Livestock farming is becoming more popular in Nigeria today. With a lot of people looking to venture into this industry, this post takes a look at how much it costs to rear broilers in Nigeria. Here, we will focus on the cost of rearing 500 broilers in Nigeria today.

Cost of Rearing 500 Broilers in Nigeria

Diving into livestock farming is not a big deal on its own. When it comes to taking care of these broilers though, there are many things involved. To help plan properly, it is always very essential to estimate how much it will cost to raise the number of broilers you are looking at rearing.

In this section, we will be looking at how much it would typically cost to rear 500 broilers in Nigeria today. We will also take a look at some other factors that can impact the estimated amount.

Buying the Broiler 

The first step to take is getting the broiler. If you are looking at rearing broilers in Nigeria, then you have to look at purchasing a number of a year old broilers. It should be noted that there is no fixed amount for a day old broiler. The same broiler that costs, say, N400 in Lagos could cost less than N300 in other parts of the country.

Location and period of purchase are common factors that affect how much a day old broilers go for. Generally, a day old broilers cost between N250 and N350. For the purpose of this post, we will assume a day old broiler costs N300.

It should also be noted that the more number of broilers you buy, the cheaper they get. If one one-day-old broiler costs N300, then we expect 500 one day old broilers to cost N150, 000. It is however safe to budget this a little lower as we expect the seller to give a slight discount, considering the number.

Housing 

Now that you have gotten the broilers, then next thing is to house them. In fact, this plan should have been in place way before you buy the broilers so as not to be stranded. While this might not come as a problem to those that are already into the business, it might pose little challenge to those that just dived into the sector.

Just like in many other cases, the amount you will budget for housing the broilers depend on the location of the farm and the prices of other materials that will be required to set up the cage. You should expect to spend between N150, 000 – N300, 000, depending on how you want the cage to look, how sophisticated and comfortable you want it to be, and how spacious you want the cage to be.

While you are considering the budget, you should also have it in mind that the environmental conditions around the cage setup matters. For instance, you wouldn’t want to get a place that is very moist, neither would you want to get a place that has harsh weather condition. Make sure the broilers would be able to grow comfortable in the selected farm.

You should also consider the space. As the broilers grow, which we expect them to, they will require more space. All these should be put in mind while estimating the cost around housing. Also, you should make sure the cage is light enough for one to be able to monitor the broilers at night. This is particularly important because, at this stage, they require proper and close monitoring.

Feeding

This is one of the most important factors to estimate for when you are planning to start a broiler rearing business. Feeds for broilers come in three different types.

The starter is the kind fed to the broilers when they are just growing. Naturally, the starters are recommended as the best kind of feed for broilers that a few days and a week old. This sets them in place for proper development.

The grower feeds help the broilers grow healthily in no time. The finisher feeds are also great for the development of the broilers. Hence, it is essential to combine these feed categories for all-round development.

Usually, 1 bag of Starter feed, which weighs about 25 kg, costs between N4, 970 – N5, 200; finishers cost between N5, 760 – N6, 500 per 25 kg bag; while growers cost between N5, 000 – N7, 000 per 25 kg bag. Based on estimation, we expect 500 broilers to require at least 38 – 40 bags of starters, 60 bags of growers, and about 75 to 78 finisher feeds.

Based on this estimation the starter will cost between N198, 800 – N208, 000, the grower will cost between N200, 000 – N280, 000, while the finisher, could cost N230, 400 – N260, 000. Based on the estimate, you can expect to spend between N500, 000 – N800, 000 to feed the broilers for a number of months.

Drugs and Vaccination

While you plan for feeding and housing the boilers, it is also very essential to plan for drugs and vaccination. Broilers that are a few days old are more prone to diseases, and hence, it is essential for the farmer to be vigilant and ready for cases like this. You do not have to budget big for this. One can estimate anything between N20, 000 – N35, 000 for vaccination and drugs.

Based on the detailed estimation above, it is clear that raring 500 broilers does not come so cheap. One should estimate between N800, 000 – N1.5 million, depending on the location. Although it is very possible to spend way less than this estimate, it is a convenient group to plan with.