How to start a broiler chicken business in Zimbabwe (100 birds)
You need about $540 to start with 100 broilers, a 6-week cycle, and roughly $210 profit per batch if you sell at $7/bird. No licence needed below 500 birds at household scale. Full breakdown below. (Sample figures — verify before real launch.)
What it costs to start
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Day-old chicks | 100 | $95 |
| Starter feed | 4 × 50kg | $136 |
| Grower + finisher feed | 6 × 50kg | $192 |
| Vaccines & stress packs | — | $18 |
| Drinkers, feeders (reusable) | 8 | $46 |
| Wood shavings, charcoal, bulbs | — | $28 |
| Transport & airtime | — | $25 |
| TOTAL to first sale | $540 |
The steps
- Secure your space first. A 100-bird run needs about 10m². An existing spare room or fowl run beats building new.
- Order chicks and feed together. Book day-olds from a reputable hatchery; buy starter feed the same day — chicks arriving before feed is the classic first-timer loss.
- Run the 6-week cycle tightly. Heat for the first 2 weeks, vaccinate on schedule, water always. Mortality above 5% is a management problem, not bad luck.
- Line up buyers in week 4, not week 6. Tuckshops, braai spots, church networks, month-end paydays.
- Bank the batch, then scale. Reinvest one batch's profit into 150 birds before you touch the money.
What you'll make
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Revenue (95 birds × $7) | $665 |
| Batch costs (excl. reusables) | −$455 |
| PROFIT per 6-week cycle | $210 |
Want these numbers with your own prices? Run the broiler batch calculator.
Common questions
Do I need a licence to sell chickens?
Not at household scale (under ±500 birds). Selling at a council market stall needs a trading licence (~$15/quarter, varies by council).
Feed is in USD but customers pay ZWG — how do I price?
Price your birds in USD and accept ZWG at the street rate on the day. Never price in ZWG for a 6-week cycle.
What kills first-timers?
Chicks before feed, no heat in week one, and selling on credit to friends. All three are decisions, not accidents.