Ho is about 185 km from our hatchery at Opeikuma, Kasoa. A box of chicks bound for the Volta regional capital has to get through Accra and Tema, run north to Atimpoku, cross the river at the Adomi Bridge and then turn east past Juapong. By private car that is under three hours. By bus or cargo vehicle, allow four to five. It is a middle-distance route: not short enough to be careless about, not long enough to worry a healthy chick.
The road to Ho crosses the Volta at Adomi
Kasoa is west of Accra, so every consignment for the Volta Region first has to cross the city. That is the slowest and hottest part of the trip. After Tema the road is the main eastern corridor through Afienya and Kpong to Atimpoku, over the bridge, on through Juapong, and then off the Hohoe road at Asikuma towards Tsito, Sokode and Ho.
There is a second way round, by the coast road to Sogakope and then north through Adidome. It is used when the usual road is closed, as happened in June 2024 when flood water covered a culvert at Juapong and vehicles were stranded between there and the bridge. That is the reason we ask you to confirm timing with us before dispatch in the wet months. A newly hatched chick lives on its yolk reserve for two to three days, so a delay of some hours is not fatal in itself, but hours in a hot, stationary vehicle are another matter. Our article on transporting day-old chicks safely goes into what to do when a journey is held up.
A collection-day routine for Ho
- The evening before, lay dry litter in the brooding ring and set out drinkers and feed trays.
- On the day, light the heat source two to three hours before the expected arrival, so the litter itself is warm, not just the air above it.
- Fill the drinkers before you leave home, so the water has lost its chill by the time the chicks reach it.
- Reach the agreed station ahead of time. Bring the name and phone number the consignment was sent under.
- At the station, lift each lid a little, look and listen. Lively chicks cheep and move. Count the boxes and note anything wrong before you leave.
- Carry the boxes level, shaded, with air moving over them. On a motorbike or tricycle, never strap them over the exhaust or wrap them in a rubber sheet.
- At the farm, count every chick as you place it. Tell us straight away about any that arrived dead, because those are replaced free in the next hatch.
What to do in the hours after that is set out in receiving day-old chicks: the first 24 hours.
Hills on one side, savanna on the other
Ho sits at about 150 metres above sea level, between Mount Adaklu to the south and Mount Galenukui, part of the Togo range. The municipality has two kinds of country. The hills carry moist semi-deciduous forest. The lower ground, towards Sokode, Adaklu and Kpetoe, is savanna woodland on sandier soil. Where your farm is decides which problems you meet.
The assembly's figures give mean monthly temperatures of 22 to 32°C and about 1,250 mm of rain a year. The main rains run from March to June, with June the wettest month, and a lighter season follows from about August to November. December to February is dry. Humidity averages around 80 per cent.
- March to June. Damp is the enemy. Litter under drinkers turns wet, and wet litter breeds coccidiosis. Keep it turned and topped up, and stop rain blowing in through the mesh.
- December to February. The harmattan brings dry, dusty air and cooler nights. Chicks need heat after dark for longer, and dust irritates their airways, so damp the yard outside the house, not the litter inside.
- February and March afternoons. This is the hottest stretch. Broilers near sale weight on the open savanna side need shade, cool water and space. See our guide to heat stress in broilers.
The basics of brooding temperature are in the chick brooding guide, so they are not repeated here.
A market day that moves through the week
Ho's central market does not keep a fixed weekday. Its big day returns every fifth day, so a market that falls on a Monday comes round again on Friday, then Tuesday, and so on. On those days traders arrive from farming and fishing communities such as Adidome, Tsito, Kpedze and Abutia, from Hohoe, Keta and Aflao, and from across the border in Togo. Smaller markets operate at Ahoe, Dome and Sokode.
For a poultry farmer the practical point is to keep a calendar. Before you order, mark the market days that fall six to eight weeks ahead for broilers, or further out for slower birds, and place the chicks so that they are ready just before one of those dates. A bird held ten extra days because you missed the market eats into whatever you hoped to make.
Away from the market, Ho has the regular buyers that a regional capital brings: the University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho Technical University, the Ho Teaching Hospital, government offices and the hotels and eating places that serve them. It is reasonable to expect these to take eggs and dressed broilers in steady quantities, but speak to the kitchens yourself before you stock for them. The Asogli Yam Festival in September is a third season of visitors and family gatherings, beside Christmas and Easter.
Local fowls outnumber exotic birds here
The municipal assembly publishes livestock counts, and in them local poultry come to about 110,000 birds, clearly more than the exotic birds counted. Read that two ways. First, a large share of the chicken eaten in and around Ho is still the village fowl, and buyers know its taste and firmness. Second, it suggests that commercial broilers and layers are thin on the ground for a regional capital.
That makes a case for the coloured dual-purpose birds. Sasso, Kuroiler and Noiler look like the fowls people already buy, cope with a yard-and-night-house system, and grow faster than the local hen. Sasso chicks start from GH₵ 13 and Kuroiler and Noiler from GH₵ 11. For farmers with a firm outlet, broiler chicks start from GH₵ 20 and layer chicks from GH₵ 23. These figures were checked on 2 October 2026 and will move, so treat them as starting points until we confirm your price.
Maize from Sokode, yam from Hodzo: feed around Ho
About seven in ten working people in the municipality farm, mostly on small holdings. The assembly names Sokode as the maize area, with groundnuts there and at Hodzo, yams at Attikpui and Hodzo, cassava everywhere and rice in the wetlands. For a poultry keeper that means maize can be bought close to home after harvest.
Be careful with timing. The main maize crop comes off after the March to June rains, and grain bought straight from the field is often still damp. Stored in sacks in that state it grows mould within weeks. Dry it properly before bagging, and read aflatoxin and mouldy feed if you intend to keep a season's supply. If you would sooner buy complete feed, ask us for the current price with your chick order.
Sokode, Kpetoe, Tsito and other towns that can use Ho
Tsito and Sokode are on the road into Ho, and Juapong is passed earlier on the same route, so say so if one of those is nearer to you. Kpetoe and the Adaklu villages lie to the south and Kpedze to the north, each a short trip from the town.
Three other places need a second look. Peki is on the Hohoe road beyond the Asikuma turning, and Kpando is north-west towards the lake, so buyers there may be better served by a consignment going up that road. The Hohoe page explains that route. Dzodze is well to the south on the way to the coast, and farmers there should compare with the Aflao page.
Getting your order in
Fill in the order form with the bird, the number of boxes (50 chicks each, one box minimum) and your town. We come back with the price, the hatch date and the transport cost to Ho, and you pay only after you have agreed them, by cash, mobile money or bank transfer. Chicks are vaccinated at the hatchery before they leave. Ask which vaccines your batch has had, and take that to your vet or the municipal veterinary office so they can set the rest of the programme. Phone 024 915 1503 if you want to talk first.
Questions from Ho
How long are chicks on the road from Kasoa to Ho?
The road distance is about 185 km. A private car can do it in under three hours, but a bus or cargo vehicle has to get through Accra and Tema first and usually takes four to five hours. Day-old chicks cope well with that in ventilated boxes, as long as they are collected promptly and put straight into a warm brooder.
What happens if the Accra road is cut by flooding near Juapong?
It has happened. In June 2024 heavy rain covered a culvert at Juapong and vehicles between Ho and Accra were stranded or sent round by Sogakope, which is longer. In the rainy months, confirm the timing with us on the day of dispatch so that chicks are not loaded onto a route that is blocked.
Which day should I take birds to the Ho market?
Ho's central market follows the traditional cycle in which the main market day returns every fifth day, so if one falls on a Monday the next is on Friday. Work out which dates are market days around the time your birds will be ready, and aim to finish them for one of those dates.
Are Sasso, Kuroiler or Noiler a better fit than broilers around Ho?
For a household or village flock, often yes. Buyers here are used to local fowls, and these coloured birds look and cook more like them while growing faster. Broilers still suit anyone with firm orders from caterers, chop bars or institutions. Sasso start from GH₵ 13, Kuroiler and Noiler from GH₵ 11, and prices change.
Can farmers in Kpetoe or Adaklu share a consignment sent to Ho?
Yes. Each buyer orders at least one box of 50 and the boxes travel together to the station agreed in Ho. Kpetoe and the Adaklu villages are a short trip south of the town, so one person can collect for several farms. Label who owns which box and count every box at the station before leaving.