Starting a poultry farm in Abuja has become a trend recently, because of the need for chicken meat in hotels and restaurants in the city.
- What is poultry farming?
- Why poultry farming is popular in Abuja
- Ways to make money with poultry farming in Abuja
- Cost of Starting a Poultry Farm in Abuja (2025 Estimate)
- Cost factors
- Sample budget for broiler farming (100 Birds)
- Sample budget for layers farming (100 Birds)
- Step-by-Step Guide to Starting a Poultry Farm in Abuja
- Profitability Analysis
- Best Markets to Sell Poultry Products in Abuja
- Challenges of Poultry Farming in Abuja (and Solutions)
- Common Mistakes New Farmers Make
- Conclusion
Abuja is the capital city of Nigeria and it’s a very busy city with a population of approximately 4 million people according to world population review, and this is an estimated figure after the official figure of 1.4 million from the 2006 census conducted across the country.
So the population growth and the high demand for meat and eggs in restaurants and hotels has made poultry farming a very profitable agribusiness in the city of Abuja.
In this article, I have taken my time to research and bring you a step-by-step process of poultry farming for those who want to venture into it but do not know how to start.
This is not a guarantee, so before you take any actions on investing money, do your own research properly because my article is only for educational purposes and should never be considered financial advice, as such I won’t be liable for your loss if things go wrong.
What is poultry farming?
Poultry farming can be defined as the practice of rearing domestic birds for the primary purposes of getting eggs or meat production.
The examples of birds that can be raised in this way are chickens (broilers, layers and cockerels), turkey, quail and ducks. They are raised in a hygienic and conducive environment to prevent mortality and the spread of communicable diseases.
Why poultry farming is popular in Abuja
Many people have ventured into poultry farming as an agribusiness, making it very popular in the Abuja city today. The reasons for the popularity are;
- Proximity to the premium market: farmers are supplying the meat or eggs directly to hotels, big restaurants and ceremonies where meat is required in a large quantity.
- High consumer demand: apart from supplying meat and eggs to hotels and restaurants, families are also in need of the meat especially during festivals like Christmas, New Year, Easter and Sallah celebrations.
- Government support for agribusiness: oftentimes the government supports agribusiness with training and grants, farming poultry which is always an eligible agribusiness for the government support, may help you access the support easily.
Ways to make money with poultry farming in Abuja
One of the aims of farming poultry in Abuja is to make money, and to achieve this successfully I will be to taking you through the ways involved. Below are ways of making money from poultry farming in Abuja;
- Broilers for meat production: broilers are mostly used for the production of meat. Their maturity period ranges from six to eight weeks depending on how they are fed. This means your investment may bring fast return within a short time. Broilers can be sold as processed meat or live depending on the choice of the farmer.
- Layers for egg production: layers are good for commercial farming because the farmer keeps selling eggs for as long as they keep laying and when they can no longer lay eggs, they are sold as meat too. So layers are good especially for daily income streams.
- Hatchery and chicks supply: you can as well be hatching and selling day-old chicks to others who also want to start the farm. If you do not know how to hatch, then hire a professional.
- Feed production and reselling: even if you do not have a poultry farm you can also get involved in the chain by either producing or reselling poultry feeds to farmers.
- Poultry manure sales: as a poultry farmer, another way to make money from your farm is to gather all the poultry faeces and sell them as organic fertilizer to crop farmers.
- Training and consultancy services: as experienced farmers, you can be making money by training others who want to start their own poultry farming.
From my own research, the above listed are the ways one may be able to make substantial income from poultry farming in Abuja.
Cost of Starting a Poultry Farm in Abuja (2025 Estimate)
The cost involved in starting a poultry farm in Abuja depends on many factors such as the location of the farm, the type of birds you want to raise in your farm and the number of birds you want to start with.
The figures I will be mentioning below are estimates and may not be exactly the amounts involved in the processes, so kindly do your own on-site consultation with farmers in the area you want to situate your farm.
Cost factors
Below are the factors to be considered in estimating the cost of starting a poultry farm in Abuja;
- Land
- Equipment
- Housing
- Chicks
- Feed
- Vaccination
- Labour
Sample budget for broiler farming (100 Birds)
Below is the estimated budget for raising 100 broilers on a 50 x 50 plot of land in the Bwari area of Abuja;
| Item | Description | Cost (₦) |
|---|---|---|
| Land (50 × 50 plot) | Purchase of land | 1,500,000 |
| Equipment | Broiler farm equipment | 500,000 |
| Day-Old Chicks | 100 chicks @ ₦700 each | 70,000 |
| Feed | 6 bags | 150,000 |
| Vaccination | Vaccines & medications | 20,000 |
| Labour | Workers’ wages | 100,000 |
| Total Estimated Cost | 2,340,000 | |
Sample budget for layers farming (100 Birds)
Rearing layers is more expensive than broilers because it takes over six months before they are finally sold out after they have stopped laying eggs. So their feeding for six months is far more than that of broilers that can be sold after eight weeks.
Below is a tabulated estimate for raising 100 layers on a 50 x 50 plot in Bwari area of Abuja;
| Item | Description | Cost (₦) |
|---|---|---|
| Land | 50 x 50 plot | 1,500,000 |
| Equipment | Feeders, drinkers, cages, etc. | 600,000 |
| Day-old Chicks | 100 chicks @ ₦1,500 each | 150,000 |
| Feed | 16 bags | 400,000 |
| Vaccination | Medication & vaccines | 50,000 |
| Labour | Staffing & support | 200,000 |
| Total Estimated Cost | 2,900,000 | |
Step-by-Step Guide to Starting a Poultry Farm in Abuja
To start a poultry farm in Abuja there are some key steps to follow which I will be highlighting below:
Step 1. Conduct market research: you have to first do market research to know where there is high demand and to determine which poultry type is in higher demand so that you may be able to decide which one to start.
Conduct market research in places like Wuse, Gwagwarada, Garki, Nyanya, Maitama, Kubwa, Dawaki, Dutse and Gudu.
Step 2. Choose your poultry niche: after market research, you have to decide either to raise broilers, layers, turkey, quail or ducks. It all depends on the findings of the market research you carried out previously.
Step 3. Find the right location: poultry don’t like much heat, so look for a location where there is adequate ventilation.
You can either purchase your own land and build from scratch or you can lease an existing one. The location should be where you can also have access to clean water.
Step 4. Build or Install Poultry Housing: now you can either buy already made housing or build your own. You may decide whether you want a battery cage system, deep litter system but make sure to adopt biosecurity measures.
Step 5. Purchase Quality Chicks: when buying Chicks for your farm, always ensure that they are disease-free in order to prevent mortality. Buy from reputable hatcheries so that you will be sure your Chicks are without defects.
Step 6. Feeding Plan: feeding in poultry begins right when the Chicks are a day old. Make feeding plans beginning with “Starter” for the first two weeks then change to “Grower” from the third to fifth weeks and thereafter use “Finisher” from the sixth week onward.
Step 7. Vaccination & Health Management: the safest way to prevent mortality in poultry farming is to adopt a vaccination method. Vaccinate your birds from the very first day that they are delivered to your farm. Vaccination prevents common diseases like newcastle disease, fowl pox, bursal disease, Marek’s disease, bronchitis, avian influenza, fowl cholera, coccidiosis, salmonella and egg drop syndrome can be prevented by vaccination.
Step 8. Record Keeping: keep records of all performance evaluation, financial tracking and even mortality rate.
Record keeping is very essential because at the end of every farming circle, you’ll be able to know how much you spent, how many bags of feeds the birds consumed, how many birds died and so on.
Profitability Analysis
Profitability here simply involves the calculation of mostly the key ratio such as the Return on Investment (ROI), the gross margin and net farm income can all be used as the metrics.
Key profitability metrics
- Gross margin: this is simply the total revenue generated minus all the total variables.
- Network farm income: when you have your gross margin, minus it with all expenses which should include fix variables like the labour and housing.
- Return on Investment (ROI): it is the measure of how capital is used efficiently. When you have a high rate of ROI means you have done a very profitable business.
Factors that may influence profitability are:
- Mortality rate: if you record any mortality rate whether high or low, it will definitely affect your profit. However, it is better to record a low mortality rate.
- Management practices: bad management practices may lead to losses, so you as a farmer must always ensure to adopt practices that are proven to have yielded profitable results rather than ‘trial and error’ process.
- Cost of production: if you spend high for production, your income may be affected badly. Experienced farmers bargain for prices, so ensure that you are spending for the cost of production within your estimate and budget.
- Production system: profitability may also be influenced by the type of production system adopted. Both the deep litter system and the battery cage system are all different by the costs of making them.
- Market fluctuation: when there is low demand the price may fall and it may affect the profitability of the overall business. Always survey the markets before making supplies.
If all of these factors are taken into account the risks of losses may be mitigated to the minimal level.
Best Markets to Sell Poultry Products in Abuja
Based on my research conducted physically in Abuja, the best markets in Abuja where you can be able to sell poultry produce are classified as follows;
Local markets
- Wuse
- Garki
- Kubwa
- Dei-Dei
- Nyanya
- Farmers market in Maitama
- Karumo
- Lugbe
Corporate buyers
- Hotels
- Restaurants
- Boarding schools
- Supermarkets
- Event caterers
Online sales
- WhatsApp business
- YouTube
- E-commerce e.g Jiji
Challenges of Poultry Farming in Abuja (and Solutions)
There is no business that is done without challenges, so poultry farming too has its own challenges. The following are some of the challenges faced by poultry farmers and their solutions:
- High cost of feed: presently feeds are sold at the cost of N25k whereas as it wasn’t like that in the past. To tackle this problem, do homemade feed for; your birds. You may read how to make homemade feed for poultry here.
- Disease outbreak: when there is an outbreak of disease, high mortality rate is recorded. To solve this problem, make sure you have vaccinated your birds against such diseases.
- Market competition: not only you is into poultry farming in Abuja, there are many people into the same business, so there must be competition. To stand out in the midst of your competitors, brand your meat and eggs. You may also reduce your prices a little.
- Financial constraints: lack of adequate capital is another problem facing poultry farming in Abuja. To solve this issue, take Bank loans, apply for government grants or borrow from family and friends. You may also join cooperative societies to access loans from financial institutions.
Common Mistakes New Farmers Make
Those who are starting the poultry farming newly may oftentimes make mistakes which could have negative impact on the entire agribusiness. The following are mistakes that new farmers make;
- Not keeping records: if you are not keeping a daily record of your farm, you may not be able to calculate the profit.
- Overcrowding the poultry house: birds generally do not like too much heat, so overcrowding them may cause a rise in the mortality rate.
- Underfeeding: domestic birds like broilers and layers like to be fed adequately for them to produce more meat and eggs.
- Ignoring vaccination schedules: vaccination is very important because you do not know when there will be a disease outbreak. Ignoring their vaccination schedules may expose them to the different diseases causing significant deaths.
- Poor marketing strategy: making profit from sales depends hugely on the marketing strategy you have used. So, poor marketing strategy may affect your overall agribusiness.
Conclusion
Poultry farming in Abuja is very profitable and this is why many people are venturing into it today. You must not start with 100 birds, but just start even with 10 and as you maintain good practices, your farm may expand overtime.
Disclaimer: this article is written solely for information and educational purposes, it should not be considered as an investment advice. Always do your own research or consult a financial or investment advisor before investing in anything posted on this website.
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