A slow, free-range bird that rewards patience at the feed bin. Here is what a Sasso needs in a Ghanaian yard and what it costs to start.
Halaal Farms Ghana team7 August 2026 · 11 min read
The Sasso is a slow bird. It grows more slowly than a broiler, it wants to range and scratch, and it asks for patience at the feed bin. Those three habits are the reason people keep it, and they are also the reason a farm that tries to raise it like a broiler ends up disappointed. This guide covers what a Sasso needs in a Ghanaian yard, what it costs to start, and how to plan a flock that will give you the meat and the flavour you are after.
Sasso is a local hatch on our list. We hatch it in Kasoa, and the price starts from GH₵13 a chick, or GH₵650 for a box of 50. As with every price we quote, confirm the current figure with us before you pay. We confirm the hatch date and the delivery cost to your region at the same time.
A Sasso is kept for meat first and for eggs second. It takes longer to reach table weight than a broiler, and it lays a modest number of eggs over its life. If your plan is a fast cycle of birds for the market, a broiler is the better tool. If you want a bird that tastes like the bird people remember, and you can wait for it, the Sasso is worth a closer look.
The slower growth is not a flaw to fix. It is the trade. The bird builds muscle and frame over more weeks, it moves about more, and it spends more time on its feet. Plan for that from the start, and the flock will do what it is supposed to do. Fight it, and you will spend money on feed that goes to waste.
Free range sounds like a bird that finds its own food. In a Kasoa compound or a small yard, that only works up to a point. A Sasso will scratch and forage, and that helps, but a yard has limited insects, seeds and greens, and it has more than enough dust. The bird still needs a planned ration, given every day, with clean water beside it.
Think about the space the birds have, and what is in it. A patch of bare dirt gives them very little to do, and birds with nothing to do tend to peck at each other. Shade matters more than most keepers expect, especially in the dry months. Put a roof or a tree line over part of the run, and give them a dust bath area in a dry corner. Grit should be available at all times, because the gizzard needs it to grind whatever they pick up.
The most common mistake with a Sasso is feeding it like a broiler from day one. A high-energy diet pushed hard into a slow bird makes it fat without making it strong. Start on a chick ration, change it at the stage the farm recommends, and do not rush the switch. Ask us for the feeding plan for the strain you buy, because the change dates depend on the bird and on your targets.
Feed is the biggest cost on a Sasso flock, and it runs for longer than on a broiler. A 50 kg bag of feed broadly costs GH₵400 to GH₵470, depending on brand and season. Because the birds stay on the farm for longer, count the bags you will need across the whole grow-out, not only the first month. Buy from one supplier where you can, and keep the brand steady, so the birds are not thrown off by a sudden change.
Clean water matters more than most people think. A bird that drinks less eats less, and a slow grower that is short of water falls behind quickly. Check the drinkers twice a day, and in the heat, check them at midday too.
Free-range birds face more risk than birds kept in a closed house. Dogs, rats, snakes and birds of prey all take chicks and young birds in Ghana, and a Sasso kept out in the open is exposed to every one of them. The answer is a secure night house, with a closed door, solid walls at the bottom and wire mesh high enough to stop rats and small predators from getting in.
Give the birds a perch in the night house. Slow birds that have grown heavy need a dry, flat perch they can reach without straining. Keep the house clean and the litter dry, because wet litter is where respiratory and footpad problems start. Lock the house every night and open it only once the birds have had a chance to feed in the morning.
Keep any sick bird apart from the flock. Watch for birds that stand off on their own, that stop eating, or that breathe with effort. Our guide on when to call a vet explains which signs should be dealt with the same day.
Local buyers often ask how a bird was raised and how old it is. Be ready to answer that honestly. A slow bird sold as a Sasso is a different product from a broiler sold as a local chicken, and your buyers will know the difference when they cook it. The price a buyer pays is tied to the way the bird lived and the time it took to grow, so tell them both.
Festive months change the timing. A flock that reaches market weight in the middle of a festival season can sell well, but only if you planned the hatch date back from it. Count from the date you want the birds ready, not the date you want to order. Also check the withdrawal period for any medicine you have used. The bird must be clear of medicines before it goes to the buyer, so keep the record and follow the label and your vet's advice.
Set a simple sale plan before the chicks arrive. Decide whether you will sell live, dressed or both, and who your first three buyers will be. A Sasso kept for months without a buyer is an expensive bird.
Most of the work falls in the first hour of the day. Open the night house once the birds have settled outside, and count them as they come out. A bird that does not come out, or that stays hunched in a corner, needs a closer look before anything else happens.
Next come water and then feed. Fill the drinkers with clean water and top up the ration at the same time each morning, so the birds learn when to expect it. A small scatter of grain or greens in the run keeps them moving and gives them something to work at. Keep it small. A bird that fills up on scraps will eat less of the ration that carries its growth.
In the late afternoon, check the water again, look over the flock, and lock the house before the light goes. Write anything unusual in a notebook: a bird off its feed, loose droppings, a limp. Those notes are the first thing a vet or your supplier will ask for.
If you already keep birds, the new Sasso chicks should not share a run with them at first. Keep them in a separate pen for a settling period, and watch for signs of trouble before you mix them in. Our guide on isolation and quarantine for new birds explains how to do this in a small yard.
Keep the same people and the same boots out of the two areas. Carrying disease on hands and footwear is the easiest way to pass it from one group to the other, and it costs far more to fix than it does to avoid.
Do not borrow equipment between yards without washing it first. A feed scoop or a drinker that has been used near a sick flock should be cleaned and dried before it goes near the healthy birds.
The chick price is the least of the cost, but it is where most people begin. The table sets the Sasso against the other birds on our list, using the prices from the current list. These are starting figures, and the time on the farm is the number to think about most.
| Breed | Type | From per chick | Box of 50 | Time on the farm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ross 308 or Cobb 500 | Broiler, imported | GH₵20 | GH₵1,000 | 6 to 7 weeks to market |
| Sasso | Free-range meat and eggs, local hatch | GH₵13 | GH₵650 | Longer than a broiler. Ask us for the plan |
| Kuroiler or Noiler | Dual purpose, local hatch | GH₵11 | GH₵550 | Longer than a broiler |
| Hy-Line Brown | Layer, imported | GH₵23 | GH₵1,150 | Many months, until she lays |
The Sasso looks cheap next to a broiler, but a slow grower eats for more days. A bird that is kept for an extra month costs you its feed for that month, plus the house space and the labour. Work out the feed days before you compare the chick prices, and you will see that the Sasso is a bet on quality rather than a saving.
Every batch we supply is vaccinated, and we tell you what was given. Keep that record with your treatment and withdrawal notes. Our guide on the record of treatments and withdrawals shows a simple way to keep them in one place.
No. They are different birds with different growth, appearance and uses. The Sasso is a slow free-range bird, and the Kuroiler and Noiler are dual-purpose local birds. Ask us which one suits your yard and your buyers, and compare the prices on the list before you decide.
Not reliably in a town yard. It will forage, and that helps, but it still needs a planned daily ration and clean water. Free range is a supplement to the feed plan, not a replacement for it.
One box of 50 chicks. Plan the flock so that the box fits your house, your feed budget and the sales you have lined up.
Use a secure night house with a closed door, solid walls at the bottom and fine mesh that keeps rats and small predators out. Lock it every evening and open it only in daylight.
If a Sasso flock fits your yard and your timing, send the order form on our site with the number of birds, your region and the month you want them ready. You can also call 024 915 1503 or write to support@halaalfarmsghana.com. We confirm the price, the hatch date and the delivery cost before you pay by cash, mobile money or bank transfer. Read how to order day-old chicks for the steps, check the current price list, and keep the withdrawal period guide open before you plan the first sale.
Written by the Halaal Farms Ghana team. We hatch and import day-old chicks at Opeikuma, Kasoa, and deliver to all 16 regions. This article is general guidance for farmers. For diagnosis and treatment of sick birds, speak to a vet or your district veterinary office.
A weekly weighing routine for broiler farmers: how to pick an honest sample, the weights to compare against from day 7 to day 42, the average and uniformity sums, and what to do when the flock is behind.
Feed cost per kilo of broiler depends on how much feed each kilo takes and what you pay for it. These ten habits lower both without starving the birds or buying additives.
Heat kills the heaviest broilers in the last days before sale. This guide explains why, shows the signs in order, and sets out the house, stocking, water and feeding changes that prevent it, plus an afternoon emergency plan.
