Poultry business could be very lucrative and profitable if it is embarked upon with full information about the dos and don’ts of running it which ultimately secures the investors from pitfalls of the business.
Following are some of the dangers prospective poultry farmers must avoid in order to succeed in the venture.
1. Lack of feasibility study: Like in every other business, people wrongly assume that their enthusiasm for the particular line of business and available resources at their disposal are enough to succeed. This is a lethal error that has, over the years sounded the death knell of many businesses, poultry inclusive. You need a professional to carry out the study for you on the suitability of it in the intended location; its profitability prospect; market; capital; and other requirements.
2. Absence of business plan: Like the first point above, failure to prepare a realistic business plan before embarking on ventures has led to the premature death of such businesses. It’s like flying an aircraft without a compass- results will be catastrophic. Don’t commit such blunder. You can get a professional business manager or accountant to assist you in preparing one.
3. Starting without adequate skills: Poultry is a delicate venture because it has to do with fragile animals. The business is better run by trained animal scientists. If you are not one of them, receive adequate training from poultry firms which render such services before going into it. Failure to be properly groomed in the rudiments of its rearing could be lethal.
4. Wrong location: There are certain places where you should not locate your poultry farm. Due to the stench of its waste and several diseases of the birds which have been confirmed to be transferable to man, the state and community frown at locating it within or near residential areas. If you do so, in no time, petitions would start flying from your community, urging the authorities to wield the big stick on your farm, and that may end the business, losing totally, whatever you have invested in it.
5. Hygiene issue: Unlike farming in other animals, poultry farming demands more care and diligence in terms of hygiene. Their brooders, feeders and other containers will have to be cleaned regularly and disinfected, especially, before the arrival of day-old chicks. Failure to do so leads to heavy loss.
6. Temperature: The very young, especially, one-day-old ones are very fragile, hence, constantly need warm temperature to heat themselves against cold. The temperature has to be brought down gradually. Too low temperature make them gather near sources of heat, piling themselves up. This usually leads to large casualties.
7. Irregular supply of light: This should not be allowed to happen. There has to be constant light in the brooding room. Sudden darkness scares them, and this could lead to a stampede.
8. Inappropriate feeding: Extra care must be taken regarding their feeding. Chickens are in categories with different feeds. Wrong feeding could retard growth and productivity which would lead to constant economic loss.
9. Lack of constant veterinary care: This is most dangerous for poultry farms. Because, they are fragile species caged in a large population, they are prone to epidemic diseases capable of wiping them out at a go. An infected one could infect the whole population in no time. To ensure their well-being, the schedule of injecting medicines in their water must be strictly followed. So, don’t make a terrible mistake. Get veterinary doctors to look after them regularly.
10. Continued rearing after reaching harvest age: This lead to profit loss as the scale of feeds they consume at size 2 kg to 2.5 kg will be 10% of their body weight. At between 42 and 45 days, they are already at the harvest stage. So, sell them off before they start reducing your profit.
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