Relocating or Moving a Poultry Farm

Decide why you are moving before you pack anything

You can move a poultry farm in a week. You cannot move it well in a week. The farms that come through a move with their flock intact are the ones that treated it as a project with a calendar, not as a weekend job with a lorry at the end.

Start by writing down the real reason. The common ones we hear are a lease that is ending, a landlord who wants the plot back, flooding in the major rains, a road that turns to mud in July, a disease that has settled into the old site, or neighbours who have had enough of the smell. Some of these are fixable where you are. The neighbour complaints in particular are often a routine problem, not a reason to leave. Be honest about which kind of reason you have, because it decides how much you should spend on the new site.

Then decide what kind of move it is. You may be moving everything, moving only the growers, or moving the business and selling the birds. Each one asks for a different plan, and mixing them up is where the losses start.

Choose the site on five things, not on price alone

A cheap plot with no water and a bad road is the most expensive land you will ever own. When we talk through a site with a farmer, we ask the same five questions every time, in this order.

1. Water. Is there a reliable source, and how much does it yield in the dry season? Get the water tested before you commit. A borehole that runs dry in February will cost you more than the rent you saved.
2. Power. Is there a grid connection or a realistic route to one? Work out how long the generator would run on a bad night and whether you can afford the diesel.
3. Road access. Can a feed lorry and a bird transport reach the gate in the rainy season? If the answer depends on the weather, the site is a problem.
4. Drainage and the flood line. Walk the plot after a heavy rain. Look for standing water, channels and the low corner where the old flood left its mark.
5. Distance from homes and other birds. Check the assembly's distance rule and your own biosecurity needs. A site next to another poultry farm carries disease risk in both directions.

Add two smaller checks. Look at the wind direction in the harmattan, since dust blows across the houses from the north. And confirm the title or lease in writing before you pay for a single block.

Three ways to move, and what each one costs you

Most farms end up doing one of three things. Each has a different risk, and the table below sets them side by side so you can see which one fits your flock and your cash.

For a 1,000-hen laying flock, we would rather move 500 hens twice than move 1,000 once, if the crates are short. Two smaller trips keep the birds in better condition, and they give you a chance to check the new house after the first load. Crate counts and driver availability often decide the matter before the farmer's plan does, so count your crates first and your birds second.

Paperwork that has to start before the first post

Paperwork is slow, and it is the part people leave until the birds are already in the lorry. Start it at least three months before the planned move, because approvals can take longer than you expect.

• Land. Search the title at the Lands Commission before you sign anything. Confirm who has the right to lease or sell the plot and check that the boundaries match the survey.
• Building and planning. Apply to the district assembly for permission before you build the new houses. Ask for the distance rules in your zone and show the layout on paper.
• Environment. For larger flocks, ask the Environmental Protection Agency whether an environmental permit applies. Check current rates before you budget.
• Business registration. If the new site changes the trading name or the business structure, update the Registrar-General's Department. Tax registration with the Ghana Revenue Authority also needs updating if your details change. Check current rules with each body, because requirements and fees change.
• Veterinary records. Keep the vaccination record and the batch record for every flock. You will need them for the new site and for any buyer who asks where the birds came from.

Keep copies of everything in one folder, paper and phone. An officer who asks for a document on the day of the move will not wait while you search your WhatsApp.

Build and warm the new house before any bird leaves the old one

The single rule we hold to most firmly is this: the new house is finished, dry and warm before the first bird leaves the old one. Farms that move birds into an unfinished shed end up brooding in a draught, with the lorry waiting at the gate.

For a flock of growing or laying birds, check the roof, the ventilation, the drinker lines and the feeders before the move. Fit the lighting and test every fan. If the house has been empty, run it for a day or two before the birds arrive so the litter is dry and the air has settled.

If you are also bringing in new chicks, the brooder comes first. Chicks need a warm, draught-free start in the first days, and the brooder must be warm before they step into it. A common rule is to switch the brooder on at least a day ahead, so the floor and the air are at the right temperature when the box is opened. Our day-old chicks arrive the same day they hatch, so the date has to follow your brooder, not the other way round.

When you book chicks for the new house, tell us the delivery address and the date you can receive them. Our delivery page explains how boxes travel, and you can place the order through the order form or by WhatsApp on +233 24 915 1503. Our layer day-old chicks and broiler day-old chicks pages show the breeds we can supply.

Moving birds that are already growing or laying

Birds that are already on the farm react to a move in ways a new chick never will. Handling, a change of light, a new smell and a long ride all add stress, and stressed birds stop eating for a day or two. In layers, that shows up as a dip in lay. In growers, it shows up as slower weight gain for the first week.

Plan for that dip. Keep the feed the same as the old house for the first few days, because a sudden change in feed on top of a move is a double shock. Put the water and the feed out before the birds are in. Make sure the drinkers are running from the moment the crates are opened, and check that every bird finds water in the first hour.

Broilers close to market weight are a different case. For them, a move often costs more than it saves. Compare the cost of moving the flock against the cost of selling it at the current price from the old site and restocking the new house with fresh chicks. Our break-even guide shows how to put both numbers side by side before you decide.

Handle birds as little as possible. Catch them in the cool of the morning or late evening, lift them by both legs with the body supported, and never stack crates higher than your driver can secure. Our guide to catching and loading broilers covers the handling in more detail.

Transport: crates, density and the hour you leave

The journey itself is where birds get injured. Crates that are too full overheat, birds pile up in the corners, and the ones on the bottom get crushed or suffocate. The lorry should leave early in the morning or after dark, when the air is cooler and the birds are calm. On a hot afternoon, a full lorry can cook a load in an hour in traffic.

Load crates so air moves through them. Keep the crates off the bare floor of the lorry and tie them down so they cannot slide. Carry water for the trip, and check on the birds at every stop. If one crate is very quiet while the others are noisy, open it first.

Do not feed the birds a heavy meal in the hour before loading. A full crop that has to travel is a common reason for birds to struggle on arrival. Light feeding is enough, and water should always be available. Our guide to transporting live birds to market goes through the loading and stopping rules in more detail, and most of it applies to a farm move too.

Clean the crates before and after the move. A crate carried from a sick house into a clean one is one of the easiest ways to bring a problem with you.

The old house: clean it, disinfect it and let it rest

The old house is the one you are leaving, and it still matters after the birds have gone. Disease does not move out with the flock. It stays in the litter, the dust, the drinkers and the cracks in the concrete. If the old house is left dirty, the next farmer, or your own next flock, inherits the problem.

Remove all litter and manure. Dismantle the feeders and drinkers, scrub them, and wash every surface with water and detergent before you disinfect. Disinfectant does not work on dirt, so the cleaning has to come first. Let the house dry fully. Then disinfect, follow the product label for strength and contact time, and leave the house empty for a rest period before any new birds go in. Many farms rest a house for at least two weeks.

This is the same logic as the all-in-all-out routine. Our all-in-all-out guide explains why one flock per house, followed by a full clean and rest, does more for disease control than any single product. If you want the wider picture on keeping a site clean, our biosecurity guide covers footbaths, visitors and waste in depth.

If the old house had a problem during the flock, tell your vet before the clean-out. A disease that was never diagnosed can hide in the structure, and the vet may want samples taken before the house is emptied.

Biosecurity on moving day

Moving day brings the most traffic the farm will see all year. Vehicles come in from the old site, from the feed supplier and from the buyer. People walk between two sites with the same boots. Treat that as a risk and manage it.

• Wash and disinfect the transport before it leaves the old site and again before it enters the new one.
• Give every worker clean boots or a footbath at the gate of both sites, and do not let visitors walk through the houses.
• Keep the crates from the old site separate from the new house until they are cleaned.
• Do not carry litter, feed sacks or tools from the old house into the new one without cleaning them first.
• Write down any unusual deaths during the move and in the first week after it.

Bird flu is the reason for the last point. A sudden rise in deaths, birds that stop eating together, or a drop in egg production with swelling around the head or legs needs a call to your vet straight away. Report suspected cases to the Veterinary Services Directorate or your district veterinary officer. Our avian influenza guide sets out the signs to watch for, and it is worth reading before moving day, not during it.

A twelve-week timeline to moving day

This is the order we would follow for a move with a live flock. Adjust the weeks to fit your situation, but keep the order. The biggest mistakes come from doing the steps out of sequence.

1. Twelve weeks out. Write the reason for moving, choose the move type and set a budget with a contingency for delays.
2. Ten weeks out. Search the land title, apply for the building permission and ask about any environmental permit.
3. Eight weeks out. Start building or refitting the new house. Order the crates and check the transport.
4. Six weeks out. Test the water and the power at the new site. Confirm the feed supplier can deliver to the new address.
5. Four weeks out. Book chicks or stock for the new house for the week it will be ready, and confirm the delivery date in writing.
6. Two weeks out. Finish the new house, run the fans and warm the brooder. Tell your vet the move date and ask for a check of the flock.
7. One week out. Stop non-essential handling of the birds. Clean the crates and plan the loading order.
8. Moving day. Load early, travel in cool hours, and count every bird at the new house before you sign for it.
9. After the move. Watch the flock closely for three to five days, log the feed and water, and clean and rest the old house.

Mistakes we see on moving day

The same few mistakes come up again and again. Most are avoidable with a short conversation before the lorry arrives.

• Moving the birds before the new house has dried out. Damp litter in a new shed is a respiratory problem waiting to happen.
• Booking the lorry for a hot afternoon because it was the only slot available. Ask for an early or late slot and pay for it if you have to.
• Counting the birds at the old site and not at the new one. Count again on arrival, and note any losses on the same day.
• Leaving the old house with its litter in place because the next flock is not due for months. Clean it now, while the dust is still easy to deal with.
• Changing the feed, the vaccine programme and the staff all in the same week as the move. Change one thing at a time where you can.

If a neighbour or a buyer asks why the flock looks flat in the first week, the answer is usually the move. Tell them that plainly. It is much easier than explaining a drop in lay that nobody saw coming.

Checklist before the first bird moves

Use this as the last check before the lorry leaves. If any line is blank, the move waits.

• The new house is finished, dry, fitted with working drinkers and feeders, and tested with the fans.
• The brooder is switched on at least a day ahead if chicks are coming in.
• Water and power are confirmed at the new site, with a backup plan for the generator.
• The land title, building permission and any environmental approval are on file and in a folder you can carry.
• The vaccination record and batch record travel with the birds.
• The crates are clean, counted and enough for the load in two trips if needed.
• The lorry is booked for a cool hour, with a driver who knows the route and the stopping points.
• The feed for the first week at the new site is on hand, and the old feed is not mixed with it.
• Footbaths and clean boots are ready at both gates, and visitors are told the rules.
• Your vet knows the move date and has been asked to check the flock.

If you are planning a new site and want to talk through the restocking side, you can reach us on WhatsApp at +233 24 915 1503 or through the order form. Our frequently asked questions cover the basics of ordering and delivery. Farm visits are by appointment, so ask us when you call.

Questions farmers ask