I started construction of a 25,000 capacity tunnel vented poultry farm in December, and it’s taken a long 10 months to reach the point where it's ready to operate. The equipment is installed, the generators are set up, and commissioning has been completed.
This was my first poultry construction project, so I wasn’t expecting perfection. Still, there’s a big difference between knowing a project will have problems and living through those problems while your time and money are on the line. These are the three main lessons I’m taking from the build.
1. Expect it to take longer and cost more
Before construction began, I told myself I was prepared for delays, mistakes, and unexpected costs. What I didn’t fully understand was the patience required when those issues actually happened.
When you look back and tell the story, a delay can sound like a minor inconvenience. When you’re living through it, waiting a couple of weeks for something can feel like waiting a couple of months, especially when the delay is costing you money as well as time.
Your budget and schedule need reasonable buffers from the beginning. If the project only works when every cost matches the first estimate and every task finishes on time, the plan isn’t realistic enough.
When something does go wrong, you also have to remind yourself that progress is more important than perfection. Focus on the solution instead of dwelling on the problem. That’s easier said than done when you’re in the middle of it, but it’s still the right approach.
2. Define exactly what quality means
Everyone has a different idea of what good work looks like. There’s no universal standard that every person on a construction site will naturally follow, so quality is often something you inspect and work diligently to uphold, not something you simply pay for.
It’s your project, your money, and your risk. No one else will care about the finished product as much as you do, which means being present on site matters. You also need to be brutally specific when giving instructions.
For example, don’t just tell someone to seal the gaps around a ventilation fan and hope they understand the standard you expect. Tell them which sealant to use, where to apply it, and that the finished work must have zero air holes or gaps.
That small change removes ambiguity from both the task and the expected outcome. Never assume the picture of quality in your head is shared by everyone working on the project. Explain exactly what finished work should look like, then inspect it against that standard.
3. Budget for the entire site, not just the poultry house
It’s easy to focus on the building and the equipment inside it because that’s where the birds will be held. The full cost of a modern poultry farm extends well beyond those two items.
Connecting electricity to a new property, clearing roadways, developing proper drainage, building the required support facilities, and acquiring two generators are all separate from the main building and its equipment. Their cost is material, and each one can create additional delays.
This was a source of both time and cost overruns for me. On several occasions, I was surprised by how expensive some of the items were because I hadn’t fully considered them before the build started. Before you pull the trigger on construction, work through every facility and service required to make the farm operational. The poultry house may be the centre of the project, but it isn’t the whole project.
The main lesson is simple: plan for the finished operation, define exactly what you expect, and leave room for the project to go wrong. You won’t remove every delay or mistake, but you’ll be better prepared to keep moving when they happen.