Day-old chicks in Volta Region for farmers in Ho, Hohoe, Aflao and Keta

Your first six weeks, starting from the day you order

Most farmers in Volta Region ask us the same thing: what actually happens after I send the message? The easiest way to explain is to walk through the timeline for a broiler batch bound for Ho, Hohoe or Aflao.

This page is organised the same way, so you can read on from top to bottom and arrive at your first sale prepared. If you want to jump straight to ordering, WhatsApp us on +233 24 915 1503 or fill in the order form.

The journey from Kasoa to Ho, about 190 km

Volta Region sits on the other side of Accra from us, so the road starts with the same busy corridor every Ghanaian driver knows, then opens out towards the Volta. For Ho, the journey is about 190 km and takes around 4 hours. Aflao on the Togo border is a long run along the coast, and Hohoe is further north in the hills, so both add time compared with Ho.

What this means for the chicks is simple. A chick hatched at our hatchery can survive up to about 48 hours on its absorbed yolk, so 4 to 6 hours in a ventilated box is well within what it can handle. What we manage carefully is the quality of the trip rather than just its length:

• Boxes of 50, never overloaded, with holes for airflow on every side.
• Boxes stacked so that none blocks another's air.
• Dispatch in the cooler part of the day where we can.
• A named transport operator going to your town, with a phone number you can call.

Details of how this works across the country are on our delivery page. If you are between Volta and Greater Accra, the Accra page may also help, and nearby farmers in Eastern Region use the same corridor.

Ho, Hohoe, Aflao and the towns in between

Ho

Ho is the regional capital and the main commercial town for farmers in the south and centre of the region. Poultry farmers in and around Ho tend to sell to households, schools, caterers and traders in town. Because it is the closest major Volta town to us, Ho is where many first-time Volta customers start.

Hohoe

Hohoe lies in the hills to the north, a greener and wetter area than the coast, with farming that includes cocoa, plantain, cassava, maize and vegetables. Hohoe farmers often combine a small flock with the crop farm. Birds in the yard eat crop leftovers and add a second income. For this style of farming, Sasso or Kuroiler is often more forgiving than a fast broiler.

Aflao and the border

Aflao is at the Togo border and is a busy trading town. Farmers here sell to a lively market with people constantly passing through. We deliver to Aflao as to any other Ghanaian town, and you should arrange your own market and transport on your side of the border. We only supply and deliver chicks within Ghana.

Keta, Sogakope and the south-east

Along the coast and the lower Volta, farms are often close to lagoons and rivers. Heat and humidity are the main pressures, which we cover below. Wherever you are, give us the nearest town station and we will plan the route.

Coast, lake and highland: three climates, three brooding plans

Volta Region is long and narrow, and the weather changes as you go north. A good brooder in Aflao is not a good brooder in Hohoe.

On the dry coastal belt around Keta and Aflao, days can be hot and the air close to the sea breezy. Heat is the danger. Even a day-old chick that needs a warm brooder can be harmed by a roof that traps heat. Use a high roof, open sides with mesh, and shade trees where you have them. Lamp or charcoal heat is needed mainly at night in the first two weeks.

In the lowlands near the Volta river and lake, humidity is higher and litter can turn damp. Raised drinkers help keep floors dry, and fresh litter should be added before it forms a crust.

In the highlands around Hohoe and Ho, nights are cooler and rain can be heavy in the main wet season. Cold, damp chicks go off feed and pile up. Use curtains on the windward side, and keep the brooder dry.

Across the region the harmattan, usually from December to February, brings dry, dusty air and cooler nights, so cover the pen sides after dark and stop litter from drying into dust. Our broader guide on preparing a brooder before day-old chicks arrive goes deeper on all of this.

Choosing a breed: a comparison for Volta farmers

Here are the options we most often recommend to Volta farmers, with the starting price for each. The real decision is not only price, it is what you will do with the birds.

If you are undecided, read broiler vs layer vs Sasso: which chicks to start. Our breeds page has descriptions of all of them. Guinea fowl are especially popular in Ghana's north but are also kept and appreciated across Volta, see guinea fowl keets.

What a first Volta order actually costs

Say you are a farmer in Hohoe who wants a mixed starter flock: 100 Sasso for the family farm and 50 guinea fowl keets for the festive season. Using our starting prices:

• 100 Sasso at GH₵ 13 = GH₵ 1,300
• 50 guinea fowl keets at GH₵ 17 = GH₵ 850
• Chick total = GH₵ 2,150, before delivery

Now compare a farmer in Ho who wants 100 Cobb 500 broilers for sale in town: 100 × GH₵ 20 = GH₵ 2,000. And a farmer in Aflao who wants 50 Hy-Line Brown pullets: 50 × GH₵ 23 = GH₵ 1,150.

Notice that the price of chicks is only a part. Feed, medicine, heating and housing come on top, and for broilers feed is usually the biggest cost, so ask a local feed seller for today's price before you finalise your plan. Delivery is also extra and is confirmed in writing before you pay. We never invent a delivery fee in advance, because it depends on your town and the transport used. Our price page shows the full list, and the farm budget guide helps with the rest.

To get your own written quote, WhatsApp us on +233 24 915 1503.

When Volta buyers want birds

Demand for chicken in Volta Region rises at the usual national peaks: Christmas and the New Year, Easter, and the Eid periods in Muslim communities. There are also local festivals and funerals through the year, in which families and communities buy poultry in numbers. We will not pretend to know the exact date of every local festival in your town, so ask elders and traders near you when the busiest weeks fall.

The rule is to count backwards. A broiler is ready at about 5 to 6 weeks. Add a week or two for hatch-date availability, and you should order roughly 8 weeks before the date you want to sell. For Christmas, our article on when to buy chicks for Christmas broilers gives the full calendar. Slower birds like Sasso need longer than broilers, so give them extra weeks.

If you want to avoid the rush, stagger your batches. One box every two to three weeks gives you something to sell most weeks and lowers the risk of a single bad batch.

Vaccines, records and keeping your flock healthy

Before dispatch we vaccinate every chick against Marek's disease, Newcastle disease (NCD), Gumboro (IBD), infectious bronchitis and coccidiosis. You receive a batch record with the delivery. Take it to your vet or livestock officer, who can then plan boosters on the right dates.

Volta is a border region with a lot of movement of people, vehicles and animals. That makes basic biosecurity worth the effort:

• Keep a footbath or a pair of dedicated boots at the pen door.
• Do not buy older birds and put them in with new chicks.
• Clean and disinfect drinkers and feeders regularly.
• Keep wild birds and rodents out of the feed store.
• Isolate and report sick birds early, and follow your vet's schedule for any treatment.

We offer free advice before and after delivery, so if a chick looks unwell in week one, message us with a clear photo and a description. The FAQ page covers more common questions.

If you have your own eggs, or want imported lines

Some Volta farmers keep good local hens and want to hatch their own fertile eggs rather than buy chicks. We run a hatching service for that. Bring your fertile eggs and ask us for the terms. We do not publish a price for it online because it depends on the number and type of eggs, so message us. You can read about it on the egg hatching service page.

For farmers who want a particular imported line, we import from hatcheries in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. Imported chicks come with a veterinary health certificate and are cleared at Kotoka in Accra under a Ghana import permit from the Veterinary Services Directorate. Book 3 to 4 weeks ahead. Details are on the imported day-old chicks page.

Ordering from Volta Region, step by step

The process is the same for Ho, Hohoe, Aflao and every other town. Tell us where you are and what you want, receive the price in writing, pay by mobile money, bank transfer or cash, and meet the vehicle at your town station. There is no online payment. Our minimum is one box of 50, and orders of 1,000 or more are quoted individually, see bulk orders.

If you cannot make a trip to the station yourself, ask a trusted relative to go, and give them our WhatsApp number so they can report any dead on arrival with a photo the same day. We replace those free in the next hatch.

Read more about Halaal Farms, browse the hub of all regions, or look at our neighbours to the north in Oti Region.

Questions farmers ask