After years of buying day-old broilers (DOCs) for clients and my own flocks, I’ve learned that timing matters as much as breed or brooding. This guide breaks down, in plain farmer language, which months are usually cheapest, why the prices move, and how to lock in the low quotes without sacrificing chick quality. You’ll also see real market signals, harvest calendars, and what other farmers are saying online, so you can make confident, profitable buys.
The Cheapest Months and Why
In Nigeria, January through March are typically the cheapest months to buy day-old broiler chicks, with a sometimes-useful secondary soft patch in late August to September. Here’s the logic in one breath: December demand spikes for table birds push prices up, then post-holiday demand collapses in January, while post-harvest grain availability from October–December filters through feed markets into early Q1, easing cost pressure; since feed makes up roughly 70% of poultry production costs and about 45% of Nigeria’s corn goes into animal feed (mostly poultry), the grain side heavily influences DOC and finished-bird pricing downstream. Always verify live quotes because hatcheries update weekly.
What that looks like on the ground
Right after Christmas, buyers thin out. Live-bird prices that were inflated for festive tables cool off by late December into January, and hatcheries, watching slower offtake, often keep quotes more competitive through the first quarter. Nigerian outlets reported broilers selling NGN 23,000–NGN 25,000 on December 25, 2024 in some markets, far above November levels; that festive surge doesn’t last, and it’s one of the reasons January–March feels cheaper for stocking DOCs.
On the feed side, Nigeria’s main seasonal harvest runs roughly October–December, improving maize availability and typically taking some heat off feed prices into early Q1, exactly when you’re ordering chicks. When grain pressure eases, feed (70% of cost) stops biting as hard, and that helps you negotiate better DOC timing.
There’s also a smaller window to watch: late August–September. In years with decent rainfall and favorable maize outlooks, markets start pricing in the upcoming harvest, and you’ll sometimes see offers soften before the big December run-up. It’s not guaranteed every year (weather and policy can flip the script), but it’s worth tracking alongside your regional maize expectations.
Why you must still “price it this week”
Hatcheries and marketplaces post (and revise) prices on specific market days, often Mondays and Thursdays, so you should check the week you’ll actually book. For example, Afrimash explicitly notes that final prices are available on Mondays and Thursdays for certain broiler lines; Nairaland sellers also publish date-stamped weekly DOC tables (e.g., Feb 22, 2024 and Dec 5, 2024) showing how quotes can change from hatchery to hatchery. I keep a simple habit: call two sellers on Monday morning, check again Thursday, then book.
Pro tip from my brooder room: If you’re in the North or a harmattan-prone area, those crisp, dry mornings in January–February are kinder to DOC transport. Less heat stress on the road equals better early survival when the boxes finally open in your brooder: wood shavings warm, chicks alert, that steady “trilling” sound that tells you they’re settling in nicely.
Because feed dominates costs and animal feed eats a big slice of Nigeria’s maize, months right after harvest, and right after the festive demand spike, tend to be your best-value DOC windows. Track corn and DOC quotes together; when grain pressure eases, DOC bookings often follow.
Why Prices Move: The Four Levers You Should Watch
You’ll hear farmers argue about breeds or brooder lamps, but if you want the cheapest month for broiler chicks, learn to read these four levers like a dashboard. I keep them scribbled on a card in my wallet, because when they all point the same way, I book immediately.
1) Festive demand cycles (Dec surge to Jan slump)
Every December, demand for table birds swells: church parties, family homecomings, roadside grills that run till midnight. Retail broiler prices jump hard, and that pressure ripples backward through the chain. In 2024, for example, Lagos and other cities saw Christmas-week chicken tagged far above November levels as sellers blamed feed, drugs and transport.
By January, the foam comes off the cappuccino; buyers vanish, finished-bird prices soften, and hatcheries feel it in new orders, exactly when Q1 usually becomes your best time to buy day-old chicks. Nigerian newspapers documented that festive spike clearly, and farmers reading this from the markets will remember how quickly the air went quiet after the holidays.
2) Feed and maize dynamics (the cost engine)
Feed is the elephant in the poultry house, responsible for roughly 70% of production cost in Nigeria, with maize typically half or more of the feed formula. When maize and soybean ease, everything downstream breathes, including how aggressively hatcheries price DOCs to keep orders flowing.
A peer-reviewed study on Nigeria’s feed market puts that feed-share figure around 70% and highlights maize’s 50 to 60% weight in rations. Meanwhile, the USDA’s 2024 Grain & Feed Annual estimates that approximately 45% of Nigeria’s domestically produced corn goes to animal feed, mostly poultry, which is why maize availability (and policy on imports or duties) shows up quickly in poultry margins.
Seasonality matters here: Nigeria’s main cereal harvest lands roughly October-December, topping up local grain supplies and often taking some heat out of feed prices into early Q1, the exact window many of us find broiler chick prices easier to negotiate. FEWS NET’s seasonal calendar for a “typical year” is a good quick reference when you’re planning cycles.
3) Hatchery scheduling & weekly quotes (the timing trick)
Even in busy periods, hatcheries live on weekly rhythms: collecting orders, setting eggs, and releasing new price lists close to dispatch days. Public trackers like Livestocking compile hatchery quotes and explicitly note they update mostly on Sundays and Wednesdays because many Nigerian hatcheries hatch on those days, which mirrors what I see when I phone my reps.
Farmers on Nairaland also post time-stamped weekly updates, and sometimes dramatic mid-week surprises (one thread remembered broiler chicks “crashing to NGN 600” late August 2024 at Obasanjo International Market in Ibadan). This is why I always price the same week I’ll book, and if I’m aiming for January, I still compare two lists within 72 hours before paying.
4) Logistics & FX (the invisible tax on your carton)
Two pocketbook forces can tilt DOC quotes even when demand and feed behave: transport costs and naira volatility.
- Fuel/transport: When petrol prices jump, moving chicks from hatchery to farm costs more, and suppliers pass some of it on. Nigeria’s statistics office recorded average petrol at NGN 1,184.83 per litre in Oct 2024, after big month-to-month increases, while NNPC hikes in September 2024 pushed prices toward NGN 950 to NGN 1,019 depending on location. If you’re far from hatcheries, these spikes show up in your final invoice.
- FX swings: Imported premixes, vaccines, equipment, even some feed inputs are FX-sensitive. The IMF’s 2025 Article IV notes the naira closed 2024 around NGN 1,536 per USD and weakened further by end-April 2025, exactly the sort of moves that nudge suppliers to reprice DOCs or add “valid today only” clauses.
When you see post-harvest grain relief (Oct-Dec) lining up with the post-Christmas demand slump (Jan-Mar), and weekly lists look soft, that’s your cue to stock. I keep tabs on Livestocking’s consolidated price lists mid-week, glance at the FEWS NET seasonal calendar, and scan two December-to-January news stories to confirm the festive spike cooled. If petrol is spiking or FX is wobbling that week, I negotiate transport or ask for a 24-hour hold on the quote. It’s not complicated, just a farmer’s checklist that keeps more cash in the feed bin.
Read More: Why Chick Prices Rise & Fall in Nigeria (Feed, Disease, Festive Cycles)
Month-by-Month Buying Calendar (Nigeria)
Think of this as your field-tested broiler chick price calendar. It blends what I see in hatchery quotes with Nigeria’s harvest rhythm and that familiar December demand surge. Use it to plan stocking cycles, negotiate smarter, and avoid paying festive premiums. I’ll flag best months to buy day-old chicks, practical actions, and what to watch each period.
Nigeria’s main cereal harvest begins around October and runs into December, improving maize availability and easing some feed pressure into early Q1; at the same time, festive demand peaks in December, then collapses in January, often creating the cheapest window for DOC purchases.
January – March (Usually the Cheapest Window)
If you ask me for the cheapest month for broiler chicks, I’ll put my money on January through March most years. December’s party tables and homecomings bid up live-bird prices; by early January, the market goes quiet, and hatcheries tend to keep quotes competitive to keep the setter rooms moving. Meanwhile, grain from the Oct-Dec harvest is still flowing, which typically takes some heat off feed costs and, by extension, margin pressure across the chain.
On the ground, you’ll hear it in the markets: the shouting of December fades, the air turns dusty and cool in the mornings, and transport is a little kinder to fragile chicks. Numerous Nigerian press pieces have documented that December chicken prices spiked in 2024, which is precisely why January feels “reset” and attractive for stocking.
What to do now:
- Price and book within the week you’ll receive; sellers update prices on specific market days.
- Cross-check at least two sources the same day.
- Exploit cool mornings for transport; day-old chicks are extremely sensitive to temperature swings, and even short delays can dehydrate them.
April – June (Mixed/Steady; Watch Heat and Transport)
By April, temperatures climb, humidity builds in the south, and transport starts to feel sticky: slower, sweatier, harder on chicks. Prices are often mixed: not the bargain-basement of January, not the run-up of pre-Christmas either. If fuel or FX lurches, you’ll sometimes see that reflected quickly in logistics charges or “valid today only” quotes.
Heat stress is not theory in our climate; there’s a sizable body of research showing it reduces broiler intake and performance and can raise mortality if brooding/transport isn’t tight. I budget for a little extra electrolyte and keep brooder temps ruthlessly consistent.
What to do now:
- Shorten journeys and insist on ventilated vehicles; temperature and humidity during transport correlate with chick weight loss and early performance.
- Time pickups for sunrise and avoid gridlock heat. (If you must ship late, increase airflow and reduce box stacking.) Practical, not glamorous, but it pays.
July – Early August (Cautious Buying; Biosecurity Focus)
The rains are in full gear. Roads can be moody: a three-hour trip flips to six because a culvert gave way. Quotes here are serviceable if inputs are steady, but heat and humidity can still bite. I buy selectively unless I have airtight logistics and brooding. Farmers in forums trade tips about heat-driven setbacks this time of year; the consensus is simple: you can buy now, but your execution must be sharp.
What to do now:
- If you’re brooding in a humid zone, double-down on dry litter, airflow, and quick feed/water access on arrival.
- Keep one eye on market chatter; when hatchery supply fluctuates (for example, a big setter down for maintenance), weekly quotes can wobble.
Late August – September
This is the sleeper window. As new-crop maize approaches, markets sometimes price in better availability, and weekly DOC quotes can soften, not every year, but often enough that I watch it. You’ll see it in farmer forums and seller posts: sudden mid-week adjustments, surprise “crashes”, and clarifications about hatchery tables. In August 2024, for instance, sellers posted updated broiler prices around August 22 and into early September, good reminders that this period can turn opportunistic if your timing is tight.
What to do now:
- Shop aggressively across brands (Amo, Agrited, Zartech, Chi, etc.) the same day; compile a grid of per-chick and per-carton quotes and land on the best blend of price × delivery reliability.
- Hold off a week if you smell broader softening, because sellers often refresh lists on set days, which can work in your favor.
October – December (Rising to Costliest)
October-December is when harvest is underway, a plus for grain supply, but the demand machine starts warming up. Caterers, events, and households plan for end-of-year, and by December, live-bird prices usually hit their annual highs. Nigeria’s press documented steep December 2024 chicken prices (NGN 15,000-25,000 per bird depending on market).
That festive pull tends to cascade backward into DOC planning and transport rates. If you must buy chicks here, do it for a reason: a planned festive finishing date with premium off-take, not for “cheap” stocking.
What to do now:
- Avoid fresh cycles that finish in late December unless you’re targeting premium sales and have customers lined up.
- If you need to buy, pre-book early (weeks ahead) and lock logistics; also sanity-check quotes against public trackers like Livestocking to avoid overpaying.
| Month(s) | Typical price tendency | Buy/Skip? | Action to take |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan-Mar | Cheapest (post-holiday slump plus post-harvest feed relief) | Buy | Compare quotes same day; use Mon/Thu price postings; book sunrise deliveries. |
| Apr-Jun | Mixed/steady; heat logistics risk | Cautious | Shorten trips; ventilate; tighten brooder SOPs. (Heat stress dents performance.) |
| Jul-early Aug | Serviceable; road/weather issues | Selective | Buy only with solid logistics; watch weekly lists/threads. |
| Late Aug-Sep | Sometimes soft (pre-harvest sentiment) | Opportunistic | Shop across hatcheries; wait a week if quotes are sliding. |
| Oct-Dec | Rises to costliest (festive demand) | Avoid unless targeting premium | If buying, pre-book early; confirm against public trackers. |
Read more: Best Time to Buy Day-Old Chicks in Nigeria
How to Actually Lock In the Cheap Months
When the market is soft, you still have to land the deal: quotes in hand, transport lined up, brooder hot and ready. This is the section I wish someone had handed me years ago: exactly how I book day-old broilers (DOCs) at the best time and keep quality high.
Build a two-source quote grid (same morning)
On “cheap” weeks (typically January–March, sometimes late August–September), I open a simple sheet and call two sellers before 10 a.m. Compare a neutral public list with a live marketplace quote:
- Public benchmark: Livestocking keeps a running DOC price page and says they update mostly on Sundays and Wednesdays, because most hatcheries in Nigeria hatch on those days. That line tells you when lists are likely to move.
- Marketplace quote: Several Afrimash DOC pages state “final price will be available on Mondays and Thursdays by 9 a.m.” That cadence is gold for timing your payment: price on Monday morning, re-check Thursday before you pay.
I put both numbers side-by-side, note carton vs half-carton economics, and ask for the all-in landed cost (carton + delivery + handling). If the marketplace is offering price protection (“we’ll refund you the difference if the price decreases”), take it. That reduces the fear of booking early in a softening week.
Time your booking to “market days” (and delivery routes)
Match your payment to pricing days and your pickup to delivery days. One vendor policy spells out the rhythm clearly: DOC deliveries/pickups are scheduled for Mondays & Thursdays (South-West) and Tuesdays & Fridays (other regions). If you’re far, Maiduguri, Adamawa, they’ll push to the next day. Knowing the routes avoids last-minute surprises that cost you in mortality.
I like to pay just after the final price post and target sunrise pickup. Harmattan mornings in January feel like crisp paper, the air’s dry, boxes stay within range, and the chicks settle faster in the brooder than on sweaty afternoons stuck behind a petrol tanker.
Negotiate like a local (and prove you’re serious)
Most sellers respond to volume and certainty. In fact, you’ll see “bulk purchase attracts discount” written in some weekly DOC posts in farmer forums; it isn’t folklore. If you can coordinate with neighbors and place a combined order for two or three cartons, say so, then ask for a delivery fee waiver or a per-carton discount. Screenshots and dated posts on Nairaland show how quotes move week to week and how sellers signal bulk terms.
Make transport a “non-issue” (that’s where cheap becomes expensive)
Price wins don’t matter if the first 24 hours go wrong. The welfare literature and industry manuals are consistent:
- Keep total travel time as short as possible; 24 hours is the standard, and trucks must be ventilated and clean. That’s straight from poultry handling/transport manuals used by integrators and service providers.
- Temperature and humidity matter together. Hatchery and breeder guides cue you to keep chicks around the low 30s C (32-33 C) on placement and to manage RH and airflow so the chick isn’t chilling or panting. (Hubbard, Cobb, and related brooding guides echo this.)
- Feed/water delays hurt. EFSA warns that withdrawal beyond 48 hours risks severe hunger; Nigerian studies have also shown performance losses when feed/water access is delayed. In plain English: have drinkers and starter down before the truck door cracks open.
- Handover points (airports, depots) are risky if people don’t control the environment: Aviagen’s best-practice note is a good checklist for anyone meeting chicks at hubs.
January Buy vs. November Buy (So You Can See the Money)
Let’s put real numbers on the table. I’ll walk you through two simple, transparent budgets for 500 broilers, one stocked in January (typical “cheap DOC” window) and one stocked in November (finishing into December’s premium sales). I’ll show my assumptions, cite where they come from, and then do the math you can adapt to your own farm.
The Assumptions (you can verify every one)
Carton size and DOC pricing rhythm. In Nigeria, a day-old chick carton is 50 chicks; vendors state this explicitly, and even schedule deliveries around “market days.” You’ll see it in multiple vendor pages and policies.
What a chick actually costs. DOC prices move week by week and by hatchery. Public posts and storefronts from late-2024 to 2025 show a wide band:
- NGN 1,100–NGN 1,220 per chick in some Ibadan updates (Sept–Dec 2024) on Nairaland.
- NGN 1,300–NGN 1,425 per chick implied by ecommerce and brand posts in early 2025 (NGN 65k–NGN 71k per 50).
- Marketplace product pages often show carton-of-50 pricing ranges (for example, NGN 32k–NGN 73k depending on brand and period).
For the scenarios, I’ll use a defensible midpoint for each season (you can swap in your actual quotes):
- January scenario (cheap side): NGN 1,200/chick
- November scenario (tighter or peak-ish): NGN 1,400/chick
Those sit neatly inside the documented bands above.
How much feed a broiler actually eats by 6 weeks. A practical broiler chart (used by Nigerian farmers) shows approximately 4.20 kg cumulative feed to day 42 for a standard 2.42 kg bird. That’s close to breeder-objective expectations, though field results vary.
What feed costs per kilogram (retail). Current storefront prices (typical ecommerce, brand dependent):
- Broiler starter 25 kg (New Hope): NGN 27,615, NGN 1,104.6/kg
- Broiler finisher 25 kg (Chikun or Olam): NGN 23,699.5, NGN 948/kg
A simple average puts us around NGN 1,026/kg. (Your mill or bulk buy may differ.)
Why feed dominates. Multiple Nigeria-focused analyses and the USDA’s Nigeria Grain and Feed reports agree: feed is approximately 70% of production cost, and approximately 45% of Nigeria’s domestically produced corn goes to animal feed (mostly poultry), which is why the harvest and maize policy noise matter so much to what you pay and earn.
Selling price reality check (for context). Festive demand is real: a December 25, 2024 survey found broilers that sold NGN 14k–NGN 15k in November moved for NGN 23k–NGN 25k at Christmas. If you’re planning a November stock to late-December sale, premium revenue can offset higher DOCs.
Scenario A: January Buy (500 chicks): Cheap DOCs, steady sale window
DOC cost. 500 x NGN 1,200 = NGN 600,000.
Feed budget.
- Feed per bird (to 42 days): 4.20 kg.
- Average feed price: NGN 1,026/kg.
- Feed per bird: 4.20 x NGN 1,026, approx. NGN 4,312
- Total feed: 500 x NGN 4,312, approx. NGN 2,156,000
Placed vs. sold (mortality). If you place 500 and sell 95% (475 birds), a reasonable target with tight brooding and transport, your cost per sold bird for the two big items (DOC plus feed) is:
- Per bird placed: NGN 1,200 + NGN 4,312 = NGN 5,512
- Per bird sold (grossed up for 5% loss): approx. NGN 5,802
(First-week mortality should be very low when brooding is on point, global breeder handbooks push for less than 0.7% in the first 7 days, but I’m using 5% to stay conservative for field realities.)
What that means on the ground. On a cool January morning, with dry Harmattan air and fewer traffic jams, I’ve seen trucks roll in with chicks still quiet and bright-eyed. You open the box (the warm shavings smell like pencil shavings and clean wood) and placement is smooth. In my books, that calm first hour is worth more than any spreadsheet.
Working number to carry: For January cycles, expect approx. NGN 5,800 per bird sold for DOC plus feed under these retail assumptions, before you add vaccines, litter, utilities, labour, transport, etc. Vendors often send a vaccination schedule with the order; costs vary by brand and vet.
Scenario B: November Buy (500 chicks): Higher DOCs, but finishing into December
DOC cost. 500 x NGN 1,400 = NGN 700,000.
Feed budget. Same nutrition math as above (assuming similar management):
- Per bird feed: approx. NGN 4,312 → Total feed: approx. NGN 2,156,000.
Placed vs. sold (5% loss).
- Per bird placed: NGN 1,400 + NGN 4,312 = NGN 5,712
- Per bird sold (95% survival): approx. NGN 6,013
But here’s the kicker: revenue. Finishing in late December can mean NGN 23k–NGN 25k per bird, far above pre-festive levels. So even with a higher per-sold cost, a well-timed November stock often wins on gross margin per bird, if you already have buyers lined up and logistics locked.
December birds fly, but December roads don’t. If a pickup gets stuck six hours behind a petrol tanker, you’ll feel it in weight loss and stress. That’s why I only chase the December premium when my transport and customer list are bulletproof.
Red Flags & Risk Windows
Even in January–March, usually the cheapest months for broiler chicks, you can still lose your savings to heat, flooding, fuel spikes, FX swings, or a disease alert. Here’s how I read the risk, month by month, and what I do on the ground so my bargain cartons don’t become expensive lessons.
Heat & Humidity (April–July): Cheap chicks + hot roads = hidden losses
Once the rains build, the air turns heavy and the roads slow down. Heat isn’t just uncomfortable; it dents performance. Reviews and field studies show heat stress reduces feed intake, weight gain and feed efficiency, and pushes mortality up, all the stuff that erases your “cheap month” advantage if transport or brooding slips. I treat April–July as execution season: sunrise pickups, shallow stacking, ruthless airflow, and brooder temps stabilized before a single lid is opened.
If the truck door swings at noon and the first whiff is warm, sour air instead of clean shavings, I know I’m about to fight dehydration and uneven starts. Recent Nigerian work also shows farmers are actively adopting heat-stress adaptations in the southwest, proof that the risk is real and managed, not theoretical.
Day-old chicks kept without feed and water beyond 48 hours face severe prolonged hunger, and even shorter total “feed withdrawal” windows (from last feed on the hatchery line to first feed on farm) create welfare risks, so delays matter. Keep journeys short and conditions controlled; your margin literally rides with the box.
Harmattan & Dry-Season Respiratory Pressure (Dec–Feb): Cooler air, dustier risks
Harmattan mornings can be perfect for transport, cool, crisp, low humidity, but that dusty air can pressure the respiratory tract. Nigerian and West African research has long linked dry-season conditions to increased respiratory disease risk, including Newcastle disease (ND), with higher prevalence in the dry months (roughly December–March) reported in Kaduna and other belts.
In practice, I don’t skip cycles here; I just tighten vaccination timing and brooder air quality and I’m extra fussy about litter dryness and draft control. When the peeping sounds thin or harsh after placement, I know the air is wrong and I fix it before I touch feed. Operators in Jos have talked about Harmattan knocking production down if houses aren’t sealed and warmed properly, again, not a reason to avoid buying, but a reason to respect the season.
Flooding & Rain-Blocked Logistics (July–October)
A “good price” means nothing if a washed-out bridge turns a 3-hour trip into 10. Nigeria’s rainy-season floods routinely cut roads and delay deliveries; even in 2025, catastrophic events in Niger State destroyed infrastructure and cost lives, and NiMet has been issuing flash-flood risk alerts for multiple states.
Before I book in deep rainy months, I check the NiMet Seasonal Climate Prediction page and local alerts, then I plan shorter routes or add a day buffer. If your farm is on a known choke point, that’s a red flag: ask the seller for an earlier dispatch or a cooler pickup slot.
Fuel Spikes (Any Month, But Brutal Mid-Year)
Transport is where small savings die. Official data show Nigeria’s petrol price jumped to an average NGN 1,184.83/L in Oct 2024, and has hovered near or above NGN 1,000/L in multiple 2025 readings, compressing farm margins and pushing delivery fees up. If your hatchery is far, a mid-route top-up can wipe out your per-chick “win.” I routinely negotiate all-in landed pricing during high-fuel months and consider grouping orders with neighbors to absorb that transport shock.
FX Whiplash (Ongoing): Prices can change between Monday and Thursday
Premixes, vaccines, some equipment, and occasionally feed inputs, are FX-sensitive, and sellers reprice quickly when the naira moves. The IMF’s 2025 Article IV notes the official rate slid from NGN 899/USD (Dec 2023) to NGN 1,536/USD (Dec 2024) and to NGN 1,597/USD by end-April 2025, which is exactly the kind of swing that makes a sales rep say, “valid today only.” My hedge: price on the market day, ask for a 24-hour hold, and get a written clause for any announced drops before dispatch.
Disease Alerts
I keep one eye on avian influenza (HPAI) briefings and veterinary advisories. Nigeria reported H5N1 outbreaks between December 2024 and February 2025 (e.g., Kano) per WHO/FAO/WOAH tracking and domestic veterinary institutes. In practical farm English, that means: buy from certified hatcheries, keep trucks and crates clean, shorten hand-over times at depots, and quarantine contact points. When the disease dial ticks up, I re-check my vaccination calendar and visitor logbook before I think about price.
Festive Demand (November–December)
Everyone sees the premium at Christmas. Premium Times documented broilers selling NGN 15k–NGN 40k (size-dependent) on December 25, 2024, that gravitational pull lifts everything from feed to DOC logistics. If you’re stocking into this wave without pre-sold buyers and a locked truck, you’re playing with your margin. My rule is simple: November buys are for planned December sales only; otherwise, wait for January and breathe.
Check: Current Price Of Day-Old Chicks In Nigeria
FAQs About Buying Day Old Chicks
What month is actually cheapest to buy day-old broiler chicks?
In most years, January–March is the best-value window, with a smaller, less reliable soft patch sometimes appearing in late August–September. Two big forces create this: (1) December demand spikes for table birds (prices jump, then cool in January), and (2) post-harvest grain availability from roughly October–December, which eases feed pressure into early Q1. Public reporting in December 2024 documented broilers rising from NGN 14k–15k in November to NGN 23k–25k on Dec 25, while FEWS NET’s Nigeria calendar shows main harvest activity around Oct–Dec; both support the Jan–Mar “reset.”
Why do day-old chick (DOC) prices move so much week to week?
Because hatcheries publish weekly lists, and input/demand signals change quickly. Livestocking compiles hatchery quotes (Agrited, Amo, Zartech, Chi, etc.), illustrating how prices vary by supplier and over time. Marketplaces like Afrimash also state that final prices post on Mondays and Thursdays (9 a.m.), which is why pricing on “market days” matters.
How big a role does feed play in what I end up paying?
A large one. Multiple Nigeria-focused analyses and official reports put feed at approximately 70% of poultry production cost, and about 45% of Nigeria’s domestically produced maize goes into animal feed (mostly poultry), so when maize/soy ease after harvest or policy relief, poultry costs downstream often soften too.
Where can I check today’s DOC price before I book?
Check the updated prices of day-old chicks, then book your chicks at Justagric Agros, just send a Chat (WhatsApp) at +2348074763468 or send us an email at admin@justagric.com. We assure you of quality service.
Does “buy in November to sell in December” really pay?
It can, if you’ve pre-sold birds and locked logistics. A December 25, 2024 market walk-through found broilers that were NGN 14k–15k in November selling NGN 23k–25k on Christmas day. That revenue premium can offset higher November DOC quotes, but December roads and fuel costs can erase gains if delivery falters.
Is there a “best day of the week” to pay?
Many vendors finalize prices Monday and Thursday mornings; paying just after those times reduces the risk of being caught by a same-week list change.
How many chicks are in a carton, and does that affect pricing?
Standard retail cartons are 50 chicks. Most marketplace pages specify this clearly (and often show prices as “per 50”). Knowing this helps you compare per-chick vs per-carton economics when negotiating.
Is it safe to buy in the rainy season?
Yes, if you control transport time, airflow, and brooder setup. Scientific opinions warn that day-old chicks without feed/water beyond 48 hours face severe prolonged hunger, so keep journeys short and the hand-over tight. On farm, major breeder guides recommend placement temperatures around 30–32 °C (86–90 °F) at chick level, with pre-heated floors/litter to help chicks start fast.
Conclusion
If you’ve skimmed everything else, remember this: in Nigeria, the smart money buys broiler chicks in January–March. That’s when the December price spike for table birds collapses (broilers that sold for NGN 14k–15k in November jumped to NGN 23k–25k on Dec 25, 2024, then cooled right after), and when the main harvest (Oct–Dec) has just eased some pressure on grain and feed. Because feed is the lion’s share of cost (70%) and a large share of Nigeria’s maize goes straight into animal feed, these seasonal shifts ripple into what you ultimately pay, and earn. In plain farm terms: fewer people are buying immediately after the holidays, more grain is moving, and your first-quarter bookings usually stretch the naira further.