Eggs are one of the most popular products in the modern human diet. Yes, and chicken meat is popular among people who monitor their health and give preference to proper nutrition. Dietary, protein-rich meat, chicken eggs are in great demand, which, in turn, encourages many aspiring entrepreneurs to build a business on it. Chicken farm: how profitable is it and where to start?
The relevance of this idea is determined, first of all, by the high demand for eggs and dietary meat. IN Lately, with the emergence of a trend towards healthy sports nutrition, the demand for protein foods has increased significantly, which indicates great prospects for the development of this area.
The advantage of raising chickens is also the simplicity of the process. You can run a small poultry farm even in the city, having a small plot of land.
All you need for a business is to build a chicken coop, study the technology of breeding birds, purchase equipment and feed. Armed with the necessary knowledge and simple skills, begin to implement of this business Any aspiring entrepreneur can.
Chicken breeding
- High demand for products. Despite great competition, supply in this industry does not exceed demand. Eggs are bought at any time of the year.
- Minimum investment. The project does not require large capital investments. Subsequently, you can increase the number of birds by expanding production and investing money already earned from breeding birds.
- Low maintenance costs. The price of feed is low, and the sale of eggs will more than cover the cost of maintaining laying hens.
- Simplicity of content. Unlike other domestic animals and birds, chickens are the most unpretentious to keep, so anyone can implement such a business with the simplest skills and knowledge.
- Productivity. This business is good because you can sell eggs, meat, feathers, and chickens.
The downside is high competition. Due to the ease of keeping and unpretentiousness of chickens, many novice businessmen prefer this particular area of agricultural activity. Therefore, for the successful implementation of the project, it will be necessary to immediately think through sales channels.
Having analyzed all the advantages and disadvantages, we can conclude that this business is perfect for a novice entrepreneur and as a family business. You can set up a chicken coop in a small area, and you can earn income from the very first days.
In order to clearly demonstrate the attractiveness of the business idea of breeding chickens, let's analyze the statistical data.
In Russia, on average, one adult eats about 280 eggs per year. Considering that the adult population includes about 100 million people, we can talk about a fairly large market for the products.
In addition, the trend towards healthy eating also creates a demand for environmentally friendly products. Therefore, today an era of promising development begins for small farms. Even with a small investment, you can start with a small poultry house, gradually developing it to the level of a small poultry farm.
Where to start raising chickens?
But, before you start making money from raising chickens, you need to clearly define the format and model of the business for yourself. This will allow you to choose the right premises, equipment, staff and create sales channels.
This business can be implemented in two directions:
- breeding of laying hens for sale of eggs;
- maintenance of broilers for meat sales;
- breeding purebred chickens for incubation.
The versatility of this business lies in the fact that you can work in several directions at once. This will avoid a seasonal downturn and reduce external risks that affect the profitability and profitability of the business. But in order to work in several directions at once, it is necessary to have serious capital investments.
But raising laying hens solely for selling eggs does not require large investments and can be carried out by anyone.
The first stage in this business is associated with the selection of land and equipment of the poultry house in which the birds will be kept.
The second stage is the creation of the necessary conditions, the purchase of feed and equipment.
The third stage is product sales and further business development.
With proper business organization and proper care of birds, a home farm will not cause much difficulty.
To prevent the chicks from flying out of the box, you need to think about the covering; at this age, the chicks are already quite playful. As the bird grows, it will require more space. By this time, you will need to build a small poultry house from an old barn or rebuild a mini farm.
Before the onset of cold weather, it is necessary to take care of the young animals walking for good development, but there is no need to release them for the winter. By the third month of life, chicks can be distinguished by gender - this will allow the livestock to be correctly distributed among sections.
An excellent option would be to develop a business in two directions: breeding laying hens next to broilers. While the young broilers are growing up, the businessman will already be earning daily income from the sale of eggs. This way, the laying hens will be able to support all the other broilers.
For a small farm, raising laying hens is the most justified option from a business point of view. On average, a healthy young laying hen begins laying eggs at the age of 5-6 months. There are special breeds, crosses, which are distinguished by increased productivity and begin to lay eggs from 4-4.5 months.
The average egg production of one chicken is 270 eggs per year. But the weight of such birds is small, about 1.5 kg, so selling “waste” material will not bring in a lot of money.
The best time to start this business is early spring. The day is spent on profit and the bird will have the opportunity to spend the maximum amount of time outside, which has a positive effect on its development, health and productivity. In addition, maintenance costs will be minimized from May to September. With the onset of autumn, you will need to leave lamps in the chicken coop for 4-5 hours in order to extend the bird’s daylight hours, and this will entail costs for utility bills.
Despite the unpretentiousness of chickens in terms of keeping, there are certain standards from which one should not deviate when breeding these birds.
For example, keeping more than four individuals in one cage is unacceptable. Otherwise, it will negatively affect the health of the hens and productivity.
To make it easier to keep the poultry house clean, it is necessary to equip each cage with a tray in which bird waste, feathers, and food residues will be collected. This will allow you to quickly and easily adhere to sanitary standards.
In order to properly set up a chicken coop and select optimal housing conditions, it is important to determine the purpose of breeding.
In total, there are three main types of chickens:
- egg breed;
- meat (broiler);
- universal.
There are also fighting, decorative, and valuable breeds of chickens, but this is a more complex option for business and we will not focus on them in this article.
By focusing on one of the bird species, it will not be difficult to properly arrange housing conditions and food. It is important to consider the size of the site and climate.
The egg type lives for approximately 3-4 years, with proper care they can lay eggs for 3 years. Egg meat does not have high taste qualities, therefore this breed is bred solely for the sale of eggs and incubation.
The most common breeds among egg-laying chickens are Loman Brown, Pushkinskaya, Kuchinskaya Yubileynaya and Leghorn.
To obtain meat and make money from this particular product, you will need to purchase broiler meat chickens. The advantage of this type of bird is the rapid gain of body weight. But for full development and rapid weight gain, you need to choose a special diet.
Broilers consume 50-60% more feed than laying hens and this fact should be taken into account when calculating maintenance costs. The slightest hypothermia can cause broilers to get sick, so you need to eliminate strong drafts in the chicken coop, leaving only natural or forced ventilation.
Talking about simple conditions keeping these birds, it should be understood that they are also subject to sudden changes in temperature and hypothermia. And some types of diseases do not bypass them, so to maintain sanitation in the chicken coop, from time to time you can invite a veterinarian to inspect the livestock. This is especially true for those entrepreneurs who breed birds over 200-300 birds.
The optimal temperature for chicken is about 20-22 degrees Celsius. It is under such conditions that laying hens are most productive, and broilers gain weight well.
For a large poultry farm, it is advisable to purchase special equipment that will allow maintaining this optimal temperature regime. For a small farm at home, the number of which does not exceed 20-30 birds, it is important to simply ensure that the birds do not overheat in the sun in the heat and do not become hypothermic in the winter.
Breeders need to take care not only of the permanent habitat of the animals, but also of the walking area. To do this, you need to install small containers with water, especially in the hot summer, in which the bird can clean its feathers and take a bath. This allows the birds to cool down and independently clean their feathers from insects and pests.
When setting up a chicken coop, you should consider a good flooring. It should not be made of concrete. The ideal option is wood or clay. In this case, the top layer should be covered with sawdust. This forms a dry, warm mound that will maintain optimal temperature conditions in the poultry house.
Chicken care and feeding
Each breed of chicken has its own recommendations for care and feeding. Deviations in diet can cause illness and reduced productivity of chickens. Therefore, the diet should be selected in accordance with the breed of bird.
When focusing your activities on breeding and keeping chickens, consider the following points:
- for chicken health great importance has a sanitary condition of the cages, so you need to carefully monitor the condition of the poultry house;
- the cage should have a fine mesh;
- Under no circumstances should small birds be allowed to become hypothermic - this is detrimental to the chicks. If the chickens hatched in winter, you need to equip the nursery with a special lamp and heater;
- For feeding, you should select special food intended for chickens. The diet must contain vitamins, minerals, and beneficial microelements;
- Drinking plenty of fluids is also very important for chicks. In addition to water, you can add glucose and yogurt to your diet. The main rule is that the liquid should not be cold to prevent hypothermia;
- Once the chicks reach 20-22 days, the chicks can be taken outside for a short time. If the temperature outside is low, you should refrain from walking.
In winter, the cost of keeping and feeding chickens will be higher than in summer, because special vitamins and minerals will need to be added to the diet. There is no need to feed the bird only specialized food. This is unreasonably expensive and will have a negative impact on the profitability of the business. It is enough to include special additives three times a week in the bird’s diet.
On average, one chicken should receive about 100 grams of special feed per week.
The main food for birds will remain grain (barley, millet, wheat, corn). You can make mixtures in a ratio of 60/20/20, the basis of which will be wheat. To increase productivity and improve health, you can add feed yeast and bone meal to the feed.
Chicks at the feeder
In addition to food, there should always be fresh drinking water in the chicken coop or cage. Special drinking bowls for chickens are great for this purpose, which you can make yourself or buy in a store. Our article details the types of drinkers, as well as step by step instructions on production.
For growing young animals, sprouted grain is a good food, especially in winter, when the bird does not have the opportunity to peck grass. To do this, the wheat needs to be soaked in a bucket of water, covered with polyethylene, and after a day, laid out on burlap in one layer. Left for 2-3 days in a warm place, the wheat will soon produce its first shoots. For chickens, this will be a kind of delicacy, which, moreover, replenishes daily requirement in minerals and vitamins.
Adding small shells to the diet has a beneficial effect on the musculoskeletal system. This point is especially important when keeping a huge livestock and there is no opportunity to provide the birds with full walks around the yard.
Writing a business plan: why?
Any business venture is always preceded by a long planning stage. After all, it is necessary to carefully weigh everything, calculate cost estimates, correctly determine the premises, analyze the market and outline distribution channels.
Without proper planning, it is impossible to implement a single project. Without a thorough analysis of the competitive environment, studying supply and demand, it is impossible not only to correctly formulate a pricing policy, but also to find strengths project.
A business plan is important document in the hands of a novice entrepreneur who will help to successfully implement the project and avoid serious mistakes. A unique desktop guide will tell you how to act step by step, rationally distributing your strength and resources.
The role of writing a business plan is especially important if a novice entrepreneur plans to attract investors to implement the project. In this case, you can write two documents: for external and internal use. And if the internal document clearly reflects the weaknesses of the project, focusing on which serious mistakes can be avoided, then the document for external use is intended for investors and business partners.
It should not distort data and financial calculations, but at the same time it can focus on the prospects of the business, on its strengths. This will convince investors to invest the money necessary to implement the project.
Planning is the key to business success
Chicken breeding business plan: step-by-step instructions
Regardless of the scope of activity, scale and development, a business plan has a clearly defined structure that allows you to intelligently adjust activities and rationally distribute resources.
- Organizational part. This chapter describes in detail the stage of registering a business, searching for premises, recruiting personnel and purchasing equipment.
- Production part.
- Financial part. One of the most important and difficult chapters of the document. This part reflects the calculation of costs associated with the implementation of the business. Here it is important to calculate the income, payback, profitability of the business. Incorrect calculations can jeopardize the entire business and reduce efficiency and productivity.
Organizational plan
Register entrepreneurial activity and you should bear the cost of paying taxes only if the farm's population exceeds 100 pieces. Otherwise, it is not advisable to do this.
To legalize your business, you can choose the form of individual entrepreneur or LLC. The choice determines the scale and prospects of production. For a beginning farmer whose number of livestock will not exceed 100-150 chickens, the best option is to register an individual entrepreneur and select the Single Tax form.
In addition to registering the activity itself, it is necessary to obtain permission from the veterinary service, without which it will not be possible to sell products. Not a single store or cafe will purchase meat and eggs without the appropriate documents.
Setting up a chicken coop
The advantage of this business is that you can build a chicken coop with your own hands, reducing costs as much as possible.
To equip the poultry house you will need slate, cinder block, old boards, and brick. Even without serious construction skills, it is not at all difficult to build a small barn in which laying hens will be kept.
The simplest and most cost-effective option would be to convert an old barn into a chicken coop. It is necessary to insulate the walls and floor so that the bird does not freeze in winter. To save money, you can use straw, dry leaves, and pine needles as insulation. To prevent rodents from infesting the poultry farm, the walls should be well treated with lime.
The main task will be its insulation and protection from external precipitation. Good insulation will avoid a decline in productivity in winter. Mineral wool is suitable as insulation.
For climate zones where in winter the temperature drops below 25-30 degrees Celsius, it is necessary to equip the chicken coop with a simple potbelly stove.
When building a poultry house, the following points must be taken into account:
- Insulation of floors and walls. This will ensure round-the-clock productivity of chickens.
- Ceilings should not be higher than two meters. Even if you are planning a large production, it is better to build a wider chicken coop than a tall one.
- The poultry house should be immediately divided into several sections, which will facilitate its maintenance.
- It is imperative to consider the natural ventilation of the room and direct access to daylight. Without these factors, chickens will not lay eggs. Keep in mind that the average daylight hours for a chicken starts at 6 am and lasts until 7 pm. In winter, this must be compensated by supplying white eclectic light, otherwise the hens should not count on good breeding.
- Maintaining the poultry house in sanitary condition. Complete disinfection should be carried out periodically to minimize the risk of spreading viruses and bacteria.
- Experts recommend placing the entrance to the poultry house on the east side - this increases the productivity of laying hens.
- Whatever type of chicken keeping you choose: cage or floor, you should arrange a separate area for walking. This area should be adjacent to the poultry house.
The implementation of the chicken coop itself can be in a floor format or in a cage. Cage housing requires the purchase of special cages for keeping birds. This option is most preferable for large livestock and for keeping meat breeds.
For small production volumes and keeping laying hens, it is better to choose a floor type of chicken coop arrangement. In this case, the chickens move freely on the ground.
Production plan
Search and selection of personnel
When the premises and bird walking area are ready, it is necessary to start recruiting personnel. For a small farm of 100-150 heads, it is enough to hire 2-3 people whose functional responsibilities will be universal.
Ready chicken coop
Of course, you can clean the cages and feed the chickens yourself. But with large scale production it is impossible to do without additional workers.
A worker is needed who will clean the cages, maintain the sanitary condition of the chicken coop, feed, purchase feed, transport products to the market or breed them to wholesale clients.
The incubation process requires a separate person who will monitor the condition of the unit, select eggs, etc.
For a poultry farm of 100-150 birds, it is enough to hire two people:
- chicken care worker;
- courier/driver who will additionally purchase feed and negotiate with suppliers.
It is better to invite a veterinarian from outside, rather than keep a permanent staff member.
Purchase of chickens
After a plot of land has been selected for a poultry farm and a chicken coop has been built, an important stage begins, from which the farmer’s business begins. This is the purchase of the chickens themselves.
This is perhaps the most important stage in the entire project, on which the profitability and profitability of the business depends.
Many farmers take the simplest route and purchase adult laying hens, believing that they will begin to generate income literally from the first day. Ideally, this, of course, will allow you to quickly start earning money, but it can also have a downside.
Lack of experience can serve as a bait for unscrupulous sellers who, instead of productive laying hens, will sell adult waste material from large poultry farms. As a result, there will be no talk of any profit here.
Poultry purchase
Purchasing young animals in the form of day-old chicks can also cause many difficulties. They need to be provided with competent care, which inexperienced breeders cannot always do.
The best option is to purchase grown young animals at the age of 10-14 days. Very strong, they are not so picky about temperature and conditions of detention. The main task is to maintain cleanliness, natural ventilation in the poultry house and good nutrition with the addition of vitamins and microelements. In this case, you will be able to minimize mistakes and will allow you to start receiving good income from selling eggs.
Equipment purchase
To start a business, you don’t have to purchase expensive equipment in the form of special lamps, an incubator, or cages. You can reach this level after 2-3 years of doing business.
If the farmer immediately focuses on large-scale production, then the following equipment will be required to keep laying hens:
So, to launch a small poultry farm, you need to purchase:
- incubator – 12 thousand rubles
- cages or perches – 5 thousand rubles.
- brooder – 5 thousand rubles.
Incubators do an excellent job of laying hens, increasing productivity and reducing your labor costs several times. Types of incubator, General characteristics, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of the incubator.
For large-scale production of eggs and meat, experts advise paying attention to additional industrial equipment:
- feed mill;
- refrigerator and freezer for storing products;
- automatic machine for plucking chicken feathers.
Marketing plan
This chapter of business planning allows you to focus on finding and expanding distribution channels, which, in turn, increases production efficiency.
When searching for channels, it is important to correctly perform a market analysis, identify the main competitors, identify their strengths, set a price for products that will allow you to effectively expand your business and at the same time quickly sell your products.
Sales channels
One of the advantages of this type of business is the high demand and ease of sale of eggs and meat. With proper planning, it will not be difficult for a novice farmer to establish reliable distribution channels for their products.
Distribution channels can be fairs, farmers' markets, catering establishments, supermarkets, restaurants, educational canteens, etc.
With large scale production, some farmers open their own points of sale, but this requires careful preparation and additional investment.
For those new to farming, the product sales stage is one of the most difficult.
At the same time, in order to properly organize the sale of meat and eggs, it is important to perform the following steps.
- Analyze the market and the main major players. This will allow you to focus on their success.
- Identify their strengths and draw parallels with your business.
- Study competitors' sales forms and their prices.
- Create your own commercial position. Keep in mind that prices should not be too low. This will not allow expansion of production.
Financial plan
To determine the prospects and benefits of a business, it is enough to make simple calculations of expenses and income.
The bulk of the costs will be on the construction of the poultry house itself, the purchase of equipment and materials. When pricing, it is important to take into account the cost of production, which includes expenses such as feed, utilities, wages, transportation, etc.
When calculating the payback, the initial investments in construction, repairs, and equipment purchases are mainly taken into account. But when calculating profitability, you should take into account monthly expenses in the form of purchases of feed, transportation costs, and employee salaries.
In this article, we determine the average return on investment for a business. For example, let's take an average poultry farm with a population of 100 birds.
Expenses
All expenses for raising chickens can be divided into two types:
- capital (one-time);
- monthly.
Table. Capital expenditures.
Among the monthly costs, the main part will be the purchase of feed and payment to employees.
On average, one laying hen eats about 42 kg of feed, about 3.5 kg per month. The cost of feed per month for one laying hen is 30 rubles.
To minimize costs, it is advisable to produce compound feed yourself. This will have a positive impact on business profitability.
Table. Monthly expenses.
How profitable is a home poultry farm: summing it up
To calculate the payback period, it is important to calculate the income from the sale of eggs and meat. To do this, we will divide the products into 2 parts and separately calculate each item of income.
The hen begins laying eggs at 4.5-5 months of age, producing an average of about 25 eggs each month. On average, per year, one cross produces about 250 eggs.
The cost of 1 egg is 5 rubles.
Income from the sale of eggs:
1 laying hen per month will bring about 125 rubles (25*5).
But you need to understand that, even with a population of 100, not all eggs will be sold. About 20% must be set aside for incubation so as not to purchase young animals from other farms.
Thus, only 160 laying hens will produce eggs for sale.
Let's calculate the income:
160*125r = 20 thousand rubles per month can be earned from selling eggs.
Let's add to this income from the sale of meat.
1 chicken weighing 3 kg costs 300 rubles.
On average, selling about 30 chickens every month, you can earn an income of 9 thousand rubles.
In addition to these main income items, you can make a profit from the sale of feathers, manure, etc. Such by-products are also in demand in the market.
So, the total farm income per month will be about 30 thousand rubles. The average payback period for a farm will be approximately 6 months.
Review of the chicken business
Summing up and talking about the profitability of this type of business, we can conclude that even with a small flock of 200 chickens, you can reach a stable monthly income 30-35 thousand rubles.
Chickens are a source of income
Farmers who successfully occupy this niche eventually turn their attention to related services, investing in additional equipment.
With a competent approach, the average profitability of a poultry farm is about 200%. Thus, the money invested will quickly pay off and allow the farmer to receive a stable income without spending much effort on advertising and searching for sales channels.
Video - Business idea for raising chickens
Poultry breeding as a business: why is it worth doing it and what is needed for it? Financial side: expenses and profit + 4 main points of the business plan.
Capital investments: about 260,000 rubles.
Business payback: 10-12 months.
Since half of the animal products in supermarkets are grown in unnatural conditions, trust in them is rapidly declining.
Thereby poultry farming as a business It is quite relevant at the present time, because interest in environmentally friendly food is growing.
This provides an opportunity for small animal production to enter markets on a larger scale.
The advantage of breeding poultry specifically over other animals is that in addition to dietary meat, you can sell eggs.
This will increase the reach of potential customers and, accordingly, the profit from such household.
Another important advantage of poultry farming is that this business does not require large expenses, but its profitability is quite high.
Especially if you have management skills Agriculture and a small plot in the countryside.
Where does poultry farming start as a business?
First, you need to decide what exactly will be produced for sale.
If you focus on selling meat, you should understand that the cost will be higher than if you decide to sell only eggs.
After all, in order for the bird to reach the required size, and for the meat to be tasty and healthy, it must be fed with special feed and nutritional supplements.
There are certain types of poultry that produce more meat and are therefore more profitable to breed.
The first option for a bird breeding business is preferable, as it will simplify the accounting of the enterprise and reduce tax deductions.
It is also necessary to select the form and type of activity, according to OKVED codes.
Please note that poultry farming qualifies as a type of agriculture.
This “plays into the hands” of the entrepreneur, as it will reduce the tax costs of the business.
Since obtaining all other permits is a lengthy process, it should be entrusted to an experienced specialist (hire a lawyer).
What are the requirements for a place to engage in poultry farming?
Since most people start breeding birds for sale on their own property, it is worth remembering that there are certain requirements for the territory for poultry farming as a home business.
Without following these rules, you risk not receiving permission to operate, and you can also reduce the productivity of your “pets”.
There are two ways to maintain livestock in poultry farming:
It is very important to understand that if there is not enough space for animals, discomfort will lead not only to a deterioration in their health, but also to conflicts between individuals.
The poultry area should be quiet and away from the road, due to the fact that loud noises and constant noise will cause stress to the flock.
It is also desirable that there is vegetation on the site, at least small.
If it is not there initially, then you can always plant something.
What equipment do you need for poultry farming?
The key equipment for a poultry farming business is an aviary.
Construction of an enclosure does not require special architectural knowledge.
It is quite possible to build it yourself, and on the Internet you can find many interesting layouts and ideas for this.
Materials for the enclosure can be purchased at any construction supermarket.
All you need: wire, some boards, nails and construction mesh.
As a shelter from rain and other bad weather, you can use slate or even simple oilcloth.
There are also certain requirements for the location of the enclosure, for example, good lighting.
A lack of sunlight, and with it vitamin D, can lead to the development of rickets in birds.
All necessary equipment for keeping livestock (calculation for 200 heads):
| Expenditures | Cost, rub.) |
|---|---|
| Total: | 182,000 rub. |
Aviaries for poultry farming  | 55 000 |
Cells  | 50 000 |
| Incubators for chicks | 35 000 |
| Installation of drinkers and feeders | 7 000 |
Heating lamps  | 30 000 |
Equipment for the care of enclosures  | 5 000 |
Which employees to choose for this type of business?
It is unrealistic to keep track of so many living creatures on your own, even with the necessary knowledge and experience.
In any case, for poultry farming on a large scale, additional personnel will have to be hired.
Indeed, in addition to economic activities, there are many organizational and financial issues that the farm owner must deal with.
You may also need the services of a courier if you do not have your own transport for transporting poultry.
How to find points of sale for poultry products?
There are many options for marketing.
One of the most primitive is the sale of meat and eggs on the market.
In order to put an end to the market, you don’t need a lot of documents, since all the necessary certificates are already issued when registering the farm.
Renting a point itself is also inexpensive.
The advantage of this method is that if poultry products are to the taste of buyers, then in addition to regular customers, many new ones will come (based on the “word of mouth” principle).
In addition to selling at the market, you can sell meat to cafes and restaurants.
It also makes sense to create a website and page on social networks so that information about the farm appears on the Internet.
What investments are required in poultry farming as a home business?
Capital investments in poultry farming, as well as monthly ones, directly depend on what kind of poultry to breed ( different types require different care) and how many heads will be on the farm.
For example, it does not require much space.
But they are picky about food and need careful care, because all small animals are especially susceptible to disease.
Start-up investments in poultry farming
“Start small. If things go well, build a bigger position.”
George Soros
Monthly costs of raising birds
In addition to fixed costs, it is worth considering that sometimes additional services may be needed, such as vaccinations, transportation, etc.
How much profit does raising birds at home bring?
If we take into account the breeding of poultry for the sale of eggs, then the average profit from poultry farming can be:
Selling meat brings in much higher income.
About the features of running this type of business as poultry farming,
More details in the video:
Profitability and risks of a poultry farming business at home
The bird breeding business does not require large expenses, so its payback is quite high.
Moreover, you will have to buy chicks only for initial stage.
In the future, if there are laying hens, there will be no special need for this, because the flock will begin to bear its own offspring.
There are a number of risks that should be prevented so that the company does not lose money.
One of the main ones is the diseases that birds are susceptible to.
Each species and breed has its own vulnerabilities, such as special sensitivity to hypothermia or various infections.
Since many of the diseases are transmitted by airborne droplets, infection of one individual can lead to the death of the flock.
No less important factor, which affects the profitability of a business is the organization of product sales.
It is advisable to look for partners and markets at the initial stages, as soon as poultry is purchased.
Poultry farming as a business, like any other area of business activity, has its pitfalls.
To get around them, you need to carefully consider each step and act step by step.
Based on practice, it is most profitable to breed meat breeds, for example, turkeys or broiler chickens, since the profitability of such a farm is about 70%.
In any case, selling meat and eggs at the same time will not be difficult, and on the contrary, it will increase income.
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Breeding chickens as a business is profitable, since poultry products are in great demand because they are inexpensive. Exist different variants implementation of a business idea for a poultry farm in Russia. For example, fattening for meat, raising laying hens or breeding chickens of various breeds.
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Description and relevance of the business
Your own chicken breeding business can be focused on:
- for egg production;
- production of chicken meat and offal;
- for breeding chickens of various breeds (from simple to exclusive) for sale.
Depending on which direction of business activity has been chosen, they purchase certain breeds of chickens, prepare a chicken coop, and buy equipment.
Features of the chicken breeding business:
- the entrepreneur must be prepared for high competition in the market, so it is better to determine in advance the distribution channels for farm products;
- It is recommended to purchase new birds in mid-spring;
- the optimal age for purchasing laying hens is 6-10 months;
- the optimal age of the first batch of chickens for raising for meat is from several days (broilers) to one month (meat breeds);
- a young bird’s wings must be clipped (so that they do not fly out of the pen and spoil the harvest on the site);
- It is advisable to grow grass and tops on your own plot (this reduces the cost of feeding chickens);
- chicks for sale need to be prepared at the peak of consumer demand - by spring;
- The main products of a poultry farm are classified as perishable, so it is important to provide conditions for their storage and transportation.
Circumstances that make such a business relevant in Russia:
- Consistently high demand for eggs, chicken meat, offal and chicken manure. The profitability of the business is due not only to high demand, but also to low turnover costs (chickens eat little).
- The absence of a seasonal factor allows the farmer to make a profit all year round. Experienced farmers also note the high profitability of the poultry farming sector, which concerns the breeding and raising of rare breeds of chickens.
- You do not need to have special education, special knowledge or resources. This type of business is one of the simplest in the agricultural sector. All information about what is needed to organize a poultry farm can be found in the public domain on the Internet.
- The bird grows quickly, and this ensures a quick first profit and a shorter payback period for investments. Already at the age of five months, chickens begin to lay eggs consistently.
- Small start-up capital. You can start a business at home by purchasing several dozen chickens. Setting up a farm does not require expensive equipment or large areas.
- There is a possibility of expanding the farm, since the market is not saturated with poultry products.
- Productivity and waste-free production. In addition to chickens, chicken meat, offal and eggs, you can count on making a profit from the sale of feathers and chicken manure. When specializing in eggs, one should not forget that aging laying hens (at three to four years old) can also be sold for meat.
- When organizing a poultry farm, you can count on state support business. In the context of import substitution, projects related to the development and support of agriculture are dated.
- Poultry farming can be combined with your main job, since chickens do not require a lot of attention. To care for them, it is enough to devote at least two hours a day.
Chicken is affordable dietary product for a wide audience of consumers, and according to statistics, one Russian eats 22.1 kilograms of chicken per year (this is 37 percent of the total mass of meat he consumes). On average, a Russian citizen buys 263 eggs per year. Other products are also in high demand, for example, fertilizers are made from chicken manure and used as a substrate for growing champignons.
How to choose a breed of chickens for breeding?
When deciding on the choice of chicken breed for breeding, you should start from what goal the entrepreneur sets for himself and what products he is focusing on.
Laying hens
It is recommended for a novice poultry farmer to start a business by purchasing eggs-producing birds. When providing the bird the right conditions content, she will lay eggs all year round. The herd must be renewed every three to four years; during this period, egg production decreases. Laying hens of such breeds are characterized by resistance to infectious diseases, as well as unpretentiousness in nutrition.
When choosing suitable breed laying hens, the following basic criteria are taken into account:
- productivity;
- the ability to quickly adapt to the area where the poultry will be kept;
- disease resistance;
- unpretentiousness to living conditions and feed.
In Russia, laying hens of the Hisec and Leghorn breeds are most often preferred. The farmer is recommended to decide on the type of bird before building/equipping a chicken coop, since the conditions for keeping individual species may vary.
Photo gallery
Kuchin Jubilee breed of chickens Leghorn chickens Highsec chickens Redbrow chickens Tetra chickens Chinese silk breed of chickens
Broilers
When planning a business, you should consider following features meat breeds:
- the need for quality care and feeding;
- tendency to diseases;
- broiler breeds grow faster than meat breeds (the average growth time for broilers is two months, and for meat breeds - three or four);
- high mortality of broiler chickens in the first weeks (40-50 percent);
- To fatten a broiler for two months you will need 6.5 kilograms of feed/compound feed (broilers at two months of age reach a weight of three kilograms).
You cannot save on feed; if the diet is poor, the bird will not gain the required weight by the expected time of maturation.
The most popular meat breeds of chickens and broilers:
| Breed | Description |
| Orpington |
|
| Cochin |
|
| Corniche |
|
| American White Plymouth Rock |
|
| ROSS 308 |
|
| ROSS 708 |
|
A compromise in choosing a breed between the meat and egg classes can be birds of the meat and egg type: Kuchinsky Jubilee, Moscow Black, New Hampshire. These breeds of chickens grow quickly and gain weight of 2.5-3 kilograms, and are also capable of laying eggs quite well (180-200 eggs/year).
Photo gallery
Cornish chickens Broilers ROSS 708 Cochin chickens Orpington chickens Broilers ROSS 308 American White Plymouth Rocks
Pedigree chickens
Breeding chickens of different breeds is a popular and profitable area for chicken business ideas. Poultry farms, households and individual breeders will become consumers of purebred chickens.
In addition to the birds described above, the following breeds can be raised productively:
Photo gallery
Fighting cock of the Kulangi breed Fighting cock of the Shamo breed Araucana chicken breed Breed of chickens Bentamka Altai Berg vociferous rooster Yurovsky vociferous roosters
What do you need to start a chicken breeding business?
In order to successfully implement a business idea for raising chickens, you will need:
- Carefully study the specifics of local poultry farming, potential competitors and demand. An entrepreneur must understand the market in which he will operate. This will allow you to correctly determine your niche and strategy in a competitive market.
- Form a business concept (specifics and scale of production, breed of chickens, conditions for keeping/feeding them, methods of marketing, competitive advantages, etc.). At this stage, the farm development strategy is determined.
- Draw up a detailed business plan with calculations. It will allow you to evaluate the effectiveness of a business idea, identify key points for its implementation, risks and other aspects. The business plan will become instructions for further actions, and will also serve as a means for obtaining a loan or attracting investment.
- Choose the optimal organizational form for the farm, and in case legal registration business must go through the registration procedure.
- Set up a chicken coop and move chickens/hens/roosters into it. At the initial stage of business development, a chicken farm can be a small insulated barn and an adjacent walking area.
- Buy food.
- Conduct negotiations with potential buyers and partners.
- Conduct marketing activities (if necessary).
To study the scope of operation of the future farm, the entrepreneur should visit the agricultural market, exhibitions, fairs, and also communicate with potential consumers.
Conditions of detention
To raise chickens, regardless of the type of business, you will need:
- a room for their maintenance (usually built of wood, brick or blocks);
- storage room for equipment, feed, finished products;
- utility room for staff;
- a piece of land for grazing (it should be fenced off from predators and to prevent birds from scattering).
It is important that the pasture is adjacent to the chicken coop, which has a hole to the street for free movement of pets during the daytime.
Walking has a direct impact on the egg production of chickens; in addition, eggs from birds grazing on the street have higher taste characteristics.
Poultry farm equipment
Let's consider the option of equipping a small farm for 100 heads, focused on egg production:
| Name | Approximate prices, rub. |
| Enclosures for walking hens | 60 000 |
| Feeders, drinking bowls, ash containers with sand | 5 000 |
| Heating lamps for chickens | 6 000 |
| Lighting lamps | 3 000 |
| Equipment for caring for the chicken coop (shovels, pitchforks, rakes, buckets, etc.) | 6 000 |
| Fridge freezer | 20 000 |
| Other equipment, inventory | 10 000 |
| Total | 110 000 |
Photo gallery
Enclosures for walking hens Feeder Chicken warming lamp Chicken coop care equipment
Chick hatching incubator
If an entrepreneur plans to independently breed chickens for growing, then he will need his own incubator.
There are incubators of different capacities and prices; some craftsmen can make such a device themselves.
Classification of incubators by level of automation:
- analog;
- digital (with built-in fan or with natural ventilation);
- 100 percent automatic.
Classification of incubators by egg location:
- with horizontal placement;
- with vertical placement.
In terms of capacity, incubators can be small, for 36 eggs, and large – up to 198 eggs.
Incubator for 104 eggs, fully automatic – 7,000 rubles Incubator for 36 eggs, with automatic turning and analog thermostat – 2,700 rubles Incubator for 120 eggs, with automatic turning, humidity meter and fan – 6,500 rubles
A home incubator can be made from an old refrigerator. This is explained in the video. Filmed by the channel: “Vaifernet”.
Brooder
Brooder is special box, where conditions are created for raising chickens on early stages development. The brooder resembles a large cabinet with mesh shelves, the walls of which are made of transparent material (for example, cellular polycarbonate or plexiglass). Such a dwelling is often equipped with an automatic water and feed supply system.
It is rational to buy a brooder in the case where simultaneous cultivation is expected large number chicks (more than a hundred). Within a household, when raising a small number of babies, you can get by with cardboard boxes.
Brooder – 4,900 rubles Brooder with bunker feeder – 37,100 rubles
Walking area
Ways to equip a place for chickens to walk:
- purchasing a ready-made enclosure;
- building an enclosure on your own (for example, from a chain-link mesh).
Fencing requirements:
- minimum height – 1.5 meters (otherwise the bird may fly over the fence, as well as the penetration of predators);
- it must allow daylight to pass through (it cannot be made blind, for example, from iron, corrugated sheets, etc.);
- the enclosure is equipped with feeders and drinking bowls;
- The size of the enclosure depends on the number of chickens being walked.
Bird food
Features of feeding chickens:
- one laying hen eats about 150 grams of feed per day;
- number of feedings of laying hens: two to three times a day (depending on the breed of bird);
- vegetables and root vegetables are given in boiled and chopped form, reminiscent of porridge;
- In addition to food, the bird needs clean and fresh water.
The productivity of laying hens, the growth rate of broilers and the health of birds directly depend on the quality of feed.
Feed for laying hens:
- Protein. This component is found in cottage cheese, fish meal, cake, legumes and other similar products.
- Carbohydrates. They are found in grain, fodder beets, potatoes, mixed feed, etc.
- Vitamins, minerals. These elements are present in young grass, tops, chopped fresh vegetables, silage and other products. You can add chalk, crushed sea or river shell rock, eggshells, limestone, and salt to the food.
When breeding chickens, in the first days of life they are fed:
- special feed for chicks;
- powdered milk;
- chopped boiled egg;
- bread crumbs;
- cottage cheese;
- chopped grass.
When breeding broilers, the following feed base is used:
- compound feed;
- corn – up to 30-50 percent;
- wheat – up to 15-20 percent;
- soybean – up to 15-20 percent;
- proteins (eg milk powder, bone/fish meal);
- chopped fresh herbs;
- yeast (starting from day 7).
Poultry feed should be balanced and contain a high amount of proteins and microelements.
Do I need to open a business?
The answer to this question depends on:
- the scale of the proposed activity;
- its direction;
- entrepreneur's ambitions;
- methods of marketing products, etc.
If the farmer plans to engage in chicken business long years and sell products in large quantities, then the enterprise should be registered.
You can sell goods through:
- retail chains;
- catering establishments;
- meat processing plants, etc.
However, a small number of poultry and, accordingly, modest volumes of finished products make it possible to work in a household format, without forming a legal entity. First of all, it is aimed at satisfying the family’s internal needs for eggs and meat products. Excess can be sold among friends, neighbors or at the local agricultural market.
Documentation
Features of legal registration of chicken farm activities:
- Most often, poultry farms are registered as a legal entity (LLC) or a peasant farm (peasant farm). When choosing a form, you should take into account the fact that a peasant farm must own a land plot, but an LLC must not (rent is acceptable).
- Type of economic activity – 01.47 “Raising poultry”. This code provides for the raising and breeding of chickens (geese, turkeys, ducks, guinea fowl), the production of eggs and the operation of poultry incubators.
- A farmer officially carrying out his business activities is obliged to conduct a veterinary inspection of the meat sold and specialized analysis chicken eggs.
For the successful operation of a farm, an entrepreneur must have the following documents:
- certificate of registration of an individual or legal entity;
- a certificate certifying the safety of products sold;
- a certificate from a veterinarian confirming that meat and/or eggs have successfully passed a special examination;
- chicken vaccination cards, indicating that the bird has been vaccinated against the most common diseases;
- To sell eggs, a declaration of conformity and documents on monthly analysis for salmonellosis are required.
Which tax regime should you choose?
If you create a farm registered as an LLC, peasant farm or individual entrepreneur, the entrepreneur will pay taxes according to one of the presented schemes:
- general taxation system (GTS);
- simplified taxation system (STS);
- single agricultural tax (UST).
The first option is completely unsuitable for small and medium-sized businesses operating in the poultry farming sector. But if an entrepreneur does not submit an application to switch from OSN to another system in time, it will be connected automatically. The general regime is the least beneficial for businessmen, as it requires the payment of the highest tax, more complex reporting, etc.
The most attractive tax regime for the farmer is the Unified Agricultural Tax. It involves paying 6 percent of the profits received to the state treasury. To connect to this taxation system, it is necessary that at least 70% of the total income per year be received from the sale of agricultural products.
If an entrepreneur does not have the opportunity to apply the Unified Agricultural Tax to his enterprise, then the simplified tax system is suitable for him. This tax regime also provides a reduced tax rate for small companies and offers two tax payment options. The first is 6 percent of revenue, and the second is 15 percent of revenue minus expenses. An entrepreneur has the right to choose the best option for paying taxes.
Where to sell poultry farm products?
Methods of marketing products for a farm with large product turnover:
- supply of eggs/chicken meat to budgetary organizations (hospitals, schools, kindergartens, secondary and higher professional educational institutions etc.);
- offering eggs/chicken to organizations working in the field of public catering (canteens of factories, restaurants, cafes, snack bars, fast foods, etc.);
- cooperation with retail chains, private shops, and market resellers;
- own retail outlets/outlets in the city/region/several regions;
- sale of products at agricultural markets;
- cooperation with companies involved in egg/chicken processing (production of semi-finished products, sausages, sausages, etc.);
- posting advertisements on the Internet for the sale of purebred chickens.
Financial plan
Detailed business planning will allow you to assess whether chicken breeding as a business is profitable or not.
Further financial planning of the chicken business was carried out for an enterprise with the following characteristics:
| Index | Meaning |
| Business format and focus | Small egg production enterprise, from scratch |
| Main products | Eggs of different varieties |
| By-products | Chicken manure, meat of three-year-old laying hens |
| Number of laying hens purchased at six months of age | 100 pcs |
| Chicken breed | Hysek (50%), Lerron (50%) |
| Method of keeping | In the chicken coop, floor |
| Walking method | In an outdoor enclosure |
| Maximum farm capacity | 200 chickens |
| Own chicken breeding | Not expected |
| Organizational and legal form | peasant farm |
| Tax system | Unified agricultural tax |
| Farm location | Russia; Central Federal District; a small village with a population of 100 people; Distance from the regional center is 30 kilometers. |
| Room | It is planned to convert a place for keeping chickens from an old farmstead with a total area of 70 square meters. To accommodate the birds, you will need to remodel the premises, disinfect the walls, floor and ceiling with lime, and install equipment. The chicken coop allows you to keep pets all year round without reducing productivity in the winter. |
| Land plot | Adjacent to the chicken coop is a plot of land on which laying hens are supposed to be walked. Its area is 2 acres. This area should be fenced with a chain-link fence. |
| Ownership of land and premises | Owned |
| Procuring feed on your own | It is planned to grow vegetables, fruits, root crops, grass, tops, legumes, etc. |
| Driveways | Satisfactory |
| Sales channels | Market resellers, wholesale buyers |
| State | One person is an entrepreneur himself |
How much does it cost to open a farm?
Investments required to start a chicken business:
| Expenditures | Approximate prices, rub. |
| Registration of peasant farms | 5 000 |
| Redevelopment of the premises and its disinfection | 5 000 |
| Chicken coop equipment | 110 000 |
| Purchase of layers (200 rubles per layer) | 20 000 |
| Vaccination | 3 000 |
| Purchase of feed, egg trays and other materials | 5 000 |
| other expenses | 2 000 |
| Total | 150 000 |
Regular expenses
To maintain the farm in working order, it is necessary to pay monthly the following expenses:
Income
Initial data for determining the profitability of a laying hen business:
| Index | Meaning |
| Productivity of one hen | The maximum egg production is 300 eggs per year, and the calculations include the figure of 270 eggs. |
| Mortality rate of laying hens and hens with low productivity (e.g. due to disease) | 5 |
| Weight of old laying hens for sale for meat | 142.5 kilograms |
| Weight of chicken manure for sale | 100 bags per year |
| Average wholesale price for a dozen eggs (different varieties) | 50 rubles |
| Average wholesale price for meat of three-year-old laying hens | 100 rubles |
| Cost of chicken manure | 100 rubles per bag |
| Annual price increase | 10 percent |
The rural chicken breeding business is characterized by the following performance indicators:
| Index | Meaning |
| Volume of eggs sold per year | 2,565 tens |
| Annual revenue from egg sales | 128,250 rubles |
| Annual revenue from litter sales | 10,000 rubles |
| Revenue from the sale of chicken after 2.5 years | 14,250 rubles |
| Revenue for the first year of operation | 138,250 rubles |
| Revenue for the second year of operation | 152,075 rubles |
| Revenue for the third year of operation | 181,532.5 rubles |
| Monthly return in the first year | 11,520 rubles |
| Monthly profit | 6,020 rubles |
| Business profitability | 52 percent |
Calendar plan
Plan and schedule for the implementation of a business project for a farm for the production of chicken eggs:
| Stages | 1 month | 2 months | 3 months | 4 months | 5 – 36 months | 37 months |
| Determining the direction of the chicken business, market analysis, choosing a chicken breed and solving other key issues | + | |||||
| Preparation of a business project with calculations | + | |||||
| Registration of peasant farms | + | |||||
| Carrying out work to prepare the premises for moving in laying hens | + | |||||
| Negotiating with potential partners for the sale of eggs and by-products | + | + | ||||
| Search for suppliers of laying hens of the required breed, as well as feed | + | |||||
| Purchase of farm equipment and its installation in the chicken coop and utility rooms | + | |||||
| Purchase of laying hens | + | |||||
| Purchase of feed, egg trays and other materials | + | |||||
| Making your first profit from selling eggs | + | |||||
| Making your first profit from selling chicken manure | + | |||||
| Getting your first profit from the sale of meat from three-year-old laying hens | + |
Risks and payback
When organizing a poultry farm, key risks should be taken into account:
- the occurrence of specific diseases that can develop into an epidemic (for example, fungal and infectious diseases or helminthiases);
- high mortality of laying hens (for example, due to poor health, influenza, encephalomyelitis, anaerobic diarrhea, predators, etc.);
- low productivity of laying hens;
- high competition in the local market;
- the likelihood of not selling products before the expiration date;
- other problems with product sales.
To prevent the occurrence of the main problem - poultry disease, the following preventive measures should be taken on the farm:
- regular disinfection of the chicken coop;
- poultry vaccination;
- maintaining the necessary hygiene in the chicken coop;
- feeding poultry with high-quality feed, as well as including healthy food additives in the diet;
- regular replacement of litter;
- maintaining a comfortable level of humidity and air temperature in the chicken coop for the poultry.
The payback period for the described enterprise is 26-28 months. A faster refund is possible if the number of chickens increases (up to 200).
Breeding laying hens is a very profitable and popular area of the poultry farming business. There has always been, is and will be a demand for eggs, but there are no particular difficulties in raising chickens. Almost anyone can start this business by arranging a poultry room and arming themselves with the necessary knowledge.
This “egg” business attracts many budding entrepreneurs. And this is not surprising - chickens grow very quickly, eat little, and at the age of five months they are already actively laying eggs. Some breeds lay eggs all year round - the main thing is that suitable conditions are created for them. The main advantages of this business:
- Low costs. The laying hen business is one of the most profitable - feed costs are significantly lower than income from eggs. And if you have your own plot, where chickens can walk freely and eat pasture, this expense item is sometimes reduced to zero.
- Demand for products. Fresh eggs can be bought at any time of the year. Competition in this industry is quite high, but this does not at all prevent you from earning decent money from laying hens.
- Simplicity. Compared to other types of livestock farming business, breeding laying hens requires a minimum of work - it is enough to equip a place and regularly collect a “harvest” of eggs.
- Productivity. You can sell not only eggs. Chicken droppings are considered a valuable fertilizer, and the feathers and down of this bird are used in the production of clothing, pillows and blankets. And “retired” chickens can be sold for meat.
The laying hen business is perfect for a small family that lives on its own plot outside the city. The labor intensity in this matter is extremely low, and with a competent approach to business, you can receive a stable, guaranteed income.
How to start a laying hen business
As in any business venture, you first need to draw up detailed business plan. With its help, you can study all the nuances of the upcoming work, identify possible difficulties, and also use it as a means to obtain a loan from a bank. If the business plan is prepared correctly, it will reflect all initial investments with a full calculation of the payback period.
Not only a person who has his own farmstead, but also a city resident can take up this farming business. It is only important to find a small plot of land that will be needed for breeding and walking birds.
If you plan to engage in this business for a long time, it is better to register as individual entrepreneur– in the future, this will simplify obtaining permits for products.
You can download a business plan for breeding laying hens at the link:.
Poultry house preparation
If there is no ready-made poultry room, you can build it yourself - it’s quite simple, but you need to take into account a number of requirements, compliance with which will increase the productivity of laying hens:
- The ceilings in the chicken coop should be no more than two meters high. This will be quite enough for breeding laying hens. It is better to make the roof at an angle (pitched) so that it does not break in winter under the weight of snow. It is not difficult to calculate the area of the poultry house - 10 laying hens need 5 square meters of free space.
- There are two ways to keep chickens - floor and cage. The floor method is more often used because it is more convenient in terms of air ventilation and bird feeding. With cage rearing, laying hens are fed only with compound feed, but with floor rearing, it is possible to let them go for a walk outside in search of pasture.
- The chicken coop should be well ventilated and lit. As a ventilation device, you can use a regular window (covering it with a rodent mesh) or install a ventilation pipe. It is advisable to organize an artificial light source, which will be needed in winter to increase daylight hours for birds.
Chicken coop - photo
- To raise laying hens, it is necessary to maintain the temperature in the region of 0-25°C. Exceeding the norm causes a decrease in the egg production of birds, and at too low temperatures, chickens can get frostbite and die. If the chicken coop was built from lightweight materials, it will definitely need to be insulated. Pine needles, straw, sawdust, and dry leaves are suitable for this. Insulation material must be mixed with lime in a ratio of 30:1. This is necessary in order to prevent rodents from entering the house. Usually the walls and ceiling are insulated, but if there are very coldy, you will need to insulate the floor as well.
- Nests for laying hens are usually placed in the corners of the room. Nests can be made from a simple wooden box, filling the inside with straw or sawdust. One nesting place is installed for 4 laying hens. You will also need to make perches, placing them on the wall opposite the entrance.
Video - chicken business in detail
Rules for breeding laying hens
The business of breeding laying hens will bring high profits only if you wisely choose a rooster and a laying hen for hatching the offspring. The rooster must be energetic, healthy and strong. When choosing a chicken, you should pay attention to its comb - a good laying hen has a large, bright red comb. To hatch eggs, it is advisable to select calm hens that will not often jump up and leave their nest.
The selection of eggs for laying is an issue that must be approached with all responsibility, since the health and fertility of future laying hens will depend on the quality of the eggs. Eggs must be of the correct, even shape, free from dirt and stains.
When the chicken hatches from the egg, you need to help it free itself from the shell, and then carefully place it under the hen. The chicks will be ready for independent life no earlier than 1.5 months after birth.
In order for chickens to be healthy and lay eggs well, you need to provide them with balanced diet. You can use ready-made feed mixtures, or you can prepare them yourself. The diet of laying hens should include food waste, boiled potatoes, cake, chalk, eggshells, greens, and vegetable mixtures.
In the winter season, you will need to enrich the diet with sprouted grains, and in the summer, be sure to give the chickens fresh plants. It is advisable to provide laying hens with an area for walking outside, where they can independently feed on pasture and insects. To increase egg production, it is recommended to add yeast diluted in water to the feed (for 1 kg of feed, 25 g of yeast should be diluted in a liter of water).
Expense and payback
No business starts without a preliminary calculation of profitability, which must take into account the number of initial expenses and the approximate payback period of investments.
For example, let’s take a farm with a hundred laying hens:
Selling chicken eggs is quite profitable business with the right approach
In addition to the eggs themselves, you can increase your income by selling the waste products of laying hens. Chicken manure is considered the most valuable type of fertilizer and is sold for 30-50 rubles per 1 kg. Considering all these features, breeding laying hens can be considered one of the most profitable and simple types poultry business.
Video - chicken business from scratch. Let's figure out how profitable it is
The business of raising laying hens can bring in good money. The birds grow quickly and after 4 months they begin to make a profit. Laying hens differ from their broiler relatives in that they can lay eggs all year round. Anyone can start doing this kind of activity, the main thing is to have the desire and a little patience. A business plan for breeding laying hens with calculations will help you build the right strategy.
Project Summary
Before drawing up a business plan for breeding laying hens, let’s decide on the area and number of chickens:
Type of activity: poultry farm.
- Area: 180 sq. meters of chicken coop and 100 sq. meters for walking.
- Type of premises: property.
- Number of livestock: 600 chickens.
- Form of ownership: LLC.
- Taxation system: Unified Agricultural Tax 6% of profit.
Product types:
- First class eggs.
- Second class eggs.
- Litter.
- Carcasses of laying hens.
Business registration
First you need to decide on the form of ownership. For a small poultry farm, it is better to choose an LLC or a peasant farm with OKVED code 01.47 “Raising poultry”. It is assumed that the business premises will be owned by the entrepreneur on a suburban plot. One of the advantages of this business is that it does not require licensing. However, permission must be obtained from veterinary authorities instead. It will take 2-3 months to register a poultry farm. You can obtain a veterinary passport only after completing the following steps:
- Make a statement to the chief sanitary officer of the locality. The application must contain information about the location of the farm, the number of chickens and information about the legal entity.
- Next, the poultry farm is visited by a veterinary service for an inspection.
- During the inspection, the following is recorded: technical characteristics, veterinary treatment, sanitary condition of the chicken coop, clothing of workers, quality of water and feed, etc. For this reason, the farmer must study in detail the relevant sanitary standards and prepare his farm before the inspection.
- If there are comments or recommendations, a deadline is set for compliance with the requirements, and the inspection comes again.
- Only after complete completion does the farmer receive a veterinary passport.
- Every year, notes are made in the document about the condition of the poultry farm, the results of laboratory tests of the products and the condition of the livestock. When the passport is completely filled, it must be replaced.
| Event | price, rub. |
| LLC registration (state fee) | 4 000 |
| Registration with the tax service | – |
| Medical examinations of employees | 15 000 |
| Calling sanitary services to a poultry farm | 300 |
| Product examination | 1 000 |
| Analysis of the condition of chickens | 1 000 |
| Obtaining a veterinary certificate | 1 000 |
| Receiving a passport | – |
| Permission from Rospotrebnadzor | – |
| Fire inspection permit | – |
| Notification of Rospotrebnadzor about the start of activities | – |
| Total* | 22 300 |
*Prices for veterinary services may vary depending on the region.
Building a house for chickens
To create a full-fledged poultry farm, you need to have a free 300 square meters, of which 180 will be used for a chicken coop. Building a room is not that difficult. The main thing is to comply with the requirements of sanitary standards:
- Distance from residential premises is 350 m.
- Wall height.
- Height of nests and perches.
- Use of certain materials.
- Temperature conditions and ventilation.
- Lighting.
You can build a chicken coop on your own; it will cost at least twice as much. The market offers to build a chicken coop according to all standards from 2000 rubles per square meter. So a finished house for birds will cost you about 360 thousand rubles. Additional insulation and electrification will add another 70 thousand rubles to the cost.
Don’t forget that in addition to the chicken coop, the farmer will need a utility room for storing feed and household equipment. It will be enough to allocate an extension of 30 square meters. If there is no similar structure on the site, then be prepared to allocate another 50-70 thousand for its construction.
Technical equipment
So, the chicken coop is built. Now you need to buy additional equipment:
| Name | Quantity, pcs. | Price for 1 piece, rubles | Total, rubles |
| Centrifugal dust fan | 1 | 15 000 | 15 000 |
| Heater | 8 | 10 000 | 80 000 |
| Feed system | 4 | 15 000 | 60 000 |
| Drinking system | 4 | 20 000 | 80 000 |
| Incubator | 1 | 30 000 | 30 000 |
| Brooder | 1 | 30 000 | 30 000 |
| Small household equipment | 30 000 | ||
| TOTAL | 310 000 |
We buy chickens
Special attention should be paid to the purchase of laying hens. Their weight rarely exceeds 2.5 kg, so they look small. The plumage of laying hens will also help to distinguish them from their broiler relatives.
| Chicken breed | Age of maturity | Carrying period | Price 1 head, rubles | Number of goals | Total |
| Russian white | 1 year | 2 years | 300 | 200 | 60 000 |
| Leghorn | 4.5 months | 2 years | 500 | 200 | 100 000 |
| Isa Brown | 120 days | 1.5 years | 300 | 100 | 30 000 |
| Tetra | 130 days | 1.5 years | 350 | 100 | 35 000 |
| Total | 600 | 225 000 |
Working capital
To keep 600 heads of chickens, it is necessary not only to feed a certain diet (wheat, cereals, greens, root vegetables and easily digestible proteins), but also to feed the chickens with vitamins. Without complementary feeding, chickens will not lay eggs well. On average, 1 chicken per day requires 60 grams of main feed and 150 grams of complementary foods (active additives, minerals and vitamins). For 600 heads per day, 36 kilograms of feed and 90 kilograms of complementary foods will be required.
1.1 tons of feed and 2.7 tons of complementary foods will be required per month. Depending on the region, the cost of 1 kg of feed and additives will vary, but the average cost of 1 kg of feed is 30 rubles, 1 kg of complementary food is 45 rubles. In total, about 155 thousand rubles will be spent per month on feeding the birds.
Another important item among working capital is medicines and preventive measures. In order to avoid pestilence of livestock, it will be necessary to constantly carry out preventive measures, which will require about 20 thousand rubles monthly.
Personnel
For the normal functioning of the factory, it is enough for 2 people to service the chicken coop, and one seller to sell the products on the market (every other day). To save on the fund wages, it is enough to hire two part-time workers to service the chicken coop on weekends. You can do your accounting yourself using online programs.
| Employee | Qty | Form of payment | Cover part | Percentage part | Total for all employees | Payroll with deductions |
| Seller at markets | 1 | Salary + percentage | 5 000 | 7 000 | 12 000 | 15 624 |
| Driver | 2 | Fixed (salary) | 12 000 | 0 | 24 000 | 31 248 |
| Workers on weekdays | 2 | Salary + percentage | 9 000 | 8 000 | 34 000 | 44 268 |
| Worker (part-time worker) on weekends | 2 | Salary + percentage | 5 000 | 3 000 | 16 000 | 20 832 |
| Total | 7 | 111 972 |
Marketing strategy
The sales market for chicken products is extremely large: from simple bazaars to fashionable restaurants and workshops for the production of semi-finished products. Considering the fact that now in Food Industry There is a trend to use only natural products without GMOs, it will not be difficult to find distribution channels. However, competition in this business is very high, and in order to attract a potential client, you need to make some effort. After passing the product quality examination, you should offer your product to shops and cafes, always presenting a quality certificate. Eggs should also be sold independently on the market. Let's consider the mandatory marketing activities:
Since the field of activity is not seasonal, it is better to begin activities to launch the project in the spring in order to open safely by winter.
Financial plan
Capital Investment
Monthly expenses
- Utility costs – 15,000 rubles.
- Fuel and lubricants – 15,000 rubles.
- Salary with deductions – 111,972 rubles.
- Food and medicine – 175,000 rubles.
- Veterinary support – 7,000 rubles.
- Other consumables (cleaning products, packaging material) – 5,000 rubles.
- Unforeseen expenses - 5,000 rubles.
- Advertising – 81,000 rubles.
- Taxes – 22,335 rubles.
Monthly expenses will be 437,307 rubles.
Profit will consist of the following factors:
| Position name | Quantity, pcs. per month | Price for 1 position | Total, rubles |
| 1st class eggs | 100 000 | 5,00 | 500 000 |
| Eggs 2nd class | 60 000 | 3,50 | 210 000 |
| Litter (kg) | 1 350 | 20,00 | 27 000 |
| Laying hen carcasses | 50 | 150,00 | 7 500 |
| TOTAL | 744 500,00 |
Thus, the yield will be 307,193 rubles. Profitability is 41.3%. The initial investment will pay off in 6-7 months.
Eventually
Raising laying hens is an extremely profitable business. In addition, today government policy is aimed at supporting agriculture. Grants and subsidies are available, and perhaps you will receive financial support from local authorities. However, when opening, do not forget about the natural risks: outbreaks of diseases in the livestock and the need to quickly sell products. Be prepared at the initial stage to lose up to 50% of eggs due to their incomplete sale.