Day-old chicks in Koforidua for layers and broilers in the Eastern Region

Farming in the Eastern Region and who buys in Koforidua

Koforidua is the administrative capital of the Eastern Region, and it works as the market town for a wide ring of villages and farm settlements. Farms around it mix food crops with poultry, and many compounds keep a flock that began as a few hens and grew into a small house. Cocoa and oil palm are important crops in parts of the region, so poultry often sits alongside tree crops rather than replacing them.

The buyers we talk to fall into a few groups. Some are households who want eggs for the table and a few extra to sell. Others run layer houses of a few hundred birds and need a steady start to each cycle. A third group is broiler growers who supply chop bars and food sellers, and who plan their batches around market days rather than festivals alone.

Why layers suit many Koforidua farms

For a farm that sells eggs, a layer flock is the steadier earner once it is in lay. Hy-Line Brown and Bovans Brown are the two layer breeds our Koforidua customers ask for most often. Both need a longer plan than broilers, because the pullets spend many weeks growing before the first egg.

As a rough guide, brown layers start laying at around 18 to 20 weeks. The table below shows how we suggest a Koforidua farmer lays out the first cycle, so the move into the laying house happens on time and the pullets are not rushed.

Keep the plan on paper with the arrival date, the move date and the first egg date. A layer house that runs to a calendar is much easier to manage than one that is run by memory.

Rainy seasons, harmattan and the Eastern brooder

Koforidua sits in the forest-edge belt, where humidity is high for much of the year. The main rains arrive in the middle of the year and a second, lighter spell follows later. Both bring damp floors and fast-growing bacteria in the litter, so the brooder needs a dry base before the first chick is placed.

The dry harmattan months from December into February bring a different problem. The air turns dusty, mornings can be cool, and the difference between day and night temperature is larger than many new farmers expect. Chicks that were comfortable at noon can huddle through the early hours if the heat is not checked.

• Set the heat before the birds arrive and check it at dusk, midnight and before sunrise.
• Dust the house gently before arrival, and keep feed bins closed so the harmattan dust does not settle in the feed.
• Keep ventilation gentle. Open the sides a little more in the afternoon and close them in the cool morning.
• Replace wet litter at once, especially near the drinkers.

Our brooder setup article covers the layout in more detail, and the principles carry over to a Koforidua house as well as a coastal one.

Two to three hours from our hatchery to your station

The distance from our Kasoa hatchery to Koforidua is about 110 km, a trip of roughly two to three hours depending on traffic and stops. Each batch goes out on its hatch day in ventilated boxes of 50, carried by trusted transport to a Koforidua station. We settle the drop point with you before the chicks are reserved.

The journey is short enough for the birds to arrive lively, yet long enough that the box deserves respect. Most of the strain on a day-old chick comes from heat trapped in a closed vehicle and from rough handling at each transfer. Ask the driver to keep the box shaded and steady, and look at the chicks the moment the lid lifts.

1. Carry the box to a warm, quiet room at once rather than opening it in a bright, windy yard.
2. Count the birds first, and set aside any that are cold or cannot stand.
3. Offer fresh water before feed, using a clean tray that the chicks can reach easily.
4. Message us the count and a photo before the day ends.

A worked example for a 200-bird layer start

Consider a Koforidua farmer buying 200 Hy-Line Brown pullets to begin a layer flock. At GH₵ 23 each the chicks total GH₵ 4,600, which equals four boxes at GH₵ 1,150. The delivery to Koforidua is confirmed in writing before payment and charged in addition to the chick price.

Rearing feed, housing and vaccines are extra, so price them before the chicks land. The cost calculator on this page sets the figures side by side. Wanting to start smaller is fine, since one box of 50 is the minimum. For a quote on a different number, WhatsApp us the breed and quantity.

Breeds that fit Koforidua buyers

Most Koforidua customers choose between a layer that gives eggs for sale and a broiler that gives a quick sale. Some choose a dual-purpose bird that covers both needs at a smaller scale. The table lists the breeds we recommend most often in this area.

The right breed depends on space, feed budget and how you plan to sell. A layer house needs a different layout from a broiler yard, and the two should not be mixed in the same pen. Tell us what you have built already and we will recommend a breed that fits the house.

The arrival-day routine for a Koforidua house

1. Set the brooder up a day ahead: dry litter, a heat source you have tested, and drinkers filled and placed.
2. On arrival, count each chick and note the total. Flag any bird that looks weak.
3. Send the figures and a photograph to our WhatsApp line before evening, so any dead on arrival replacement can be lined up for the next hatch.
4. Stay near the brooder for the first hour and watch the birds drink, feed and spread out.
5. Copy the batch record into your flock book and take it along to the first vet visit.

The first night worries most farmers. A check at dusk and another before sunrise catches most trouble early enough to correct it with heat, water and clean litter.

Vaccination and the vet visit plan

Hatchery vaccines cover Marek's, Newcastle (NCD), Gumboro (IBD), infectious bronchitis and coccidiosis, and each batch leaves with a record listing them. Your vet reads that record when planning boosters and any follow-up work.

Plan the vet visits before the birds arrive, not after the first sign of trouble. Book one for the first week, another for the rearing period, and one before the pullets move to the laying house. Follow your vet's schedule closely, and ask before you add any medicine to the water or the feed.

The festive calendar in the Eastern towns

Festivals shape demand around Koforidua as much as anywhere in the south. Families plan for the big holidays, and farmers who sell eggs or chicken need to be ready before the crowds arrive. Count back from each date and allow for the rearing period.

• Christmas: broilers and table eggs sell well in the run-up. Christmas 2026 is under ten weeks away, so any broiler batch for the holiday should be booked soon.
• Easter: a spring peak for chicken and eggs, so layers that begin laying in the first months of the year matter for this period.
• Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha: demand from Muslim households and food sellers rises. A smaller second batch can cover these dates well.
• Local harvest and chieftaincy festivals: the towns around Koforidua hold their own celebrations, and these can bring visitors and extra orders. Ask your neighbours which dates matter to them.

Common errors in Eastern Region layer houses

• Moving the pullets into the laying house too early or too late, which affects how the flock starts to lay.
• Changing the feed all at once rather than mixing the old and new over a week.
• Letting the litter in the laying house go damp, which invites problems in the nests and on the floor.
• Collecting eggs only once a day, so cracked and dirty eggs sit in the nests for too long.
• Keeping no record of egg numbers, which makes it hard to see when the flock is slipping.

A simple egg log, kept each morning, shows the trend early. A drop of a few eggs over several days is a signal to check feed, water and the birds themselves before the problem grows.

How to order chicks for Koforidua

1. WhatsApp +233 24 915 1503 with your breed, bird count and the date you need them.
2. Receive the price and the Koforidua delivery charge in writing. Both come before any payment.
3. Pay through mobile money, bank transfer or cash.
4. Choose a station together, or collect from our Kasoa farm on an agreed day.

The order form does the same job online. Before you choose, the price list shows current starting prices for each breed. Farmers who prefer to hatch their own eggs can read the fertile eggs page and the hatching service page, then ask us for the terms.

Related guides and neighbouring regions

Farmers in the Eastern Region often look at neighbouring regions too. Our Ashanti Region page covers the longer run to Kumasi, and the Greater Accra page explains the shorter trip to Accra and Tema. If your plans include a layer flock, our layer chicks guide goes deeper into housing and feeding.

For the breed profiles, visit our breed guide. If you are weighing local stock against imported birds, the imported versus local comparison sets out the trade-offs without a sales pitch.

Questions farmers ask