You can make money raising commercial layers

Written by Maurice Rangoma.

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One of the profitable poultry farming business is layers chicken farming. You can start small and expand as you grow. This poultry house is designed to accommodate 200 birds. If more than 200 birds will be kept,

the length of the house can be extended by 3.9 meters for every 100 layers. The materials indicated can however be replaced by any alternatives available in your locality if convenient and less costly. For example off-cuts can be replaced by bricks and cedar posts by ordinary tree poles. The space where wire mesh is used for ventilation can be altered according to local climatic conditions.
One assumption is that there exists a room that can be used for rearing the chicks and another available as a store for feeds and other poultry materials.
This venture is especially suitable for those in the urban and peri-urban areas because it does not require vast land and the market exists nearby. Many youth groups formed by developmental organizations can take advantage and raise commercial layers for financial gains.

House plan and design

Front view

Side view

Ground plan

Cost of materials and construction

Materials Required	Units	Qty	Cost (Kshs)	Total (Kshs)
2 m long corrugated iron sheets	No	40	800	32,000
Wire netting	roll	1	5000	5,000
Ballast	7 tonnes load	1	3000	3,000
Sand	7 tonnes load	1	9000	9,000
Cement	bags	7	900	6,300
Rails (3’ x 2’)	feet	400	30	12,000
Rails (2’ x 2’)	feet	400	30	12,000
Cedar posts	No	30	200	6,000
Off-cuts	pieces	150	120	18,000
Suitable material for deep litter e.g. wood shavings	load	1	1000	1,000
Labour cost @ 30% of construction materials				31,290
Total				135,590

Poultry equipment

Feeders
Feeders are distributed at one round feeder per 25 birds. Therefore 8 feeders are required for each batch of 200 birds. Each round feeder goes at Kshs 600. Cost = Kshs. 4,800.

Waterers
Waterers are distributed alternately between feeders therefore 8 are required for a batch of 200 birds. Each feeder goes at Kshs 600. Cost = Kshs. 4,800.

Laying nests
One box for every four birds is enough. Dimensions should be 12 inches base diameter and 8 inches high walls on the lower end and 12 inches on the higher end. These are usually made of wood. A slanted roof to deter buildup of manure should be placed over the nest boxes to ensure comfort and privacy to the birds.

Timber size	Length	Unit cost	Total cost
12” x 1”	200	30	6,000
8” x 1”	100	30	3,000
Total			9,000

Perches or roosts
Chickens prefer to roost at night on perches. Perching space of 15 to 20 cm should be allowed for each bird. The cross-section of each perch bar should be 2 to 3 cm.

Item	No	Unit price	Total cost
12’ Rafters	140	40	5,600
Round poles	10	120	1,200
Total			6,800

Egg trays

Assuming a laying percentage of 90%, 6 egg trays are required for each batch of 200 birds. Cost = 600.

Poultry Feeds

Chicks

4 (70kg bag) bags of chick mash per month for 17 weeks cost about 4 x 4 x 3,300 = 52,800.

Layers

8 (70 kg bag )bags of layers mash per month for 200 layers. Cost is 2500 x 8 = Kshs 20,000 per month

NB: You need to verify these prices because feed prices have been changing very fast and depend on locality.

Total cost

Item	Total cost
House construction	135,590
Poultry equipment	26,000
Poultry feeds - chicks	52,800
Poultry feed – layers (1 year)	160,000
Labour @ Kshs. 3000 pm	36,000
Veterinary costs	3,000
Total	413,390

Returns

Year 1
Assuming laying percentage at 90%
200 birds x 90% x 8 Mo x 30 days x 8 Kshs/egg = 345,600

Year 2
Assume laying percent of 80%
200 birds x 80% x 12 months x 30 days x 8 Kshs/egg = 460,800
Assuming 80% survival rate
Sale of spent chicken @ Kshs 400 per bird = 200 x 80% x 400 = 64,000

Cash Flow

	Year 1	Year 2
House construction	135,590	0
Poultry equipment	26,000	0
Poultry feeds - chicks	52,800	0
Poultry feed – layers (1 year)	160,000	240,000
Labour @ Kshs. 3000 pm	36,000	36,000
Veterinary expenses	3,000	3,000
Total cost	413,390	279,000
Sales of eggs	345,600	460,800
Sale of spent chicken	0	64,000
Net	-67,790	+245,800

What you can do to cut costs

Obviously the first would be to rent a house instead of constructing one. This will reduce your cost by Kshs 148,070 save for monthly rents for the two years. Besides relying on a temporary structure, the other disadvantage is that you have no control over the housing therefore some house improvements might not be possible. Alternatively you can construct a cheaper house using cheaper materials, and opting for an earth floor.
Finally, other than the financial profits you can get from this endeavour there is also the other benefit which most people do not consider; the vast experience you will get over the two year period in rearing layers for commercial purposes. Well you can try this at home.

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