Layer Poultry Farming: Building a Sustainable  and Highly Profitable Business

Do you want to think about where you can invest your capital? Which business is suitable for you? Can you not make up your mind? You may study layer poultry farming. It is a highly profitable agriculture business. The business of layer poultry farming is fast-growing all over the world. It is still very profitable for the small-scale industry. The monopoly capital could not grab this business from various small business entrepreneurs. Let’s see! Here is this article about the reach of this business. We will also discuss how you can start it. You can get insights shortly on the structure and function of layer poultry farming in this discourse.

What is Layer Poultry Farming?

Layer poultry farming is the commercial production of eggs by raising hens of various breeds from day one of their breeding age. The raised hens of different breeds start to lay eggs at 126 to 133 days of their age. It continues up to 504 to 546 days of their age. They require near about 3 kg of food to produce at least 1.5 kg of eggs in their laying period. You can raise more highly productive egg layer breeds of hens which are available worldwide

Benefits of the layer Poultry Farming

You can start this business with a low budget. It takes only 18 to 19 weeks to produce eggs. It is commercially profitable. The hens can be sold as broilers when they are 1.5 kg of weight. The by-products of the layer poultry farms can also be sold for organic farming activity at a high cost. The environmental hazards are lees in this farming activity.

Top 5 Factors Affecting the Layer Poultry Farming

There are top 5 factors the farmers of the layer poultry farming must consider to run their business on profit. They are:

• Breed of the layer hens
• Layer farming management
• Environment factors
• Nutrition management
• Food management

Types of Layer Poultry Farming

There are mostly four types of layer poultry farming: backyard, farm flock, commercial, specialized egg production, integrated egg production, free range, free-run, organic, and yarding.

Backyard

Backyard layer poultry farming is run mainly by the countryside of America. This farming is attached to the residence. It is low-productive, but the country people can ensure extra income and nutrition from this farming. This supplies both meat and eggs. This layer poultry farming is eco-friendly. Easter egger, barred rock, Rhode Island Red, etc. are included in this framing.   

Farm flock 

It is under the layer of poultry farming that tends to chickens in the farms. The birds are fed a lot and applied antibiotics for their foraging. Leghorns and Rhode Island Red hens are also included in the farm flock layer poultry farming.

Commercial Egg-producing Layer Poultry Farming

Island Reds, Sussex and Leghorns are raised in this framing. These hens are medium in size. They are considered commercial because they produce a considerable number of eggs per year.

Specialized egg production 

Specialized egg production system refers to cage-free or organic layer poultry farming that is practised in the USA. As per a report in 2023, 34% of the total production of eggs in the United States of America comes from the cage-free egg production system. 

Integrated egg production

Integrated egg production in layer poultry farming refers to a system that includes raising chickens for egg production in an automated system. The automation system includes an automation system production to ship eggs to a certain location.

Free-range 

Free-range is an alternative egg-production system that is practised in the United States of America. The hens are kept in a house that has free access to the outdoors. A large number of hens can be kept in such layer poultry farming. 

Free-run 

The free-run egg-producing system is an attractive poultry farming process where the hens are left to roam on the barn floors freely. The hens are also left to the pastures when the weather is suitable.

Organic

Organic layer poultry farming refers to a method that organically raises the hens. The hens are led free from cages and they are fed organic foods. No pesticides, antibiotics and hormones are used to raise them. 

Yarding

The yarding layer poultry farming refers to a system where the hens are raised in a fenced yard. A free house is built up in the yard where they can save themselves from the rains and other meteorological conditions.

Large-Scale Egg-Producing Layer Poultry Farming

Large-scale egg-producing layer poultry farming includes broiler farming. The birds can be sold as meat after getting eggs after 78 weeks. It is more profitable than other layer poultry farming. 

Reach for Layer Farming

The expected reach for layer poultry farming is larger than any other small business in agriculture. The existing total production of eggs cannot fulfil the target amount per capita worldwide.

World Market

China is the first largest country in egg production. Indonesia and India are the 2nd and 3rd largest countries respectively. As per the last 

annual report of satista.com and the official website of NABARD, the United States of America now produces 284 eggs per capita per year in their country. It is now 180 per capita per year in the United Kingdom and 110 per capita per year in India. A report by Science Direct says that the average yearly consumption of eggs by a person in the world is 161 pieces. This report has been prepared based on total egg production worldwide considering the variation of each country. 

US Market

As per the report of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the USA published a report by their statistics division that there was a 110 billion total production of eggs in America in 2023. It cannot fulfil the expected requirement of egg production in The United States of America. The above reports prove that the total production of eggs still needs to meet the target number per capita. This study also proves strongly that there is a wide range of scope for making a profit from layer poultry farming in the USA.

How Can We Start?

An entrepreneur who wants to start his business with layer poultry farming must follow the steps mentioned below:

Factor of Weather For Setting Up the Farm

The well-being of the hens in the layer poultry farming depends on the weather very much. The hens cannot tolerate lower and higher temperatures as well. Generally, the poultry breeds hens can tolerate the weather bearing 20 to 24° C temperature. The farmers must go through proper training to raise the hens properly.

How to Choose the Right Location Layer Poultry Farming?

• 1km away from the residential or industrial area.
• 500 meters from other poultry farms.
• The land must be raised and it will be near the road.

Essential Infrastructure for Layer Farming

• A rain-proof shed is erected on a raised land. 
• The end wall of the shed will in east-west and the side wall of the shed will be in the north-south. 
• Maintain cleanliness and feed the chicks as per their types, ages and other considerations.

Creating the Perfect Environment

• The hens cannot tolerate lower and higher temperatures as well.
• The best temperature for the layer hens must be from 20°-24° C.
• The polar region weather i very risky for this farming.

Designing a Comfortable Coop for Your Layers

• Enough and damn-free space is required for layer poultry farming.
• The gap between the two layers must be 875 sqft. For 500 layers.
• The coop must be spacious for each bird.

Ventilation, Lighting, and Temperature Control

• Perfect ventilation with adequate light is required for raising hens healthily.
• Avoid suffocative conditions for the birds.   
• The humidity must be kept under 40% to 60%.

Preparing a Project for a Bank Loan

Each country and their agriculture department with their refinancer facility offers loans for layer poultry farming. They require firstly the project reports of your project prepared by a professional expert.

The project report includes:

• The erection of layer sheds and quarters with feed store.
• Purchase of equipment for operating the farming activity.
• Ensure for the supply of water, feeding and electricity.
• Purchase of total chicks
• First five to six months of working capital for feeding and other necessary cost.

Apply for a Bank loan

• Consult with officers of government poultry corporations of each respective country for preparing a scheme.
• Assess the profitability of layer poultry farming after visiting local poultry farms.
• Choose the land and location of your business. Draw a site map. The location must be close to the road. 
• Ensure the size and capacity of the proposed farm including the structures like sheds, feeding areas, chicks’ ground, store room, quarters and staff rooms.
• Ensure equipment, and machinery, water supply, energy, fuel, number of chicks, parameters of production and marketing.
• Include the cost of the project and the pattern of funding.
• Analyse cash flow and income and expenditure ratio.
• Fix whether the business is an individual or a partnership.
•  Mention the name of the business, the financing bank and branch and the government assistance.

Project Appraisal

The respective branch of the financing bank will look into the above inputs of the proposed project after the submission of the project to them.

Bank Loan Sanction and Disbursement

The bank loan is sanctioned by the financing branch when they are satisfied with the inputs of your proposed project for the layer poultry farming business.

Terms of Lending

Select the term of lending for the sanctioned loan on the respective interest rate. The financing bank may keep your land or some asset in mortgage. The project must be under insurance if it is necessary. 

Raising Funds 

The funds can be raised for starting up layer poultry farming in three ways grants, loans and investors. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides Rural Development Grants (RBDG) and Value-Added Producer Grants (VAPG) to raise funds for layer poultry farming in the USA. Besides, many NGOs and persons invest in this farming. The farmers can connect them for their business development.  

Wrap It Up

To wrap it up, layer poultry farming is still now highly profitable business for beginners. Many studies have already explored the scope of this business and the Emerging profitability of egg production worldwide. This brief article has explained a lot about what is layer poultry farming and how beginners can start this profitable business successfully.

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