Before you order chicks
- Do the free training. The Department of Animal Production runs poultry farming training. Register at your nearest District Animal Production Office with a certified copy of your Omang.
- Read the government’s technical guidelines for broiler production. They set out house sizes, equipment, feed quantities and a cost framework.
- Decide your batch size from your market, not your house. Start with a number you can sell within a week of reaching weight. One hundred birds is a common first batch.
- Line up feed, vaccines, litter and a buyer before the chicks are booked.
The house
Broilers need a dry, ventilated house with a solid floor covered in clean wood shavings, protected from rain, wind and predators. Allow enough floor space for the birds at finishing weight, not at day old. See the housing and equipment guide.
Brooding: the first two weeks
Chicks cannot control their own body temperature. The brooder area must be warmed before they arrive, with feed and water in place. Watch the birds: if they crowd together under the heat they are cold; if they spread to the edges and pant they are hot; if they are evenly spread they are comfortable. Keep fresh water available at all times.
Feed
Feed a starter, then grower, then finisher ration in sequence, following the feed manufacturer’s programme. Feed is the largest cost in broiler production. Never run out of feed; a day without feed is a setback the batch will not fully recover.
Health
Follow the vaccination schedule given by your hatchery and vet. Keep the house clean, restrict visitors, and remove dead birds promptly. See the vaccination and disease guide.
Selling
Broilers are usually sold live, or slaughtered and dressed, at around five to six weeks. Have your buyer confirmed before the birds reach weight. Extra days on feed cost money and the birds gain less each day.
Timing
Plan around chick supply. Day-old chicks are hardest to get around Easter and towards the end of the year when demand peaks. Book early for those periods.