Poultry business is not all about raising broilers or layers from the day-old to maturity. It encompasses every other activity that has to do with birds. For instance, those people making poultry feeds are also poultry farmers, those who process live chickens to frozen chickens are poultry farmers. Another mistake people make in poultry business is that they want to handle almost all aspects of the business. They want to make their feeds themselves, raise the birds, process them, transport and market them all alone. But even if you don’t fear your inputs, fear for your life.
One beautiful aspect of poultry business is marketing. It’s often better to be a good marketer than be a producer. Wise people know that the closer you are to production, the higher your risks. Stay far from production especially if you don’t have full experience in poultry business. Marketers at times make more profit than the producers. Funny enough, a producer may use between 5-8 weeks to raise broilers (for example), but whatever the producer raises in this period can be marketed between 1-7 days and make more profits in a short period of time. Remember a marketer is not concerned with the mortality rate in your farm, he has nothing to do with your stress of brooding and the likes, his own is to get your net produce, sell them and go to other farmers like you to continue with his business.
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Another aspect of poultry business logistics. You can specialise in rendering logistics services to poultry farmers only. Logistics has always been a major problem in poultry business. Many farmers will need your services in moving day old chicks to their farms from the hatchery, in moving the eggs to the customers, in moving the mature broilers to the abattoir and so on. This business is also lucrative with less risk.
Processing of broiler meat is another great opportunity in poultry business. You don’t need to be a producer of broilers before you can sell frozen chicken. This business is very easy to establish especially when you tidy up your market before you start processing. It can also earn you profits much higher than accrues to the producer of the birds. Don’t forget you are also a poultry farmer when you are into this business.
There are also other opportunities across the value chains of poultry establishment, just look for where you fit in most and join. The most important factor is to make sure you know your target market. The wrong market gives bad customers who spoil businesses, laugh at your downfall and later admonish you to learn business more before jumping into it. Know yourself and your customers and be then a successful poultry farmer.
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