5 Challenges of Raising Laying Hens in Indonesia

Laying hens are raised for their eggs. As everyone knows, chicken eggs are rich in protein, which makes them very good for human health. Demand for eggs rises at certain times, such as during Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr. Many cake and pastry businesses need eggs to make all kinds of cookies and traditional cakes because demand goes up. When egg prices climb and demand is strong, that is when poultry farmers make a profit. Even so, there are several obstacles to overcome in this business. Here are some of the challenges of raising laying hens that you need to tackle:

Poorly Managed Waste

If you want to set up a laying hen farm, think carefully about how you will manage the chicken waste. Poorly managed waste will cause problems down the road, such as conflicts with residents living near the coop, and it can trigger disease. You can build a dedicated waste handling area, which should be located far from residential areas.

Also read 4 Right Ways to Raise Meat Chickens

You also need to be careful when the rainy season arrives. During the rainy season, chickens fall sick very easily because of poor coop hygiene, badly handled waste and similar issues. Always keep an eye on the waste storage area, and do not let it pollute the surrounding environment.

Egg Price Fluctuations

Another challenge of raising laying hens is price fluctuation. Even when egg prices rise, fluctuations cannot be avoided. Fluctuation means instability in the price of goods or services. Laying hen farmers in particular need to watch egg price fluctuations. Egg prices do go up at certain times because of strong demand, but what happens to prices afterward? There is no guarantee they will keep rising. Many factors can push egg prices down, such as weak demand and others.

Rising Production Costs

Another challenge to consider is that falling egg demand may be caused by rising production costs, which make selling prices expensive. Production costs include higher prices for DOC (day-old chicks), feed, vaccines, medicines and so on. If production costs rise while egg demand falls, you will make a loss. You need to be mentally prepared in case this happens.

Tough Competition

If you decide to raise laying hens, be ready to face tough competition. The competition is stiff because other poultry farmers were already in the business before you. As long as your eggs are high quality, never be afraid of competition. Healthy competition will push your business to grow and develop. Competition can also help you improve the quality of the eggs your farm produces. You should also be prepared in case the government imports commercial chicken eggs at some point, which could make domestic egg prices plunge.

Also read 5 Tips for Choosing Affordable & Fresh Chicken Carcasses

High Risk

The risks of raising laying hens are fairly high, mostly related to bird deaths and poor-quality eggs. If your chickens die frequently, you may suffer losses.

The real capital for starting a business is strong intention and determination. Strong intention without equally strong determination will not get you far. You can overcome these challenges of raising laying hens if you have strong intention and determination.