Cost-control hacks in poultry farming

Hacks to support effective cost control in your poultry operations

For some weeks now, our discussions have been on different areas of guinea fowl farming. The purpose was to help those farms that desire to expand their farm productivity and income streams with needed knowledge in guinea fowl farming. From your feedback, this week, we are looking at hacks to help effectively control cost in your poultry farm operations.

Running a poultry farm is a viable and lucrative venture, but poor cost management, particularly, in the area of feeding, health care and energy can eat into the farm’s earning and profitability. Effective cost control is fundamental in raising a profitable and sustainable poultry farm.

• Smart feeding strategies

Practical hacks to help reduce expenses while maintaining productivity on the farm –

Feeding

Feeding usually takes the largest percentage of the total farm expenses, usually between 60% – 70%. To run a profitable poultry farm, it is important to adopt cost-effective feeding strategies that maintain the birds’ health and productivity while minimizing cost. Here are some practical feeding tips that can help save cost without compromising the flock productivity –

1. Formulate feed using locally sourced ingredients– It is relatively more affordable for the farm to provide the flocks feed using locally sourced ingredients compared to buying commercial feed. These natural and local ingredients are easy to cultivate and readily available when needed. Integrating the locally sourced material in formulating the flock feed will significantly reduce feed cost. However, it is important that in formulating the feed, the farmer understands what the flock needs and the right proportion in which each nutrient is needed.

• Ferment feed for better nutrient absorption – By fermenting the feed appropriately, the farmer is able to enhance digestion process, improve on nutrient absorption and significantly reduce feed wastage. Fermented feed contain  beneficial probiotics that improve the gut health of the birds, boost immunity and support better growth rate with less feed consumption. Read more https://poultrygist.com.ng/2021/04/fermented-poultry-feed/

• Practice precision feeding – While under-feeding can cause malnutrition which is harmful to the flock, overfeeding is a form of waste. To eliminate wastage through overfeeding, the farmer must discontinue estimating feed quantity. The farmer is to ensure accurate weighing of feed portion before serving to the flock. Apart from ensuring the flock is served the right quantity, it is also necessary to ensure the right quality of feed is served. The right quality of feed is served when actual nutrients required based on the age and breed of the bird(s) are contained in the feed.

Efficient farm management

Adopting efficient management strategies is key in improving the profitability of the farm’s operations, as operational efficiency can impact significantly by reducing wastage on the farm in every aspect. Some efficient farm management practices that can assist the farm to optimize resource utilization include –

1. Proper storage of the poultry feed – Feed must be stored in a cool and dry place, ensuring that the feed does not get wet and prone to spoilage or contamination. Feed must also be properly stacked to avoid spillage. By limiting feed contamination, spoilage and spillage, expenses on feed is significantly reduced
2. Adopt digital and automated system – Cost of labour can be relatively high in running a poultry farm, while, adopting an automated system will assist the farm perform task more efficiently and effectively by saving time and improving accuracy.  Adopting automated system reduces cost of the farm on salary and improve resource utilization (example – time).
3. Strategic breeding and culling – It is not profitable to keep the old and unproductive birds in the farm’s stock. Only productive birds should remain on the farm to optimize the farm resources. Disposing the unproductive birds is a management efficiency strategy.
4. Valid record recording -Maintaining an effective record system with correct information is a management efficiency strategy. Keeping valid record helps the farm management in making reliable and strategic decisions for the farm improvement. An effective record system provide trend information which promote informed and reliable decision.

Disease prevention and low-cost healthcare –

Apart from feeding cost and labour cost (that is, salary), the next major item for expense in poultry farming is on health management. As the say goes “prevention is better than cure” it is better that disease is prevented than spending to control the impact of disease on the flock. The outbreak of disease among the flock result to incidences like –

• High mortality of the birds
• High medication expenses to control disease
• Poor farm productivity
• Loss of farm profitability
• Collapse of the farm (in severe occasions)

The only proactive way to reduce medical cost and impact of disease on the birds is to prevent entry of disease into the flock. The farmer must imbibe in the routine of the farm, procedures that can protect the flock against the invasion of harmful infectious pathogens. The flock can be protected through –

• Effective biosecurity procedure
• Effective vaccination
• Proper hygiene and cleanliness
• Keen observation of the flock behaviour

Read more https://poultrygist.com.ng/2024/10/biosecurity-in-poultry-farming/

Maximize farm revenue streams

Apart from reducing the expenditure of the farm to the minimum level, another effective way for improving the financial stability and sustainability of the poultry farm is by expanding the sources of income – by diversifying and maximizing the farm’s revenue streams. Diversifying the incomes streams of the farm, boosts revenue accruement to the farm and support the farm to stand firm in time of challenges.

Read more https://poultrygist.com.ng/2025/02/how-to-make-money-through-poultry-farming/

Conclusion

Effective cost control is very crucial to maintaining a profitable and sustainable venture (even in poultry farming). Do you desire to optimize the profitability of your farm operations and enhance its sustainability? Start applying these cost-saving hacks today.

If you found this helpful, share your thoughts in the comments and let us know which strategies have worked for you. Join us and get more insightful tips on poultry farming success.