Broiler, Layer or Sasso? Choosing Your First Day-Old Chicks

Start with the buyer, not the breed

Every farmer who asks us which chick to buy is really asking a different question: who will pay me for this bird, and when? The breed is only the tool. At our hatchery in Kasoa we ask four things before we recommend anything: who will buy from you, how much covered space you have, how much money you can tie up before the first sale, and how long you can wait before the first payment.

Write down your answers before you phone us or anyone else. A farmer with a buyer for chop bars every week needs a different bird from a farmer who wants eggs for a neighbourhood shop. A farm in the north, where guinea fowl and cockerels are popular, will look different from a layer unit near Kumasi or Dormaa, where the egg trade is well established.

Use this simple test: if you cannot name at least two buyers who will take your product at the time you will have it, wait. Start with one box of 50 of a bird you understand, sell it well, and grow from there.

Broilers: fast money, tight management

Ross 308 and Cobb 500 are the fast-growing broilers most farmers mean when they say "broiler". They reach market weight of roughly 2.2–2.5 kg in about five to six weeks. Because the cycle is short, your money comes back quickly, and a well-run house can turn over several batches in a year.

• Good for: farmers with buyers ready, a closed poultry house with good ventilation, and a plan for the heat.
• Watch out for: heat stress in the hot months, feed as the largest running cost, and the need to sell on time. A broiler kept past market weight eats profit every day.

Our starting price for Ross 308 is from GH₵ 20 per chick, and Cobb 500 is also from GH₵ 20. A box of 50 Ross 308 chicks is GH₵ 1,000. Broilers suit farmers supplying chop bars, cold stores and caterers in towns such as Accra, where buyers often want a steady supply every week rather than one large delivery.

If you go this route, read our broiler day-old chicks guide for Ghana, and then compare the first weeks in our brooder setup checklist.

Layers: slow start, steady income

Bovans Brown, Hy-Line Brown, Hy-Line White and Lohmann Brown are bred to lay. They do not begin laying until about 18–20 weeks of age, so for roughly five months you carry the cost of feed, housing, vaccines and labour with no eggs to sell. Once they start, a good flock lays daily for more than a year, which is why layers suit farmers who need a steady monthly cash flow.

• Good for: farmers who want daily income from crates of eggs and can carry about five months of costs before the first egg.
• Watch out for: the long wait, the full vaccination programme before lay, and the need for regular egg buyers. Eggs do not keep forever, so you need a plan to move them each week.

Brown or white?

Brown eggs are more familiar to many Ghanaian buyers, and buyers' habits matter more than any breed chart. White-egg layers such as Hy-Line White are generally lighter birds that eat somewhat less feed per egg, which can help the margin when feed is expensive. Ask three buyers which shell colour they prefer before you decide.

Prices are from GH₵ 23 for Hy-Line Brown (GH₵ 1,150 for a box of 50), and from GH₵ 25.50 for Hy-Line White and Bovans Brown (GH₵ 1,275 for a box of 50). Lohmann Brown is quoted on request. If the chicks you want are imported, book three to four weeks ahead, because imported chicks travel with a veterinary health certificate and clear through Accra under a Ghana import permit. Our layer day-old chicks page has more on the layer programme.

Sasso, Kuroiler and Noiler: dual-purpose birds

These coloured birds grow more slowly than broilers but far faster than local fowl. They cope better with heat, scavenging and simple housing, and they give both meat and eggs, which is useful when you sell to households as well as traders.

• Sasso (from GH₵ 13 per chick, GH₵ 650 for a box of 50): firm meat that many buyers prefer to the softer texture of broiler meat, and a fair number of eggs for a dual-purpose bird.
• Kuroiler (from GH₵ 11, GH₵ 550 for a box of 50): a strong scavenger that does well on kitchen scraps and forage.
• Noiler (from GH₵ 11): bred for West African conditions, with good disease tolerance and low input needs.

Free range does not replace vaccination. Birds that look healthy in a run can still be exposed to Newcastle disease or Gumboro, so keep to your vet's schedule and the batch record we give you. Fence the run, provide shade, and put feeders on a raised, dry spot so the feed does not get wet. Our Sasso page and Kuroiler and Noiler page cover each breed in more detail.

Cockerels and Plymouth Rock: the lowest entry cost

White cockerel chicks start from about GH₵ 3 each, and a box of 50 costs GH₵ 150. They are hardy, need little special care and sell well live at festive times such as Christmas, Easter and Eid al-Adha. They grow slowly, so plan for three to five months before they are ready to sell.

Plymouth Rock chicks, from GH₵ 7 each (GH₵ 350 for a box of 50), are a dual-purpose option for farmers who want something between the cockerel and the coloured birds.

The cockerel route is the cheapest way to test whether you enjoy the work and whether your buyers will pay. Many farmers use a small batch to learn the routine, record their costs and find their customers before they commit to a larger broiler or layer house. See our cockerel day-old chicks page for current options.

Worked example: what one box of 50 costs

The prices below are our "from" prices, updated on 18 October 2026. We confirm the exact price in writing before any money moves. Feed, vaccines, labour and sale prices in the examples are assumptions for illustration only. Replace them with your own figures.

Lohmann Brown is quoted on request, and Noiler is priced at GH₵ 11 from.

Example: a broiler batch. You buy 50 Ross 308 chicks at GH₵ 20 each, GH₵ 1,000 in total. Assume feed costs GH₵ 8 per bird over the cycle (GH₵ 400), and vaccines, litter and fuel come to GH₵ 150. Your running cost is GH₵ 1,550. Assume 48 birds survive and sell at GH₵ 90 each, which brings in GH₵ 4,320. Before labour and housing, the batch earns about GH₵ 2,770. Change the feed and sale numbers to your own, because a small rise in feed price or a late sale can cut this margin sharply.

Example: a layer batch. Fifty Hy-Line Brown chicks cost GH₵ 1,150. That is only the first line. You still have to feed the flock for about five months before the first egg, and that feed bill will probably be the larger cost. Budget for it before you order, not after.

Space, housing and climate

Your house decides how many birds you can keep safely. Broilers need ventilation without draughts at chick height and enough floor space as they grow. Layers need perches, nests and room to move. Free-range birds need shade, a secure run and a dry place to roost at night.

The coast around Kasoa is hot and humid for much of the year, so heat and ammonia build up quickly in a closed shed. In the north, the harmattan from about December to February brings cold, dusty mornings and cool nights that can chill young birds. The same house may need heat and curtains in the early weeks even when the days are warm. In the rainy months, wet litter becomes the main risk, so plan drainage and raised feeders from the start.

Whatever you choose, build the house before the chicks, not after. A broiler or layer house that is still being repaired when the boxes arrive is one of the most common reasons a good batch starts badly.

Timing your chicks by season

Timing matters as much as breed. Count backwards from the date you want to sell. Broilers need about five to six weeks, layers need about five months before the first egg, and cockerels need three to five months. Festive peaks at Christmas, Easter and Eid al-Adha fill up quickly, so book early. Our guide to Christmas broilers explains the calendar in detail.

If you are in the north, the same birds need more attention to night temperatures and dust. Our Northern Region page covers the longer journey and arrival-day advice for that route.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Choosing a breed because a neighbour keeps it, rather than because a buyer is waiting for it.
• Buying layers without budgeting for the five months of feed before the first egg.
• Overstocking a broiler house to make up for expected losses, then running short of space and ventilation.
• Keeping broilers past market weight while you wait for a better price.
• Skipping the vaccination schedule on free-range birds because they look healthy.
• Ordering imported chicks too late and missing the booking window.
• Starting a batch without a record of costs and sales, so you cannot tell next time whether it paid.

Each of these costs more than the chick price itself, and most of them can be avoided with a written plan made before the chicks are ordered.

A quick guide to choosing

Use this table as a starting point, then check it against your buyers and your space.

Still unsure? Compare every breed on our breeds page, or check the current price list before you plan your budget.

Ordering, delivery and the first days

Our minimum order is one box of 50 chicks. Turkey poults come in boxes of 10, and orders of 1,000 or more are quoted individually. We dispatch chicks the same day they hatch, in ventilated boxes, and deliver to the transport station in your town. You can also collect from the farm in Opeikuma, Kasoa. The delivery cost is confirmed before you pay, and you can pay by mobile money, bank transfer or cash.

Tell us your town when you order so we can advise on the journey. Day-old chicks can survive a long trip on the yolk they absorbed before hatching, but a short, well-planned trip is kinder to them. Have your brooder ready as described in our brooder setup guide, so the chicks go straight into warmth.

Dead on arrival chicks are replaced free in the next hatch. Count the chicks when they arrive and send a photo on WhatsApp the same day to +233 24 915 1503. For anything else before you buy, see our frequently asked questions.

Ready to choose? Place your order here, or talk it through with us on WhatsApp at +233 24 915 1503. We give free advice before and after delivery.

Questions farmers ask