Buy Broiler Chicks for Christmas in Ghana: Timing Guide

If you want broilers ready to sell for Christmas, buy the chicks six to seven weeks before the sale day, not in December. Agro Prime Ghana runs a hatchery in Kasoa and supplies day-old broiler chicks to farmers across Ghana, with a quote for each order on WhatsApp at +233 24 915 1503. For a sale on 25 December 2026, the chicks must be on the farm by 13 November for a six-week finish, or by 6 November for seven weeks. Wait past those dates and your birds either finish after the holiday window or go to market under weight.

Christmas is a fixed date, but a broiler flock is not. A chick placed in the wrong week can reach market a few days early or late, and the cost of holding birds past their best weight rises every day. The planning itself is simple arithmetic, and it is worth doing before you pay for a single chick.

From the Agro Prime Ghana team — a working hatchery in Kasoa supplying day-old chicks, point-of-lay pullets and feed across Ghana. Last updated October 2026.

Why Christmas planning starts six to seven weeks out

A broiler is grown for one job: to turn feed into live weight quickly and efficiently. The breed sets the pace, and the performance tables published by the breeders show what a healthy flock should weigh at each age. Aviagen's 2022 Ross 308 performance objectives give the as-hatched figures for mixed-sex birds. At 42 days the target is 2,998 g with a cumulative feed conversion of 1.531. At 49 days the target is 3,681 g with a conversion of 1.663. Those are weights on the farm, including feed still in the gut, and they assume good management. They are a benchmark, not a promise for your house.

The table also shows why the flock's sex matters when you sell by weight. At 42 days, males average 3,222 g and females 2,774 g in the same published set. A mixed flock will weigh less on average than an all-male one, so ask us whether your batch is mixed-sex or sexed before you set your target.

Count back from your sale day

Use the table below to find your placement date. The placement date is the day the chicks arrive on your farm, which is also day zero of the grow-out. The weights are the Ross 308 mixed-sex targets for the matching age.

Today is late October, so the 25 December, seven-week date is only about two weeks away. Aim for the earlier end of any window, because a chick placed early leaves you room to correct a problem, while a chick placed late leaves you none.

Six weeks or seven? Decide by what your buyer pays for

The extra week costs feed. Across the Ross 308 figures, cumulative feed conversion rises from 1.531 at day 42 to 1.663 at day 49, so each kilogram of live weight takes more feed the longer the birds stay in the house. Whether the extra half-kilogram earns you more depends entirely on the price per kilogram your buyer will pay and on whether they want heavier birds at all. We cannot quote that price for you, so ask your buyers before you commit to a finish date.

If your buyers want birds for a specific day, a six-week plan is usually the safer one, because it gives you a week of slack before the sale. A seven-week plan suits a buyer who pays for weight and can wait for it.

What to have ready before the chicks arrive

A Christmas timeline falls apart when the feed, the brooder or the buyers are not ready on time. Settle these before you confirm the order:

• Quantity. Order the number you plan to sell, plus a sensible allowance for early losses. Tell us the number you want to end up with at the sale, not just the chicks you need to start.
• Feed programme. Starter, grower and finisher feed each have a job. Our broiler feeding guide sets out the stages, and you should have the feed bought and stored before the chicks land.
• Brooder. Heat, litter, feeders and drinkers need to be in place on day zero. The brooding guide covers the setup step by step.
• Buyers. Agree the sale day, the quantity and the weight band with the people taking the birds. A flock sold on a fixed date is easier to plan than one you hope to sell after the holiday.

How to order for a Christmas sale, step by step

• Message us on WhatsApp at +233 24 915 1503 with the number of broiler chicks, your sale day and your delivery town.
• Ask for the next hatch date that matches your placement date from the table above.
• Ask for the quote in writing, covering the price per chick, what it includes, the vaccinations given and the cost and timing of delivery to your town.
• Confirm the vaccination record for the batch and the next vaccine due on your farm, so you can plan the booster dates around the sale.
• Agree delivery and placement for the confirmed date, then have the brooder ready the day before.

Check the birds against the benchmark while they grow

The benchmark gives you an early warning. Ross 308 mixed-sex targets are about 1,012 g at day 21 and 1,616 g at day 28. If your sample birds are well behind those figures, do not simply add more feed. Look first at brooding temperature, feed access, water supply and health, because a flock that starts slowly rarely catches up on feed alone. Weigh a fixed sample of birds each week, write the numbers down, and compare them with the table. That habit tells you early whether a December sale is on track.

Scaling a broiler plan for repeat Christmas sales

If you are building a broiler enterprise that sells into the holiday season every year, the sums need to work beyond one batch. Our poultry business plan guide shows how to lay out costs, feed and sales in one document, and best chicken breeds in Ghana compares the main meat birds you might choose. If you plan to grow the operation beyond a single flock, our partner page explains how we work with partners.

The bottom line for a Christmas broiler crop

Christmas broilers are a timing decision first and a feeding decision second. Count back from the sale day, use the Ross 308 benchmarks to judge how the flock is doing, and ask your buyers what weight they will pay for before you pick a finish date. We do not publish a broiler chick price, because a fair quote depends on quantity, batch and delivery. What we can give you is a clear placement date and a written quote for your order.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• Aviagen, Ross 308/308 FF Broiler Performance Objectives (2022), as-hatched table for mixed, male and female birds: performance objectives PDF