What if the vehicle is late? Planning the far end of the road
Nalerigu is among the furthest places we deliver to, about 770 km from Opeikuma, and the drive takes 13 to 14 hours on a good day. Walewale is a little nearer on the same corridor. A day-old chick can live up to about 48 hours on the yolk it absorbed before hatching, so the journey is possible, but it uses more than a quarter of that reserve before the boxes are even offloaded. That is why we begin our advice to North East farmers with a question: what happens if the vehicle is late?
Roads break down. A puncture, a checkpoint, a flooded stretch in the rains or a late departure can add hours. We cannot control these. What we can do is plan so that a delay of a few hours does not decide the batch. This means agreeing a collection plan before the chicks leave, keeping the receiving end ready, and ordering a quantity that you can handle if only some boxes arrive in good shape.
If you order, we dispatch on the day of hatch and give you the expected arrival time on WhatsApp. If the vehicle is delayed, tell us and we will follow up with the driver. Count on arrival, photograph any dead chicks and send the photo the same day, and we replace them free in the next hatch. Our delivery page explains the general process.
North East Region in brief: Nalerigu, Walewale and the Gambaga escarpment
North East Region is one of the newer regions, created in 2018 from part of the old Northern Region. Nalerigu is the regional capital and the seat of the Mamprugu traditional area, with Gambaga close by along the scarp. Walewale is a busy junction town on the main road north. Further out are farming communities in Bunkpurugu, Yunyoo, Chereponi and beyond. The land is open savannah, farmed for millet, sorghum, maize, groundnuts, beans and rice, with cattle, goats, sheep and, everywhere, fowls and guinea fowl running in the compound.
For most families, poultry is not a new business but an old habit. The question is how to improve survival of chicks and growth of birds, and how to get more from the flock at festival times. Day-old chicks from a hatchery offer a chance to start a new, uniform flock rather than waiting for hens to hatch their own, which can be slow and risky when rats, hawks and disease take young ones.
Our job is to bring that new flock safely to you. The rest of this page covers how: the journey, heat, harmattan, water and the birds that suit this part of Ghana.
Prices
Local hatchGuinea fowl keets
Day-old guinea fowl. Little housing needed and a premium price, especially up north.
Local hatchWhite cockerels
The lowest-cost way into poultry. Tough males that sell well live at Christmas and Easter.
Local hatchKuroiler
Strong scavenger that grows far bigger than local fowl on forage and kitchen scraps.
Local hatchSasso
Coloured, slower-growing bird with firm, tasty meat. Hardy on free range and lays fairly well.
A ladder from backyard to commercial: where to begin
We find that the best North East farmers climb in steps rather than jump. Here is a simple ladder, with starting prices, that many follow.
| Step | What you do | Chick bill (GH₵) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Test | One box of 50 white cockerels; learn brooding, feeding and selling | 150 |
| 2. Local favourite | One box of 50 guinea fowl keets for festive and market sales | 850 |
| 3. Better local bird | One or two boxes of Kuroiler or Sasso | 550 / 650 per box |
| 4. Scale | Repeat batches every 6–8 weeks with a steady buyer list | Depends on market |
| 5. Commercial | Broilers or layers with a proper house and feed supply | Quoted at order |
The first step costs only GH₵ 150 for the chicks. It is enough to test whether your brooder keeps chicks alive, how much feed and water you really use, and whether your neighbours will buy. A farmer who has raised 50 cockerels successfully is a much better risk for a larger order, and a much better farmer.
You do not have to follow this ladder exactly. If you have experience, begin higher. If you have an institutional buyer, such as a school or catering group, tell us and we can quote bigger volumes. Orders of 1,000 chicks or more are quoted individually. See the bulk orders page.
Guinea fowl keets and cockerels: what North East buyers want
In North East Region, as across the north, the guinea fowl is prized for its meat and its hardiness, and cockerels are the household and market chicken. The two together make a good pairing for a smallholder: the cockerel is cheap to start and quick to sell; the guinea fowl takes more care and brings in a better price.
Guinea fowl keets
From GH₵ 17 each, GH₵ 850 a box of 50. Keets are small and delicate for the first three weeks. They need warmth, a starter feed rich in protein, dry litter and quiet. They can fly early, so cover the brooder. After the first weeks, they become some of the hardiest birds on the farm. You can also buy fertile guinea fowl eggs from us at GH₵ 10 each; see the fertile eggs page.
White cockerels
From GH₵ 3 each, GH₵ 150 a box of 50. They are male chicks of layer breeds, so they grow slower than broilers and less heavy, but they cost almost nothing to start and sell well to households that want an affordable bird.
Read more on the guinea fowl keets page and the cockerel chicks page.
Heat in the dry months and cold in the harmattan
The north is a place of extremes. From about February to April, afternoons are fiercely hot. From December to February, harmattan brings dusty haze, cool mornings and cold nights. A batch started in either season needs different care.
Hot weeks
Shade the house, whitewash a tin roof, raise the eaves and leave openings. Give chicks only as much extra warmth as they need at night. Use several drinkers so every chick can reach water, and keep the water cool and in shade. If birds pant and hold their wings out, open the house more and sprinkle the ground outside, not the chicks.
Harmattan
Place a solid screen on the windward side at floor level, close the brooder at night and reopen it in the day. Dust irritates the lungs; a damp cloth hung in the doorway and slightly moist litter keep dust down. Use a good heat source for the night, because the swing between a warm afternoon and a cold dawn can chill chicks quickly.
Rainy season
The rains bring humid weather and mud. Keep litter dry, repair the roof, and raise the floor above flood level. Roads to Nalerigu can be slow in the heaviest rains, so tell us about conditions when you order.
Our brooder setup guide shows how to prepare the house before the chicks arrive.
Water in the dry season: the question to answer first
If there is one thing that stops poultry farming in the north from growing, it is water in the dry season. Streams shrink, dugouts dry, and hand pumps fail. A flock of even 50 growing birds needs several buckets a day when it is hot, and the need grows week by week. Farmers who plan for this succeed; farmers who do not lose birds in the hottest weeks.
- Choose a source that works in the driest month, not just the day you order.
- Store water in covered, shaded containers so it stays cool and clean.
- Clean drinkers every day. Dirty water spreads disease faster than anything else.
- Place drinkers on a raised platform or hang them so litter does not fall in.
- Keep a spare container for emergencies, such as a broken pump.
If you can only get a small volume of water, restrict yourself to a small batch of hardy birds. Fifty cockerels or guinea fowl are far more manageable than two hundred broilers. We would rather you start small and succeed than buy more than your water can support.
Arrival protocol at Nalerigu and Walewale
The first six hours after arrival decide the batch. We recommend this routine for North East farmers.
- Fix the pick-up. Name one person who will wait at the station or at the roadside stop. Give us their number so the driver can call.
- Prepare the house the day before. Clean, dry, warm or shaded as needed. Water container full. Feed ready.
- Carry boxes level and in shade. If you use a motorbike or tricycle for the last stage, do not strap boxes behind the engine.
- Count and photograph. Open one box at a time, count the dead and photograph them. Send it to +233 24 915 1503 on WhatsApp that day.
- Water, then feed. Dip beaks in clean water. Scatter starter feed on paper or in shallow trays.
- Watch overnight. Check the chicks every two hours for the first night. Spread out and chirping softly is good.
After a 13 to 14 hour road trip, chicks can look sleepy or ruffled. Give them 30 to 60 minutes of calm, warmth and water before judging. Chicks that are still limp and not drinking after a couple of hours need attention: check the temperature first, then offer water again, and call us.
Timing your batch to markets and festivals
Planning a batch for a particular market date makes the difference between birds that sell at a good price and birds that wait. In North East Region, the busy times include Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, which are important in many communities, Christmas and Easter, harvest time, and the many funerals and family ceremonies that mark the dry season. Choose your date, count back, and tell us.
| Bird | Typical time to market size | Order how far ahead of your sale date |
|---|---|---|
| Ross 308 or Cobb 500 broilers | About 6 weeks | 7–8 weeks |
| Sasso, Kuroiler, Noiler | Longer than broilers, often 10–16 weeks depending on size wanted | 12–18 weeks |
| Guinea fowl keets | Several months for a good size | 4–6 months |
| White cockerels | Several weeks to a few months, depending on weight | 3–4 months |
These are planning guides, not promises, because growth depends on feed, water, weather and health. Ask us for advice on your date. Local hatches leave regularly, and imported chicks need three to four weeks’ notice.
For Christmas timing in particular, read Christmas broilers: when to buy chicks.
Book your chicks for Nalerigu
Send breed, number and town. We reply with price, hatch date and delivery cost.
A worked cost example for a Nalerigu household
A family near Nalerigu wants to raise a mixed flock for sale at the Christmas season and for home use. They start with two boxes of white cockerels and one box of guinea fowl keets. At starting prices:
| Item | Chicks | Price per chick (GH₵) | Subtotal (GH₵) |
|---|---|---|---|
| White cockerels | 100 | 3 | 300 |
| Guinea fowl keets | 50 | 17 | 850 |
| Total chick cost | 150 | 1,150 |
Delivery to Nalerigu is extra and is confirmed in writing before you pay. We do not publish exact delivery fees because they depend on the load and the route. Then add feed, drinkers, bedding and some medicine money. A good habit is to write down every cost in a notebook from the first day and compare with the total you sell for. Within two batches you will know your true cost per bird, and you can decide whether to scale up.
For deeper budgeting, see our article on starting a poultry farm in Ghana on a budget, or the price list.
Health: vaccines at the hatchery, boosters from your vet
At our hatchery we vaccinate every chick against Marek’s disease, Newcastle disease, Gumboro, infectious bronchitis and coccidiosis, and we give you a batch record. The record is for your veterinarian or animal health officer, who will plan boosters based on it and on the diseases active in your area.
The distance to a vet can be long in North East Region, so try to make contact before the chicks arrive. Ask in Nalerigu or Walewale, at the district agriculture office or an animal health post, who treats poultry. Keep the batch record safe from rain and rats, and carry it when you visit.
Keep new chicks apart from adult village birds, which can carry infections, especially Newcastle disease. Wash your hands before and after handling chicks, and keep a separate pair of shoes for the brooder. Remove sick or dead birds quickly. If many chicks sicken at once, call a vet quickly instead of experimenting with remedies.
How to order for North East Region
Message us on WhatsApp at +233 24 915 1503 or use the order form. Give us the breed, boxes, town and target date. We reply with the price in writing, including the delivery cost, and you pay by mobile money, bank transfer or cash after you have agreed it. The minimum is one box of 50 chicks. You can also visit us in Kasoa by appointment.
Neighbouring pages may help: Northern Region, Upper East Region and Savannah Region. See the about page to learn about the hatchery, and the FAQ for quick answers.
Questions farmers ask
Can day-old chicks be delivered to Nalerigu?
Yes. We send chicks to Nalerigu, Walewale and other North East towns in ventilated boxes of 50, handed to transport on the day of hatch. The road is about 770 km and takes 13–14 hours, within the roughly 48 hours chicks can travel. Delivery cost is confirmed in writing before you pay.
How much do guinea fowl keets cost in North East Region?
Guinea fowl keets start from GH₵ 17 each, so a box of 50 costs from GH₵ 850. We confirm the final price and delivery cost in writing before you pay. Keets need warmth, dry litter and a high-protein starter feed in their first weeks.
Are cockerels a good first bird?
White cockerels start from GH₵ 3 per chick, or GH₵ 150 for a box of 50. They are a low-cost way to learn brooding and feeding and to test the market. They grow more slowly and lighter than broilers, so they suit household and local market sales.
Is the journey too long for chicks?
It is long but within limits. A day-old chick lives off its yolk for up to about 48 hours, and Nalerigu is 13–14 hours away. The risk comes from delays, heat and waiting at stations, so arrange pick-up, prepare the house and count on arrival.
What should I do on arrival?
Open boxes in shade, count the dead and photograph them, then send the photo to +233 24 915 1503 on WhatsApp the same day. Dip beaks in clean water, offer feed, and place chicks in a warm, ready brooder. Check them every two hours the first night.
How do I handle the harmattan and the heat?
In harmattan, shield the floor from wind, brood at night and keep dust down with slightly moist litter. In hot weeks, use shade, ventilation and cool water, and give extra heat only at night. Watch behaviour: panting means too hot, huddling means too cold.
What if I have limited water?
Start with a smaller batch of hardy birds such as cockerels, Kuroiler, Sasso or guinea fowl. Store water in covered shaded containers, clean drinkers daily and keep a spare supply. Never start more birds than your driest-month supply can support.
Are chicks replaced if they die in transit?
Yes. Count on arrival and send a photo on WhatsApp the same day. Chicks that are dead on arrival are replaced free in the next hatch.
Can I order in large numbers?
Orders of 1,000 chicks or more are quoted individually. Tell us the breed, quantity, town and date, and we will respond with a written plan and price. For first orders in the far north, we advise starting smaller so you learn the route.
Prices and details checked 18 October 2026 by the Halaal Farms hatchery team, Opeikuma, Kasoa.
