Cockerel day-old chicks in Ghana: the lowest-cost way to start

Why cockerels are the cheapest way into poultry

If you have never kept birds for sale, a box of white cockerels is the least risky first step we offer. At GH₵ 3 per chick, fifty birds cost GH₵ 150. A box of fifty Ross 308 broilers is GH₵ 1,000 and a box of fifty Sasso is GH₵ 650. The difference is not because cockerels are poor quality. It is because they are the male chicks hatched from laying breeds, and the egg industry only needs the females.

That origin matters in two ways. First, a white cockerel grows the way a layer-line male grows: lean, active, fully feathered, slower to put on weight than a broiler and carrying less breast meat. Second, because the chick price is low, you can start with a very small budget and learn how to brood, feed and sell before you put more money into birds.

At our hatchery in Kasoa we see the same pattern every year. New farmers who start with cockerels often come back for bigger orders of broilers or Sasso once they understand the work involved. Others stay with cockerels permanently because their market, which is live bird sales at festive times, rewards the low entry cost. Both are good outcomes.

This page is for the farmer who wants to know what cockerels really are, how fast they grow, what to feed them without wasting money, and how to sell live birds. For the full range of chick prices, see our day-old chicks prices page.

What a white cockerel is, and what it is not

A white cockerel is a male chick from a white-egg laying line such as Hy-Line White. Males of these lines do not lay eggs and do not carry the heavy muscle of a broiler. They are sold by hatcheries around the world at a very small price, and in Ghana they have found a steady market as a cheap bird for festive roasting, soups, and sale as live cocks.

Be clear about the product. You are buying a lean, active, white-feathered male bird that reaches a modest size. It will not weigh what a broiler weighs at six weeks. It will not look like a village cock either, since it is white and relatively slim. Its advantages are price, hardiness in the grower stage, and the speed with which it can be sold when demand peaks.

• Cost: the cheapest chick we sell, GH₵ 3 each.
• Growth: moderate, with good feed conversion if fed a balanced ration but not broiler speed.
• Meat: lean carcass with firm flesh, appreciated for soups and roasting by buyers who like a lean bird.
• Temperament: active; they need space and perches because they fight when crowded.

If what you want is maximum weight in the shortest time, a broiler is a better choice. If you want a bird with a village look and more body, look at Kuroiler and Noiler chicks or a Sasso. Cockerels fit when budget is tight and you can wait for the right sales date.

Working backwards from the festive sale date

Most cockerel farmers do not sell randomly. They fix a date, usually Christmas, Easter or Eid, and work backwards. This is how to build the calendar so the birds are at a good size when buyers are ready to pay.

These ages are a guide, since growth depends on feed, health and the line. Many farmers sell from around four months when buyers want a smaller roasting cock, and hold the rest to five months for a heavier bird. That is why we recommend ordering about five to six months before the date you want to sell, which for Christmas means chicks in June or July, for Easter around October to December, depending on the year.

Because chick availability can be affected by hatch cycles, book at least two to three weeks ahead and confirm the date with us on WhatsApp at +233 24 915 1503. For broiler-based Christmas planning, our article on when to buy chicks for Christmas shows how the calendar works for faster birds, and you can adapt it by adding the extra months cockerels need.

Brooding 50 or 500 cockerels so they survive

Low price does not mean low care. A cockerel chick is as delicate as any other in the first three weeks. The most common reason a cheap start fails is not breed or feed, but a poorly prepared brooder.

Before the chicks arrive, clean and dry the room, spread fresh litter such as wood shavings or dry rice husk, and test your heat source for at least a few hours. The detailed steps are in our guide to setting up a brooder before day-old chicks arrive. For a box of fifty, a small enclosed area of about two square metres is a sensible start, expanded as they grow.

1. Heat: provide a warm zone and a cooler zone so chicks can choose. Watch behaviour; huddled chicks are cold, scattered and panting chicks are too hot.
2. Water first: give clean water on arrival, with a little sugar if your vet advises. Dip beaks to teach them.
3. Feed: chick starter in shallow trays on paper for the first days, then in feeders.
4. Space: increase the area as feathers grow, so they never crowd.
5. Observation: check at night as well; most problems appear when you are asleep.

The chicks are vaccinated at our hatchery against Marek's disease, Newcastle disease, Gumboro (IBD), infectious bronchitis and coccidiosis, and you receive the batch record. Ask your vet to plan boosters from it and follow your vet's schedule.

Feeding cockerels on a tight budget

Because the chick is so cheap, feed becomes the main cost. A cockerel eats less per day than a broiler, but over a longer period the total adds up. Your goal is a smart plan: expensive feed only when the bird really needs it, cheaper feed when it can cope.

Weeks 1 to 6: chick starter

Use a proper chick starter. This is the stage when poor nutrition causes weak frame and deaths. Do not cut costs here.

Weeks 7 to 14: grower feed and supplement

Switch to a grower ration. Many farmers mix their own from maize, wheat bran, a protein source such as soya or groundnut cake, and a mineral premix. If you do so, use a recipe from a feed supplier or your vet. If you allow the birds to range, reduce the quantity of bought feed and watch for body condition.

Weeks 15 to sale: finishing

Add extra energy, such as maize, for the last three to four weeks to fill out the carcass. Do not change feed suddenly; mix new with old over a few days.

• Weigh a few birds weekly; a small cheap scale pays for itself.
• Remove leftover wet feed each day to stop mould.
• Keep feeders high enough to reduce waste.
• Buy feed in quantities you can finish within a month.
• Separate weak birds and feed them apart so they can catch up.

More general budgeting advice is in our guide to starting a poultry farm in Ghana on a budget. Because every farm differs, we do not quote exact feed figures here; ask your feed supplier for the current price per bag.

Worked example: 200 cockerels for a December sale

This example shows how to think about profit. Chick cost comes from our starting prices; everything else you must fill in with your local numbers.

The chick bill for 200 birds is only GH₵ 600. If 180 survive to sale, then your sales price per bird, multiplied by 180, is your income. A good benchmark is our own mature cock price of GH₵ 150, though a smaller white cockerel will usually sell for less. Use your local market price instead. Subtract feed and other costs from the sale total and divide by 180 to see profit per bird.

The most important number is mortality. Every ten birds you lose is ten sales gone, with the feed already spent. Good brooding and clean water keep this low. Because cockerel chicks are cheap, many farmers order a few extra birds to allow for losses; we replace any that are dead on arrival free in the next hatch, as long as you count on arrival and send a photo on WhatsApp the same day.

Selling live: how to get a good price from festive buyers

Most cockerels in Ghana are sold live. Buyers want to see the bird, check the legs and feel the weight. Selling live also saves you the cost and trouble of processing and storage.

• Time the sale. The week before Christmas, Easter or Eid is when people look for birds. Prices are higher then, but so is competition. Selling a week earlier at a small discount can beat waiting for the last day.
• Grade your birds. Separate large, medium and small birds. Buyers pay more for uniform lots.
• Sell by head or by weight. A small scale helps you negotiate with confidence.
• Keep birds calm. Do not feed heavily in the hours before selling; an empty crop travels better.
• Cash and mobile money. Agree payment before the bird leaves your hands.

Good buyers include households, traders who resell in town markets, small chop bars, and families preparing for events. Build relationships with a few buyers so that you have a steady outlet after the festive peak too. Our about page explains how we work with farmers if you want to understand more of our approach before ordering.

Cockerels compared with Sasso, Kuroiler and broilers

When a farmer calls and says "I want to start with small money", we ask three questions: how much can you spend on chicks, how much on feed, and when do you want to sell? The answers usually point to one of four birds.

The cheapest bird is not always the most profitable bird. A cockerel costs less to buy but takes longer to reach a sellable size and sells for less per bird. A broiler costs more but returns your cash in about six weeks. If cash is tight but time is available, cockerels work. If time is short and you can feed well, broilers work better. The article on broiler, layer or Sasso: which chicks to start goes deeper on this trade-off.

A sensible mixed approach is to start with a box of cockerels while you learn, then add a box of Sasso or broilers once your brooder routine is solid. You lose little and you gain experience before you risk a larger sum.

Mistakes that make cheap cockerels expensive

Most failures with cockerels come from the same few mistakes. Avoid them and you protect the savings you made on the chick price.

1. Overcrowding. Cockerels are active and, when crowded, peck and fight. Give them space as they grow, and provide perches.
2. Cutting starter feed too early. Saving money on the first weeks leads to weak, uneven birds.
3. Wet litter. Wet litter encourages coccidiosis and ammonia. Turn it often and fix leaking drinkers.
4. Buying too many for the market. Before you order, know who will buy and when. Birds that cannot be sold keep eating.
5. Waiting too long to sell. After they reach good size, every extra week adds feed cost without adding much value. Sell on time.
6. Ignoring the vaccination record. Show your vet the batch record we provide, and follow your vet's schedule for boosters.

Another practical point is the arrival day. Be at the station early, count chicks immediately and move them to a warm brooder without delay. Never leave boxes in the sun or in a closed car. Chicks that travel well and arrive in a prepared brooder start strongly, and that gives the lowest mortality of all.

If something goes wrong, call us. Free advice before and after delivery is part of the service, and we would rather help you save a batch than hear about it after it has failed.

How to order cockerel chicks from Halaal Farms

The minimum order is one box of 50 white cockerels, which is GH₵ 150 at our starting price. Larger farmers can order many boxes, and orders of 1,000 or more are quoted individually. Send a WhatsApp message to +233 24 915 1503 with your town, the number of boxes and the date you need them, or use the order form.

We reply with a price in writing, including delivery to your town station, before any money moves. You can pay by mobile money, bank transfer or cash. We do not take online payments.

Your chicks are dispatched the same day they hatch in ventilated boxes of 50, by trusted transport to your town station. You may also collect from our farm in Opeikuma, Kasoa, by appointment. Day-old chicks can travel up to about 48 hours, so our delivery service reaches all 16 regions. If you want to compare other chick types, the page of all day-old chick pages shows each of them, and the general FAQ answers common questions about ordering.

Questions farmers ask