Ten Tips for Starting Your Commercial Poultry Farm

Commercial poultry farming is a booming business with plenty of rewards. According to a recent poultry industry report, the global poultry industry is growing fast and expected to grow to over $422 billion in 2025. With all this growth, many farmers are looking to build a poultry farm.

Though there are many things to learn about starting a poultry farm, the 10 tips below can provide you a great place to start.

1. Do Your Research

Find another farmer who has had experience in poultry farming and ask them for their insights and mentorship. Ask questions about the challenges and improvements that are necessary to create and run a successful commercial poultry farm. Use your conversations to learn about the type of poultry farm and birds they work with and the integration partner with whom they are contracted. You want to know both the positives and negatives of the work. Though it is an industry with a lot of opportunity, it is not for everyone.

2. Get Firsthand Experience

Before entering the commercial poultry industry, it’s important to get experience. This is a large investment of your time and resources to build or buy a poultry farm. This will also help you demonstrate your commitment to any potential business partners, integrators and lenders, like First Financial Bank. You’ll want to work for someone else and manage the work successfully before venturing out on your own. When you’re ready to meet with your poultry integration partner, you’ll better understand the business, including terminology such as “out-time” and what that may mean to your earning potential.

3. Shop Around for an Integration Partner

Each poultry company is different and has its own requirements from you as the farmer. Talk to each integration partner to decide what works best for you, and your future business.

Part of choosing an integration partner is choosing the type of poultry you want to farm. Choices include broiler chickens (for meat), breeders (for eggs), or other types of specialty birds like turkey or goose. Contact potential integration partners to learn more about your options and the benefits and challenges to raising each type of bird. You’ll learn about an integration partner’s specific requirements for each type of bird.

The poultry companies supply you with the birds, poultry feed, transportation, poultry processing, and marketing. They’ll also handle your flock’s veterinary care and assist you with breeding a healthy and productive flock.

On your end, you’ll be responsible for the growing facilities and the flocks of birds. The number of flocks will depend on the type of flock and the size goals. Because each integration partner has its own expectations and requirements, it’s important to gather as much information as you can to make sure it’s a good fit.

4. Select Your Farm’s Location

While choosing the type of bird and integration partner, you’ll also be looking for a best fit location. Deciding on a good location for your poultry farm is one of the most important first steps to success in the poultry industry. Your integration partner will have specific requirements around where or how far you can be from their facilities, the specifications for the structure to house the flocks – and more. Contact your poultry integration partner with any questions you may have about whether the land you are considering is suitable for your new poultry farm’s construction. In addition to providing you with what is contractually obligated, they may also be able to give you guidance on typical construction costs or tips for evaluating a site.

5. Understand the Regulations

There are an array of laws and regulations that govern the production of food. You will need to educate yourself on the certification and licensing requirements for your particular operation at all levels of governing bodies: national, state and local. This can include providing a document and/or certification that demonstrates how you plan to comply with each requirement. For example, having an official waste management plan, also known as a Certified Nutrient Management Plan (CNMP) to share with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). This will include information on your farm’s location, number of birds, and sizes of your poultry houses. For your loan file, the NRCS will need permission to share this information with your lender.