Q&A for How to Start a Chicken Farm Business

The number of chickens you need depends on the purpose and size of your farm. Generally, 200-500 chickens is average for starting a new farm.

Draw up plans for your equipment, a decent sized holding area and a plain grass stretch. Follow a standard business plan but clearly tailored to running a chicken farm, the expected costs and desired profits.

You can start out small.

Typically, a hen of good age and health will produce five to six eggs a week, but not more than one egg a day.

If you already have the chickens and the housing for all of them (plus the food), all you need to do is advertise your business. Pick a business name and create a free website on wix.com. Advertise on social media and in the newspaper. You can also put up a sign in your front yard.

The chicken could be sick if it is sneezing, has a runny nose or its eyes look watery and or puffy.

Check zoning laws and local restrictions first and foremost. Chickens are not always legal to own depending on where you live. They may be considered a noise nuisance and you may end up being fined severely for it.

Use a farm/barn house, so that the chickens stay safe and warm. If your chickens have straight combs, put Vaseline on their combs in the winter to protect against frostbite. Give them warm water instead of cold water. You can also install heating for colder months.

There are some great resources online that can answer all of your questions about poultry care. Check out mypetchicken.com to get started.

This depends on the scale of the farm. If you have free land, then you can start up for less than $1000. A commercial project would need a minimum $50k to start.

You need to have the chickens enclosed in some way so that they don't escape. If they escape, you start to lose your business. If you choose to go cage-free, they can be free to run around and experience the beautiful around us until their deaths, provided they're properly fenced in. It is best to have a certain amount of space reserved for chickens, like the same concept of a playground reserved for kids.

It depends on the size of the house. Usually 15000, 25000, and 50000 birds per house. You need six houses. That way, you are selling out one house per week year round.

Chickens, a coop/housing to keep them in, a little grassy land for a run to let them free range, money for feed, bedding and other equipment like a feeder and water, a company name, a website or some sort of advertising, cartons for selling eggs, and clients.

Look at your state agriculture department for any grants they may be offering. It is not normal for them to offer funds for chicken farms but it is possible and worth a look. Also look on a federal platform as well, they have many programs and resources for first time farmers. Other that that, you could get a bank loan, save up until you have enough or borrow from a family member.

This depends on how many chickens you plan on having. We have around 30 and keep a run of about one acre for free ranging. It can be less, but the more grass they can get to the better.

Base it on what you plan to do. Start out small until you get enough clientele to make it more profitable and to see if it will succeed. That way, if you do not get enough business, you are not out of a lot of money and you can keep them to feed your own family.

As babies, it is a good idea to give them the chick feed medicated, or if you are going all organic just give them organic chick food. As they reach 4-8 weeks you transition to normal feed and supply them with grit to break down the grain. As they start laying around 4-5 months give them oyster shell and/or upgrade their food to layer food, but definitely give them oyster shell as they need calcium to lay eggs.

First you take training on how to take care of small chicks, how to maintain their diets, atmosphere and medical treatments. After that, you search for vendors that sell eggs and chickens.

There are too many to mention but nearly all are caused by poor welfare conditions such as overcrowding, dirtiness, cold, poor feed, etc. If you ensure that the chickens are kept well, then disease issues will be reduced.

That depends on what you want to do. If you are raising for egg production in a cold area, silver laced wyandottes (or any type of wyandotte) would be a great breed. If you are wanting meat production, boilers are the best way to go.

Probably around $100-$400 for the chickens themselves and around $800-$2500 for the other things they need.

It depends on your state or country regulations on poultry farming and whom you intend to get permission from. For example, in Kenya you don't need to seek permission from authorities for rearing a few chicks but if you live in downtown Chicago, that's quite another story.

It can be, but like anything else, it might start slow. You will need publication and marketing. It might seem tough, but it might also be worth it.

If you count 0.5 sq m per chicken, you'll need at least 25,000 sq m of land. It would be ideal to count a little more for chickens to be able to breathe and walk normally.

There are a few options. Mypetchicken.com is a great place to start. You can also buy from other poultry farmers or backyard chicken pet owners. Just search "poultry for sale" on the internet.

There are no requirements for chicken farmers, although many have a bachelor's degree in agriculture or poultry science. If you don't plan to pursue a degree, take plenty of agriculture, math, and business courses in high school.

Most common and critical diseases can now be prevented by vaccinations. If you buy your chicks from a pet store, farm ranch, or hatchery, the chances are that your chicks are already vaccinated. If you're unsure, then make sure to contact the breeder to check. If your chicks aren't vaccinated, then a vet or poultry-breeder may be able to vaccinate them for you safely and effectively.

A well-known ballpark figure for estimating purposes is 1/4 pound of feed per chicken per day, or 1.5 pounds of feed per chicken per week. Keep in mind that this is a ballpark figure; your chickens may require a little more.

Chicken eggs take 21 days to hatch if in an incubator or under a broody hen. It may take up to 3-5 days after that for the chicks to emerge from their shells.

Layers pellets will encourage your chickens to lay more eggs. The pellets contains higher calcium than normal chicken feed, which helps to build strong, healthy eggs.