Photo by Artem Beliaikin from Pexels
So people ask me how I’m able to combine working full-time and managing a poultry farm. I tell them I’m not a magician. I’m bent on taking advantage of an industry that has so much potential while creating multiple streams of income for myself.
You must be out of your mind if you think it’s easy. It’s brain cracking, financially draining and tiring – but with the right balance of determination, hard work and right advice – it shouldn’t be a difficult thing to do.
We have been advised not to make the mistakes of our fathers who depended solely on their salaries and went on retirement with almost nothing. Life becomes tough for the average Ghanaian upon retirement.
Heeding to the advice, I went into something I have dreamt about since my Senior Secondary school days – taking inspiration from an English textbook. It was about a man who left his job at the Ghana News Agency and became Ghana’s national best farmer.
I put up the structure with the help of a partner after I completed college and we committed more resources to it when we secured jobs. It hasn’t been easy but it’s been worth it.
It’s important to have a partner if you don’t have enough resources to start. To be very honest with you, poultry is a very capital intensive venture and the average person would struggle to get it up and running.
You can raise money via debt financing but poultry business has so many uncertainties – so it’s important to get a partner who shares your vision.
Get a workable business plan detailing everything you need to start the business and what to anticipate. That should be a very good guide – in case you need assistance in drafting a professional business plan, feel free to contact us. Like they say, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
Get a trusted employee, most likely, a relative. I work around Koforidua and my farm is in Weija but everything goes on very well. The nature of my job is such that I get some months off. I join in the farm and work alongside the one who manages my farm.
It’s important to have oversight on the farm no matter where you find yourself. A dishonest and lukewarm manager will make your resources go down the drain. Be very selective in choosing someone to manage your farm while you are at work.
I’m unlucky to be far away from my farm when I move to my station. I have a friend who runs his farm himself even though he’s working full time. He makes sure the feeders and water troughs are very full before he leaves for work. Sometimes, he only goes there once a day. The risk associated with this is that you may lose a lot of birds who are weak or who lack something which only you can provide.
I remember I brought in some chicks and I forgot to take out a piece of wood I placed by the wall. The wind blew the stick and it fell on 3 birds. I went back 3 hours later only to find these chicks stuck under the wood. They all died later. If I had gone there earlier, I’m sure I would have saved their lives – and reduce my losses.
It’s very important to know so much about handling poultry birds before you order them. It’s very key to the success of your farm. Get someone to coach you. If you don’t have any. Pkom is here for you. I have travelled to lots of places to coach and train people on handling birds and setting up. We’ll gladly assist you.
Keep records on the feed you give them (the birds) while you record their age, in days, every other day. It’s very key.
It’s important to create multiple streams of income for yourself. Your salary is hardly enough to meet your expenditure. You should take a second look at entering into this business. Surely, your future is here. With the right advice and training – and plan, you should succeed.
Pkom 