Sheep farming business is an enterprise that not only provides meat, milk and fur but also improves the health of its consumers.

Sheep is one of the major sources of meat in Nigeria. Many homes include meat in their foods. This and its many benefits and taste places it in high demand.

Sheep meat is a source of protein, healthy fats, iron, phosphorus, selenium, potassium, vitamin B, vitamin K and many other minerals and vitamins.

Sheep is in high demand in Nigeria. During festive seasons, Muslim festive seasons, in particular, the demand for rams increase on a massive scale. Just some days ago during the Sallah season where the roads were busier because rams were being displayed and sold by the roadsides, the prices of rams went up in this period.

The females, ewes are usually kept for breeding while the male, rams are usually reared to be sold.

Why Start a Sheep Farming Business?

Why should you start a sheep farming business in Nigeria? Sheep stay together in a flock. Sheep rearing is easy and they are easy to manage since they stay together and you do not have to run around chasing stray sheep.

They reach maturation early. Ewes attain maturity at about 6-8 months of age. It takes rams 10-12 months to grow and enter full maturity.

The cost of catering for sheep is not overwhelming. Vaccinations, good feed, clean water, a clean environment and exercise would keep them in good health.

Sheep are resistant to certain diseases. The west African dwarf breed, for example, shows resistance to sleeping sickness.

However, they need to be vaccinated against diseases that affect them. An example is Rinderpest. These vaccines are cheap and do not take up a large part of necessary expenses.

How Much You Require to Start

The amount required to start a sheep farming business should cover the land and housing, sheep, feed, feeding equipment and so on.

It depends on how many sheep you are starting with. And how big you’re starting.

A female sheep costs around N15000-N20000 and a male costs about N20000-N25000.

Starting with 2 ewes and a ram would mean spending 50000 -65000 naira to get the sheep. Housing costs would reduce if you already have land or space that can be converted to a sheep house.

How Much Can You Earn?

The price of sheep in Nigeria ranges from N40000-N80000. The selling price differs with breed and size.

The price can increase during Muslim celebrations, like Sallah for example.

How to Build Sheep House

Sheep cannot stand being wet, therefore, they need shelter, a house that is well ventilated and keeps them from the rain and direct contact with the sun and other elements of nature.

A rectangular house with an open side covered with fencing net to allow for ventilation, keep the sheep together and prevent thieves from entry.

The pen should be 2-3 meters in height with an overhang of about 1 meter at least.

The grazing area where the sheep feed should be fenced to prevent a sheep from wandering away like the biblical lost sheep.

The Best Foods for Sheep

● Grasses
● Hay
● Grains
● Maize chaff
● Concentrates
● Wheat offal
● Haulms (stalks or stems of crops)
● Groundnut cake
● Legumes

Sheep need constant feed and water. There is no measured amount of food that they should have but there is a known need for constant feed and water, clean water which should be made available at all times. The water should be checked and refilled when it is finished or poured out by the sheep.

Profitable Sheep Breeds to Farm

There are four common breeds of sheep for sheep farming business in Nigeria: the Uda, Balami, Yankasa, and the West African dwarf breeds.

Each sheep breed is said to thrive when they are reared in their place of origin or somewhere with similar weather and climate to where they originate from than in a different place. This means that if a sheep originates from Oyo state, it can thrive if it is reared in Osun state.

In addition to the four common sheep breeds found in Nigeria, there is the Sudanese breed which originates from Sudan.

Uda Breed

They have large drooping ears. The rams have large spiral horns which are usually not found in the ewes.

This breed is found predominantly in the Sahel-Sudan vegetation zone and the northwest part of Nigeria. The colour of the coat can be brown or black from its forehead to its midsection while the posterior end is white.

The Uda breed is known to thrive in a hot and dry climate and performs much less in a different climate. It has a good adaptation to grazing extensively.

At maturity, ewes weigh 35-45 kg while rams weigh 45-55 kg.

Balami Breed

Is commonly found in the northeast region of Nigeria. Are tall. Have droopy large ears. They have prominent horns which are usually absent in females. Their tails are long and they are hairy and have a white coat of fur all over, unlike the Uda breed. They have a dewlap skin fold around their neck.

Yankasa Breed

This breed of sheep is typically found in the northern part of Nigeria. They are smaller in size than Uda and Balami breeds. The colour of their coat can be brown, white, or spotted with black or white.

The Yankasa breed has a white coat that has black patches around the ears, eyes, feet and muzzle.

The rams have a hairy mane and horns which are curved. At maturity, ewes weigh 25-40 kg while the rams weigh 35-50 kg.

West African Dwarf Breed

Are much smaller than the other breeds. They are found in the southern part of Nigeria.

The colour of their coat ranges from black, brown, white or white-spotted with brown or black. This breed is said to show resistance to trypanosomiasis– sleeping sickness.

At maturity, ewes weigh about 20-25 kg while rams weigh about 25-30 kg.

Sudanese Breed

These are imported breeds from Sudan. Have short horns and can be without horns, but large and have a large tail. They produce milk in large amounts.

The Best Time for Breeding

Ewes are mature at about 6-8 months of age. Rams enter full maturity at about 10-12 months.

The best time for breeding is when the ram and ewe have both reached maturity.

Sheep have a gestation period that spans approximately 147 days.
The heat period lasts for 17-18 days. They give birth to 1-2 lambs per birth (also called lambing) and are capable of producing 3 young ones but rarely do so.

For optimal breeding performance, it is advised to have sheep and rams in the ratio of 7:1 or 10:1. You can start with a sheep and a ram if you have a lower budget.

To keep them healthy, sheep should be dewormed 3 times a year at least. The sheep should also be vaccinated against the disease called Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) every year.

Conclusion

With sheep in high demand, more sheep farmers are summoned for. Would you like to be involved in the lucrative business of rearing sheep in Nigeria?

Let me know in the comments your answer and your questions.

Learn more on how to start a sheep farming business, roll up your sleeves and build your business.

Do you know that grasscutter farming is one of the livestock businesses in Nigeria that require low cost but has big returns on your investment?

Grasscutter meat has risen among other sources of meat and now ranks among the most anted source of meat in Nigeria. This is understandable due to its many benefits and taste. However, there is a larger demand than supply.

Grasscutter farming is the business of breeding grasscutters for their meat and by-products (for example, their faeces for fertilisers).

Grasscutters are also referred to as cane rats. This is because sugarcane is one of their beloved foods. If you are going to be very successful as a grasscutter farmer, farm sugarcane too.

Grasscutters are rodents. They are much larger than common rats and live in bushes. Rats however are found in houses and their surroundings.

Grasscutter meat, among other grasscutter products, is in high demand. It contains a low amount of cholesterol and a high amount of essential nutrients.

Grasscutters are easy to breed. They mature early at about 5-6 months. Their gestation period is about 22 weeks and one female can produce roughly 12 offsprings in a year.

Why Start a Grasscutter Farm?

See some of the reasons to start your own grasscutter farming right at your back yard, without investing in farm lands and costly housing kits.

Health Benefits

Grasscutter meat is found among the class of meat referred to as white meat. It has much-reduced fat and cholesterol levels. It is high in protein.

Grasscutter meat reduces the risks of hypertension by preventing some of the factors which cause it like high cholesterol and obesity.

Another Stream of Income

Grasscutter farming is an agricultural business that is not only profitable but also brings you passive income. You don’t have to do so much work since they do not require much attention.

Ease in Farming Grasscutters

That grasscutters do not need much attention does not mean that you can or should neglect them. They need food and water daily and regular checkups to examine them for signs of sickness and keep them healthy.

They can be left alone by themselves after being provided for so that you can attend your other job if you are not doing it full time.

Low Starting Cost and Risks

You don’t need so much money to start a grasscutter business. It only needs to cover the necessities and then you are good to go. You can even start it at your back yard. Cost of building shelter or cage for grasscutters is minimal. You can construct it yourself if you are technically inclined.

They Are Fruitful and Multiply Early

Grasscutters become mature as they attain 5-6 months of age. Some even mature much early than 5 months and are ripe for breeding. This depends majorly on their breed and how well they are cared for.

It takes approximately 22 weeks for female grasscutters to carry their younglings. This means they can produce grasscutter babies twice in one year. Your breeding target should be calculated by the number of breeders you farm.

Each birth can yield about 5-7 grasscutters which means a single female grasscutter can birth 10-14 grasscutters in one year.

Increased and Increasing Demand

Due to the benefits of grasscutter meat and its recommendations by people in the health sector, the demand for grasscutter meat has risen.

This demand would continue to increase as more people find out about its benefits. You can equally farm grasscutters for your personal needs.

How Much You Require to Start

This depends on the size you’re starting with. Factors that determine the startup cost:

● Getting a mature doe(female) and a buck(male). A mature doe costs about N14,000 and a matured buck is about N12,000.

● The housing – should be such that gives the room enough to move around and nit confide them to static position.

● Feeding, cleaning and other necessary equipment

● Feed

● Checkups by a veterinary doctor

A small scale farm would cost about N50,000-N80,000 to setup. It can cost less if you have the housing or the necessary equipment ready.

Pick Your Grasscutter Farming Method

Commercial grasscutter farming can be performed in two ways:

1. Deep litter method
2. Cage method

Deep Litter Method

This involves putting some grasscutters in a house, in a single space.

This can be done efficiently well with a minimal number of grasscutters. The grasscutter house should be spacious to allow the grasscutters to move around freely and have space to themselves.

Cage Method

This method involves keeping grasscutters in cages or hutches. This method keeps a reduced number of grasscutters in each cage. A colony (4 females and 1 male) can occupy a cage or the grasscutters can be separated so that individual grasscutters occupy a cage.

How to Build a Grasscutter House

Housing in grasscutter farming is very important.
It must allow ventilation, light and have enough space for the animals.

The grasscutter cage should also have structures like light bulbs and waterproof covers that can protect the animals from rain and cold.

Building materials should be made of quality materials. Bamboo and wood can be chewed on, so they’re not efficient choice materials.

A grasscutter house is usually and popularly built with metal.

Grasscutters are clean animals. The grasscutter house should be built so that there is a separate space for feeding and a separate one for resting.

To allow for breeding, grasscutters should be kept in a colony. A grasscutter colony has 4 females and 1 male. This method is good since the presence of a male stimulates ovulation in females and the presence of more than one male with a female would provoke fights.

In a situation where a huge grasscutter needs to be moved around, a squeeze cage should be available. It should be about the size of the grasscutter and should not allow much movement.

A squeeze cage facilitates the easy handling of grasscutters of various sizes. The size of the cage should be tailored to fit the size of the grasscutter.

Also, trays for feeding and drinking should be made heavy so that the grasscutters cannot displace them.

The Best Grasscutter Foods

Grasscutters eat sugarcane, legumes, guinea grass, elephant grass, peels of tuber crops(e.g cassava) and outer coverings of fruits like pineapple and mango.

They can also be given concentrate to supply them with more nutrients and balance their diet.

Some concentrates are made of only one ingredient. This would not give the animals all the nutrients they need so it should be rotated with other feeds.

Other concentrates are made from multiple ingredients and can be fed to the grasscutters constantly.

The feed should be placed in the feeding container and not the floor to prevent the grasscutters from stepping on the food and soiling it with their faeces.

You can feed your grasscutters two or three times daily. Feeding the grasscutters should be consistent every day. If you would feed them in the afternoons by 2 pm, keep up with that.

A baby grasscutter depends on the mother for milk. And when it is about 6 weeks old, it is ready to be weaned.

What’s The Best Time to Start Breeding?

You can start anytime. As long as you have the money to start and the necessities are available; food and housing, and others. Another best time is tomorrow. You can start with one male and one female.

Managing Diseases And Environment Conditions

Grasscutters are prone to certain diseases which are described below. These diseases can be prevented by proper care for the grasscutters and by regularly checking them up.

Their surroundings should be kept clean and dry. Leftover food and food that is spilt out of the feeding container should be removed before a new one is placed.

Ecto and Endoparasites

Ticks and fleas are ectoparasites commonly found on grasscutters.

Endoparasites like worms also trouble grasscutters. These worms are attracted to wet areas. Constant deworming of the grasscutters would keep these worms in check.

Pneumonia

Is a common disease that attacks grasscutters. It is caused by Diplococus Pneumonate which is a bacteria. This bacteria is abundant in cold seasons.

Grasscutters should therefore be kept as warm as possible during cold seasons.

Coccidiosis

Coccidiosis is caused by a protozoan. It causes tiredness, appetite loss and diarrhoea in grasscutters.

Staphylococeamia

Is caused by Staphylococcus Aureus which is a bacteria. It causes discharges in the vagina and nose of the grasscutters.

Conclusion

Grasscutter business is another lucrative business that you can own and make yours. Are you going to start your grasscutter business, if yes, do contact us for consultation and guidance. If you have more questions, let me know in the comment.

Rabbit farming business is a business that has a high booming capacity. Rabbit farming, also called cuniculture, refers to the keeping of rabbits for their meat, fur and byproducts.

A business of rearing rabbits, furry animals such as the one which led Alice down the rabbit hole to Wonderland.

Rabbit farming is the commercial rearing of rabbits, primarily for sales purposes. You can rear a single breed or diverse kinds of breeds.

Rabbit meat is the major reason why Nigerian rabbit farmers breed them. Little attention is placed on their fur.

Rabbit meat is among the meats classified as white meat. As the importance of rabbit farming in Nigeria continues to spread to more people, its high demand would continue to increase.

So, is rabbit farming a profitable business in Nigeria? Yes.

Rabbits are not expensive to breed, unlike some other livestock animals. You don’t spend much on them and you get ample profit.

Why Start a Rabbit Farm Business?

Here are my 6 reasons why you should start a rabbit farm business:

• They can care for themselves

Of course, you need to provide food for them since they are caged and cannot get food themselves. But rabbits can be left alone after they have been provided for. This characteristic of rabbits allows you to attend to your other job if you are a part-time rabbit keeper.

• For Their By-products

Did you know that rabbit urine is used as a pesticide and a fertilizer?

Rabbit’s urine contains nitrogen and therefore enriches the soil and crops and due to its pungent smell, it repels insect pests.

• Doesn’t require a large amount as a start-up

Rabbit farming, like grasscutter farming, is referred to as called micro livestock farming and do not need much startup cost.

• High Reproduction rate

Rabbits have a gestation of about 31 days after which a female rabbit produces two to twelve younglings. Due to its short gestation period, a female rabbit can produce offspring up to seven times in one year!

• Benefits to health

As I mentioned earlier, rabbits are a source of white meat which has been known for its health benefits.

It is said to have low-calorie levels, preventing weight gain and hypertension.

• Early maturation

Rabbits enter the maturity stage at about 5-6 months old. Some farmers however suggest that male rabbits are left to enter their first year before they are bred.

This is said to allow for the production of quality offspring.

How much can you earn from rabbit farming?

The amount you earn from each rabbit largely depends on their age and breed. You can sell a rabbit at the rate of N1500 to about N9000.

How Much You Require to Start

The amount of money you need to start your rabbit farming business depends on 3 major factors:

● The rabbit’s breed
● The number of rabbits you are starting with
● Getting a rabbit house

The cost ranges from N45,000-N100,000 with N100,000 being the highest amount you would have to spend. It can cost more if you want to start on a large scale.

Pick Your Rabbit Farming Method

Rabbits can be reared in a cage method or deep litter method.

Deep Litter Method

● This method is efficient if you will be raising a few rabbits.
● You can keep up to 30 rabbits in one house in the deep litter method. Males should be kept apart from the females till it is time to breed.
● The floor of the house should be made of concrete and should be covered with dry wood shavings or straw.
● There is a higher risk in this method than in the cage method. Make sure to start with a little number, gain experience and see how it goes and then increase their number.

Cage Method

● The animals are reared in a cage in this method. This method of rabbit farming is more efficient for a commercial business.
● You can raise as many rabbits as you want with this method with the animals spaced out in different cages.
● This method allows the rabbits enough space and food in their cage.
● The females and males also need to be separated from each other until it is time for breeding.

Rabbit Farming Business Plan in Nigeria

A business plan is important in planning your business.

If you want to get a loan to start your business, you will have to show the lender something, proof that you know what you are doing and that profit would come from the business so that you can pay them back.

The business plan should describe your business, how it would be funded, expected profit, how the marketing part would go, and all that your business needs and would be about.

There are samples of business plans to guide you in making yours.

How To Build Rabbits’ House

A rabbit house (hutch or cage) should have good ventilation, be protected by a shade and be out of the way of people passing by or noise.

The rabbit house needs a windbreaker, like a tree so that when it gets windy they would be protected from massive amounts of wind. They also need protection from rain during rainy seasons.

You should consider the following when buying or building a rabbit house:

● The size

How many rabbits do you want to start with? This would determine the size of the cage that you get.

● The type

Is the rabbit house outdoor or indoor? This would determine the material that is used to make the cage. If the cage is placed outdoors, a wooden cage would not be efficient. It would get weaker as the rain beats it.

● The material used

A majority of the rabbit houses currently are built with metal, wood and even plastic. Now, as I said earlier, the material used to build the cage depends on the exposure of the cage to the natural elements(sun and rain).

Aside from natural elements determining the type of cage, choose a cage that would not give you issues when you clean. It should be easy to clean.

Many rabbit houses have floors made of wire and a removable pan under them for easy removal of waste.

Rabbits can however develop sore feet (hocks) because they stand and walk on the wire floors all day long.

This can be reduced by covering a part of the floor with something solid, like wood. This wood would be a resting spot for the rabbits and reduce the possibility of them developing sore feet.

The Best Foods for Rabbits

The rate at which a rabbit eats is determined by the breed and of course, the age.

Rabbits eat green vegetables, cucumber, carrots and grass, among others. They can also be fed with remnants of food from your house.

Rabbits need variation in their feed. They need assorted food choices. This would ensure that they get the necessary nutrients that they need for growth and health.

As you add new foods to their diet, give them a small amount of the new food daily and check for how they react to it. When they have adapted to the food you can increase its quantity to the amount that they need.

When you give the rabbits their food make sure to place the flood in their feeder, not on the floor. Since they would be wandering around their cage, they can walk all over their food and ruin it with their faeces.

Remove the unfinished food from the previous feeding when you go to give them more food.

Rabbits eat less than they eat at night. This is majorly caused by the heat of the day. They are more active at night and so they consume more food.

If you would be feeding your rabbits with concentrate along with the other foods, you can give concentrates in the mornings and others in the evenings. Along with the food, they need clean water.

Profitable Rabbits Breeds to Farm

Some of the profitable grasscutter breeds are listed below with what they are reared for.

● Californian: Meat
● Satin: Fur and Meat
● White New Zealand: Fur and meat
● New Zealand: Meat
● Champagne d’Argent: Meat
● American Chinchilla: Fur
● Silver Martens: Fur
● English Spot: Meat and Lab
● Checkered Giants: Fur
● Rex: Fur
● Angora: Fur and Meat

You would not find all these breeds in your area. Choose the best among the ones available to you to start your grasscutter business.

The Best Time to Start Breeding

Cold weather is more favourable for rabbits than hot weather. However, to be able to create more body heat, they need additional food. Their body heat is caught by their fur, allowing them to stay warm.

Hot weather is less bearable for the rabbits. They would require your help to stay cool. Hot weather can result in overheating in the rabbits which can result in tiredness, low productivity, and even death.

Unlike during the cold weather, rabbits reduce their consumption of food but not to the point that they take just little worrying amounts.

Heat can be reduced by giving the animals cool water to drink, taking them out of their cages and underneath a tree’s shade, and placing fans with them.

Conclusion

Rabbit farming is a business you should consider if you want to start an agricultural business.

I hope this article answered your questions. Do you have more questions? Drop it in the comment box.