Layer day-old chicks in Ghana: raising pullets from chick to point of lay

Layers are a long game: what you are really buying

When you buy a layer chick you are not buying a bird, you are buying a future egg machine and a commitment of many months. For about the first four to five months the flock earns nothing and eats a good deal. Only then do the eggs start, and they must pay back both the rearing cost and the cost of feeding through the laying year. Farmers who understand this treat rearing as the foundation of the whole business.

That is the opposite of a broiler farm, where mistakes cost you a few weeks of weight. In a layer flock, a mistake in the first eight weeks can show up months later as uneven birds, late starts or low production. At our hatchery in Kasoa we always tell new layer farmers the same thing: spend your effort and money on the pullets now, and the hens will repay it.

If you are still deciding between enterprises, read our comparison of broiler, layer or Sasso. If a quick cash cycle matters more than steady income, see broiler chicks instead.

Choosing between Hy-Line, Bovans and Lohmann

All of the commercial layers we sell are modern hybrids built for high egg numbers, good shell quality and efficient feed use. The main choice is brown or white egg-layer, and then which line.

Brown or white eggs?

In most Ghanaian markets, buyers choose eggs by size, freshness and price, and brown eggs are widely sold and accepted. White-egg birds are lighter and tend to eat a little less, but ask your own buyers what they prefer before you decide. Check what the shops and hotels near you stock, and pick the bird that sells.

How to decide

• Start with the breed that is available on the date you need.
• Don't swap breeds mid-flock; keep each batch uniform.
• Ask us about the current availability of Lohmann Brown, since stock changes.
• Look at the breeders' management guides for your chosen line, and follow their weight and feed targets.

All layer chicks are available local-hatched or imported, and we give a batch record in either case. To read about the import route, see imported chicks. The overall range is on our breeds page.

The layer timeline: from chick to first egg

A layer's life breaks into clear phases. The ages given are typical; your breeder's guide for your line is the final word.

The key number is body weight. Pullets that are underweight at 16 weeks come into lay late and lay small eggs; pullets that are overweight tend to be fat and lay badly. Weigh a sample every week or two and compare it to the target for your breed.

The first six weeks: brooding that builds a good hen

For the first six weeks pullets are brooded much like any other chick, but the stakes are higher. Provide heat at about 32 to 34 °C at chick level in week one, and lower it gradually week by week as feathers grow. Clean water must be always available, and starter feed with the right protein level should be on the floor from the start.

Give plenty of feeder and drinker space. Crowding at the feeder is what leads to uneven flocks: the strongest birds get the best of the feed and the weakest fall behind. A flock where every bird weighs about the same lays better and peaks more evenly. Spread feeders out, put out extra trays in week one and increase feeder length as birds grow.

Debeaking and handling

Many commercial layer farms trim beaks to reduce pecking, and it is done early. Ask your vet or an experienced operator about it, and ask the hatchery before you order if you want it considered. Do not attempt it without training. Whatever you choose, keep light levels moderate, feed enough, give space and avoid sudden changes, since all of these reduce feather pecking.

Check droppings daily. Bloody or watery droppings, huddling or a drop in eating can mean coccidiosis or other trouble. Our chicks are vaccinated against coccidiosis, among other diseases, at the hatchery, but good litter management still matters. See our brooder set-up guide.

Growing pullets from week 6 to week 16

This middle stretch looks calm, which is exactly why many farmers neglect it. In fact it is when the frame, the bones and the digestive capacity that will carry months of laying are built. Feed a pullet grower ration and keep birds on it until the pre-lay change.

• Feed. Use a grower feed made for pullets, not a broiler or a layer ration. Layer feed has high calcium that damages young kidneys.
• Space. Plan enough floor and feeder space as they grow. Crowded pullets stay uneven.
• Weights. Weigh a sample of about 5 per cent of the flock regularly, and write the results down.
• Sorting. If you see a clear small group, feed them separately to catch up.
• Parasites. Watch for worms, mites and lice, and treat on your vet's advice.
• Water. Clean nipple or bell drinkers daily; check height as birds grow.

Vaccination continues during this period, and the programme depends on your area and your vet. Our chicks leave the hatchery already vaccinated against Marek's, Newcastle disease, Gumboro, infectious bronchitis and coccidiosis, with a batch record to show your vet, who then plans boosters and other vaccines. Follow your vet's schedule, and keep a written log of every vaccination date.

Lighting: the quiet switch that starts egg production

Hens respond to day length. Rising light tells the pullet's body it is time to start laying, so lighting is one of the strongest tools you have, and one of the easiest to get wrong.

During rearing, keep day length steady or falling, and never rising. Many farms in Ghana, where natural day length is close to twelve hours all year, can rely on natural light for pullets and avoid giving extra hours early. Bringing light up too early makes birds mature young and lay small eggs, with more problems later.

Stimulating lay

Around the time your breeder's guide recommends, usually when pullets reach target weight at about 16 to 18 weeks, increase the day length gradually by adding short periods of artificial light, until the flock enjoys about 14 to 16 hours of light a day. Make the increases small and regular, and never reduce light once laying has begun, since a drop causes production to dip. Use a timer, not a manual switch.

Light intensity matters, too: bright enough to read by at feeder level, but not harsh. Use clean, dust-free bulbs. Plan for power cuts if you use artificial lighting, with a generator or solar backup, because irregular light gives irregular eggs.

Vaccination programme in general terms

Layers live long enough to meet most poultry diseases, so a good vaccination programme is vital. We will not hand you a fixed schedule here, because the right one depends on your location, local disease challenges and your vet's judgement. What we can explain is the shape.

• At the hatchery: we vaccinate all chicks against Marek's disease, Newcastle disease (NCD), Gumboro (IBD), infectious bronchitis and coccidiosis, and give you the batch record.
• During rearing: your vet will usually plan boosters for NCD, Gumboro and infectious bronchitis, and may add others such as fowl pox, fowl cholera or egg-drop protection depending on risk.
• Before lay: a final round of key vaccines is usually done a few weeks before the first eggs, because you cannot stress birds in lay.
• Deworming and anti-parasite: done at intervals set by your vet.

Always use vaccines that were kept cold, mix them with clean water at the right dose, and finish the dose within the time on the label. Keep the log. Follow your vet's schedule rather than copying someone else's.

Housing, feed and calcium once laying starts

Move pullets into the laying house at around 16 to 17 weeks, before the first egg, so they can settle. Provide nest boxes at roughly one for every five hens, or use a cage system if you have one. Put nests in a quiet, shaded part of the house with clean, dry material, and collect eggs at least twice a day.

At about the time of first egg, change from the pullet ration to a pre-lay or layer feed with more calcium. Calcium builds shells, and a hen with too little will draw it from her own bones. Give oyster shell or limestone grit if your vet or feed supplier advises it. Keep feeders full, since layers eat steadily through the day and a hungry hen drops production.

Heat is the layer's enemy in Ghana. Above about 30 °C, hens eat less, drink more and lay smaller, thinner-shelled eggs. Keep the house open, shaded and well-ventilated, supply cool clean water, and feed more in the cooler morning and evening hours. See the farm budget guide for what a house costs.

Egg economics: a worked example

Here is an illustrative example for 500 Hy-Line Brown pullets. We use our starting chick price of GH₵ 23 and our table egg price of GH₵ 50 per crate of 30, as of 18 October 2026. Local egg prices vary by town and season, so check your market. Feed and other costs are not given in cedis here, because they change month to month; fill them in with your own quotes.

Now subtract the costs you actually pay each month: layer feed, labour, electricity, vaccines and medicine, crates and transport. A flock that lays at 85 per cent is a very good flock, not the average, and production falls with age, heat and disease. Use 70 to 80 per cent in your own planning to be safe.

The most important lesson is time. This flock spends about five months, around 20 weeks, costing you money before any egg income. You must have enough to cover feed and labour through that period. Many layer projects fail because the farmer ran out of money at week twelve. The chick price is a small part of the real bill.

See our full price list, and send us your numbers on WhatsApp +233 24 915 1503 if you want help working out the break-even.

Selling eggs and culled hens

Eggs are perishable, so line up your market before the first egg. Common buyers are shops, kiosks, hotels, bakers, schools, caterers and individual households, and market women who collect from farms. Selling in crates of 30 is the standard unit. Grade by size, keep crates clean and dry, and deliver on time, because reliability earns repeat orders.

If you can store eggs, keep them cool and out of the sun. Do not wash eggs that you are going to hold for days. Many farmers add value by selling directly to customers close to the farm, which saves the middleman's margin.

At the end of lay, usually after a year or more, production falls and hens are sold as spent birds for the pot. Plan this income too, and begin replacing the flock before the old hens drop to a low rate, so there is no gap in production. Staggering two flocks of different ages keeps eggs coming all year.

Ordering layer chicks from Halaal Farms

Tell us the breed, the number of boxes of 50 and when you want them. Lohmann Brown is on request, so ask about availability. We confirm the price in writing before you pay, and tell you the delivery cost before payment. Imported chicks need three to four weeks' notice.

Contact us by WhatsApp or phone on +233 24 915 1503, by email at support@halaalfarms.com, or on the order form. We deliver to all 16 regions; see how delivery works. For other birds, visit the main chick overview or read our FAQ.

Questions farmers ask