Present Costs & The best way to Time the Market – Justagric

Shopping for point-of-lay pullets on the proper age and the correct value can makes or breaks a layer flock. On this information, I’ll share what I’m seeing on the bottom: actual value bands, the place these numbers are coming from, and a sensible playbook for when to purchase (or wait). We’ll join the dots between maize and feed prices, egg-crate costs in Nigeria, illness headlines, and people too-good-to-be-true “POL at 14 weeks” adverts. By the top, you’ll know the present market value for point-of-lay pullets in Nigeria, how one can decide if now is an efficient entry, and the precise checks I take advantage of earlier than paying, plus ROI suggestions and a month-by-month shopping for calendar that can assist you hit peak demand.

What “Level-of-Lay” Actually Means (and the way to not get duped)

“Level-of-lay” isn’t a advertising phrase; it’s when a pullet’s physique has completed the final stretch of progress and is able to begin laying (then ramp rapidly to peak). With trendy brown layers, that readiness often falls between 18–22 weeks, and most strains hit 50 % manufacturing round 20–21 weeks. For instance, ISA Brown lists 145 days (about 20.7 weeks) to 50 % in its official product spec; Lohmann and Hy-Line give comparable home windows throughout their brown and white strains. These benchmarks are why shopping for “POL at 14–16 weeks” almost all the time means you’ll be feeding a pre-POL chicken a couple of extra weeks earlier than the primary egg.

What a prepared pullet seems to be and appears like

Stroll the pen and let the flock “discuss” to you. Birds shut to put develop full, heat, velvety combs and wattles with a wealthy pink colour; pale, cool, shrunken headgear often means off-lay or immature. College and welfare guides use the identical cues, they usually’re dependable when you’ve dealt with a couple of flocks.

Slip a hand underneath the tail (gently) and really feel the pelvis: the spacing between the 2 pubic bones, and the belly capability (pelvic width by keel-to-pubic distance) inform you how shut she is. Extension guides train it as “fingers’ width”, a 3-by-4-finger capability is basic in-lay, whereas a 1-by-2 is a decent, not-yet-laying stomach. Vent texture corroborates it: moist and oval in producers; dry, tight, small in non-layers.

On a moist afternoon, a real POL pen has a selected scent, clear feed and that heat “chicken” scent, however not the sharp, stale word you get when too many under-aged pullets are crowded and stressed. Belief your nostril and your fingers.

Don’t decide on calendar age alone; weight and uniformity are the actual gates. Lohmann’s body-weight desk places 18-week pullets about 1.49 kg (vary 1.45–1.54 kg) and 19-week about 1.56 kg, which is a strong reality-check if a vendor swears a lightweight chicken is “POL.” Hy-Line emphasizes stimulating flocks into lay solely at goal physique weight with robust uniformity. Their industrial guides purpose for at the very least 85 % of birds inside plus or minus 10 % of the typical, and word that at the very least 90 % uniformity at POL correlates with finest manufacturing.

The pelvic-spacing check (and why it really works)

You’ll see yard discussion board variations of this check, however the Extension methodology is the gold normal: measure pelvic-to-pelvic and keel-to-pelvic along with your fingers. As birds strategy lay, the pelvis widens and softens to go an egg. That’s why 2 or extra finger pelvic spacing (usually heading to three) plus a 4-finger keel hole factors to in-production standing; 1–2 fingers often means not but. Preserve your comparisons inside the similar flock and breed, Leghorns aren’t Orpingtons.

A real POL lot ought to include rearing information: weekly weights in opposition to breeder targets, vaccination schedule (Marek’s at hatch; NDV, IB, IBD or Gumboro, AE, and Fowl Pox throughout rearing), and any beak-treat dates. If the information present birds have been underneath goal at 8 or 14 weeks, anticipate a later onset of lay. If lighting was elevated early, you danger small, precocious birds that peak poorly.

Uniformity

On farm, don’t eyeball one or two “present birds.” Random-weigh 30–60 pullets (a fish scale and fabric sling work high quality), compute the typical and uniformity (share inside plus or minus 10 % of the typical). If you happen to’re beneath about 80–85 % uniform, anticipate uneven onset of lay and extra administration work. If you happen to’re north of 90 %, you’re shopping for a workforce that can hit peak collectively.

Pink flags for 2 widespread issues: “pre-POL” and “spent hens”

Pre-POL offered as POL: birds are mild for age, combs nonetheless pale and funky, pelvis tight, and information present under-weight curves. You’ll feed further weeks earlier than first eggs, price range it. Lohmann additionally warning that birds can lose as much as 15 % physique weight throughout transport; reweigh after a day of feed and water earlier than you decide harshly.

Spent hens handed as POL: older hens usually present bleached shanks and beaks from months of previous manufacturing, worn plumage, and will re-pigment after a molt. Extension judging manuals clarify pigment loss and return timing and the way vent, comb situation, and pelvic unfold separate an energetic layer from a retired one. If you happen to see very massive, tough scales and absolutely bleached shanks alongside a drained, dry comb, you’re seemingly taking a look at a past-production hen, not a contemporary pullet.

Learn Extra: Care And Management Of Laying Birds For Better Egg Production

Worth Ranges & The place to Purchase Level-of-lay Pullet In Nigeria

If you happen to’re procuring at this time, anticipate point-of-lay pullets (POL) price to cluster between ₦5,200 and ₦7,500 per chicken, with the decrease half widespread on classifieds and farm-to-farm offers, and the higher half typical of retail or e-commerce or youthful “pre-POL” ages bundled with supply. retail benchmark is ISA Brown POL, which persistently vary between ₦6,200–₦7,500. On the spot market, Jiji adverts regularly put up ₦5,200–₦6,000 for “Level of Lay” birds, with precise value relying on age and distance. You’ll additionally see aggregator or supplier pages promoting 12–13-week “level of cage” at round ₦6,100. Be aware that 12–13 weeks is pre-POL, so that you’ll nonetheless feed for a couple of weeks earlier than first egg.

Who sells what (and the way every channel costs)

Retail or e-commerce (curated inventory, clearer phrases): Platforms like Justagric Agros listing POL by pressure with age choices (12–16 weeks), supply timelines, and safe-payment steerage. You pay a premium for service and logistics, however you often get traceability and after-sales assist.

Sellers or aggregators (hybrid): Websites corresponding to Poultry Plaza consolidate provide and typically promote early-age tons like “12–13 weeks level of cage” at about ₦6,100. That may be a good value if you happen to plan to acclimatize birds in your farm earlier than lay. Simply price range feed for the additional weeks and confirm vaccination historical past.

Marketplaces and classifieds (finest money costs, highest variance): On Jiji, you’ll discover nationwide suppliers posting “POL” at ₦5,200–₦6,000 and regional sellers quoting increased the place demand is tight. Latest examples embrace ₦7,500 for 17-week pullets in Jos (Plateau) and ₦7,450 in Mararaba or Abuja, each labelled as POL or near-POL. These present how location, age, and vendor status push quotes up or down.

How I vet sellers on marketplaces (so that you don’t get burned)

I deal with classifieds like a farm gate with a crowd; nice offers, blended high quality. Begin with the platform’s personal Security Suggestions: examine suggestions, keep away from prepayments, meet in a public place or insist on cost on supply, and examine birds earlier than cash adjustments fingers.

For social proof, I additionally scan purchaser feedback and impartial warnings. Sure, there are rip-off tales, and the widespread thread is paying forward or skipping inspection. After I should reserve inventory, I ship a token solely to a registered enterprise with references after which full cost after on-site checks (comb and wattle, pelvic spacing, weights, vaccination log).

When value bands drift (and why that issues for timing)

Even in the identical week, Lagos can value increased than Ibadan for a similar age due to freight and demand density. Abuja usually floats increased nonetheless when close by farms are restocking. Classifieds will present a ₦5,200 teaser proper beside a ₦7,500 near-POL itemizing as a result of the ages and logistics aren’t the identical product. That is additionally why retail catalogues can look expensive till you think about supply home windows, verified rearing, and secure cost.

Timing the Market

Layers don’t care about college resumption dates, however your egg prospects do. In Nigeria, time period resumptions sometimes cluster round early September, early January, and late April. That’s when boarding homes, cafeterias, and bakeries normalize their orders after holidays, and tray turnover companies up. My rule is straightforward: purpose for first egg 2–4 weeks earlier than these dates so that you’re promoting into strengthening demand, not chasing it.

I nonetheless keep in mind off-loading a batch at daybreak the final week of August, mist clinging to the run, the faint yeasty scent from a close-by bakery drifting in, realizing these birds would hit 10–20 % lay simply as faculties reopened. The consumers didn’t haggle a lot that week; they’d menus to plan.

Let feed and grain lead you (as a result of they do)

Maize is the metronome. When maize softens, feed mills quote decrease, egg costs cool a bit, and POL costs are likely to ease with a lag. BusinessDay tracked a couple of 33 % maize slide between February and June 2025 (₦600,000 to ₦450,000 per MT) and, two weeks later, reported Lagos crate costs down about 10 %, with Abuja easing towards ₦5,800 per crate. That’s the precise sequence I’ve seen on farms: feed first, eggs second, POL final. Preserve a weekly eye on maize and crate costs.

You possibly can sanity-check with different trackers, however be choosy with sources. I deal with non-public dashboards as directional and main dailies as decision-grade.

Illness and motion danger

HPAI (chicken flu) is the one exterior shock that may flip a free market tight in a single day. WHO flagged confirmed HPAI instances in Kano in January 2025 with hundreds of suspect instances; NVRI has chronicled the broader multi-year wave. In follow, outbreaks imply culls, motion controls, and fewer high quality pullets reaching metropolis consumers. After I see verified HPAI studies in producing states, I lock in POL earlier if my homes are prepared, higher a barely increased value than stock-outs mid-season.

Logistics, gas and FX

Transport is the quiet tax on each crate and each pullet. Diesel costs rose about 85 % year-on-year into mid-2024, and the post-subsidy period has stored street prices elevated. In plain phrases: Lagos quotes carry a logistics premium; Abuja and Nasarawa hall usually costs increased when close by farms restock; farther-flung presents look low-cost till you add haulage and losses. If diesel and petrol headlines flip ugly, I cease ready for an ideal value and purchase good inventory once I can confirm age and uniformity.

How I really time purchases (step-by-step)

Step 1: Map your demand window. Pull your consumers’ calendars (faculties, bakeries, catering shoppers) and align with public time period dates. Goal first eggs 2–4 weeks earlier than resumption or festive peaks (December or Easter). In case your consumers are retail households, December is all the time noisier.

Step 2: Monitor two numbers weekly. Maize (₦ per MT) and crate eggs in your nearest metropolis market. If maize falls for 3 or extra weeks and crates soften, bid patiently. If maize bounces and eggs agency up, advance your POL purchase by 2–3 weeks.

Step 3: Layer illness and diesel. A verified HPAI cluster or a gas spike strikes me from “wait” to “purchase now” if homes are prepared. The money circulate misplaced to stock-outs often dwarfs the few hundred naira saved per pullet by ready.

Step 4: Align biology with the clock. Keep in mind: true POL is eighteen–22 weeks. If a vendor presents 14–16 weeks at a reduction, value in 2–6 weeks of feed earlier than first egg.

Do you have to purchase point-of-lay pullets or rear day-old chicks?

Shopping for point-of-lay pullets (POL) offers you eggs (and money) virtually instantly, assuming the birds are really 18–22 weeks and heading in the right direction weight. Rearing day-old chicks (DOC) ties up money for 4–5 months in feed, warmth, vaccination, and labour, however you management the rearing and might typically land a decrease per-bird value at POL age. In follow, your resolution hinges on three numbers you may confirm at this time: day-old chicks price, feed value into 18–20 weeks, and what eggs promote for in your market over the subsequent 60–90 days.

• DOC value (Nigeria, Aug 2025): farmer teams and hatchery pre-booking posts put ISA Brown pullet DOC at about ₦1,700–₦1,750 per chick.
• Feed value anchors (25 kg retail): current on-line listings present grower mash round ₦18,070–₦18,690 per bag; layer mash round ₦19,660–₦20,760 per bag (model and retailer range). That’s roughly ₦720–₦830 per kg.
• Egg costs (to worth your first months of lay): surveys in late July and early August present Lagos crates about ₦5,400 and Abuja about ₦5,800, reflecting the maize-driven easing we’ve seen.

Respected layer guides put 50 % lay at about 144–145 days (20–21 weeks) for contemporary browns (Hy-Line or ISA). That’s why shopping for “POL” youthful than 18 weeks solely is sensible if you happen to’ve costed the additional feed to first egg.

The Value Breakdown

You don’t want a spreadsheet to border the choice; a couple of defensible benchmarks will do:

1. Cumulative feed to POL: industrial pullets sometimes eat 6.0–7.0 kg from hatch to 17–18 weeks. Multiply that by your present ₦/kg feed value to get a per-bird feed invoice into POL.
2. Feed value per kg: divide the bag value by 25. For instance, Topfeeds layer mash ₦19,659 ÷ 25 kg, ₦786/kg; Chikun Layer-1 ₦20,757 ÷ 25 kg, ₦830/kg; grower mash ₦18,070–₦18,690 ÷ 25 kg, ₦723–₦748/kg.
3. DOC + rearing inputs you may’t skip: vaccination applications (Marek’s at hatch; NDV, IB, IBD or Gumboro, AE, Fowl Pox at set ages) are normal. Issue brooding warmth (fuel, electrical, or charcoal), litter, and labour.

Labored instance (200 birds), with at this time’s costs

Let’s assume you should purchase verified 19–20 week POL at ₦5,700 every, or rear DOC to POL utilizing present retail feed costs.

Choice A: Purchase POL now

• Fowl value: 200 × ₦5,700 = ₦1,140,000 (up-front).
• Days to cashflow: 0–30 days (assuming birds are really POL).
• Early lay income (first 30 days): In case your flock averages 40–50 % lay whereas ramping, and Lagos eggs common ₦180 every (₦5,400 per 30), income of ₦432,000–₦540,000 for 30 days.
• Feed in lay: Hy-Line reveals about 110.7 g/day per chicken throughout 18–90 weeks. At ₦786/kg, that’s ₦17,400/day for 200 birds, ₦522,000 over 30 days. You possibly can see why month one is tight until your common lay pushes previous 50 % or your egg value is Abuja-like. As peak (85–95 %) arrives, margin widens sharply.

Choice B: Rear DOC to POL

• DOC: 200 × ₦1,700 ≈ ₦340,000.
• Feed to 18–20 weeks: 6.0–7.0 kg × ₦723–₦830/kg = ₦4,336–₦5,812 per chicken, that’s ₦867,000–₦1.16m for 200 birds.
• Different rearing prices: vaccines, warmth/vitality, litter, mortality allowance (good applications nonetheless plan 2–4 % in rearing).

What meaning in at this time’s market: whenever you add DOC + feed, your all-in value at POL age can land in the identical ₦6,500–₦7,500 window many sellers are quoting for prepared POL. That’s why POL might be the smarter cashflow selection when maize or feed are agency, however DIY rearing wins if you happen to’ve secured cheaper feed otherwise you worth whole management (and might hit weight targets on time).

Sensitivity that truly strikes your ROI

• Maize/feed drift: If feed slips one other ₦1,000–₦1,500 per 25 kg, your rearing value to POL drops ₦240–₦360 per chicken (at 6–7 kg). Conversely, a feed rebound can erase the DIY benefit.
• Egg value band: At ₦5,400 per crate (₦180 per egg), 200 birds want about 97–100 eggs/day (≈50 % lay) to cowl feed alone at typical retail costs. At ₦5,800 per crate that breakeven drops a bit. This is the reason hitting true POL issues, shopping for 14–16 week “POL” simply provides further feed weeks earlier than income.
• Uniformity & age verification: off-weight birds delay peak and burn feed. Administration guides are clear: don’t stimulate till body-weight targets are met; purpose for top uniformity to hit peak collectively.

Nigerian farmers recurrently evaluate the 2 routes. In threads the place DOC-to-POL prices are itemized, posters warn that pre-POL feed provides up rapidly and that vaccination or brooding shortcuts “present up” later as delays to first egg. Others word they’ll pay a premium for verified 18–20 week inventory to guard cashflow into school-term and December peaks. Deal with discussion board numbers as directional, however the sample matches the formal knowledge above.

Learn extra: Which Bird Fits Your Budget? Prices & Feed Needs Compared (Nigeria)

Due diligence earlier than you pay

Begin with the paperwork, it tells you the story earlier than the birds do. Ask for 3 issues earlier than you permit dwelling: a pressure/age assertion, weekly rearing information (weights versus breeder targets), and a vaccination log. Rearing information ought to present body-weight progress towards the breeder’s targets. For contemporary browns that’s roughly 1.58 kg by 17 weeks (Hy-Line Brown desk), with days-to-50 % lay about 144–145 from hatch.

If the sheet reveals birds considerably underneath goal at 14–17 weeks, anticipate a later onset of lay. For the vaccine log, search for a traditional commercial-layer program: Marek’s at day-old, a number of NDV/IB rounds, IBD (Gumboro) in rearing, then AE and Fowl Pox by 10–12 weeks (applications range by area; confirm domestically).

On-site, show the age and readiness (don’t purchase “labels”)

I work by the pen with a easy circulate: headgear, weight, uniformity, stomach/pelvis, pigment.

Headgear and maturity cues. POL birds in the correct window (18–22 weeks) present reddening and growth of combs and wattles as they strategy sexual maturity. Mix that with the breeder’s 50 % lay timing (ISA about 145 days) to sanity-check claims.

Weigh and examine in opposition to targets. Don’t eyeball “present birds.” Individually weigh an actual pattern, finest follow is about 100 birds distributed by the home, then evaluate the typical to the pressure desk. Hy-Line’s normal reveals 17-week physique weight 1,485–1,590 g for Brown Business. In case your pattern averages far beneath that, you’re shopping for pre-POL even when the advert says in any other case.

Uniformity issues as a lot as the typical. A robust flock hits breeder targets collectively. Hy-Line requires at the very least 85 % of birds inside plus or minus 10 % of the typical in develop, rising to about 90 % by week 17. Poor uniformity means a ragged ramp to peak and wasted feed. If you happen to can’t weigh 100, at the very least pattern extensively and calculate the % inside plus or minus 10 %.

Belly capability and pelvic spacing (the 30-second hand examine). Extension judging manuals train a constant methodology: assess width between the pubic bones and depth from pubic bones to the keel utilizing your fingers. A wider, deeper, softer stomach signifies present or near-term manufacturing; a decent, shallow stomach suggests not but. Use this alongside weight and age, don’t depend on any single cue.

Pigment “bleaching” and spent-hen tells. With yellow-skinned strains, pigment bleaches in a hard and fast order as hens lay: vent, eye ring, ear lobe, beak, backside of foot, shanks, hock/high of toes. Birds which have regained pigment on this sequence are seemingly post-production/molted. Use this to protect in opposition to spent hens handed as POL, particularly when the value appears too good.

Weights can dip after transport from dehydration and stress. Hy-Line notes about 10–12 % loss at switch is feasible. When birds arrive late, I re-weigh after 18–24 hours with water and feed earlier than ultimate judgment. If the flock bounces again to focus on, it’s a superb lot that simply had an extended haul.

I scan for respiratory indicators, exterior parasites, and leg/foot situation whereas dealing with for the pelvic check. The vaccine log ought to map to a neighborhood commercial-layer program: Marek’s at hatch; repeated NDV/IB; IBD in rearing; AE/Fowl Pox at about 10–12 weeks; plus native additions suggested by your vet. I don’t purchase tons that may’t produce a dated log masking these fundamentals.

Contract phrases that defend you (and the way I write them)

I ask for a brief, sensible clause proper on the bill: “Time-to-first-egg inside 14 days (plus or minus) on normal layer ration for verified 18–20 week birds; if not, low cost ₦___ per chicken or feed complement for ___ days.”

Pink flags I deal with as deal-breakers

• No rearing information or vaccine log “to be despatched later.”
• Age mismatch (mild frames versus claimed weeks; under-developed headgear for purported POL).
• Uniformity beneath about 80–85 % inside plus or minus 10 % at 16–17 weeks.
• Pigment patterns per spent hens (returning colour within the face or vent area).

When the truck rolls up and the birds settle, I randomly pull and weigh about 100 throughout the home (or as many as sensible), compute common and % inside plus or minus 10 %, do 10 fast belly/pelvic checks, and scan for vaccine wing-web scars (fowl pox or AE) as corroboration with the log. If the numbers line up with the breed’s requirements and the paperwork is tight, I shut. If not, I both renegotiate (pre-POL value with feed credit score) or go. Hy-Line’s targets and the uniformity objectives provide you with arduous numbers to level to in that dialog.

Worth map (August 2025): Nigeria snapshots you may really confirm

I constructed this city-by-city snapshot from present retail pages and reside market posts. Deal with it as a sanity examine for quotes you’re getting at this time, not a hard and fast tariff. Age, pressure, and supply distance will slide a value up or down.

The best way to learn this

• Age is what the vendor states. Something underneath 18 weeks is pre-POL—price range 2–6 further weeks of feed earlier than first egg.
• Supply sort tells you what sort of vendor you’re coping with. Retail pages usually embrace safe-payment or escrow; classifieds require your on-site checks (see Part 5).
• Final seen is once I pulled the itemizing (Africa/Lagos time).

Incessantly Requested Questions About Level of Lay Pullets

1. What precisely is a “point-of-lay pullet,” and at what age ought to I purchase?

“Level-of-lay” means a pullet is biologically prepared to start laying and ramp rapidly to peak. For contemporary browns like ISA Brown and Hy-Line Brown, the pressure guides put 50 % manufacturing at about 144–145 days (20–21 weeks) underneath normal administration. So “true POL” often sits 18–22 weeks, not 14–16. ISA’s official web page lists 145 days to 50 %; Hy-Line’s normal reveals 144 days and about 1.49–1.58 kg by week 17 relying on line.

2. How a lot is a point-of-lay pullet in Nigeria proper now?

Latest retail pages present ₦6,200–₦7,500 for ISA Brown POL, with safe-payment and supply choices. On classifieds like Jiji, you’ll usually see ₦5,200–₦6,000 for “POL,” however lots of these advertisements are youthful, pre-POL ages (you’ll feed extra weeks earlier than first egg). All the time confirm the acknowledged age and physique weight earlier than paying.

3. I preserve seeing “12–16 weeks” marketed as POL. Is that legit?

No. At 12–16 weeks, most birds are pre-POL, you’re paying to complete rearing. Some Nigerian sellers label “level of cage (12–13 weeks)” to imply “prepared for cages” fairly than prepared to put. That may be a superb purchase if you happen to value in 2–6 weeks of feed and confirm vaccination information, however it’s not the identical as 18–20-week POL.

4. The place can I purchase point-of-lay pullets, and the way do I keep away from getting scammed?

For retail or e-commerce, Justagric Agros lists age variants and presents safe-payment plus supply home windows. For classifieds, observe security suggestions strictly: keep away from sending prepayments, examine first, and pay on possession. I deal with market listings as leads, then confirm age, weight, and vaccines on farm.

5. What ought to the vaccination log present by point-of-lay?

A commercial-layer program usually contains Marek’s at day-old, repeated Newcastle (NDV) and Infectious Bronchitis (IB) doses throughout rearing, Infectious Bursal Illness (IBD or Gumboro), and Avian Encephalomyelitis (AE) plus Fowl Pox round 10–12 weeks (native vets could add region-specific vaccines). All the time ask for dated information.

6. How do I confirm a chicken is really close to lay once I’m on-site?

Use a fast five-point examine: comb and wattle pink and heat, physique weight close to the pressure goal, uniformity excessive (85–90 % inside plus or minus 10 % of common), belly capability and pelvic spacing widened and delicate, and vent moist and oval. Poultry judging manuals present precisely how one can assess pelvic spacing and the basic order of pigment loss in energetic layers.

7. May a vendor go off spent hens as POL? What are the tells?

Sure, it occurs. Study the pigment timeline: in yellow-skinned strains, pigment bleaches so as vent, eye ring, ear lobe, beak, toes and shanks whereas laying, then re-pigments after molt. Mix that with a dry, tight vent and tough plumage, and also you’re seemingly taking a look at a post-production hen, not contemporary POL.

8. What number of eggs ought to I anticipate within the first month after POL?

Count on a ramp, not an immediate peak. Pressure guides place 50 % lay at about 20–21 weeks. Flocks sometimes climb from first eggs into the 50–70 % vary over a number of weeks earlier than pushing towards 95 % peak later. Your early-month totals depend upon age reality, physique weight, uniformity, and stress at switch.

9. Do transport and stress sluggish the onset of lay?

They’ll. Hy-Line notes about 10–12 % body-weight loss at switch is widespread, principally from diminished water consumption. I re-weigh birds 18–24 hours after arrival (with water and feed) earlier than judging the lot; a superb flock rebounds rapidly.

10. Why are POL costs completely different in Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan, and many others.?

Two causes: logistics and native demand. Delivered costs monitor diesel and haulage. Nigeria’s official stats positioned common diesel at ₦1,813.81 per litre in June 2025, up sharply year-on-year, which flows into the chicken value. Native demand (like college resumption cycles) and vendor status additionally nudge quotes.

11. What’s the neatest time of yr to purchase point-of-lay pullets?

Work backward from demand. In Lagos, for instance, college resumption falls in September, with different phrases in January and April. Purpose for first eggs 2–4 weeks earlier than these dates so that you’re promoting into rising demand. If you happen to promote primarily to households and bakeries, December additionally issues, plan the identical means.

12. Ought to I purchase POL now or rear day-old chicks (DOC) to economize?

Run the numbers in your inputs. Hy-Line’s normal reveals about 6.07 kg feed consumed to 17 weeks. Multiply that by your feed value per kg, add DOC value, vaccines, warmth, litter, labour, and mortality, then evaluate to a verified 18–20-week POL quote. When feed is agency and also you want cashflow quickly, POL usually wins. When feed softens and your brooding is tight, rearing can land cheaper.

13. What’s the distinction between “level of lay” and “level of cage” I see on Nigerian websites?

“Level of lay” means birds are prepared to start out laying (18–22 weeks with weight and information to match). “Level of cage” is a supplier time period for youthful pullets (usually 12–13 weeks) which might be able to be housed in layer cages however not but laying. If you happen to select “level of cage,” price range further feed weeks and examine the vaccination log.

14. Does bird-flu (HPAI) information change once I should purchase?

It will possibly. Confirmed HPAI instances in Kano in early 2025 and recurrent outbreaks documented by NVRI present the sample. Outbreaks can set off culls, motion limits, and tighter provide, which frequently lifts POL costs. If credible HPAI notices hit a supplying state and your homes are prepared, it’s usually smarter to purchase earlier fairly than danger stock-outs.

Conclusion

“Level-of-lay” ought to imply birds are genuinely on the cusp of manufacturing, about 18–22 weeks, aligning with trendy pressure specs that hit 50 % lay at about 144–145 days. Something marketed at 12–16 weeks is admittedly pre-POL; some sellers label this “level of cage,” which is okay if you happen to’ve priced the additional feed weeks to first egg. Costs transfer with age, channel, and market alerts. ISA Brown POL value ranges between ₦6,200–₦7,500. Market or spot listings usually sit decrease, many present posts present round ₦5,700–₦5,900 for “POL,” although youthful ages are widespread and ought to be handled as pre-POL in your math.