©Shutterstock African American farmer feeds poultry in the backyard of the farm.
Poultry farming is a crucial part of Ghana’s economy. The industry has created job opportunities for thousands of people and provided a source of much-needed protein in our diets.
However, if Ghana is to be completely self-sufficient in terms of poultry production, we will need more top farmers to reach this lofty target.
Below, I describe four qualities which are a must-have for any poultry farmer who has ambitions of becoming a top player in the industry.
Problem-solving abilities
As a poultry farmer, you must be innovative and keep a cool head no matter how dire the situation is. Assume you have 1000 white layer birds. You left for some meeting with fellow poultry farmers. Upon return, you realise that ten of your birds lay lifeless on the ground and another ten are seriously bleeding from their vent.
What do you do in this situation? Would you panic or take your time to find the cause of this situation? In this situation, cannibalism was likely the cause. So you may want to start debeaking the birds and take note of the particular period in which this happened. This way, you will not lose as many birds next time.
Time management proficiency
Poultry farming is not your typical 9 to 5 job, where you wake up, shower, go to work, close, and finally, come home and watch TV. As a farmer, you’ll probably have to wake up at 6 am, feed the birds and occasionally watch out for their behaviour from time to time.
Again, you may hear your birds making some noise. If you lack proper time management skills, you may ignore them and watch TV. But the noise emanating could be because a foreign animal has invaded the pen. The birds could be startled, resulting in a stampede. Hence proper time management can help you better respond to crises.
Interpersonal Skills
As a poultry farmer, you might be leading some farmhands, and it is very crucial that you communicate well with them and also show empathy. This way, they will likely push harder to ensure you become successful. Again, as a poultry farmer, having good negotiation skills will enable you to get the best prices for your products.
Financial management skills
Since poultry farming is a commercial activity, knowledge about cash flow and debt management can go a long way to help your farm grow and prosper. Actually, most farmers in Ghana don’t see this as a necessary skill to hone. Because after all, they sell products every day, so what could go wrong?
Conclusion
I hope this write-up has helped change your perception of poultry farming and that you are now going to approach this lucrative industry more holistically.
If reading this article piqued your interest in starting your poultry venture, it will be in your best interest to write a good business plan. Even if you don’t necessarily have the time to write your own, don’t worry. Just send us a WhatsApp message by following this link https://wa.me/233592239127. And we’ll draft a professional business plan for you at a very reasonable price.
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Finally, are you ready to start your dream poultry farm, but don’t know how to construct the chicken house, brood the chicks, source the right materials, etc.? Just follow this link https://wa.me/233592239127 for more enquiries.
Pkom 
Well said
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