Starting a poultry farm?

[Teddy6677]

Looking at different options of diversifying and considering poultry. I know chicken farms ar popping up like mushrooms but with the change in supermarket regulations about free range chickens, I believe it could be good opportunity.

What would everyone believe be the best thing to get into, eggs or broilers?? Do you know of any large firms that be looking to help set up and offer some sort of franchise? Any tips or advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks for reading.[emoji239] [emoji239] [emoji239]

 

[Al R]

There’s a huge lot not far from the welsh borders (Griffiths’s) they take eggs/farms/units on and help them out, I’ve heard 1 of the sons talking and it was very interesting! http://www.oaklandsfarmeggs.co.uk/

There’s also Bowler eggs that do more B&B type contracts? Have a search on here but I’m sure some others on here will be along soon to say more.

 

[Bob c]

i got two not far from me
both eggs
one a tidy and a professional setup

and the other not so,......like they can't be bothered

do it wright and you will get less hassle

 

[Teddy6677]

Thanks for your replies.

 

[ryanmelbourne]

Do not touch Stonegate or Lloyds. Both will offer to help out, but once you're in they will do their best to put you out of business and then try and take land as payment. Something they have done successfully for years! I have supplied both in the early days, but thankfully found out about what they do and got out quick.

 

[henman]

anybody going into eggs needs to do there figs
you need to wright off the equipment over 10 years
shed over 15 years
the price you are getting now will be as good as it gets and there will be periods off lower price
THE HENS COME FIRST forget the cattle and the sheep, the hens are your priority if not forget it

 

[wellingtonfarmer]

Do not touch Stonegate or Lloyds. Both will offer to help out, but once you're in they will do their best to put you out of business and then try and take land as payment. Something they have done successfully for years! I have supplied both in the early days, but thankfully found out about what they do and got out quick.

Lloyds have always been very good to us, couldn't recommend them highly enough

 

[Hampton]

There’s a huge lot not far from the welsh borders (Griffiths’s) they take eggs/farms/units on and help them out, I’ve heard 1 of the sons talking and it was very interesting! http://www.oaklandsfarmeggs.co.uk/

There’s also Bowler eggs that do more B&B type contracts? Have a search on here but I’m sure some others on here will be along soon to say more.

Was talking to Elwyn(?) Griffiths not long ago and he has ditched the supermarkets and sells eggs to catering/hotel trade, the armed forces and schools, and processing. His firm is marketing a billion eggs per year!
Seriously impressive chap.

 

[TomTheFarmer]

Looking at different options of diversifying and considering poultry. I know chicken farms ar popping up like mushrooms but with the change in supermarket regulations about free range chickens, I believe it could be good opportunity.

What would everyone believe be the best thing to get into, eggs or broilers?? Do you know of any large firms that be looking to help set up and offer some sort of franchise? Any tips or advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks for reading.[emoji239] [emoji239] [emoji239]

When I started my farm it was like a hooby and only after some years my hobby began to bring me money.
I would like to recommend you to start your farm anyway and than you will get a profit.
Just read all the tips here https://unclefredsfarm.com/how-to-start-a-hobby-farm/ about how to start a farm in order to gain success. Twenty-five years ago we didn't have Internet so now people are lucky to get the free information.
I wish you good luck.

 

[Castle Farm]

Consider quality rare breed. Always a market if you have a good strain. £25.00 per bird is around average for a pullet.

 

[warksfarmer]

Looking at different options of diversifying and considering poultry. I know chicken farms ar popping up like mushrooms but with the change in supermarket regulations about free range chickens, I believe it could be good opportunity.

What would everyone believe be the best thing to get into, eggs or broilers?? Do you know of any large firms that be looking to help set up and offer some sort of franchise? Any tips or advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks for reading.[emoji239] [emoji239] [emoji239]

Looked seriously at egg production last year to the point of a meeting with planners. On a scale of 64,000 birds the figures were ok, but as mentioned above you need to remove all the fluff from any figures given to you from a contract company. Then its still not a bad return for the investment and your time. We've had a history of poultry so know what its like admittedly they were meat birds on a much smaller scale but never less its still a better understanding. Biosecurity is paramount and cutting corners will bite you badly. In the end we shelved it due to Brexit looming and the uncertainty that brings but also because the sheds don't lend themselves to an alternative future use due to their design. We wanted something more versatile but the specialist poultry building companies had good arguments and evidence why that would not suit the egg layers environment. However I still like the idea but now is not the right time.
You might be better looking to supply locally or as an independent to the larger suppliers but doing it with used equipment as you investment will be far far less, possibly with less output due to the shed aged design, but I can see two sheds totalling 32,000 birds could be a nice little earner doing it that way.

 

[Hampton]

Looked seriously at egg production last year to the point of a meeting with planners. On a scale of 64,000 birds the figures were ok, but as mentioned above you need to remove all the fluff from any figures given to you from a contract company. Then its still not a bad return for the investment and your time. We've had a history of poultry so know what its like admittedly they were meat birds on a much smaller scale but never less its still a better understanding. Biosecurity is paramount and cutting corners will bite you badly. In the end we shelved it due to Brexit looming and the uncertainty that brings but also because the sheds don't lend themselves to an alternative future use due to their design. We wanted something more versatile but the specialist poultry building companies had good arguments and evidence why that would not suit the egg layers environment. However I still like the idea but now is not the right time.
You might be better looking to supply locally or as an independent to the larger suppliers but doing it with used equipment as you investment will be far far less, possibly with less output due to the shed aged design, but I can see two sheds totalling 32,000 birds could be a nice little earner doing it that way.

What would you consider a nice little earner?

 

[Daniel]

64'000 birds will cost you £2.5 million and need a lot of attention to detail, a great way for an arable farmer to stop obsessing over blackgrass and fungicide strategies though.

 

[Grassman]

64'000 birds will cost you £2.5 million and need a lot of attention to detail, a great way for an arable farmer to stop obsessing over blackgrass and fungicide strategies though.

I'm sure there must be better ways to spend 2.5 million on!

 

[7610 super q]

I'm sure there must be better ways to spend 2.5 million on!

That would buy a lot of property to rent out.....

I see even the FW is predicting an oversupply of free range eggs.

 

[Daniel]

I'm sure there must be better ways to spend 2.5 million on!

Most ways wouldn't require you to do running repairs and end up looking like this:

 

[Grassman]

That would buy a lot of property to rent out.....

I see even the FW is predicting an oversupply of free range eggs.

That's for sure. These buyers love a good cheap supply of eggs. They can name the price then.

 

[Grassman]

Most ways wouldn't require you to do running repairs and end up looking like this:
View attachment 676880

So 2.5 million would buy 20 x 100 k houses and leave a bit for tidying up and letting out.
Could a poultry unit match the rental income of those houses? And the houses will go up in value

 

[Daniel]

So 2.5 million would buy 20 x 100 k houses and leave a bit for tidying up and letting out.
Could a poultry unit match the rental income of those houses? And the houses will go up in value

I don't know, where are these 20 houses for £100k each and how much do they rent out for a month?

It would be a lot easier to persuade a bank to let you build a chicken shed than to buy 20 buy-to-lets i'd imagine.

 

[warksfarmer]

So 2.5 million would buy 20 x 100 k houses and leave a bit for tidying up and letting out.
Could a poultry unit match the rental income of those houses? And the houses will go up in value

Pointless because when you sell or try to transfer them to the younger generation capital gains shafts you.

People with multiple houses let out are disolutioned because it’ll catch up with them or their siblings at some point.