Agri-Business is doing extremely well in the Indian market these days and this is the field that will last forever in the market. Poultry farming is one of the fastest-growing and most profitable agri-business in the current Indian market scenario. Moreover, poultry business is the best idea for those who want to pursue a successful agri-business career in India.
Poultry farming is defined as ‘raising different types of domestic birds commercially for the purpose of meat, eggs and feather production’. However, poultry farming although sounds quite profitable, but a lot of people fail due to the lack of proper knowledge and business idea. Poultry farming has been in existence for long decades in the Indian market and you have more chances to gain profit in this business. We have analyzed it in detail and prepared some key secrets to enhance and master this business.
Major Benefits of Poultry Farming Business
Poultry farming business has plenty of benefits. Therefore, many farmers prefer to invest in this business.
You Can Start with a Very Less Amount:
The main benefit of poultry farming is that it doesn’t require high capital for starting. You just need basic capital to start raising poultry. Also, most of the poultry birds like chicken, hen are not expensive to start raising.
No Need for Bigger Space:
Poultry farming doesn’t need a big space unless you are going to start commercially. You can easily raise some birds on your own backyard with one or numerous coops or cages. Hence, if you are interested in poultry farming, then you can simply do it on your own backyard with several birds.
High Returns within Short Time:
Interestingly, commercial poultry farming business ensures a high return of investment within a very short time period. Few poultry birds such as broiler chickens take a shorter duration of time to mature and generating profit. Poultry products are not much expensive. It can be afforded by most of people.
No Need of High Maintenance:
High maintenance is not required in poultry farm structures. Also, you can minimize diseases and illness in poultry by following proper hygiene and care. Diseases are less in some poultry birds such as quails, turkeys, etc.
License not Compulsory:
It must be noted that, in most cases, you don’t need any license. As almost all types of poultry birds are domestic. Also getting a license from the relevant authority is also easy for poultry.
Huge Global Demand:
Poultry gives you fresh and nutritious food and has a huge global demand. Therefore, global consumers of poultry products prefer them due to their nutrients and freshness.
Easy Marketing:
Marketing poultry products is very easy. There is an established market for poultry products in almost all places of the world. So you can easily sell the products in your nearest local market.
Income & Employment Opportunities:
Poultry farming creates income and employment opportunities. Unemployed educated youth can easily make a great income by raising poultry commercially. Women and students can also do this business.
Easy Bank Loans:
Almost all banks approve loans for these types of business ventures. So, if you want to start this business commercially, then you can apply for poultry farming loans to your local banks.
Innovative & Latest Methods of Poultry Farming
Intensive & Free Range Poultry Farming:
According to the World watch institute, “Around 74% of total poultry meat and 68% of total poultry eggs are produced from intensive poultry farming method. Free-range farming is the other alternative method of intensive poultry farming. This method is used for a large number of poultry birds with high stocking density.
Some basic difference between intensive and free-range poultry farming is that intensive poultry farming method is a highly efficient system which saves, land, feed, labor, and other resources and increases production. Here, the poultry farming environment is fully controlled by the farmer. Therefore, it ensures continuous production throughout the year in any environment and season.
However, there are some disadvantages to Intensive poultry farming. Some people say the intensive system generates health risks, abuse the animals and harmful to the environment. On the other hand, the free-range poultry farming method requires a large place for raising the birds and the production is about the same as the intensive method. However, in the case of both intensive and free-range poultry farming methods, the producers must have to use nationally approved medications like antibiotics regularly to keep the poultry birds free from diseases.
Important Tricks to Remember for Poultry Farming
Start small in the beginning:
Don’t start large scale poultry farming if you are inexperienced in the market. For a business like poultry farming, you have to start small and then expand gradually as your business grows and demands your products increase. You should also do a proper feasibility study before you go into the business. If there are too many competitors or if the supply for poultry products exceeds the demand in your area, then look for somewhere else to start your business or look for another business to start. There are several other lucrative businesses in the livestock farming industry that you can consider.
Consider Meat Packaging and Production:
A lot of people get their poultry products from grocery stores and supermarkets. Very few people still buy live animals because they feel it is less stressful when you buy already packaged meat which you can use to make your meal in a few minutes. Therefore, you should really consider having your own meat production and packaging business to sell the products from your farm.
Offer Mobile Sales and Delivery Services:
Twenty-four hours in a day is just not enough for most of us because of the kind of busy lives we lead. Now, imagine having to cook, shop for groceries, tend to the kids and do all sort of other house chores and still maintain a 9-5 job. It’s really not easy for a lot of working parents and this is why mobile sales and delivery services always work.
Have your own sales outlet:
Another way to expand your poultry farm business is to have your own sales outlet and not rely only on supplying to retailers. You don’t have to have too many sales outlets; you can start with just one. You can sell your own branded chickens and chicken parts and fresh eggs to consumers.
Layer Poultry Farming
The poultry birds which are raised for egg production are known as layer poultry. Do you know that commercial hen generally starts laying eggs at the age of 12-20 weeks? Well yes, they start laying eggs regularly at their 25 weeks of age which after 70-72 weeks of age egg production of layer poultry get reduced.
For commercial layer poultry farming, producers generally keep the hens for 12 months from their first laying period. They then sell them for slaughter purposes. Though, chickens naturally survive for more than 6 years. For re-invigorating egg-laying, the hens are force molted in some countries.
The environmental conditions are often automatically controlled by the producers. For example, the presence of light helps the bird for laying eggs earlier. Hence, the producers should provide a more lightening period to increase the probability of beginning laying eggs. The egg-laying bird lays more eggs in warmer months than the cold months.
Thus, keeping the temperature of the room moderate will be very helpful for better egg production.
