The Big Book Project was started by Mr. Temi Cole,
author of internationally recognized agribusiness online
publications.
PDF eBook from Temi Cole
After 9 years of freelance business consultancy, Temi found his

niche in agribusiness in 2019.
He produced The Big Book Project to teach the valuable lessons he

learned along the way.
Since launching The Big Book Project, Temi has quickly made an
impact in the online agri-advice space by publishing really practical
tutorials and eBooks that farmers and professionals can use to grow
their businesses.
The Big Book Project is now one of the most popular agribusiness
blogs on the internet.
Temi is now also author of Advanced Poultry Pickup.
(It’s an online digital eLearning program designed to help poultry

farming beginners and entrepreneurs pick up every grain of profit
through optimized planning & management practices.)
“…consists of very useful

tips for anyone who is
planning to start a
project…easy to follow.”
– Dr Bonile Jack-Pama,
PhD“
Get Advanced
THE BIG B K PROJECT

BACKGROUND
B The idea for this eBook came about as I was re-living the
joy of how my poultry email newsletter started in 2020.
I actually never had it in mind to write an email

newsletter for The Big Book Project.
It was simply meant to be a blog written (in my own voice)

to unveil the methods which the experts use to estimate
productivity and value of poultry farms.
Emails had no part of the vision.
That was until the response my blog received soon after

launch.
It seems my quest for greater business planning

transparency for poultry entrepreneurs hit the mark!
“I have enjoyed the marvelous and electrifying content. It

answers most of the questions I have been looking out
for. Thanks a lot.”
This kind of reaction far exceeded my expectations.
It was like a dream.
I quickly began researching and asking close contacts

what they thought should be next.
Then the concept was offered up one day:
“Why don’t you write an email newsletter? I think it

would be really popular.”
The idea caught on.
So, I tried it in Spring 2020 tackling key startup topics.

The response was unanimous. Its universal appeal to
poultry entrepreneurs lit up inboxes across the globe.
This eBook was inspired by that journey.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

ToC PDF eBook from Temi Cole
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Advantages of Layer Farming

1.
2. Why Write a Business Plan for Your Farm?
3. Land Farm Decisions
4. Finance, Funding, Loans & Grants
5. Agri Value Chain
6. Agribusiness Project Management
7. Opportunity Cost
8. Poultry Project Reporter 2.0
9. Projecting Layer Egg Production
10. Calculating Broiler Profits
11. The Real Cost of Broiler Feed
12. Layer Production Costs
13. Broiler Yield
14. Preparing Your Broilers for Processing
15. Agri Accounting and Bookkeeping

THE BIG B K PROJECT

PDF eBook
Advantages of Layer Farming

Spring/Summer 2020.
Examining the trade-off between

layers
vs.
broilers…
From Thatayaone, an aspiring poultry farmer:
“Thank you Temi Cole. Your information on Poultry farming has

been impressive and informative and helpful to me at the same
time,now I will have more knowledge upon starting my own
poultry farming.will continue to keep in check once I encounter a
challenge of any kind.”


THE BIG B K PROJECT

Advantages Of Layer Farming
1 When considering starting up a poultry farm,
You may have asked the question,

“Which is better...a layer farm or broiler farm?”
Well, the answer is: it depends.
[Ok, maybe not exactly what you were looking for. But it’s true.]
On what?
Try:
● experience
● demand
● supplies
…and much more.
But if I were to put my spin on it,
I’d consider layer farming to have some very distinct advantages

over broiler farming.
Hear me out…
● Consistent cash flow

● No processing
● Easier delivery
● Less house cleaning costs
● Spent hen income
Consistent cash flow
Layers lay once per day, on average.
By nature, therefore, you have an advantage in that your layer farm

will produce marketable product - EVERY day.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

1 As with any product, you’ll want to hand over the goods asap.
Thinking things through, this would mean that your business will
bring in sales revenue every day.
Cash coming in daily makes all the difference to keeping on top of

expenses…
...and being able to tie up loose financial ends, readily.
There should always be money available in hand put towards

something, or other.
No processing
Meat needs processing.
Eggs at most require cleaning, grading, and packaging but nothing

anywhere near as intensive as broiler meat.
As such,
The post-production procedure is far less costly with layer farms

compared with broiler farms.
Less cost = more profitability.
According to this breakdown provided by North Carolina State

University,
Broiler meat processing fees can amount to as much as 18.6 - 21.6%

of the total costs of production.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

1 Still,
For a layer farm you’ll need:

● Cleaning
● Weighing
● Grading
● Packaging (recurring)
● Labelling (recurring)
● Storage
...but, the cost, in the long run, is less with egg preparation than
meat with processing.
Transport
Physically delivering product to market is less complicated with

eggs, than meat.
Eggs require nothing more than trays/boxes for transporting to

customers.
Broiler meat requires refrigeration or the way for delivery.
And if you have used a 3rd party processor/slaughterhouse,
Then getting live birds to lairage also requires cost:
● Catch
● Modules
● Transport
● Slaughter
● Evisceration etc.
Eggs don’t require any more doing to them other than packaging
and labelling.
No vehicle modification.
No slaughter/ evisceration.
Far less hassle.

THE BIG B K PROJECT
1 PDF eBook from Temi Cole
Most likely you’ll run deliveries from your mini-van rather than use
a logistics partner.
Less house cleaning cost

With layer farming, you’d accommodate the same flock for 70

weeks.
Deep cleaning only once, in between batches.
In the same period of time, an equivalent broiler farmer would have

incurred 10x deep clean costs.
A very simple point to make and one for cost consideration.
Spent hen income
At the end of their egg-laying peak of production, layer hens

become unprofitable.
At such time they are culled.
Another batch of layer birds is usually waiting in the wings to take

the place of your recent end-of-lay batch.
As for the spent hens, they possess lower quality meat than
standard broilers.
Their meat is usually smaller, lighter, and less tender.
As such, they attract a much lower price than their

higher-performing relatives at market.
That said, there IS a market for spent hens.
Taking yours to market will help you recoup further ROI on every
egg is sold.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

1 The bottom line…
Layer farming and broiler farming are twinned towns in the

agri-sector.
Related, they share similarities, but their differences cannot be

denied.
Layer farming has distinct business model advantages that might

better suit your expectations.
Consider the business profile of each mode of poultry farming and

settle on what works best toward achieving your goals.
And now, I’d like to hear from you:
Are you a former broiler farmer who is looking to switch codes?
Are you new to poultry and want to tread carefully in decision

making?
Either way, write me back and let me know.
I read every email.
Speak soon.
Temi
temi.cole@thebigbookproject.org
THE BIG B K PROJECT

PDF eBook
Why Write a Business Plan for Your Farm?

Spring/Summer 2020.
Exploring the reasons why a

business plan is
vital
for seeing profits.
From Ahmad, a new layer poultry farmer:
“Hope this email finds you well. Through your effort in enlightened
us (poultry farmers) I was able to deduce my Layer farming
business plan. As you always requested to update you on the
progress. Here attached the business plan for your reference:”


THE BIG B K PROJECT

Why Write a Business Plan…
2 So,
You are thinking of committing to setting up a farming business.

On your list of things to do,
You’ve got ….
‘Write a business plan.’
But before you jump in with both feet,
Have you asked yourself, “Why?”
It’s worth taking the time to pause…
Writing a business plan takes a lot of time and expertise

investment.
Like anything which costs, it’s worth considering BEFORE you

begin…
…is this exercise actually going to be worth my time & efforts?
In other words,
Will writing a business plan tangibly pay me back?
Well,
In order to answer this question, you’d need to ask…
What do I expect my business plan to do for me?
In other words,
What is a business plan, really?
THE BIG B K PROJECT

2 In this email, I’m going to help you address what you should expect
a business plan to do for you…
…And how to write one that will support you getting off the ground
with:
maximum support
minimum cost
…but be prepared to put in lots of hard work!
A business plan is a form of communication.
A formal and effective way of presenting what you intend to do with

a particular business,
And how.
Now,
Because I said formal, that should not be excused for:
boring
monotonous
overly heavy
dry
academic
(etc.etc….)
THE BIG B K PROJECT

2 You want your business plan to help people see and believe in what
is (as yet) a concept.
Its got to:

motivate
inspire
animate
illustrate
…and much more.
Your business plan has got to sell.
Your sales career begins here.
What is selling?
If you’ve got making money on your mind here,
Then, you missed the point completely.
Selling is an art.
The art of persuasion.
Not cheap mind manipulation,
…but rather skillfully:
enquiring,
rationalising and,
establishing a common ground, between parties
…to bring about an agreement, also known as, the sale.
But WHO exactly are you selling to when you write your business
plan?
THE BIG B K PROJECT

2 Ask yourself rather,
Who are you NOT selling to with your business plan?

Your business ought to be known for its excellence by EVERYONE.
Customers
Staff
Suppliers
Lenders
Press
Local government
Support for grooming your successful business often comes from

the most unexpected areas at times.
Why limit your efforts?
Consider getting your prime business plans into the hands of all of
the above.
Not in a pushy manner.
But selling relative and relevant value to each group of potential

stakeholders.
How?
KYS = Know your stakeholder.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

2 Find out what they actually do and what will help them do more.
For example,
If you are a poultry farmer –
Don’t think of your feed supplier as a grain processor.
Promoting grain processing doesn’t win them any business.
Think about it.
As their customer, are you buying grain?
Or, are you buying
…bags of maximum broiler meat profits?
I know which I’d prefer.
Want to get the most advantageous suppliers to work with you?
Tell them how you intend their product to help you smash your
production goals.
Also, suggest ways in which you could assist them in getting this
message received by many of your peers.
Be forward-thinking and liberal.
Competition is divisive,
Collaboration multiplies.
Getting the pitch right
Think outcomes.
Many years ago, they used to say, think benefits, not features.
This still holds true.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

2 People want problems solved.
Solved problems save time, hassle and money.

This puts money back in your pocket.
People don’t look to accumulate expenses, but to get paid for their
efforts.
Your business should help people get paid for their efforts.
Even B2C (business to consumer) works on this model.
If your chicken meat is poor value, consumers spend more money,

time and hassle finding better deals.
You alone benefit.
If it’s good value, however, you are paying them off for their
investment in you.
Win-win.
Quantify
Business plans ought to be specific about numbers.
And the numbers should stack up.
In other words,
Readers should be able to follow one data-set or metric to another

in a logical process.
No misleading, or misinformation.
Sensible trains of thought going from one stepping stone to

another.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

2 Skipping over integral detail breeds mistrust and is
counterproductive.
You’ll leave readers thinking,

“…I wonder why he left THAT out?”
Qualify
Back up.
Every strategy needs it. You need votes.
Don’t bribe.
You don’t need to.
Simply share the value you have and pour all of YOU into those
early exchanges, with a view to start as you mean to go on.
As you scale, simply strip away administration (with systems) and

add more personal interaction.
The more ‘YOU’ in the mix, the more people will connect and be all
the more willing to add their weight to your cause.
Very valuable for any scale of business.
For example,
Just think about your favourite blog,
Consider the numbers of comments it attracts.
But then again, also consider the genuine efforts of outreach

performed by the author.
Be illustration rich
Illustration is the language of business analysis and reporting.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

2 It’s all about interpretation.
Making business make sense.

Sure,
Data drives decision making, investment and strategic direction.
But unless it makes sense to your audience,
It has all been a wasted exercise.
Selling a business case, or proposal is all about building a bigger

picture from blocks.
Each block adding to the integrity and magnitude of the resulting

presentation.
The more points of understanding that get through the gate…
…the more support you rally.
Don’t forget to announce a launch date (…with plenty notice)
Planning your business is one thing,
But assisting your potential supporters to plan their provision of

help is another.
They need time to set aside any meaningful amount of resource to

offer you.
Give them something to aim for, clearly stating when each stage will
occur.
This leads your audience to anticipate what you might need from
them…
And at what time.
The bottom line…
THE BIG B K PROJECT

2 So, there you have it,
Your business plan is multi-stakeholder investment pitch.

It’s your way of increasing your stock value prior to launch.
Getting commercial and consumer votes in advance of trading.
Such an advantage will lead to a much more prosperous start and

sustainable run.
Now over to you…
Are you currently writing a business plan for your farming

business?
Have you written business plans before?
What’s your experience?
Either way, I’d be interested to hear from you.
(I read every comment.)
Speak soon,
Temi
THE BIG B K PROJECT

PDF eBook
Land Farm Decisions

Spring/Summer 2020.
How getting your largest capital asset

right
makes all the difference.
From Boitumelo, a fellow aspirant in poultry:
“Thank you for such informative emails. I didn't even know how
to put together factor that affect these kinds of decisions in the long
run. Now I know how to consider them and how to calculate and
connect factors to one another.”


THE BIG B K PROJECT

Land Farm Decisions
3 Land is the most fundamental asset for any agribusiness.
You can do nothing without it.

It accommodates the entire enterprise. Through it, you play host to

livestock and/or crops.
But land is anything but homogenous. It varies wildly.
Neither is the particular demand for land identical from farm to

farm.
Even within niches, like poultry (for example), the need for certain
types of land features is very different.
Demand for land depends on:
Scale of production
Breed
Climate
Locality
Logistical connectivity
Amenity etc.
Land also underpins the long term nature of your agribusiness

investment.
Once planted, to uproot your venture before harvest would be to

forfeit a whole season (cycle) of productivity and gain.
What a loss!
Making the right call on where to site your farm is key.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

Land Farm Decisions
3 Do you have a secure arrangement with a landlord?
Are there planning covenants preventing your future expansion?

Will you incur the opposition of neighbours due to pollution (noise,

air, water etc.)?
Also, when it comes to land investment…
…the BIG question often is can you afford it?
The next question after this is, will it be worth it in the long run?
The first place to look is at what is already in your hand.
Sure –
…you may have a vision which is MUCH bigger than what your
current dwelling could host in the near time…
But there is great virtue in starting small and growing slow.
Here’s what I mean:
Take this scenario…
Say you have the vision to own a 1,000 broiler poultry farm.
With an approximate floor space requirement per bird of 1sq.ft. (at

1,750g in weight),
You calculate the broiler house to be 1,000 sq.ft. (1/40th of an acre)

minimum.
You hope to double this capacity (2,000 broilers) not before too
long though.
When you add room for storage, an incinerator, civil buildings, feed
and water silos, parking etc.
You figure you might need even ⅓ acre to give room for growth up
to about 4,000 broilers within 6 years.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

Land Farm Decisions
3 You live on a small residential property with about 200 sq.ft. of
spare land.
Nowhere near big enough for your 6-year plans – but big enough
for 100 broilers or so.
The question is…
[A]…should you search for a larger property and take a long term
loan/mortgage?
[B]…or start small?
This is where benefit-cost analysis comes into it.
Many would advise you in this position to get a loan (so long as you
are in the position to pay it back).
In the minds of many, a bigger farm = bigger profit.
Is this true?
Let’s take a look…
A benefit-cost analysis is the professional tool of choice for

estimating if a long term project is worth the investment, or not.
It helps you decide if your money would be better spent elsewhere.
Bank managers and lenders use it.
It indicates confidence in a particular business case/proposal.
If it’s good enough for the pros, why not measure your plan by the
same yardstick?
With the kind of trade-off above…
i.e. 1000 broiler farm with a mortgage vs. 100 broiler farm without
finance…
…you want to see on paper if the plan you have is actually feasible.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

Land Farm Decisions
3 This is where a benefit-cost analysis becomes handy…it’s just so
simple to read.
Once you’ve plugged in your input numbers, it gives you back a

number.
If the resulting number from the analysis is below ‘1’ – then your
plan seems to be unfavourable on paper. Your money would be
better spent on an equivalent consumer investment product, like a
savings account.
If the resulting number is above ‘1’ – it seems your idea could work
out the better option.
A result equal to ‘1’ – is breakeven. Nothing gained & nothing lost.
Will the land acquisition become an asset or a liability?
Either way, there are always operational expenses and overheads…
But when you throw the price of land on top,
…does the business still theoretically work out?
Let’s take a look at some detail…
You project the investment of setting-up the farm over 6 years
In other words, you aim to have the farm pay you back with profit
within this timescale.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

Land Farm Decisions
3 You line up a head-to-head comparison on paper of the decision to
buy, to rent or to stick…
Using the benefit-cost analysis you prepare your numbers:

[A] Scenario 1: Buy
The capital expense to buy land is considerable.
But once acquired, affordably – it offers peace of mind and

sovereignty that a tenant doesn’t enjoy.
Just imagine if your 6-year plans of growth were cut short by a

terminated tenancy agreement…
You decide to write out a plan to see what buying might look like,
financially:
You find a price per sq. ft. for agricultural land
And also, you find the conversion ratio between sq.ft. to acres to
help in your estimation (~ 1sq. Ft. = 0.00003 acres)
You figure, to accommodate your growth plans you’d need about

0.15 acres (inc. ancillary buildings, plus space for storage,
incinerators, road parking etc.).
On the market, there are several plots, many with water & power
plugged in.
You factor in the cost of poultry sheds. For the first 3 years, you
expect to hold your 1,000 bird flock size – without increasing.
After that, you aim to grow at +1,000 per year, once the demand is
sure.
This would give you an eventual building cost for the construction
of around 4,000 sq.ft. of poultry housing.
You add equipment costs for brooding, wiring, feeder, drinkers,

storage, incinerators etc.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

Land Farm Decisions
3 Next, your operational costs, particularly chicks and feed:
In a 52 week year, you expect to turn around about 6 batches.

This would mean your cost of goods sold in a year would amount to
6,000 chicks (at locally available prices).
You estimate your target marketable live weight of bird to be 2kg.
From your research, a feed conversion ratio of 2.3 would mean each
bird in each batch would require just under 5kg (4.6kg) of feed to
reach the target.
This means your annual feed requirement (for a batch size of 1,000)
will be about 29,900kg
When you research local broiler meat prices per kg…
…you now have all you need to run your first benefit-cost analysis
for your proposed project.
With all price estimates sourced and calculated, my benefit-cost

ratio to buy land for a 1,000 broiler was 1.11…
Meaning on top of what the cost of the endeavour is, you would
make an additional 11%.
[B] Scenario 2: Rent
The rent option would be the same again as above, but minus the
cost of land purchase (instead, adding the equivalent cost of a
rented plot).
The new benefit-cost ratio, when calculated was 1.38
38% return above inflation.
More than 300% times the benefit of land purchase.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

Land Farm Decisions
3 However,
…there are caveats (considerations):

#1 when you rent, you forego any potential capital gains on the
increasing value of your asset.
#2 when wanting to build improvements onsite, tenants need

landlord permission (this may not be granted)
#3 lease arrangements can be dissolved
Etc…
The security you get from owning an asset rather than leasing can
sometimes be worth the reduced profit.
[C] Scenario 3: Stick
The third option was setting up a modest 100 broiler operation

from your own smallholding.
According to a far more streamlined entry point, the benefit-cost

ratio is estimated to be 1.41.
This is the most rewarding option yet (by the proportion of amount
invested).
Sure,
…the overall earnings are smaller, but the percentage financial yield
is over 40% above inflation.
Sanity vs. vanity.
What are the advantages of starting small and growing affordable?
Greater profit.
More manageable.
Make your mistakes with lesser consequence.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

Land Farm Decisions
3 Learn ‘the ropes’ at a humble level.
Earn and save to buy bigger -without debt!

And now, over to you:
Are you caught in indecision over planning your broiler farm land
commitments?
Or, have you already invested and are considering expansion?
I read every comment.
Speak soon,
Temi
THE BIG B K PROJECT

PDF eBook
Finance, Funding, Loans & Grants

Spring/Summer 2020.
Mastering the most misunderstood

key
factor of your poultry farm’s success.
From Philip, gaining confidence for a return to poultry:
“Temi, thanks for your email. I like point #4 start small and
gradually grow on it. This is a challenge we face in developing
nations. Our national inflation is on a very high side and most of
the small scale businesses are not funded. The micro lenders have
taken advantage of this situation. I took that route at some point
but always ended sourcing money to pay them off even before my
business has matured. Thanks for this timely advice.”


THE BIG B K PROJECT

4 One of the most popular questions for any business consultant will
be,
“Where can I get funding for my business idea?”

I receive enquiries like this regularly.
And if you ask me, this is the wrong question to ask.
As the old adage goes, ask the wrong question – get the wrong
answers…
Or even still, get no answer at all.
To lead someone to the right question…
…I always ask:
“Why do you think you need funding?”
The person answers,
“…to buy land, buildings, stock etc.”
My response…
“Why do you want to buy all this for a price you cannot afford?”
By this they are often confused.
If you are confused by this too –
Then this email will help you see a better (more sustainable)
approach to funding your start-up farm…
…without borrowing money.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

4 Firstly,
The truth about finance

Finance is the acquisition of money, at a cost.
In other words, buying money.
If you can get your head around it, you’ll understand the rest of this
no problem.
You might be thinking at this stage – “I thought you used money to

buy things?”
Whilst this is true in most commercial markets,
It isn’t true of the commercial money markets.
They are the one place where money is the product.
And you buy it with money at a delay of ‘X’ months.
In other words,
You buy money today, at the price of money tomorrow.
The cost being the interest charged on the money tomorrow.
This interest charged is the difference in money taken by your

lender…
[Often received as money on top of periodic repayments]
…justly taken for the service of giving you the enjoyment of having
money today, which you never had.
This is the basis of finance.
The problem with finance though is manifold.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

4 Here are just a few issues:
#1 – the value of money is depreciating:

What does this mean?
A certain amount of money today is worth less tomorrow…why?
Because the cost of living continually increases, never decreasing
This is an additional cost which silently strips away the buying

power of your money.
Interest is usually charged over and above inflation
So, the lender doesn’t lose out…
The borrower absorbs this cost and repays at a rate to compensate

the lender
#2 – the agreement to borrow money is legally binding:
What does this mean?
Can’t pay? Tough, you MUST pay. You will be forced to. By courts of
law.
#3 – default and lose everything inc. security like your family home:
How?
Lending in business is often secured against an underlying asset.
Where there are unlimited losses, and default – the borrower may
end up having their personal property seized and forcibly sold.
#4 – often the benefit is not worth the cost (or potential loss):
What are the alternatives?
THE BIG B K PROJECT

4 Starting smaller, operating within your means takes longer to reach
critical mass, but…
All gains along the way are yours to keep.

Loans
Loans are when a lender gives money today to a borrower who

meets certain criteria.
The criteria relates to the borrower’s credit worthiness.
In other words,
How likely it is that the borrower is going to be able to pay the

lender back as promised?
Loans often have monthly repayment terms.
This means…
…from the first month of trade,
A farm may be liable to begin making repayments to the lender on

the amount owed (+ interest).
The problem is, as with any agricultural business growing from

scratch,
You need to operate for some time initially before your

crop/harvest/stock matures to give you profit.
In this interim, you will be forced to make loan repayments out of

your own pocket.
It isn’t until your farm turns a profit that, you will be relieved from
this duty.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

4 The argument is that if you are willing to self-fund the seedling
stage…
…why not completely bootstrap the venture? I.e. start small and
gradually grow within your means.
A loan, therefore, would be unnecessary.
Gov’t Subsidies
In error, some consider a government subsidy to be equivalent to a

grant.
Without cost.
This is not the case.
Have you ever heard of a back-ended subsidy?
Popular with lenders like State Bank of India, for assisting the
start-up of new farms.
Subsidies are monies that either the national or local government

have promised to pay the farmer…
…when, the farmer has paid back a commercial loan in full.
Often governmental bodies will offer a percentage of total borrowed

loan funds,
…like 25%.
In which case,
25% of the total borrowed funds is given as a cash injection paid to

the farmer as a capital lump sum,
BUT, only when the commercial loan is paid back.
This benefit of this method, of course, relies entirely on the farmer’s

ability to acquire and repay their own loan agreements.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

4 If keeping up with interim payments of a loan is a distant
possibility,
Then such a subsidy would not make sense.

Governments use subsidies to encourage or oil the gears of

commercial lending to particular sectors.
Agriculture is one such area that governments favour giving

subsidies.
Why?
The produce puts food on the nation’s table.
This productivity is always encouraged by the government.
The downside for farmers though is you need a loan to qualify.
A better way
Have you ever thought of asking directly for what you need?
[Rather than asking for the money, I mean.]
Put it this way,
Banks buy and sell money – alongside other financial products.
They earn money by taking a margin on every trade that lands on

their table.
If you don’t have the money to buy goods or services,
You CAN approach your bank for a loan.
What will you need to get one?
Creditworthiness and a solid business plan or project report.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

4 Your plan or report is your written case for what you intend to do
and why your bank should invest.
It is collateral.
If persuasive, and you seem to have a track record that implies your
trustworthiness,
Banks will lend.
But if you expect your business plan to persuade commercial money

lenders…
…why wouldn’t it ALSO persuade:
commercial suppliers,
partners, or;
landowners
…for example?
You don’t want their money, but you would prefer their:
livestock feed
equipment
land
Not for free, but in exchange for long term business, once you are
up and running.
For the sake of them giving you an initial kick start for say, 3
months…
…A potential partner or supplier might gain years worth of profit in

liberal gratitude.
Present your pitch in your business plan.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

The effort it takes to acquire finance for money, may as well be used
to directly get the things you need, like:
supplies
support services
land
buildings
Money drops in value continually because of the rising cost of

living.
Therefore, it is better to handle goods and services (inputs for

production), than to handle money.
Your business can convert such inputs into profit which increases
your monetary value.
Use your business plan as collateral to gain support where it

matters most. For profit.
Now over to you…
Are you currently applying for funding to start your farm business?
Have you already received funding for your project?
Are you starting sustainably?
Whatever the case is, I’d be interested to hear from you.
Speak soon,
Temi
THE BIG B K PROJECT

PDF eBook
Agri Value Chain

Spring/Summer 2020.
Knowing where you fit in (and why)

helps you add
value
and earn advantage.
From Marnie, gaining confidence for a return to poultry:
“Dear Temi, Good day. I am so overwhelmed with your inputs.

Hahahahaha. I am trying to absorb what you sent and apply what
I see is very relevant to what I am doing. Thank you so much. I
love reading your emails.”


THE BIG B K PROJECT

Agri Value Chain
5 People buy value.
Not products, nor services.

People invest.
In other words,
We don’t mind giving away something today in order to make a gain

on this tomorrow.
In relation to your business planning, this is a much bigger concept

than you think.
By understanding this concept alone…
…you can NEVER run out of profit-making ideas in any market.
Whether in an up economy or down economy.
Sound impossible?
It isn’t.
And there’s no catch to this…
[Other than hard work of course, then again…we’re not afraid of

that]
Here’s how value can work for your farming business –
I call it, Value Leader Marketing…
THE BIG B K PROJECT

Agri Value Chain
5 The agri value chain.
Agricultural products start off as raw ingredients.

Whether crops or livestock, they are:
● grown,
● brought to maturity,
● taken and prepped for market,
● sold (perhaps many times over) and,
● end up on the meal table.
The entire process is called a value chain.
Here’s an example of the poultry farming value chain…
[Click here to view diagram]
Source: Arbor Acres
Simply follow the red arrows down, you’ll see value being added.
Straight from parent stock management…
…all the way to retail.
Every step of the way, a participant in this chain receives a pass &
then passes on until,
The goal is scored at the end i.e. chicken meat lands on the table of
a household.
Without the cooperation of each participant in the chain,
You simply would get the chicken at the end.
What’s missing?
THE BIG B K PROJECT

Agri Value Chain
5 A big omission in this broiler chicken value chain example from
Arbor Acres is:
Feed & supplements.

Accounting for up to 70% of direct costs + your primary farming

input,
A great deal of your value-added,
And costs incurred,
…comes from this category alone.
Aside from this, you have also:
● Equipment dealers & manufacturers

● Cleaning products providers
● Support services
Every participant within the chain (& supporting it), much like a
relay race,
Does their bit to safely:
● receive
● and then to pass on
…the valuable cargo.
Teamwork.
Seamless. Efficient. Selfless. Focused on the end goal.
Adding value.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

Agri Value Chain
5 Demand generation
What drives the chain is downstream demand.

Every step, or link in the chain, is directly dependant on the link

immediately after,
And also cumulatively,
…on the subsequent links further down the line.
Much like plumbing:
1. What draws water through the system is use of an outlet (tap)

at the far end.
2. The water only gets delivered properly if the pipes
1. Hold up and don’t spring leaks
2. Run freely without blockage
3. Don’t leach contaminants into the supply
But all going well, there is a great benefit for the end user…taps,
showers, heating etc.
The same applies to the farming value chain.
The outlet (tap) are the hungry households needing feeding, every
day.
[Click to view table]
The table above gives an idea of the national demand for chicken
meat, from the top 10 chicken consuming countries in the world.
[Per capita = per person per year.]
That’s a lot of demand.
Enough for not only domestic production, but also for international
export too.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

Agri Value Chain
5 Then again,
The figures above are:

● Macro (big picture, large scale)

● Based on current consumer trends
What influences these figures?
And is there any way a value chain can influence (even,

GENERATE) demand?
[Click here to view quote]
Source: Al.com
From this US example above, it is clear that by offering:
● a more versatile array of products (processing),

● at a competitive price to alternative meats
● with a homegrown flavour
…it is possible to generate significant economic demand for your

product.
Source: Al.com
Here we see that dietary trend or even fashion can have a knock-on
effect on bottom-line poultry sales.
These are just some of the ways in which participants in the farming
value chain can encourage consumer demand.
Tighter communications and data integration with retail can assist

farmers with foresight on-trend.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

Agri Value Chain
5 But that’s just B2C (i.e. what business can do to increase consumer
demand)
What about B2B?

Say you are a hatchery,
Your business output is the supply of day-old chicks to farms.
When a farm is ready to buy a new batch, they would come to you.
However,
How can you make it that they should come to you?
Simply, add value.
Here are just a few broiler farm targets, which are directly impacted
by your hatchery business:
● Mortality rate / liveability

● Health of flock
● Ability to adjust to farm conditions
● Feed conversion
● Growth rate
● Product quality
● Gross profit
This is your value checklist.
Properly promote your value-addition to each of the above-listed

value categories,
To existing farmers as well as new entrants,
And drive demand for your hatchery business.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

Agri Value Chain
5 Become a most valued participant
Given the example above, we can see how proper promotion of

value-addition can result in increased demand.
Now multiply that.
If every participant in the marketplace refrained from just selling,
But rather took ownership of adding-value to the entire value chain

– the results would be MASSIVE.
The rub-off for the industry or niche would be increasing consumer

demand.
Open taps, everywhere.
And adding value is simple.
It’s all about giving somebody else something that will help them do
what they do:
● More effectively
● More efficiently
● More profitably
● More consistently
In a word, SERVICE.
But is value all output for no return?
Remember what we said at the beginning,
We don’t mind giving away something today in order to make a gain

on this tomorrow.
There is a very real and rewarding return on giving value.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

Agri Value Chain
5 The only caution, however, is:
You need patience.

Just like any other type of financial investment,
You set out a plan, make the trade and WAIT until the date when
you redeem the reward.
So, what’s stopping you from dominating value in your marketplace

(or being the biggest giver)?
Well…
Where do you start?
Step #1: Know your value chain
● Much like the diagram earlier on with the downward arrows

in the poultry value chain, simply map out the participants in
your space.
Step #2: Know EVERYBODY’S business
● No longer just be concerned with your direct customers

○ Value every participant’s contribution
○ …every link presents a potential for your business
to give (invest) value
● Speak with participants
○ Interview decision-makers, managers and front end
service staff
○ …get their point of view on what they want to
deliver to their customers
Step #3: Pull together a library of value ammunition
● Collate a resource bank of value nuggets (for each participant

group)
THE BIG B K PROJECT

Agri Value Chain
5 Step #4: Produce a value profile for each participant group
● Summarise a general narrative on value for every link in the

chain
○ […attach facts and figures to the conclusions drawn for

justification]
Step #5: Draft a value strategy
● Plan a vision and course for how you will deliver value to each
participant group
○ …a high-level document with definitive values laid out.
Step #6: Detail a value action plan
● Step-by-step plan of action of how you will hit the mark of

value throughout your chain
○ …include a budget with processes & procedures –
named personnel responsible for activities also. [Like a
project plan.]
Step #7: Feedback communications & measuring success
● Value is built on maintaining good communications

○ …provide clear channels of 2-way value conversations
with every participant group
○ …value is constantly moving – remain nimble with your
ability to respond to changes in the value conversation
● Your investment in value WILL HAVE bottom-line profit
impact
○ …know where to look and how to account for your value
ROI
Talking of Return-On-Investment – what rewards can you expect

from spending so much on value?
THE BIG B K PROJECT

Agri Value Chain
5 Here’s what a retailer (for example like a wood timber shop) could
expect from leading on value in their market:
[Click here to view diagram]

Source: Small Business Marketing Professional
The reward of becoming the value leader in your market is that you
will be the most valued participant.
Your B2B and B2C neighbours will vote with their favour in:
● recommendations and referrals

● better public relations
● economic savings
…in summary, a much more profitable business.
And long-lasting effects too.
This means multiplying the money flowing back into your business,
From every grain of input spent.
The bottom-line…
Giving value will cost you, but will be profitable.
And long-term sustainability of your business, therefore, relies on

your ability and willingness to give: value.
Giving value takes strategy and exercise of genuine care for the
needs of others.
Plus, you’ve got to be patient and wait for the harvest of reward.
BUT – the rewards are well worth the wait.
Try it.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

Agri Value Chain
5 Now over to you…
Are you well aware of your agri value chain?

Have you only just heard of value chains?
Speak soon,
Temi
THE BIG B K PROJECT

PDF eBook
Agribusiness Project Management

Spring/Summer 2020.
How to keep an expert handle on

control
to drive optimum returns.
From Danny, just got into the broiler business:
“Wow. I just joined your platform a week ago n I'm so glad I did.
Everyone of your posts is so significant and accurately aligned. I'd
like to thank u and motivate u to keep it up, I'm sure I'm not the
only one who has these sentiments. This latest post is very dear to
me as I thank I'm in the stage where I consider my business as a
project. Thank u so much and I look forward to reading more from
u.”


THE BIG B K PROJECT

6 Hello,
One of your key desires when agribusiness planning will be to

establish:
Control.
Making sure the things you plan to do are done with nothing more
spent than expected.
This keeps the reins on your Return On Investment.
Making sure what you get back from what you put in was worth it
for everyone involved.
Where the controls of your business run away from you,

disappointment is close by.
This is why project management is critical to business planning.
Especially in agriculture.
Where variables affecting performance are especially exposed to the

natural environment…
…it pays to keep a diligent handle on control.
But how should we approach grasping control of business projects

effectively?
If big business is anything to go by, project management discipline

is the solution here.
Is your farm business a ‘project’?
THE BIG B K PROJECT

6 According to the Association for Project Management, a project is
a…
“…unique, transient endeavour, undertaken to achieve planned

objectives, which could be defined in terms of outputs, outcomes or

benefits.”
A bit long winded (I know) but actually a VERY accurate and

substantial definition.
What is the definition really saying?
And does it actually apply to your business?
You may never have considered your business to be a project.
But I am persuaded by definition your farm business is just that.
Here’s 5 solid reasons why…
#1 Unique – there is no other business on earth identical to yours.
Your staff, your vision, your situation, your environment – these

factors cannot be replicated by another farm.
This means the way you approach your business must be different
to all others.
Although your business might share similarities with others, it isn’t

EXACTLY the same. This demands caution and careful decision
making. Assumptions can be costly.
#2 Transient – your business is (will be) constantly changing.
Business never stays the same. Markets are continually influx. The
peaks and troughs of supply and demand pressure is one long
rollercoaster ride.
Being prepared for absorbing the effects of changing business

conditions will give you staying power.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

6 #3 Endeavour – your farm business experience will be a journey.
Whilst you are in the driving seat, you are yet to reach your
destination.
You need to remain vigilant the entire trip in order to have success.
Knowing where you are, where you are going and how you are going
to get there.
#4 Planned Objectives – one word, target.
Knowing what you are aiming at and whether you should be one
track of achieving it.
Quantifiable and qualifiable. This means, targets defined by

numbers as well as words.
A business should never be run, just to make money.
How much money is enough? And for how long? To make it a

rewarding experience, you need to be specific.
#5 Outputs, outcomes and benefits – what you want your business

to do (give back) to all involved, and why…
Outputs, outcomes and benefits. Your business is a vehicle for

getting you somewhere.
It isn’t just a cash cow. It should offer you transport for taking you
along in your life plans.
Engineer it to do so from the beginning and you shouldn’t lose your

way.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

6 What is project management?
Source: Association for Project Management

This again is quite wordy.
But essentially, you can take away that project management is…
…the way you do things to have a good chance of achieving your

goals.
Key words here are: processes, methods, skills, knowledge and

experience.
These all make a difference in increasing your potential for business

success.
Why is project management important for agribusiness planning?
Agribusiness success is measured in yield.
In other words,
What you get out (and how much you get out) after you put in.
Yield is a derivative or a benefit of production (fruitfulness, to bring

forth).
Production is largely affected by process, method, skills, knowledge

and experience.
Improve these and you improve yield. This means more profit in
your pocket.
What does project management do?
Project management optimises.
It is a discipline that makes the most of your situation and helps

you develop your business to the utmost.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

6 This is where true profitability comes in.
Bigger doesn’t always mean more profit.

Remembering that profit is a function of efficiency i.e. how well you

use what you’ve got.
So smaller leaner business models can in many ways be far more

rewarding than larger more cumbersome ones.
More bounce per ounce.
What does it look like?
Key tasks of project management are documenting, tracking,

recording, analysing, reviewing, digesting, building up…
These all help you keep tabs on what is going on and primed to
make the best decisions.
Control naturally involves much detail.
But the more detail you accumulate, the more organised you’ve got
to be to use it well.
Project management frameworks (organisational & administrative

systems) have been produced over the years to help with this.
But the general idea is go with what works.
Where frameworks lack flexibility, you would be encouraged to

innovate or adapt for best results.
What are the benefits?
The benefits are the same as when you calibrate or fine tune an
engine. More output for the same input (or even less input).
THE BIG B K PROJECT

6 Greater efficiency and effectiveness. Each improvement has a
knock-on effect of benefit for the entire system.
A greatly improved performance getting you to your end goals

quicker and with less cost.
Does project management help beyond the planning stage?
Once you’ve got your business set-up right, it’s only just begun.
You now have to keep it running at the right pace and in the right
pattern to win your race.
So, project management or controlled running is key throughout

your tenure as owner.
This involves monitoring, analysis, process re-engineering and

improvements and evaluation.
These are all core functions of project management.
So long as you need to keep control in business, project

management is your key helper.
Is it practical or all theory?
Project management is supposed to be very practical.
It’s supposed to dovetail. Supporting you and your business doing

better on every side.
It shouldn’t be a laborious desk exercise and an administrative

burden.
It should be a real-life profit enhancer with immediate to long

lasting results.
Will it help my bottom line?
Yes. In fact, the very act of defining your bottom line IS project
management.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

6 The only way to gain control of your business is to set out to do so.
The key to this is project management. It is a purpose built

discipline for getting results with your farm.
Embrace it and win.
Now over to you…
Are you currently planning the management of your poultry

project?
Have you already managed poultry projects?
Speak soon,
Temi
THE BIG B K PROJECT

PDF eBook
Opportunity Cost
Spring/Summer 2020.
How making well calculated decisions

give you the
best
chance for success.
From Micah, just start out in the poultry business:
“I've been an ardent reader of your posts. It’s been instrumental in

my decision making and all. Just started constructing my farm in
Abeokuta. I saw this post below and I thought I will be able to take
advantage of [your] planning program. It can help us set clear
paths and avoid unnecessary mistakes. Please give me the details
on the program and how we can benefit from it.”


THE BIG B K PROJECT

Opportunity Cost
7 Like I mentioned in one of my first chapters…
…when planning a poultry business, it’s important to tread carefully

in decision making.
Being decisive does two very beneficial things:
Cuts off wasteful diversions & distractions
Gets the right things done (profitably & quickly)
The combined benefit?
In a word, or two – OPTIMUM EFFICIENCY.
(Sounds good, but what does that really mean?)
a. optimum from Latin optimus meaning “best, very good”
b. efficiency from Latin efficere meaning “to work out, accomplish”
Put them together, you get:
To get things done (finish them) in the best possible way. The result
being “very good (couldn’t be better)”.
A lovely idea.
However, often things don’t immediately go this way.
In business and life generally,
Mistakes are both common and, of course, costly.
They cost you both time and money (and/or other resources).
THE BIG B K PROJECT

Opportunity Cost
7 And because all of life’s material matters are finite, this reality adds
only greater injury…
…so that, if you’ve wasted time or money the impact is ALWAYS

much bigger than the initial paper loss.
Why?
Because of one KEY (hidden) factor:
Opportunity cost.
Let me explain:
Want to find the real cost of waste in business?
THE BREAKDOWN:
Here’s the real cost…
Don’t just count the value of the material loss –
But ALSO count the value of what you could have gained should you
have used it (the opportunity) profitably.
Just think it through…[the following may take a few minutes, but

stick with me here.]
Say you started a poultry farm.
It took you 3 years to plan, 1 year to acquire, you left your job, you
used all your savings (plus a small Gov’t loan) and did it on land you
acquired.
You buy your equipment, your chicks and you launch.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

Opportunity Cost
7 Things start slow, start to grow and then get busy.
You spend 12 hours a day on it: handling the birds, dealing with
suppliers, keeping customers happy, planning marketing,
overseeing staff…
Hard work but you enjoy it. Your flock is healthy and you have good
sales.
From this, there is cash flow and you feel things are going in the
right direction…
But somehow, when you look at your bank balance, it’s negative.
You find yourself paying out all that’s paid in, leaving nothing left
for you.
And what’s worse is that all your time is taken up, with nothing to
show.
You look at the numbers and you blame your cost prices being too
high and sales prices being too low.
You take action.
But still you lack the margin to make it worthy of continuing.
You ask for help and begin to study ways to make a turn around…
…but it all seems like a case of “too little, too late.”
With mounting costs and owing obligations, you see where it’s
headed & you decide to bail (before things get worse still).
You exit with a hard stop selling off the equipment second hand and
the flock to another local farm.
You steady yourself back into employment and chalk up the loss to
inexperience.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

Opportunity Cost
7 But the gnawing thought keeps pricking your mind:
“How much did all of that really cost me?” (And, of course, “how
could I have avoided this?”)
You sum up.
And between the savings and remaining debt on borrowings you

arrive at a round figure.
Anyway, as painful as it feels, you reckon in perhaps 4-5 years or so

of employed earnings (& saving up), you could get back to square
one.
NOW STOP RIGHT THERE.
(Spent savings & acquired debt only amount to material loss.)
But what about opportunity cost?
THE BIG B K PROJECT

Opportunity Cost
7 Let’s take a look at what the sum of wasted monies REALLY look
like:
Add to the material loss…

(a) 3 years planning time (desk research etc.)
(b) 1 year acquisition time (meetings & scouting trips etc.)
(c) loss of employed income in the meantime
(d) what your land could have profited you if it were

used…well…profitably
(e) 6-12 months of operational time involvement (x12 hours per

day)
(f) general inflation – prices only go up, year-on-year (yesterday’s

money WAS actually worth more than today’s devalued cash)
(g) business earnings you’ve missed out on above and beyond what
your old job would have paid you
(h) asset (transfer) value for exit sale
When you compare the two costs – well, you can’t really compare:
When you get a real idea of the true scale of the loss – you see how
IMPORTANT making the right decisions in the first place, really is.
To put a figure on it’s value…
…we’re probably looking at decades to recoup the true losses.
And comparing the earning potential of employment to business

ownership, your old job at best offers very static/inflexible returns
(& going back to that route, you might never overtake your
mistake).
THE BIG B K PROJECT

Opportunity Cost
7 Business growth on the other hand is uncapped. You can literally
MULTIPLY your earnings rapidly within only a few cycles of trade.
So, even if the first attempt was a loss – getting things right the
second time might overshoot you into clear profit, perhaps only in a
year (even months).
So, in light of this we ask:
How can we confidently do things differently in business?
Or even better,
How can we start up a poultry farm with optimum efficiency?
The KEY?
Decision making.
Let’s start today by establishing a CLEAR, financial route to

producing long term poultry farm profits.
With that:
In your next lesson, I’ll invite you to join my brand new business
planning program, Poultry Project Reporter 2.0
Yes, I’ll send you what’s in the program, how much it costs, and how
it can help you. I’ll also help you decide whether or not this program
is right for you.
So keep an eye out for the next lesson.
And we’ll speak together then.
Speak soon,
Temi
THE BIG B K PROJECT

PDF eBook
Poultry Project Reporter 2.0

Spring/Summer 2020.
A custom built software program

designed to help you write a
winning
poultry proposal
From Edobong, agropreneur and business consultant:
“I've been enjoying your emails on poultry farming. This product

is excellent. My colleagues and I are putting together a project for
organic poultry farming for low income families and we've been
scratching our heads on how to coordinate the operations from
multi-locations…Looking forward to more information. Thank
you, Temi.”


THE BIG B K PROJECT

8 Hello,
I’m glad to announce that subscription for my brand new training

course, Poultry Project Reporter 2.0 is now OPEN.
You can get all the details about the program right here.
(https://poultryprojectreporter.com/)
So, if you’ve ever wanted to produce a 1st class poultry farming

project report (with expert financial projections) my new program
can help you do this, both accurately & quickly…even if you’ve never
made a project report before.
What Is Poultry Project Reporter?
Poultry Project Reporter is my new program that helps you deliver a

professional poultry farming project report (inc. production model
& financial plan) – from scratch.
It helps you build both detailed layer and broiler reports with ease –
saving you time and hassle.
*No calculator or reference material needed.
(Plus, it does this in record time.)
With Poultry Project Reporter you don’t need to figure anything

out. Or think “what do I do next?”
THE BIG B K PROJECT

8 Need to do up a watertight proposal? I share the EXACT
step-by-step system that I use to produce all my professional
poultry project reports.
Need a winning financial business plan to project future

earnings? I take you through scenarios leading you to the most
profitable conclusion.
Need instant tailored reports for classes, clients &

students? I built this system to deliver pro reports using a web app
(including a bankable PDF version).
In short, this new program is the most comprehensive system for

producing custom made, professional poultry project reports –
anywhere.
And here’s exactly what to expect inside this program…
Fillable form based ‘multi-part software program’: This is

the first true step-by-step system for building custom made poultry
project reports from scratch. You get to develop and test various
poultry farming production models, outline ALL your key
financials, produce professional draft plans, find the perfect route
to optimal profit over 6-years plus more.
Bonus step-by-step Pro email course: Here’s where I share

even more in-depth strategies, specific poultry project reporting
techniques, and other helpful resources designed to help you
succeed. This training material comes in the form of an email
course, including detailed step-by-step workflows, insights and
specific examples of “what’s going to work for your poultry farm
report.”
THE BIG B K PROJECT

8 Insider strategy checklists: I give my professional insights on
“how investors REALLY read project reports” and what you should
look out for in yours.
Proven metrics and calculations: Only the most reliably

sourced poultry business measurements and parameters are
included in this program for the most accurate results.
Advanced profit tutorials: Pinpoint where to squeeze out yet

more profit from your chosen model. Learn the optimal tweaks to
make it even better each time round.
Bonus MS Excel dashboards: Get my raw data spreadsheets

providing 360-degree, bird’s eye panoramic view of every common
poultry production model – both layer and broiler. This is the input
mainframe to the web app.
Unlimited consulting: Your agency package comes with 90 days

of unlimited consulting (via email) directly with me.
24/7 responsive program support: Here’s where you can reach

out for help with finding your way around the program, get
troubleshooting assists to your questions and problems, and
all-in-all, have access to a support desk used to dealing with project
reports just like yours.
…and there’s a whole lot more.
I cover everything you need to know about this new program here:
Learn More About Poultry Project Reporter.
(https://poultryprojectreporter.com/)
Long story short? I opened access to Poultry Project Reporter. And

you are invited to join today.
Speak Soon,
Temi (temi.cole@thebigbookproject.org)
THE BIG B K PROJECT

PDF eBook
Projecting Layer Egg Production

Spring/Summer 2020.
An accurate production model for

forecasting
egg
output with a multi-flock farm
From Jimmy, looking to start layer farming soon:
“ Am very grateful for the mails i have been receiving from you.
Ever since the start i have gained enormous knowledge about
chickens and egg production. Your articles have given wide
understanding on many things i had questions and didnt
understand before. It is my wish and prayer that you will not stop
furnishing us with such insights because my desire and plan is to
set up a plant for egg production at my farm as soon as possible.”


THE BIG B K PROJECT

9 Hello again,
Getting a continuous run of eggs delivered to market, takes some

engineering.
Whilst layers typically lay one egg per day,
Their commercial profitability tends to taper off at about 72 weeks

(by most markets).
Which means unless you have another batch simultaneously reared,
…you’ll have a 20-week delay waiting for another batch of day-old

chicks (DoCs) to mature before returning to market.
So,
You need to engineer a model.
A pattern of production.
Take this example….
Here, the FAO advise the following as best practice for layer farm
production modelling:
[Click to view quote]
Source: Good practices in planning and management of integrated

commercial poultry production in South Asia
By adopting one of the models in the box above,
Your layer farm should never be without product on any given week
of production.
In other words,
…your customers should consistently receive deliveries – without

break.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

9 The difference between models can be seen in:
● the frequency of stock replenishment,

● & scale of production
But,
Where should we begin in translating the figure above into real

production estimates?
The fine detail can be seen below:
[Click to view table]
This table gives you the means to begin calculating your own
projections based on the (1+2 / 1+3 / 1+1+5) models.
In working things out for yourself from the figures above,
A few words of warning:
● age in column one starts from 21weeks

● hen-day egg production is %, or per 100 hens i.e. wk 21 = 8
eggs per 100 hens per day
● feed is measured as kg per 1000 birds i.e. wk 21 = 75kg per
1000 birds per day
This all seems pretty straight forward enough,
But when you sit down to build the model on paper, all it takes is
one slip up to take your numbers completely off track.
Easily done…I’ve tripped up on this myself until now.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

9 So,
Let’s compare production profiles between models:

All-In-All-Out layer model (100 layer batch size)
[Click here to view graph]
Features:
● Initial 21 wk delay to maturity before 1st egg

● Rapid/vertical climb of production between 21 – 27 weeks
● Gradual 5-part stepdown of production until week 72
● Peak production 658 eggs per week
● 500 eggs per week = the point of replenishment (divestment)
This model means you only manage one flock at a time. This will
have its benefits inc:
● Better biosecurity
● Simplicity of operations
But there will be a 21- week gap in production between batches. No

intermediate sales, or cash flow.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

9 1+2 layer model (100 layer batch size)

Features:

● Rapid/vertical climb of production between 21 – 27 weeks to
baseline (~600 eggs per week)
● Second rapid climb to full production (ceiling) between 49
weeks – 57 weeks
● Gradual 5-part stepdown of production until week 72, when
production almost halves immediately
● Peak production 1,246 eggs per week
● 588 eggs per week = the point of replenishment (divestment)
This model means you manage two flocks at a time. This will have
its benefits inc:
● Never completely running to zero on production

● Lower biosecurity risks, than managing more flocks
THE BIG B K PROJECT

9 1+1+5 layer model (100 layer batch size)

Features:

● 4-step rapid/vertical climb of production between 21 – 68
weeks to baseline (~2,387 eggs per week)
● A sharp peak to full production (ceiling) between 69 weeks –
72 weeks
● A steep drop off of production from week 72 – 73, as one
laying batch makes way for a new batch of chicks
● Peak production 2,772 eggs per week
● 2,387 eggs per week = the point of replenishment
(divestment)
This model means that once you reach full production levels, you
mostly manage four flocks at a time.
5 flocks at most.
This will have its benefits inc:
● Never completely running to zero on production

● Lower biosecurity risks, than managing more flocks
● Producing over 2,000 eggs per week at full production,
consistently
● A much narrower band of production variance: 2,387 eggs
(minimum) to 2,772 eggs (max.)
THE BIG B K PROJECT

There are various approaches to layer farm egg production.

Each model has its own risk vs. benefit profile.
You’ll need to weigh both up before making a sure decision.
The 72-week divestment window isn’t mandatory.
It just works out for most commercial models, that to keep a layer
flock beyond this isn’t profitable.
But for your farm, this might not be the case.
You’ve got to make the judgment.
The hope is, with a little support along the way with making things
clear – you’ll make the right decision.
Remember, production is one thing, but profitability is another.
This is where the call you make will really count.
However, building blocks of detail like this email should help you
design a solid big picture.
But for now, I’d like to hear from you:
Are you an experienced layer farmer looking to build in more

productivity?
Or, still in the planning phase wanting to have confidence with your
figures?
Speak soon.
Temi (temi.cole@thebigbookproject.org)
THE BIG B K PROJECT

PDF eBook
Calculating Broiler Proﬁts

Spring/Summer 2020.
A winning formula for maximising your

broiler farming
profits
From Sipiwe, first-time broiler farmer:
“ Dear Temi, Thanks for detailed information. I am going into

broiler for the first time and I have not done any calculation of
profit before. From your information I now understand control of
input is key.”


THE BIG B K PROJECT

10 Broiler farming like any business survives by margin.
The success of the business depends on you covering all costs and
thereafter…
…earning a profit.
This is your reward.
Your return on investment or (ROI).
Let’s be clear,
…this is NOT payback for your time.
But rather repayment for your efforts in investing in the venture.
Your time is a business expense and therefore is (should be)

accounted for – before profitable earnings (EBITDA).
That reminds me,
If you haven’t come across EBITDA before, you’ll want to read this
post.
It shows you why your EBITDA is one of your most important

business metrics.
From this you can accurately measure:
True ROI (having the business work to pay you)
Exit valuation (getting a cash lump sum if you decide to sell the
business)
Real earnings (a salary or wage for your time spent running it)
…all of the reasons why you decided to start a broiler farming

business.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

10 Enough about EBITDA, and back to profit.
Your first real indicator of financial performance in your broiler

business is gross profit:
Sales revenue – the cost of goods sold.
In other words,
What you have leftover when you subtract feed and chick cost from
what you made at market.
As an indicator, this is the most important to keep an eye on.
It reads as both an absolute number and a percentage of overall

sales revenue.
E.g. Rs.958,572.94 (30%)
What does this tell you?
In a word, efficiency.
It tells you how well your business is doing…
…by turning primary inputs of:
chicks and;
feed
…into meat and money.
Outside of this are your operational overheads or indirect costs.
In a nutshell, these are bills that you incur in running the farm, but
indirectly related to your bird’s growth.
Much like payroll, electricity costs, transport etc.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

10 Enough about EBITDA, and back to profit.
Your first real indicator of financial performance in your broiler

business is gross profit:
Sales revenue – the cost of goods sold.
In other words,
What you have leftover when you subtract feed and chick cost from
what you made at market.
As an indicator, this is the most important to keep an eye on.
It reads as both an absolute number and a percentage of overall

sales revenue.
E.g. Rs.958,572.94 (30%)
What does this tell you?
In a word, efficiency.
It tells you how well your business is doing…
…by turning primary inputs of:
chicks and;
feed
…into meat and money.
Outside of this are your operational overheads or indirect costs.
In a nutshell, these are bills that you incur in running the farm, but
indirectly related to your bird’s growth.
Much like payroll, electricity costs, transport etc.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

10 Once these are taken away, you’ve got EBITDA.
Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization

(EBITDA).
Have interest on loans to re-pay?
How about income taxes?
Replacement charges against equipment in your farm?
These all happen after EBITDA and are treated as unique to the
individual circumstance of the owner.
But EBITDA is what you’d be left with – no matter who owned the
farm.
For this reason,
EBITDA is often used as a measure of valuation for pricing the

business transfer of poultry farms.
It’s universal.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

10 Want an overview of factors influencing your broiler farm profit?
4 stages of influencing broiler farm profit.

#1 – Funding: taking on debt brings on interest costs. This eats into

profit.
#2 – Ownership: contract farming involves prescribed profit splits,

which by nature divide the spoil. [There are other benefits,
however. So it’s worth calculating the trade-off.]
#3 – FCR: this is the engine behind your broiler gross profits. The
better you are at converting feed into meat, the wider your gross
profits. Remember, there are always limits here. There simply
comes an end to this pursuit, you have to know where to stop.
#4 – Operationally lean management: the fewer inputs you need to

keep the business ticking over, the more left in the pot before your
final deductions
At these four critical stages, you can widen your margin of broiler
profits.
The thing to avoid, however, is compromise. Cutting back can

hinder going forward.
You need to know when enough is enough. Moderation.
The bottom line…
The four steps outlined above are your critical pathway to broiler
profit.
In other words,
If you want to improve your take-home money from the broiler

business, then your focus in these areas will put you in good stead.
All the control you need for sustainable business profits.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

10 And now, over to you:
Have you made mistakes before on miscalculating broiler profit?

It’s nothing to be ashamed of. We’ve all made these mistakes before.
Or perhaps you are new to this and you’re surprised by some of

these points.
I read every email.
Speak soon.
Temi
THE BIG B K PROJECT

PDF eBook
The Real Cost of Broiler Feed

Spring/Summer 2020.
Simplifying the complexities of

broiler growth
from feed
From Julio, planning to kick off a broiler farm:
“I just want to thank you for the very useful information you
provided in your emails. Although I will not be able to establish my
poultry business in the very near future yet, I will surely proceed
with it when I have enough funds…Meanwhile, I will continue to
collect useful and valuable information which I will use in my
future plans”


THE BIG B K PROJECT

11 Hello,
Broiler feed contributes to as much as 70% of operational costs,

according to farmers worldwide.
In other words,
For every 1KG of broiler meat sold at market, 700g of the proceeds
goes to your suppliers for feeding your flock.
Significant…
…but necessary and unavoidable.
Whilst it can’t be side-stepped,
Can it be shaved down? [WITHOUT compromise]
The answer is yes.
Broiler feed cost is equivalent to a carpenter taking a rough piece of

wood stock…
And applying his ability to shape and mould it – he turns it into

something useful and even profitable.
Approach handling broiler feed cost in this way and it will

LITERALLY pay you back.
Breed & FCR
Each breed or strain has its natural ability for being able to convert
nutritional intake into muscle (meat).
Strains are even selectively bred for their predictable meat output.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

11 The typical ratio of feed (weight) to meat (weight) is known as the
feed conversion ratio, or FCR.
The greater the FCR the less efficient the breed/strain is in turning
feed into meat.
Selecting a breed which has a highly profitable FCR profile, as well

as other favourable features…
…is one simple way of reducing the cost of feed per bird / batch.
Energy content
Broilers have been known to adjust their feed intake by as much as

10% to accommodate varying energy content.
In other words,
If broilers are fed exceptionally high energy content in their feed…
…they are able to naturally regulate their food intake to

compensate, either way.
Getting the right balance achieves an optimal profitability.
Optimise all non-feed related husbandry practices
Feed is the principal contributor to broiler yield.
However,
Other handling factors influence this conversion, positively or

negatively.
To ensure you experience the most favourable results, just like a

chemistry experiment…
…keep all other variables constant.
Solid animal husbandry practices when handling and conditioning

your birds will get them eating and accumulating weight.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

11 Feed form
Getting feed into the bird and not wasted is critical to feed
efficiency.
It’s one thing to load it with nutritional value,
And make it available to your flock in the right amounts – at the

right time, but…
To have the feed wasted because the birds scratched at it, but didn’t
actually eat it is a disappointment.
Preparing its form is one of the ways in which you encourage your
birds at the various milestones of growth to actually take on feed.
Make your feed too fine and much will be lost that doesn’t get
picked up.
Plus, generally, your older flock will not find fine feed as palatable
as pellets. However, chicks and mash are just the right combination.
Serve your flock with the most convenient form and they will
reward you with yield.
Whole Grain Feeding
Combining the provision of manufactured bag feed and whole grain

smooths out the commercial feed cost.
You can significantly temper down the hit you take on feed cost, by
varying your menu.
Also, other benefits are:
● better littler quality

● Improved gut flora
THE BIG B K PROJECT

11 Ensuring grain quality is high and free of toxins are important
factors to consider.
But if you are diligent to observe good standards, you could

substitute as much as 15% of grower feed and 20% of finisher feed

with wheat, barley or oat (ideally, no husk)
Alternative supplements
Supplementing feed with amino acids, in particular, equips your

broiler birds for optimal growth.
Amino acids…
…the building blocks of protein, the substance of muscle (meat) are

critical to get right.
Whilst complex protein content in broiler diet is one way to get

them in (being broken down into the constituent amino acids)…
…having AA in their readily digestible format, primes your birds for

growth.
There are medicinal/synthetic AAs that can be added to feed

(fortifying the mix).
Reportedly substituting as much as 2-3% of dietary protein:
[Click to view quote]
Source: Specialized protein products in broiler chicken nutrition:

A review
But similarly, there are alternative additions of plant-based protein

sources (like Soy Bean Meal or SBM) which can have good yield
effects

A review
THE BIG B K PROJECT

11 …but there are drawbacks which take away from the potential
benefit of the high crude protein content of soy bean meal (SBM…


A review
Most of all – ANFs or anti-nutritional factors. These are nutritional

inhibitors which occur naturally in plant-based protein like SBM.
ANFs dampen the positive effect of high protein plant sources, but
there are ways to ‘knock-out’ their effects.
Like this…

A review
Feed ingredients
But the question with the selection of broiler diet could still be…
…”what ingredients or diet plan should I use for where my farm is

based?”
Farmers have got to be resourceful to survive.
Having knowledge of:
● what ingredients are available locally and

● what their benefits might be to your bottom line
…will grant you an advantage.
You have to be willing to try things out a little, performing feed

trials with certain batches, or cohorts within a batch.
[Click here to view image]
THE BIG B K PROJECT

11 Source: Poultry Feed Trials 2017
However, be warned. There is a temptation to get carried away with

trials and in the hunt for more gain, lose the purpose.
Don’t get obsessed with weight gain – the broiler business has so
many other areas of potential increase.
Beak trimming
This is commonly practiced early on in the developmental growth

phases of a broiler.
The purpose?
To prevent injury and the lasting effects of aggression between

birds.
But does it affect their intake of food?
In short, it seems marginally for 3 days post trimming, but

thereafter no effects…
Although, damage from in-fighting is avoided – meat quality is

maintained.
Source: The influence of beak trimming on feeding activity
THE BIG B K PROJECT

11 Adjusting feed level in the feeders
Convenient access to feeders is critical to intake.

Broilers grow rapidly.
The equipment they use, complementing their size to move in-line

with their growth.
Daily adjustments to feeders and waterers should occur to make the

process of intake as easy as possible.
This way you ensure your flock are not resisted in their ambition for
growth.
Spoilage
More of a problem with natural ingredients than manufactured

pellets is spoilage.
If left out and uneaten, feed can deteriorate and quickly lose its
nutritional benefit.
Worse still, anti-nutritional effects from toxins etc .can occur within
a broiler’s body if consumed.
This can give rise to a pattern of reduction in the conversion of feed

into muscle.
A real sinker for profit.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

11 Lighting programs
The delivery of adequate levels of lighting to your flock will

influence their eating and drinking behaviours.
Source: AA Broiler Handbook 2018
According to age, your flock will require a particular amount of light

and dark for adequate levels of feed and rest.
Ensure you deliver the required amounts and are aware of

necessary amounts at each growth phase.
Get this wrong and your FCR will be interrupted.
Local authority regulations on lighting will also need to be

considered.
The bottom line…
The cost of feed is unavoidable.
Birds need to eat and more so, they need the right quality of feed.
This is your input to the investment of running a broiler farm.
Your output of profit (reward) can also be affected by

complementary factors…
…not just feed.
Keeping on top of these associated helpers (hinderers) of FCR –

feed conversion – will give you optimal results.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

Are you a broiler farmer with looking earnestly to cut your feed
cost?
Or, are you still planning it all out and need a few more pointers to
keep you on track?
[Agreed, it’s a tough topic.]
Speak soon,
Temi
THE BIG B K PROJECT

PDF eBook
Layer Production Proﬁt

Spring/Summer 2020.
Examining the hidden

profits
of multi-flock layer production
From Ibrahim, plans to become a layer farmer:
“Thank you for sharing your insightful articles on poultry

farming. I intend to enter into poultry farming as a commercial
business once I figure all the ins and outs of it. Thank you again
for all your articles.”


THE BIG B K PROJECT

12 Hello,
If you are planning a layer farm,

You might be asking – “how many eggs should I sell to make a

profit?”
[Or words along a similar line]
For this purpose, the breakeven analysis is a business planning

favourite of mine.
Like everything planning wise,
The figures are never supposed to be binding.
Just a rough – “…back of an envelope” guide.
But what it should tell you is,
Where your direct costs and sales revenue meet in the middle.
Any money received above and beyond this point (called the
breakeven point) is gross profit.
Gross profit is not take-home money, but funds available in your

business for paying:
● overheads (inc. payroll, utilities, repayments on borrowings

etc.)
● interest on loans
● taxes
● depreciation
After the above deductions, you are left with a net earnings figure –
or, take-home pay.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

12 As things go, you might find the job of estimating these deductions
much easier than first task of predicting profit from egg production.
Why?
Did you think egg production to be simple?
Sure, layer birds typically lay 1 egg per day.
So what could be so difficult about predicting egg production from

this base figure of 1?
If you housed 100 layers,
Don’t you just multiply the two numbers and get 100 eggs per day?
It’s actually not so simple.
Take hen-day egg (%) for an example of the complexities involved:
Source: Hen-day vs. Hen housed Egg Production
This accounts for the fact that across a flock of hens, not every hen
will lay an egg a day.
Some days, some hens simply will not lay
This occurrence invariability increases with age.
Next, mortality.
A certain proportion of layer birds within your flock are statistically

going to die – before becoming ‘spent’.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

12 Now, add the complexity of a variable egg-laying age profile…
Your birds only begin laying at 21 weeks (achieving an initial

hen-day egg production of 8%)…
…this production peaks at 29-31 weeks (with 94% hen-day eggs).
Tapering off to 72% at 72 weeks old.
Here is a table (from Good practices in planning and management

of integrated commercial poultry production in South Asia) with the
estimated hen-day egg production as a percentage – in line with
age.
[Click here to view table]
The ages range from when layers begin laying to the end of their
usual commercial life (i.e. 72 weeks).
But,
What if you want to engineer your layer farm to consistently

produce eggs EVERY day – consistently, week in and week out?
You’ll either need to:
a) adopt a multi-flock model,
Or
b) buy point of lay hens.
Point of lay hens are a disadvantage for a keen layer farmer:
THE BIG B K PROJECT

12 Source: Buying Day-Old Chicks vs. Buying Older Chickens
Essentially,
…buying DoCs (day old chicks) is more cost-effective in the long run
and offers more control.
For the experienced (or at least, confident) layer farmer.
Saving cost and increasing control should = greater profit (ROI, or

return on investment).
However,
Layer hens typically don’t begin to lay until about 21 weeks of age.
And then, as seen in the hen-day egg table above, their first phase of
laying is about 1/10 of peak production.
What about in between batches?
When releasing a spent batch,
…which by definition is a batch that begins to cost you [rather than

pay you] to keep them because of age…
How do you avoid losing 21 weeks of layer farm income (…whilst

you wait for your young chicks to mature…)?
The answer?
Buy and rear simultaneous flocks.
Regardless of batch size,
These common layer farm production models will smooth out the
transition between flocks with continuous income.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

12
Let’s look at some layer farm models (recommended by the FAO) &
their gross profit profiles:
[Note: X-axis along the bottom on these graphs indicate rearing

week e.g. 1 – 301, over a 6 year period]
1+2 layer farming: This model runs on 2 simultaneous laying flocks,

plus 1 brooder house.
At about the 23-week mark,
…there is a little preliminary gross profit experienced –
Which doesn’t break through into regular cyclical profit until 49

weeks of age.
As for a breakeven,
…it’s difficult to say,
Your overheads and other deductions need to be estimated and

subtracted.
You’d probably delay ROI until 2nd phase of profit i.e. 81+ weeks.
But then again,
If you have incurred capital start-up costs for land and buildings
too,
Then you’d need to also account for gathering back these costs.
This further delays your ROI.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

12 What about more intensive models?
Try…
1+3 layer farm modelling: This model runs on 2-3 simultaneous

laying flocks, plus brooder spare house.
Here, we can see a preliminary pocket of gross profit experienced

between 41 – 61 weeks of age.
Following that, we see regular steep peaks of gross profit which run
in relay.
Each peak of production taking your business into more and more
cumulative profitability.
1+1+5 layer farming: This model runs on 4-5 simultaneous laying

flocks, 1 brooder house & 1 grower house.
Now, we see a clear gross profit emerging at about 40 weeks.
Then by steps of incremental productivity, we reach peak

production at about 60+ weeks.
This peak production sales revenue runs at a clear margin of gross

profit above cost.
This is by far the most profitable production model of the three,
Yet it is not without its complexities and additional cost inc.
● multiple layer houses

● grower house
● 5-simultaneously reared flocks
But the rewards are very obvious – if you can reach for such a
model. A highly profitable approach.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

12 The bottom-line…
Layer farming production model is a significant influence on gross

profit.
Breakeven is a little more involved taking into account indirect

running costs.
Also, ROI would further need to take into account initial capital
costs, like real estate etc.
This type of modelling helps you better visualise or illustrate the

performance of your farm.
A useful snapshot to keep your motivation on track.
But for now, I’d like to hear from you:
Are you already in production and need a good illustration for your
own profits?
Or maybe you are new to building business models and need help
grasping the patterns in this mail?
Speak soon.
Temi
THE BIG B K PROJECT

PDF eBook
Broiler Yield
Spring/Summer 2020.
Making sure your broiler processing

picks up all the
points
From Emmanuel, plans to become a layer farmer:
“Hi Temi, Thank you so much for your emails. I have been reading
them and are so useful as i plan to get into this business.”


THE BIG B K PROJECT

Broiler Yield
12 Hello,
Broiler yield is a VERY IMPORTANT value-added topic.

Why?
Hint: value-added. (Yield from geldan (Anglian) “to pay, pay for;
reward, render;)
Work is only really work if it pays, otherwise, it’s all a waste.
In the broiler business, the real value is meat.
Whilst the whole carcass is sold,
After all the processing, the product of real value is actually the
meat.
In fact, the various cuts of broiler meat each carry their own
respective premium.
In other words, the market values each cut differently according to

relative consumer demand.
In the UK, for example, the popularity of chicken meat cuts look
like this (numbers in tonnes sold per annum – 2017 figures):
Fresh Whole – 226,142 (~40%)
Fresh Breast – 159,381 (~28%)
Fresh Leg – 96,083 (~17%)
Frozen Breast – 42,741 (~8%)
Sliced Cooked – 22,031 (~4%)
TOTAL = 561,714 tonnes sold
Source: Poultry Pocketbook – 2018 AHDB
THE BIG B K PROJECT

Broiler Yield
13 Looking more closely at the price variety associated with cuts,
…birds with a higher proportion of actual meat (value) vs. bone, fat,
cartilage etc. (waste)…
…carry higher demand, higher price and contribute more kg of meat

to every sale.
This, of course, equals more profit for every broiler farmer.
All this, simply for making the right decisions in getting the best
quality carcass to market.
But as a broiler farmer, how can you improve the yield of your meat
delivered to market?
According to this publication by North Central Regional Committee

on Poultry Products Technology Research, there are 5 primary
contributors to broiler meat yield:
Breed/strain
Over the decades of selective breeding by commercial vendors like

Avigen, Cobb etc…
…certain breeds of broiler have been influenced for their optimal

meat yield.
Age
Maturity has a direct correlation to meat yield.
Immature birds yield lower meat. Their bodies are yet to reach
potential.
However, certain strains reach an optimal size and weight sooner

than others, which leads to greater turnaround and increased
profits.
Shorter rearing cycles = more sales & lower cost of goods sold (feed
expenses) = greater profits.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

Broiler Yield
13 Diet & Management
What birds eat, and…

how they are handled…
…directly impact their eventual market weight and muscle (meat)

composition.
Getting the right balance and approach in this area can add to your
overall broiler farming gains.
Firstly, it has been seen that supplying birds with lower energy feed,
can result in lower yields…
(careful though – too many calories in broiler diet can have an

adverse effect on their appetite):
As far as pre-processing handling is concerned, for example, every

hour of delay in the lead time to slaughter can cause “weight loss…
Chilling and unscrupulous practices
Care should be taken on the processing/evisceration lines, not to

saturate meat in water – as this practice significantly increases
yield…
…although falsely.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

Broiler Yield
13 Source: Factors affecting poultry meat yields
The bottom line…

Actual meat increase is where you as a broiler farmer get rewarded

for your efforts.
This comes in financial return.
Money per kg or lbs.
You can influence this ratio in your favour significantly by:
Your choice of strain
Age of slaughter
Diet
Handling
Processing methods
…amongst other factors, like humidity, floor space etc.
If each factor adds a small percentage of gain toward your target

weight.
For everything done effectively, you stay on track for profit.
Yet every point lost is effort without reward.
Having your eyes on yield continually and it’s contributing factors

should keep you on track for long term profits.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

Broiler Yield
Are you a broiler farmer looking to increase the weight of your

birds?
Or, are you still in planning and need tips on hitting optimal
output?
Speak soon.
Temi
THE BIG B K PROJECT

PDF eBook
Preparing Your Broilers For Processing

Spring/Summer 2020.
The final hurdle in the broiler chase.

Make it a launch pad
& not a trip hazard.
From Mahamed, considering the poultry business:
“Appreciated so much for the wonderful and very articulated

email which is actually reflecting the depth of knowledge, and
expertise of your poultry farming projects, actually we are
thinking poultry business, and we haven't yet decided whether it is
broilers or layers. We will go through your documents and get
back to you.”


THE BIG B K PROJECT

Broiler Processing
14 Hello,
FACT:
Getting your broilers to target weight is NOT the end goal.
Getting them to market is.
As the saying goes, it isn’t over, until it’s over.
Broilers are finely tuned. Creatures of habit and largely affected by

their rearing conditions.
The slightest change to routine or environmental conditions applies

stress to their bodies.
This often results in a positive or negative impact on your final

weight outcome.
As in the case of preparing your broilers to be processed, even in the

hours leading up to slaughter…
…delays and discomfort typically lead to a loss of weight.
Loss of weight = loss of money per kg in the trade.
So, keeping your broilers as consistently cared for as possible –

before (pre) processing – all counts.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

Broiler Processing
14 Where and why losses can be made in preprocessing…
● 23 hours of light 3 days prior to catching – calms birds. Calm

birds maintain their weight.
● Feed withdrawal is required to empty the gut for accurate live

weight and also to avoid faecal contamination
○ This should be done approximately 8-12 hours before
slaughter for best results:
○ Including, time in the house, catching time,
transport time and lairage.
○ Leading up to the day of transport ensure the following
is unchanged:
○ regular feeding practice (before feed withdrawal)
○ environmental temperature
○ feeding space
○ Remove whole grain at least 2 days prior to catch
○ Keep feeders down during feed withdrawal until
catching crews arrive – this avoids litter eating
○ Keep all flock disturbances to an absolute minimum
(unusual lighting practices, loud noise, temperature,
opening & closing of doors, walking up and down
around flocks etc.)
○ You can naturally expect birds to lose only about 0.25%
of their body weight per hour during feed withdrawal
○ Monitor withdrawal behaviour continuously to prevent
unnecessary losses
○ Water should be given right up until the catch.
Dehydration is a threat during the waiting period before
slaughter.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

Broiler Processing
14 ○ Plan your catch carefully and ensure your crew are
well-trained, disciplined, under strict orders and
prioritise bird welfare for best results.
○ Birds should be kept calm

○ Minimise physical contact and jostling
○ 16-18 degrees C and controlled ventilation (fresh
air) – but avoiding chilling the birds
○ A checklist should be used to summarise your
action plan
○ Always catch with care and minimal disruption –
correct methods are profit saving, preserving the
quality of the product.
○ Transporting birds to market
○ Use modules rather than crates – this saves on
birds accumulating bodily damage (the better
investment)
○ Make sure birds are not on their backs
○ Don’t overfill or overheat – this introduces stress
and leads to weight loss
○ Too few birds per module and they are not
buffered and can get injured
○ Consider their temperature and ventilation &
keeping this constant
THE BIG B K PROJECT

Broiler Processing
The downgrading of meat resulting from bruising or maiming or

even loss through DOA (dead on arrival) – reduces profit.
Your job of stockmanship right up until:
● handing over to logistical partners

● slaughter, or;
● sale
…has a direct impact on your profit.
Be well aware of where gains and losses are incurred.
Remain vigilant and coordinated amongst all hands-on parties in

the process.
And now over to you:
Are you new to stockmanship and need tight procedural planning to

succeed?
Have you made costly handling errors before and now look to
improve?
Speak soon,
Temi
THE BIG B K PROJECT

PDF eBook
Agri Accounting & Bookkeeping

Spring/Summer 2020.
The grain-by-grain approach to

maintaining a bird’s eye view on project
ROI.
From Emmanuel, looking to improve his poultry numbers:
“Hello, Thank you for your email and thanks for the useful
information regards to accounting and bookkeeping an area
where I have been falling short that needs tremendous
improvement. I need guidance on brooder space for layers and
preparation. Hope to hear from you soon.”


THE BIG B K PROJECT

15 Hello,
Whilst thinking about your farm business planning,

You may have put financial accounting and bookkeeping in the

‘professional help’ category.
Many business owners consider, that this is something that you

simply get someone else to do.
A debilitating notion.
This single oversight cripples many businesses at their conception.
A sad tale.
Business is driven by service,
But sustained by numbers.
Whilst you can be GREAT at what you do…
…if you don’t take ownership of your money metrics and

record-keeping,
Then you cannot excuse yourself of falling short.
So get on top.
In this email, I want to reveal to you just how important financial

planning is to long term profit,
And farming success.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

15 Record keeping
Step one with planning business profits is to keep diligent records.

Sustainable business is not theory, but practice.
You will live or lose on whatever is really left over after trading
occurs.
Every penny counts.
Be diligent.
This begins with setting up the right templates.
Before you pour in your precious substance into vats,
Make sure the vats are fit-for-purpose:
● Right size
● Right material
● No leaks
…tried and tested to hold, so no mistakes or regrets.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

15 Bookkeeping templates are you primary inputs for your business
financial data:
● sales daybook
○ individual sales transactions are recorded

● purchases daybook
○ individual purchase transactions are recorded
● cash receipts
○ a record of every time cash is received by your business
● cash payments
○ a record of every time cash is paid out of your business
● sales returns
○ whenever a sale is returned or refunded by your
business to one of your customers
● purchase returns
○ whenever you return a purchase to a supplier and
receive a refund for your business
Get your money movements logged in here and you’ll suitably have
the substance to build a business vision.
It is from exercising this baseline discipline that more advantageous

decisions can be made.
Liken bookkeeping, to keeping a journal or diary.
Explicitly detail every transaction.
It’s the primary reference point of all things financial, including

obligations like tax.
Keeping the format consistent using the points above is critical.
It’s the layout all professionals use and therefore this way…
…no matter who reads it, it should mean the same thing.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

15 Reporting
Speaking of decision making, reports are the tool of choice for every
financial decision.
They provide snapshots of progress.
A bit like glancing at a Sat Nav on the way to your chosen

destination for:
● Time remaining on your journey

● Obstacles or delays
● Alternative routes etc.
Likewise, a report: like a profit loss statement, tells you how

profitable your operation is,
And whether or not you can expect to hit those long term targets,
like:
● Earnings
● Exit value
Running statements like this every now and again lets you:
● Pause
● Take stock of where you are
● Plan your next move
Vital managerial playmaking ability comes from this.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

15 Visualise and interpret
Presenting your data in a variety of views helps different audiences

to:
● See
● Grasp
…how your business is performing in different areas.
Becoming nimble in showing how you are doing in one way or

another,
Helps bring certain facts to light.
Business dashboarding is a key skill. Learning appropriate uses and

combinations of graphs and charts will pay you back.
Statements & justification
The success of your business will largely depend on you making

profitable decisions.
The welfare of:
● staff,
● family and
● supplier/customer relationships
…will rely on this.
Their trust in you will depend on you allowing yourself and the
decisions you make to be held accountable.
THE BIG B K PROJECT

15 The more transparent you are and willing to show proof of your
decisions…
…the greater the understanding you will build with your

stakeholders.
This leads to comfort and belief in the plan.
Such favour often carries you at times when challenges arise.
Your backers will be for you and not give in to doubt.
The bottom line…
Getting on top of your financial accounting and bookkeeping puts

you in the driving seat of profit.
From the outset, having a mind to steer what your numbers do is

critical to getting paid.
Setting your books in order ensures every grain of increase is

retained,
And makes a difference.
Now over to you…
Are you currently planning your financial bookkeeping and

accounting?
Have you got experience in financial accounting?
Speak soon,
Temi
THE BIG B K PROJECT

CLOSING
C “Dear Poultry Entrepreneur…” was written by Temi Cole,
author of internationally recognized agribusiness online
publications.
In these, my closing comments, I’d firstly like to thank you for taking
the time to read and consider my take on the poultry business.
I’m honoured to have you take an interest in my expression of what

has been an adult’s life work of consulting that is now seemingly
coming to mature fruit.
This compilation eBook is a celebration of sorts. A giving back to the

very many people and various faces that I have had the privilege of
meeting over the last 2 years of running my poultry farming startup
email newsletter.
My hope is that this is just the beginning of a longer and even more
intimate and rewarding journey with you - the aspiring poultry
farmer.
I have much more planned ahead, and if I am given the time and
opportunity - I plan to make the most of it to your benefit in poultry
farming success.
Sincerely,
Temi
“…consists of very useful
tips for anyone who is
planning to start a
project…easy to follow.”
– Dr Bonile Jack-Pama,
PhD“
Get Advanced
THE BIG B K PROJECT


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“Dear Poultry Entrepreneur…”

Poultry farming like you’ve

From Herbert, a beginner poultry farmer:

This series of emails opened up a most lively

From Giri, a respondent starting an organic

“…a very useful report for ages that are to come.”

This is the original email newsletter series:

THE BIG B K PROJECT

After 9 years of freelance business consultancy, Temi found his

He produced The Big Book Project to teach the valuable lessons he

Temi is now also author of Advanced Poultry Pickup.

(It’s an online digital eLearning program designed to help poultry

“…consists of very useful

THE BIG B K PROJECT

I actually never had it in mind to write an email

newsletter for The Big Book Project.

It was simply meant to be a blog written (in my own voice)

Emails had no part of the vision.

That was until the response my blog received soon after

It seems my quest for greater business planning

“I have enjoyed the marvelous and electrifying content. It

This kind of reaction far exceeded my expectations.

It was like a dream.

I quickly began researching and asking close contacts

Then the concept was offered up one day:

“Why don’t you write an email newsletter? I think it

The idea caught on.

So, I tried it in Spring 2020 tackling key startup topics.

This eBook was inspired by that journey.

THE BIG B K PROJECT

Advantages of Layer Farming

2. Why Write a Business Plan for Your Farm?

3. Land Farm Decisions

4. Finance, Funding, Loans & Grants

5. Agri Value Chain

6. Agribusiness Project Management

8. Poultry Project Reporter 2.0

9. Projecting Layer Egg Production

10. Calculating Broiler Profits

11. The Real Cost of Broiler Feed

12. Layer Production Costs

13. Broiler Yield

14. Preparing Your Broilers for Processing

15. Agri Accounting and Bookkeeping

This is the original email newsletter series:

THE BIG B K PROJECT

Advantages of Layer Farming

Examining the trade-off between

“Thank you Temi Cole. Your information on Poultry farming has

This series of emails opened up a most lively

This is the original email newsletter series:

THE BIG B K PROJECT

You may have asked the question,

“Which is better...a layer farm or broiler farm?”

Well, the answer is: it depends.

…and much more.

But if I were to put my spin on it,

I’d consider layer farming to have some very distinct advantages

● Consistent cash flow

Consistent cash flow

Layers lay once per day, on average.

By nature, therefore, you have an advantage in that your layer farm