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The short answer
Most poultry farms in Nigeria fail for one of three reasons: disease that wipes out a flock, feed costs that outrun selling prices, and cash running out between buying feed and being paid. Feed alone is 65 to 70 percent of input costs according to PAN (February 2026), so a farm without a feed reserve and a vaccination plan is exposed from day one.
Disease: the fastest way to lose a flock
A flock can go from healthy to heavy losses within days. Newcastle disease and Gumboro (infectious bursal disease) are the two most farmers plan around, which is why vaccination schedules in Nigeria are built on them. A 2016 study published a Nigerian Newcastle schedule with doses from day old at the hatchery, La Sota at one to two weeks, Komarov at seven to ten weeks and an inactivated vaccine at 16 to 18 weeks.
Vaccination is only half of disease control. A 2023 study of 80 small-scale broiler farmers in Aguata, Anambra State, found that 93.75 percent followed Gumboro and La Sota schedules, yet only 1.25 percent had a footbath at the poultry house entrance. Vaccines protect birds; biosecurity keeps disease from walking in.
Controls
- Agree a schedule with a vet before chicks arrive and keep it; see our vaccination schedule guide.
- Footbath at the door, separate boots for the pen, and no visitors in the pen.
- Buy chicks only from a hatchery you can trace, and ask what they were vaccinated against at hatch.
- Remove dead birds at once and record each loss, so you notice a rising pattern early.
- One age group per house if you can; mixing ages lets disease cycle.
Feed prices: the cost you cannot skip
Birds must eat every day whatever the market does. In February 2026, PAN Ogun State vice chairman Ahmed Alli said maize had fallen from ₦800 to ₦300 per kg and soya from ₦1,200 to ₦500 per kg, yet layer feed still sold at ₦15,000 to ₦17,000 and broiler feed at ₦20,000 to ₦22,000 per 25kg bag. Grain prices falling does not mean your feed bill falls at the same time.
Chick prices add to the pressure. Zootecnica International reported in March 2026 that day-old chick prices rose about 67 percent in early 2026, linked to farmers restocking after the 2023 to 2024 downturn, reduced parent stock, naira depreciation raising the cost of imported hatching eggs, heat stress and unreliable power.
Controls
- Price a batch on today's feed quote, not last month's, and re-check before each purchase.
- Buy feed in amounts you can store dry and use before it goes stale.
- Track feed used per bird or per crate; a rise is an early warning of waste or illness.
- If you consider mixing your own feed, read small-scale feed mill costs first.
Cash flow: profitable on paper, broke in practice
A batch can show a profit on paper and still sink the farm if the money comes in later than the bills. Feed, chicks and drugs are paid upfront; buyers often pay on collection, in part, or after the festive rush.
Worked example: a delayed sale (example figures)
Example only. A farmer raises 1,000 broilers. At about 4kg of feed per bird, the cycle needs 4,000kg, which is 160 bags. At ₦21,000 a bag, feed costs ₦3,360,000, or about ₦560,000 a week across six weeks. The buyer postpones collection by two weeks. Large birds now eat, say, 0.2kg a day each: 1,000 × 0.2kg × 14 days = 2,800kg = 112 bags = ₦2,352,000 of extra feed, while the birds' value barely rises.
That single delay can wipe out the profit on a batch. The fix is planning, not luck:
- Agree collection dates and a deposit with buyers before you place the chick order.
- Hold a cash reserve equal to at least two weeks of feed at finishing size; saving when inflation is high covers where to keep it.
- Spread sales across more than one buyer.
- Do not start a new batch with money still owed to you from the last one.
Market timing and price falls
Many small farmers aim their batches at Christmas, Easter and Sallah. When too many birds reach the market in the same week, buyers can pay less than expected, and a farmer who has not agreed a price in advance has little choice but to sell or keep feeding. Selling a share of each batch to regular buyers such as eateries, caterers and market traders gives a steadier floor than relying on one festive rush.
Egg farmers face a version of the same problem. Zootecnica reported crate prices rising from about ₦5,300 to ₦5,500 in late 2025 to ₦6,000 to ₦7,500 or more in March 2026, but prices also fall when supply recovers, while the feed bill does not.
Heat, power and records
Zootecnica's March 2026 report also pointed to heat stress, which lowers feed efficiency and egg output, and erratic power affecting farm operations. Shade, ventilation and a plan for water supply when power fails cost far less than a lost flock. Farms that keep daily records of feed, water, deaths and sales usually spot trouble while it can still be fixed.
What to check first
- Do you have a vet and a written vaccination schedule?
- Is there a footbath and a rule on visitors?
- Do you know today's feed price and how many bags the batch needs?
- Are buyers and dates agreed?
- Is there a reserve for two extra weeks of feed?
Where Pryme fits
The cash-flow risk above is partly a savings problem. A Naira Savings Box can hold a feed reserve you do not touch for anything else, and a Pryme Business Account keeps farm money separate so you can see what each batch really made. Compare the full budgets in broilers vs layers start-up costs.
Questions people ask
Why do most poultry farms fail in Nigeria?
Mainly disease, feed costs that outrun selling prices, and running out of cash between buying feed and being paid. Weak record keeping makes all three worse.
What is the most common poultry disease in Nigeria?
Newcastle disease and Gumboro are the two that Nigerian vaccination schedules are built around. A vet can tell you which threats are active in your area.
Why is poultry feed still expensive when maize prices fell?
PAN said in February 2026 that maize and soya prices had dropped sharply but feed prices had not followed. Feed makers' other costs and timing both play a part.
How much money should I keep aside for a poultry farm?
At minimum, enough for two extra weeks of feed at finishing size, plus the next batch's chicks. Our example of 1,000 broilers needed ₦2,352,000 for a two-week delay.
Sources
- The Guardian: Poultry farmers seek FG's intervention for lower OpEx, feed costs, 4 Feb 2026 · accessed Oct 2026
- Zootecnica International: Nigeria, rising chick costs and supply constraints weigh on egg production outlook, 31 Mar 2026 · accessed Oct 2026
- PMC (2016): Table 1, Current vaccination schedule for Newcastle disease in Nigeria · accessed Oct 2026
- Attamah et al., SciMedicine Journal (2023): Small-scale broiler farming practices and vaccine adherence in Aguata, Nigeria · accessed Oct 2026
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