Tips and calculations for profitable broiler production

 Tips and calculations for profitable broiler production

Farming is one of the most promising business sectors in our country. It is important to approach it thoughtfully and choose an enterprise with real potential for success. Broiler production is one worthwhile business option. We will now look at calculations and advice, whether starting your own business from scratch is profitable, and a business plan for getting started.

What should you expect?

As Russia pursues a policy of replacing many imported products on the market with domestic alternatives, developing your own farming business is currently highly profitable. Broiler production as a business is now expanding. Competition is strong, but becoming a market leader is entirely possible.

This activity certainly has its particular features and subtleties, although most relate directly to broilers themselves.

Farmers often rear these birds in very large numbers for sale, although many also keep them for meat. Chicks reach market size in about two months, allowing a quick return. Broilers should not be confused with laying hens: the methods used to rear them differ considerably. They have the following characteristics:

1. They are considerably larger than hens (five kilograms rather than four).
2. They do not live to the age at which they can lay eggs.
3. They have shorter legs and a very large, fleshy body.
4. They quickly reach the required weight.

Of course, you need to learn how to rear broilers beforehand, because this is a technical production process governed by specific rules.

Features of broiler production

Remember that, like any other business, this venture requires specific knowledge and an investment of your own time and effort. To establish exactly what you should prepare for, let us identify the main features of this sector. The obvious ones are:

• Chicks grow quickly to the point at which they can be sold or slaughtered for meat: approximately two months.
• You do not need to rent a large area to establish your own farm: cages can accommodate twenty birds per square meter.
• Rearing poultry requires virtually no purchases of specialized equipment.
• You do not need to buy special feeds either: familiar foodstuffs will do. However, remember that improper feeding leads to slow weight gain.
• The rearing process still requires very close attention, which takes considerable time and effort.
• It is important to provide the right amount of light and heat.
• Unfortunately, chickens are susceptible to infections, so this possibility must be considered and various preventive measures taken.
• Many farmers also face regular price fluctuations in the market for broilers and chicken meat.

The project owner can certainly prevent potential risks and enhance the benefits of the business by organizing the work process in advance and analyzing conditions in the specific sector in which they operate. Avoid increasing bird numbers unless you are confident you can sell the entire flock. Complete all the paperwork, maintain records and comply with official requirements.

Preparing the paperwork

New farmers often register as individual entrepreneurs. This is the right approach if you have limited startup capital, do not intend to establish a large industrial enterprise and do not plan to work directly with major retail chains or other organizations.

Individual entrepreneurs may use the simplified taxation system, which is helpful for an inexperienced business owner. Otherwise, registering a limited liability company is preferable, although this requires considerable time, paperwork and, of course, money.

You then need to register the planned business with the various social funds and obtain permission to sell and rear poultry from the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing, the sanitary and epidemiological service and the veterinary quality control authority.

Preparing suitable premises

Determining the required floor area is straightforward: it depends on the number of birds and the age of the chicks purchased.

If you buy older broilers for slaughter for meat, the poultry house must be larger than if you buy eggs to hatch chicks for sale in incubators.

New farmers should choose the first option because it generates income sooner. You will be able to expand the business quickly and subsequently earn more money. In this case, allow one square meter for ten chicks. Remember the equipment and fittings inside the poultry house; the Ministry of Agriculture order provides further guidance. The full list of criteria is as follows:

1. Fence the area around the poultry house and provide water drainage.
2. The outdoor run, if one is provided, must be fenced off from the rest of the site.
3. Finish the poultry house itself with materials that are easy to clean.
4. Cover the floors with straw, sawdust or wood shavings.
5. Ventilation, at least natural ventilation, must always be provided.
6. Make feeders accessible to the birds, allowing 4–5 centimeters of feeder length for young birds and 7 centimeters for adults.
7. Drinkers must also provide a specific length: 1–3 centimeters per bird.

In addition to the above, remember to maintain a constant temperature around the clock. Initially, it must be no lower than 28 degrees; only later may it be reduced by 1–2 degrees per week. Lighting is another important requirement omitted from the list. Provide soft light that is not excessively bright. Remember that birds must be protected from drafts.

Buying the flock

Experienced broiler farmers know exactly which chicks to buy, but beginners should follow the principle that the younger the birds, the more profitable the business can be. The first weeks of a chick’s life are the most difficult rearing period, so chicks that have already passed this stage on another farm cost much more than newly hatched chicks.

A beginner may well say that buying older birds is better because it takes less effort, time and even money, but this is not the case. An inexperienced farmer must learn the art of rearing birds to understand independently exactly what needs to be done to increase profit.

Learning to rear chicks

There are generally two methods of running a home-based broiler-rearing business. Farmers in CIS countries, including Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and others, use them in roughly equal proportions. Their names already indicate what each involves. Let us examine them separately:

• Cage rearing: if a farmer has limited space, housing birds in cages is a good option, especially for meat broilers, which are very inactive. Cage housing makes it easier to monitor the flock, quickly identify potentially sick birds and isolate them promptly. This method allows approximately 18 chicks or 9 adult birds per square meter.
• Floor rearing: this method is commonly used for laying hens, but the housing temperature differs. As noted above, broilers must be kept at no less than 28 degrees, while temperatures should not exceed 35. Humidity must also remain stable at around 70%. Replace the straw litter whenever it becomes dirty or damp to prevent disease in the flock.

Decide which method to use in advance so that you have time to prepare. Generally, choosing one particular method does not increase or reduce income.

Buying equipment

To make broiler production truly profitable, remember to purchase equipment. The standard purchases are:

1. Jar drinkers.
2. Automatic feeders.
3. 100-watt heat lamps.
4. A ventilation system.
5. A feed storage compartment.
6. A fan heater and slatted floor for floor rearing.
7. A radiant heater and specialized cage batteries for cage rearing.

If you rear broilers from eggs at home, you need to buy an incubator with an independent power supply and its own ventilation system. Remember small items such as buckets, cleaning cloths and other supplies, as well as poultry medicines. Before purchasing any equipment, study reviews and the opinions of other farmers.

Planning the diet

During their first two weeks of life, chicks eat a specially prepared mixture, up to 10–25 grams per day, with the amount increased daily. Then, until they reach one month of age, they receive no more than 120 grams of this feed per day.

After that, up to two months of age, broilers need 140–160 grams of feed. If you do not want to use compound feed, the initial diet should consist of millet, grass and cooked meat, gradually adding vitamins in the form of pumpkin, potatoes and other vegetables. Remember to include green forage.

Recruiting staff

This business idea does not particularly require hiring other people, but employing a small team is worth considering for greater efficiency. You will need two poultry-house workers, a technician to supervise equipment operation and a person responsible for customer relations.

You can supervise the work yourself if you take responsibility for promoting the business and communicating with customers, as well as managing documentation and financial calculations. This will reduce wage costs.