African News
Poultry farming is a science that needs many role players as well as many different management procedures, which forms the parts of a successful poultry enterprise. If the role players or management procedures are not correct the poultry farmer is bound to fail.
Due to the increasing demand of chickens and eggs and also quest for self employment, many people are interested in turning their career to the poultry farming with mixed results. Some have succeeded while due to the poor planning, others become failed. They become failed due to their failure to the plan.
Below are some of the major reasons why poultry farming projects fail.
1.Insufficient knowledge (lack of know-how):
Most rush to farming after seeing their neighbors harvests. They don’t take their time to learn about market dynamics and demand and supply curve.
2.Lack of persistence:
Most want instant gratification.They want to be millionaires overnight.They don’t want to face disease challenge or market challenge. All they want is more and more profits. I am sorry to burst your bubble but farming doesn’t work that way.You’ve to toil and sweat. Nothing comes easily.
3.High cost of feeds and poultry equipment:
This has been a pain in the neck. Cost of production has gone over the roof in recent times due to this. I always advise farmers to use creativity and improvise these things e.g buckets in place of drinkers and feeders. Proper feeding management without any wastage is also very important.
- Insufficient knowledge on marketing:
This is demoralizing at the same time heart breaking.
5.Lack of professionals:
Farmers have to make do with trial and error .Due to this they are left at limbo not able to fight challenges e.g diseases and they really lose a lot.
6.Disease outbreaks:
A very serious problems due to insufficient knowledge on disease managenent.Most farmers don’t follow strict vaccination programmes and biosecurity therefore the birds end up dying en masse.
7.Middle-men and brokers:
These are double-edged swords. Some are good while others are outright evil. Some can be farmer’s worst nightmare as they can take the lion’s share of the product due to the knowledge of the market.They promise you heaven and give you hell.
- Wrongly advised farmers:
I once encountered a new farmer who was advised by a fellow farmer to give her pullets cow feed and other animals meal inorder to start laying early. The birds matured but even at 7 months none had started laying. Please farmers jealousy and envy is bad for business. If you don’t want to consult a professional you will end up with serious losses.
