How do I start poultry farming in Malawi?
Poultry farming is one of the more accessible livestock ventures in Malawi, with demand for chicken and eggs steady across urban and rural markets. The country produces over 200 million chickens annually, according to Dr Julius Chulu, Director of Animal Health and Livestock Development. But margins are tight. Feed alone accounts for roughly 80% of total production costs, and commercial feed prices have roughly doubled since early 2025, reaching MWK 150,000 to MWK 160,000 per 50kg bag for starter feed, according to Nation Online.
This means poultry farming is viable, but only if you manage feed costs carefully and start with realistic expectations.
Choosing between broilers and layers
Broilers are meat chickens, reaching slaughter weight in 6 to 8 weeks. You need new day-old chicks for every batch.
Layers are egg-producing hens. They start laying at 18 to 20 weeks and produce for 12 to 18 months. The upfront period is longer, but you get a steady income stream.
For a first-time farmer, layers are generally the safer bet. You are not restarting from scratch every two months.
Startup costs for a small flock
Costs shift depending on whether you go broilers or layers, but here is a rough breakdown for a 100-bird flock:
Broilers (100 birds):
- Day-old chicks: MWK 4,500 each, so MWK 450,000 for 100 chicks
- Feed (8 weeks): roughly MWK 600,000 to MWK 800,000
- Vaccines and medication: MWK 30,000 to MWK 50,000
- Coop setup: MWK 200,000 to MWK 500,000
- Total estimate: MWK 1.3 million to MWK 1.8 million per cycle
Layers (100 birds):
- Day-old chicks or point-of-lay pullets: MWK 4,500 each for day-olds, or MWK 8,000 to MWK 12,000 for point-of-lay pullets
- Feed (to start of lay): roughly MWK 800,000 to MWK 1.2 million
- Vaccines and medication: MWK 40,000 to MWK 60,000
- Coop setup: MWK 200,000 to MWK 500,000
- Total estimate: MWK 1.5 million to MWK 2.5 million for the first cycle
Day-old chick prices have climbed to around MWK 4,500 per bird as of early 2025, up from roughly MWK 4,000 previously, according to Food Business MEA.
Step-by-step: getting started
- Decide on your model — broilers for faster turnover, layers for steady egg income. Start with one, not both.
- Secure a location — at least 50 square meters for 100 birds. Rural areas are cheaper, urban areas have better market access.
- Build or buy a coop — a simple structure with ventilation, drainage, and predator protection. Local materials like brick and iron sheeting work fine.
- Buy chicks — source from reputable hatcheries like SetUp Kukula or Kauma Poultry. Avoid open markets where health status is unknown.
- Get feed sorted — commercial starter and grower feed is expensive. Consider on-farm feed mixing if you can source maize, soy, and fishmeal locally.
- Vaccinate on schedule — Newcastle disease and Gumboro are the two vaccines you cannot skip.
- Sell through the right channels — markets in Lilongwe, Blantyre, and Mzuzu have consistent demand. Some farmers sell directly to restaurants and households for better margins.
Is poultry farming profitable in Malawi?
It can be, but margins are thinner than two years ago. A farmer raising 100 broilers to 2kg each can sell them at roughly MWK 15,000 to MWK 20,000 per bird in urban markets. But if your total cost per bird is MWK 13,000 to MWK 15,000, profit per bird is MWK 2,000 to MWK 5,000 at best.
For layers, a hen laying 250 to 300 eggs per year at MWK 200 to MWK 300 per egg gives MWK 50,000 to MWK 90,000 in egg revenue per hen annually. Feed costs run around MWK 40,000 to MWK 55,000 per year, leaving a smaller but more predictable margin.
The MwAPATA Institute estimates that improving Malawi’s poultry value chain could add $31.5 million to GDP by 2030.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Starting too big. Begin with 50 to 100 birds and scale up.
- Ignoring biosecurity. One disease outbreak can wipe out your entire flock.
- Buying feed without comparing prices. ProtoFeeds, KCM, and other suppliers price differently.
- Skipping record-keeping. Track every kwacha you spend. Without records, you will not know if you are making money.