Owning and running a successful chicken farm venture goes beyond merely raising chickens. Marketing, financial viability, and brand awareness are all parts of starting and maintaining a successful venture. You will be positioned for growth as you build out your business, keeping these factors in mind.
The overall structure of your chicken egg business can differ, based on your targeted approach. The hens you acquire will live in wire cages, with automatic feeding and watering systems. Your process will also vary based on your desired end product and target market. Your choice of standard white eggs, brown eggs, or organic and free-range or free-run allows you to tailor your egg-laying business.
Step-by-step Guide On Starting Your First Chicken Egg Farm
Step 1: Budgeting
The purpose of creating your overall budget is to ensure you reach profitability within your operation. Work backward from your desired output to calculate the required hens to achieve that volume. Consider the timing of what age the hens will start producing eggs, which is about 18 weeks of age, and that hens typically move past the ability to produce at 110 weeks. There is also a period at 52 weeks of age where the hens do not produce because of molting. An individual hen will produce about five eggs per week, depending on the breed.
Other Costs to Factor In While Building Your Budget:
- Feeding – hens are fed once per day.
- Structure Costs – your flock will require adequate space for housing.
- Labor – eggs are collected once per day. Labour is also required for cleaning, care, and egg collection.
- Marketing – a robust marketing plan is required to build your brand, and ongoing investment in marketing will ensure sustained growth to your customer base
- Waste – factor in a percentage to account for loss due to waste, which will come in various ways – losses within the flock and product breakage – eggs are fragile.
Step 2: Select Your Breed
There are several hundred types of chickens, and it is essential to select the right one for your operations. Chickens are either bred for meat, for egg-laying, or a combination of both. Selecting your breed is critical for a successful operation. Each breed produces a different colored egg, so choose one that lays what you wish to sell.
Climate is important to consider when selecting your breed; some birds do well in warmer weather, while others are bred for colder climates. Ensure you choose one that will do well in the area that you live.
Different breeds also have varying levels of output. Some breeds produce more than others, which will factor in how many hens will make up your flock.
Plan to keep a hen for no more than a year. After a year, the hens will slow their egg production and will eventually stop altogether. These hens can be sold as a cull hen, which will see the hen be used for consumption.
Two of the Most Common & Suitable Breeds for Egg Farming:
- Plymouth Rock – These calm and patient chickens will tolerate cold weather well and produce large brown eggs. They are curious and sweet and will get along with other chickens and family members alike.
- New Hampshire Red – These gentle hens bond well in a group and are reliable egg producers. New Hampshire Reds are easy to tame and make excellent pets, with their warm and friendly personalities.
Step 3: Housing Your Flock
Build your hen’s housing with a suitable size in mind. Each bird will require at least 1.5 square feet of space and outdoor space to roam. A nest box area is needed, and an individual box will house five hens.
It is essential to consider your farm’s strategy when building your housing. Free-range chickens have access to the outside; however, you must protect your flock from weather and predators.
Providing movable cages so that your flock can get moved to pasture for some grazing is also an option. The average cage will house from 3 to 8 birds and will be made of either solid or mesh metal. These cages will also have space in the bottom where the eggs will drop.
Feeding is set up with an automatic feeding system, and water is provided through an overhead water delivery system.
Ensuring you have adequate space is important, as a chicken farm can be potentially disruptive for surrounding neighbors, with the noises and smells it produces.
Step 4: Feeding & Water
The average-sized hen will eat ¼ pound of commercial-grade feed per day. Work with your local supplier to secure the right blend for your breed. The combination of protein, nutrients, minerals, and vitamins will differ based on your flock’s age, size, and breed.
Ensuring your flock is well fed and nourished will support a quality egg product.
Hydration is also crucial – always provide your flock access to clean water.
Step 5: Egg Production Monitorings
Hens must have at least 16 hours per day of light to be fully productive egg layers. This can be done with natural light or artificial lighting. It is strongly recommended to incorporate electric lighting in your operation, as this will maximize the available production time for your flock.
Other than that, nutritions play a crucial part during the peak egg-laying stay. You have to make sure the hens are supplied with sufficient nutrition to maximize their egg productions.
Others Important Things You Must Consider
Regulation
Every jurisdiction has different rules surrounding raising and selling eggs. Familiarize yourself with land use regulation as well as what is required to sell eggs in your area. Check with your local Agriculture governing body for a complete outline of the requirements for producing, packaging, labeling, and grading your product.
There may be different regulations applicable to your farm, depending on the size.
Marketing strategy is the key to creating demand for your product and ensuring you have a robust growth path. There are several channels to use for marketing your product. Digital marketing includes Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Print ads and other local advertising are also an option.
For packaging, it may be illegal in some areas to re-use egg-cartons.
Pay close attention to the laws around labeling to comply with local labeling and nutritional guidelines. Organic labeling can be comprehensive to undertake, with several stringent guidelines to adhere to.
Marketing
Having a good website is crucial and is a great platform to market yourself. There are online platforms dedicated to helping you build a site from scratch, without any programming experience.
Establishing your brand is vital to differentiate yourself in the egg farm space. Build a brand that highlights your quality product and tells a story about who you are.
Word of mouth is one of the most potent forms of advertising and will be vital in building your business. Happy customers will tell their family and friends about your products, and momentum and demand will build.
Profitability
The key to a sustainable chicken egg farm operation is to ensure that your product is well priced. Factor in all of the expenses associated with your operation to outline your costs and ensure that your final sell price is more than your expenses. Your final sell price should also be reflective of the quality of your product. Become familiar with what product you are competing within your area and price yourself within that range.
A successful chicken egg farm is a rewarding prospect and can be a profitable venture with hard work and the correct setup. Continue to review your chicken farm’s ongoing progress and keep profitability in your sights with ongoing evaluation of all aspects of your business.
