Day-old chicks in Ho for cockerels, layers and hardy mixed flocks

Ho, the Volta capital, and the birds its households keep

Ho is the administrative capital of the Volta Region, and the town sits in a greener, hillier part of the country than most of the coastal belt. The Ewe-speaking communities around it grow maize, cassava, vegetables and plantain, and poultry is usually kept alongside those crops. Many homesteads run a mixed flock of local birds that scratch around the compound, with a few purchased birds added when money allows.

The people who buy from us in Ho want something practical. Some want cockerels to raise for meat and to sell on at festive times. Others want a laying flock that feeds the family and brings in a little cash. A smaller group runs a proper broiler or layer house and wants the same care and paperwork that bigger hatchery customers receive.

Why cockerels sell well in the Volta Region

White cockerels are our lowest-cost route into poultry, and they suit a household that wants meat without the commitment of a full layer house. At GH₵ 3 each, a box of 50 costs GH₵ 150, which makes them the simplest starting point for a family that is testing the idea of raising birds for the first time.

Cockerels also fill a seasonal gap. Festive cooking and family gatherings in the Volta towns lift demand for meat, and a flock raised in the months before those dates can be sold at a sensible price. The trade-off is that cockerels are a short-term crop, so plan the sale date before the birds arrive and keep the feed budget realistic.

• Plan the sale date first, then count back to the arrival date.
• Keep the cockerels separate from any laying flock you are building.
• Weigh a few birds every week so you know whether they are on track.
• Sell in batches rather than holding the whole flock until the last week.

Highland rain, humidity and the brooder

Ho gets more rain than the coastal towns, and the hills around it hold moisture in the air. That makes the brooder the most important place to control. A damp floor, a wet corner by the drinkers or a leaking roof can undo a good hatch within a few days, so inspect the house before the chicks come in.

Nights in the hills can be cooler than the afternoon, especially in the cooler months and during the harmattan dry spell. Young birds need steady warmth through those hours, and a heat source that works in the afternoon may not be enough at three in the morning.

The principles in our brooder setup guide apply in Ho exactly as they do elsewhere. The difference is that the damp is more persistent, so the checks need to be more frequent.

Four hours from Kasoa to Ho with a box of day-old birds

Our Opeikuma hatchery to Ho is roughly 190 km, and the drive takes about four hours. The boxes go out on the day the chicks hatch, holding 50 birds each, and travel with trusted transport to a station in Ho where you collect. The station is confirmed as part of your booking.

Four hours is long enough that the box and its handling matter more than on the coastal runs. A closed vehicle heats up quickly at midday, and a box stacked under a hot roof warms faster than most drivers expect. Ask for the box to stay upright and shaded, clear of fuel and exhaust.

1. Move the box straight to a prepared brooder rather than unpacking at the roadside.
2. Count each chick and set aside any that cannot stand or look chilled.
3. Offer water first, and feed once the birds have drunk and started to move.
4. Send the count and a photo to us on WhatsApp before the day is out.

A worked example for a Ho homestead

Imagine a household that wants 100 white cockerels and 50 Hy-Line Brown pullets for a small mixed flock. The cockerels total GH₵ 300, which is two boxes at GH₵ 150. The pullets come to GH₵ 1,150 for one box. Delivery to Ho is quoted in writing and added to the order, so the full cost is clear before any transfer.

Feed, litter and any vet costs come on top, so set money aside for them before the birds arrive. The cost calculator on this page lays out the feed side. To price a different mix, send us your breed list on WhatsApp.

Breeds that suit Volta buyers

In the Volta Region the most useful birds are often the hardy ones, because they handle mixed feeding and free range better than fast-growing types. Our table shows the breeds we recommend most often for Ho customers, with the starting prices per chick.

If you are unsure, tell us whether you want meat, eggs or both, and how much space you have. We will suggest a mix that fits the compound rather than a single breed for every purpose.

Arrival-day routine for a Volta brooder

1. The day before, dry the brooder floor, lay fresh litter and run the heat source for at least an hour as a test.
2. Count the birds at the station, and count them again once they are in the brooder.
3. Message us the figures with a photo the same day, so a dead on arrival replacement can be lined up for the next hatch.
4. Keep the room quiet and dim during the first hours. Noise and rough handling make young birds pile up.
5. Write the batch details into your records, and show them to your vet at the first visit.

Cockerels and layers should not share the same brooder space for long. If you are raising both, give each group its own corner from the first day so the birds settle without fights.

Health records and the vet in the Volta hills

Each batch leaves our Kasoa hatchery with a record of its vaccines: coccidiosis, infectious bronchitis, Gumboro (IBD), Newcastle (NCD) and Marek's. Your vet uses that record to plan boosters.

In a damp area, coccidiosis and respiratory problems are easier to avoid with dry litter, good airflow and a clean water line than with any treatment you add later. Follow your vet's schedule for boosters, and speak to them before you add any product to the drinking water or the feed.

Festive timing across the Volta Region

Festive demand in the Volta Region follows the national calendar, with local celebrations layered on top. Many families want birds for the big days, and some towns hold harvest and community festivals that bring visitors and extra orders. Count back from each date and give the birds enough time to grow.

• Christmas: the peak for cockerels and broilers. Christmas 2026 is less than ten weeks away, so holiday orders should reach us within a fortnight.
• Easter: a spring demand peak for meat and eggs.
• Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha: steady demand from Muslim households and traders in Ho, so a second, smaller batch is a sensible plan.
• Local harvest and community festivals: ask neighbours and community leaders for the dates in your area, and plan the sale a few weeks before.

Mistakes that cost Volta farms money

• Building the brooder in a damp corner because it is the only room available, then blaming the chicks when they fail.
• Letting cockerels and layers share feed and water without separation, which leads to uneven growth.
• Selling the cockerels late, when the feed bill has grown and the price has not.
• Skipping the batch record and then guessing the booster dates from memory.
• Leaving the sale date open, so the birds stay on the farm longer than planned.

A simple calendar on the wall of the brooder room prevents most of these problems. Write the arrival date, the vet visit dates and the sale date, and check it every week.

How to order chicks for delivery to Ho

1. Start a WhatsApp message to +233 24 915 1503 listing the breed, number of birds and your preferred date.
2. Receive the price and the Ho delivery figure in writing. Neither is payable until both are agreed.
3. Pay by mobile money, bank transfer or cash.
4. Choose a station with us, or arrange collection at our Kasoa farm by appointment.

The order form is quicker once you know your breed and quantity. The price list sets out current starting prices for each breed we sell, so you can compare before you message.

Related pages for Volta farmers

If you are looking at guinea fowl or turkey as well as chickens, the guinea fowl keets page and the turkey poults page cover those birds in detail. Cockerel buyers will find the cockerel guide useful for planning the sale date.

Our Volta Region overview covers the wider region, and the Eastern Region page is the next stop for farmers who travel between the two. For the full set of places we deliver, see our Ghana hub.

Questions farmers ask