If you are looking for various avenues to earn, then you can consider starting a poultry farm. The poultry farm is one of the fastest-growing agribusinesses. In order to increase egg production by three times, the Government is already taking steps so that the health of the children can be improved and poultry farmers get benefits. The Government of India is already running a National Livestock Mission just to promote poultry farm business. Even the Government is making generous investments and providing financial assistance to the BPL families for starting poultry farming business in India.

There are approximately 3 million farmers and 15 million agrarian farmers already working in the poultry industry. If you are also willing to start a successful poultry farming business in India, then you are on the right platform. Here we are sharing with the complete guide to start a poultry business in India and grow exponentially.

Here we go…….

Things required for starting a poultry farm:

Hope you know that to start any business, you will need a business plan. A business plan is nothing but a guide or a roadmap of your business that outlines goals and the details of how you plan to accomplish those goals. So, to start a poultry business, you will need to create a business plan. The business plan for the poultry farming business will contain the following items:

  • Details of business land or space where you are planning to start your farm
  • Details of equipment to be used in the farm
  • Details of types of birds you are planning to use in your business like chicken, duck, turkey, quail, etc.
  • Details of the eggs production process
  • Details of broiler breeding process
  • Details of human resources
  • Details of finances, which include cost analysis
  • Details of funds (where to accumulate funds from)
  • Marketing strategies and advertisement techniques
  • Getting the License and permission from the Government

Once you have your business plan ready, then you will need to gather funds to start your business. You can apply for the loan from any Government affiliated banks, or you can even apply for Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana Loan. However, you will have to show your business plan to get your loan sanctioned. Also, the respective bank where you will apply for the loan may ask to see the land where you want to start your poultry farm.

Benefits of Poultry Farming

  • People these days are very particular about their health, and protein-rich foods have always been considered the healthiest food option. Poultry products provide high nutrition; that’s the reason they are high in demand.
  • Poultry farming is an excellent source of income generation.
  • A poultry farming business requires small capital to initiate compared to other forms of business.
  • You would be able to produce two types of food items, eggs, and meat. Both of these food items are high in demand due to the nutritional value they provide.
  • You can reach BEP or break-even point (a point where there is no profit and no loss in business) in no time.
  • A poultry farm is a continuous source of income because the demand for meat and eggs never go down.
  • It requires not only less capital, but also the poultry business needs fewer utility items like electricity, water, heat, etc.
  • Last but not least, by starting a poultry farm, you will increase employment opportunities for those looking for jobs.

Types of Birds to use in Poultry Farm

India is one of the largest poultry markets in the world. Here in India, many kinds of birds like chicken, geese, turkey, ducks, guinea fowl, and quail are raised for meat. However, Indian poultry farmers are primarily known for growing a variety of chickens. Out of 600 types of chickens worldwide, India is known to raise 92 of them for meat and egg production.

There are three different categories of chickens used in India, which as follows:

  1. Broiler chickens – broiler chickens are commonly raised because of their high growth rate and high amount of meat. It takes only eight weeks for a broiler chicken to grow up to the full potential.
  2. Layer chickens – Layer birds are unique breeds of hens. They start laying hens from the age of 18 to 19 weeks and lay eggs until the age of 72 to 78 weeks. These birds produce over 250 eggs a year, consuming 2.25 kg of feed.
  3. Rooster chickens – A rooster, also known as a cock or cockerel, is a male gallinaceous bird, with cockerel being younger and rooster being an adult male chicken. They don’t grow faster; however, they are good to guard the general area where other hens are nesting and attacks other roosters that enter their territory. Besides, they make for tasteful meat and quickly adapt to different environments, thereby making it easier to transport them.

How much does it cost to start a poultry farm? 

The amount of money that you need to start a poultry farming business will primarily depend on the size of the business. This means if you are planning to start a small scale poultry farm, you will need around INR 50,000 to INR 1,50,000. While to start a medium scale poultry business, you may need around INR 1.5 lakh to INR 3.5 lakhs. And for a large scale poultry farm, you will need to invest around INR 7 Lakhs to INR 10 lakhs. To meet your financial requirements, you can either opt for a business loan from a financial institution like banks, or you can take a loan from your friends and relatives, or you can even use your savings. However, a business loan is considered the best option, as you can get tax rebates on your loan amount.

Licenses/Permissions required for starting a poultry farming in India

Various licenses that poultry business owners will need before starting a poultry farming business in Indian includes:

  • NOC (No objection certificate) from local village panchayat
  • NOC (No objection certificate) from the pollution board.
  • Permission for electrical use as you will need a transformer based on the poultry size (number of motors used in the poultry)
  • And, License from the groundwater department

Seeing the rising demands of poultry products in the Indian market, Government is promoting poultry farming. Hence, it has become very easy to get these permissions and licenses.

Area/Land required for the poultry farm

Many factors determine the space needed for the poultry farm. However, it primarily depends on the type of your poultry farm you are planning to start. There are four types of poultry farms, such as:

  • Battery Cage Poultry Farm
  • Free Range Poultry Farm
  • Semi Range Poultry Farm
  • Completely Wild Poultry Farm

For a Battery Cage poultry farm, you may need 4,000 sqft for the birds and an additional 2,000 sqft for other farm infrastructural needs. In a battery cage system, birds won’t be able to move or run. While in a Free-Range Poultry farm, you will need approximately 12,000 to 36,000 sqft area. As in this system, birds are let loose in the fields to free-range.

Semi Ranged poultry farms are the combination of both free-range and cage Systems. In this system, fowls are kept in the coop and are provided with a small Penn/paddock to move around. For this type of farm, you will need around 8000 sqft. 2 sqft of coop space and 2 sqft of paddock space, which means a total of 4 sqft per bird. Finally, in the Wild Poultry Systems, birds are raised in a natural environment, like an area with lots of trees. In this kind of poultry system, you will need around 44,000 sqft area, where birds will have 2 sqft of coop space and about 15–20 sqft of free Range space.

How much profit can you earn?

Undoubtedly, a poultry farming business is a profitable business option in India. Just in six months, you reach BEP. Most of your birds start laying eggs at the age of 6 months. The amount of profit that you can earn varies based on the size of your business. However, even if you are running a small size poultry farm, you can still make a decent profit from your business. Moreover, besides selling meat and eggs, you can even sell feathers and other by-products of the farm like manure and gunny bags to make additional profit.

Where to learn poultry farming from?

Like any other business management course, you can also have poultry farming training. Having a professional training in poultry farming can help you achieve your goals and grow exponentially. There are many Poultry Farming Institutes & Training centers in India, such as Dr. B.V. Rao Institute of Poultry Management & Technology – Pune, Central Avian Research Institute (CARI) – Izatnagar, Uttar Pradesh, Indira Gandhi National Open University – New Delhi, and National School of Open Schooling – New Delhi. You can choose to do professional training from any of these institutes.

FAQs

1. What is poultry farming?

Raising birds to sell meat and eggs and earn profit out of business is called poultry farming.

2. Manpower required to start a poultry farming business?

The requirement for the manpower will vary based on the size of your poultry farm or the number of birds. For instance, if you start your farm with more than 500 birds, then you will require two more people to manage the farm. Likewise, the requirement for manpower goes up if you choose to raise the number of birds on the farm.

3. Can I get a business loan to start a poultry farm?

Yes, you can get a business loan for starting a poultry farm. There are many financial institutions already providing loans for starting poultry businesses. Besides, there are government schemes under which you can acquire a loan and get a subsidy as well.

4. Equipment required for poultry farming business?

There are many types of equipment required for poultry business, like:

  • Water equipment, like Bell type automatic waterer, Nipple drinker, Water basin made of plastic/wood/GI with grill, Pan and jar type, and manual drinker.
  • Feeding Equipment: Linear feeder, Circular feeder, Shell grit feeder, Automatic Feeders, etc.
  • Heaters or Brooders: Infra-red Bulbs, Charcoal or Kerosene Stove, Reflectors or Hovers, etc.
  • Other equipment required are Incubators, Chick Box, Fly Tray, Egg Tray, Poultry Plucker Rubber Finger, Poultry Incubator Controller, Ventilation Fan, Egg Scale, Laying Nest, Cages and Coops, Water Pots and Drinkers, Dressing Machine, and Egg Washers.

5. Is poultry farming business a profitable option for first-time business owners?

Yes, poultry farming is one of the profitable and most convenient businesses to start for the first time business owners.

6. Is there any software that can help manage a poultry farm?

Yes, with NAVFarm poultry farm software, you can manage your entire farm. It gives you complete hold over your business, and you can manage each aspect of your business from feeding to hatching, breed management to delivery management, easily.

7. Where can I sell my poultry products?

You can sell your poultry products either to the middle man or to the end consumers. However, for both the methods, you will need to network with the right people so that your profits are unhampered.

FINAL THOUGHT

We have put in a lot of effort to help you have a complete idea about starting a poultry farming in India. Hope this post helps you start a successful poultry farming business in India and achieve your goals!