It can be a lucrative business but also filled with many challenges, experts says “a minimum of 300 layers is the least number one should keep to make good commercial sense.
This could fetch you up to 3,000,000 naira a year, while having 1,000 layers can rake in 10million Naira a year. However, this business can be capital intensive and filled with challenges. It is a good idea to start small to help you get to where you want to be. Layers bird (isa brown) need to be carefully raised from when they are one-day old. They start laying eggs from 18 to 19 weeks old (about four-and-a-half months), until 72-78 weeks or more, depending on the breed and management.
How to raise layer birds (isa brown)
There will be days when the hen does not lay an egg at all. Its body begins forming another egg shortly after the previous one is laid, and it takes 26 hours, meaning that it will lay later and later each day and then skip a day at some point.
Traditional chickens produce eggs on and off and for three to four years. The longer the length of production, the fewer the eggs produced, though the size increases with time, while shell quality decreases. How you handle your chickens when they are pullets, feed management and other factors also contribute to the number of eggs and for how long the chickens will lay.
To be successful you must understand the circle from acquiring chicks through to the time they start laying eggs. Knowing the importance of brooding, lighting and temperatures; diseases, vaccination and so on are also critical. Diseases can be very devastating, with whole flocks wiped out in one night.
To be successful in this type of poultry farming you must have a business plan, no matter how simple you begin, in order to be sure about what you require; your projections of what to expect and when you expect to break even and start making profits.
How to raise layers birds (isa brown) for profit
Keep proper records of stocks, feeds, vaccination, mortality, weight, sale of birds and eggs, and other expenses. Knowing your market is also critical. The market is always available, but most farmers don’t go out in search of it. One can market poultry products through family, friends, institutions, supermarkets, and open day markets.
To be a good poultry products supplier, you must be consistent. Give enough time to the business by watching the number of hours spent on feeding the birds, and vaccination and other tasks and avoid being an online or telephone farmer.
When buying chicks, go for breeders who offer after sales services and who will guide and mentor you throughout the rearing process.
Before your Layer chicks arrive at home, make sure you consider;
- A brooder is in place(you can also take up the challenge)
- Paraffin lamps/electric bulbs/charcoal stove is available
- Litter for the floor (wood savings) is available
- A standard room in place (1m2 will accommodate 20 chicks upto 4 weeks old).
- Temperature control: 350C for day-old chicks, 24-270C for 1 week.
- Reduce heat as they grow especially at night.
Feeding your Layers
How to raise layers birds (isa brown) for profit
Layers (Isa brown): 1 to 8 weeks feed on chick mash, after 8 weeks introduce growers mash gradually, then with layers mash after drop of first egg. From the day a layer chick hatches, the chicken takes about five months before it starts laying eggs. As a poultry farmer you must be prepared to meet the expense of rearing these young birds (pullets) through this period. Feeding the young pullets is a major challenge. In an effort to cut down costs, many farmers make the mistake to underfeed the birds during this pre-lay period. When your hens are laying eggs, you may not feel the burden of purchasing feeds since they are generating some income from the sale of eggs.
Do not forget that the performance of your commercial layers is greatly influenced by how you
manage them in brooding and pullet growing phases. There must be clear performance indicators which you have to monitor during the brooding, growing and laying phases of egg-type chickens (layers).
Body weight is a major performance indicator
How to raise layers birds (isa brown) for profit
Under-feeding pullets produces underweight birds which mature late, produce small eggs and decline more sharply after peak egg production. Overfeeding produces overweight birds. Overweight pullets are not good because they neither attain nor sustain high egg production. Pullets which have been raised well attain high peak production and are less prone to subsequent egg production problems.
Good management practices/tips for your layer chicken (isa brown)
How to raise layers birds (isa brown) for profit
Allow good air circulation in your poultry house for egg laying birds. Isa brown birds needs on average 120 gm of food per day as well as provide grit at 20 weeks. Laying nests must be kept in dark places, collect eggs 3 times a day, allow a nest for every 5 layer hens and on the other hand if you use poultry pen make sure you must not stock more than two or three birds per space. Furthermore provide soft clean litter for bird and clean dirty eggs with steel wool/coarse leaves. Never wash your eggs with water, dd greens to the diet of your layers and whenever possible vitamins to their water. Lastly debeak your layers (isa brown) chicken at onset of egg laying
This is not wishful thinking, you can achieve this if you have the discipline to follow all of the practices above. How to raise layers bird (isa brown) for profits is not just a topic but with good mindset, you will become a successful poultry farmer. Don’t forget to check on other articles thanks for reading.
