Turkey meat is highly valued, so breeding them can be a great idea for starting your own business. You can find out exactly how to organize turkey breeding according to a business model in this article.
Historical background as a path for a business idea
People have been raising turkeys for a long time. According to historical sources, the Mayan Indians were engaged in breeding turkeys to obtain high-quality meat for food. It is worth considering the fact that at that time, except for the dog, not a single animal was domesticated. In the 16th century, it was from Mexico that turkeys were brought to European countries.
From that moment on, turkey breeding began to gain popularity around the world, including as a business industry for the supply of meat and eggs. Nowadays, many people devote their time to breeding birds. Some do this only for themselves in order to obtain eggs, meat and feathers. In such cases, a small number of individuals is kept, which does not require much expense or hassle.
If your business goal is to breed livestock to generate income from the sale of eggs, meat or young animals, then the herd needs to be increased, and with this the number of problems may increase, so you need to think through an action plan in advance. Such a farm will already be considered a small farm.
In the modern world there are quite a large number of poultry farms, and among them, turkey farms occupy far from the last place. Turkeys are quite large birds; one bird will produce up to 20 kg of dietary meat. Turkey meat is highly valued, and gourmets give it their preference. It is at such moments that the decision may arise to develop a business plan for raising turkeys.
In general, turkey breeding as a business is characterized by a high level of profitability - 60-80%. Production pays off after 1-3 years of operation.
In this article you can learn about what needs to be done in order to breed turkeys and raise turkey poults. One of their most important features is that turkeys have a large mass. Such raw materials are very valuable, since they can be used to produce sausages, hams and smoked products of the highest quality.
Turkeys are very resistant to almost any temperature conditions. In just 2 years, the bird grows to a large size and weighs about thirty kilograms. At the same time, she constantly lays eggs that are tasty and very healthy for the human body. Turkey meat is very tender and contains amino acids, which are also very beneficial for humans.
The article was written with the aim of generating an idea for a homestead family business. There are also calculations for organizing industrial breeding.
Requirements for keeping turkeys
Breeding turkeys requires specific knowledge and skills. Small turkey poults require special attention, because... Turkeys are considered one of the most capricious birds that can be bred at home. It is necessary to keep turkey poults warm; the ambient temperature in the first days after hatching from the eggs should be no lower than 35-37° C.
It is necessary to change the water in the drinking bowls several times a day (the water should be at room temperature), select nutritious and high-quality food, and do not forget to change the bedding. Individuals must be closely monitored for three weeks. After this time, it will be possible to gradually release the turkey poults for walking, lower the temperature and replace the feed.
For an adult turkey, it is also necessary to create certain conditions. The poultry house should be comfortable, warm and dry. Of course, turkeys can withstand frosts down to -15° C, but at this time there is a noticeable deterioration in their health and the number of eggs in the clutch is reduced, which will negatively affect the previously developed plan.
The minimum temperature recommended for a poultry house should not fall below +5° C. It is very important to avoid drafts indoors, because they have a detrimental effect on the health of individuals, which can accordingly negatively affect the entire business.
Photo review. Home poultry house for turkeys
Turkey business. The most difficult thing in this type of small business is raising turkeys at home. However, knowing some basic technologies and tricks, you will certainly be able to put young animals on their feet and earn considerable profit from them in the future.
So, first of all, you need to know that young turkey poults must be kept in a dry and bright room. In addition, a walking area should be equipped. If you don’t want your farm to scatter in different directions, you should fence it off with a fairly high net.
If you have a small plot outside the city, in a village, then you can start raising turkeys there. But it is worth remembering that it is not recommended to keep many turkeys in a small house; this can lead to aggression in the birds and a deterioration in egg production. It is necessary to allocate at least 1 m² of floor space in the poultry house for keeping 1 bird. The perch in the poultry house is created at the rate of 50 cm of space for one bird.
To avoid injury, you can trim the spurs and claws on the paws of individuals. Turkeys are prone to developing fatty deposits. That is why walking during rearing is vital for these birds.
The poultry house in which the breeding of individuals will take place must be built comfortable and large. It is necessary to lay deep bedding on the floor of the poultry house, place feeders for greater comfort and plan places for the hens’ nests. When the poultry house is fully prepared, you can draw up a plan for the area on which the birds will walk.
The size of the site should be planned depending on the number of birds in the flock. The site must be fenced off and feeders and drinking bowls installed on its territory. When drawing up a business plan, estimate the amounts that will be spent monthly on feed. Also, do not forget to include in the plan additional costs for minerals and vitamins that will be added to the turkeys’ feed.
It is necessary to enter in a separate column the probable costs that may be needed for treatment, because The likelihood of diseases occurring in these birds is very high.
Is industrial turkey breeding profitable or not?
Financial calculations for industrial breeding
To raise a herd of 2,000 heads, an area of about 8 hectares will be required.
Table 1: Financial calculations for organizing a farm of 2000 animals:
Table 2: Expense items:
The financial business plan does not include the costs of organizing a farm. They depend on the scale, the method of keeping poultry, the level of technology and new equipment, and the choice of breed.
In general, industrial turkey breeding as a business is characterized by a high level of profitability - 60-80%. Production pays off after 1-3 years of operation.
In addition to raising turkeys for meat, you can diversify your activities - incubating eggs and selling young animals. The cost of one egg for incubation varies between 80-100 rubles. You can buy an incubator for 1000 eggs for 25-40 thousand rubles. The price for a day-old chick starts from 150-170 rubles. Every day they become more expensive. Most farms indicate the time of hatching of young animals and potential buyers know when to contact.
FOR CALCULATION: a few words about the egg production of turkeys
- The turkey begins to lay eggs from 7 to 9 months - maturity begins
- Large individuals at 32 - 36 weeks of life
- Small birds at 28 - 30 weeks
- Egg weight 70 - 80 grams
- The egg production of turkeys depends on many factors, one of them is the presence of 1 male per 10 females
- If you have created the proper conditions for turkeys on your farm, the birds lay 120 -150 eggs per year
Purchase and first care of turkey poults
After you have just purchased turkey poults, keep them in cages for twenty days of growing. They must have constant access to food and water. After this time, the grown-up turkey poults can already be transferred to a ventilated room with dry bedding. In the mornings and evenings they need to be released into the walking area.
As for nutrition, one turkey, as a rule, should receive forty grams of feed per day. As adults, they will need four hundred grams. The idea of breeding turkeys is risky, but after studying all the points, the profitability of the business will please you with a solid profit.
Photo: what a turkey chick looks like
If you correctly draw up a plan for proper care and feeding, then 2 years after hatching turkey poults from eggs and subsequent proper fattening, you can get individuals reaching a weight of 30 kg. The turkey is a massive bird. Turkeys lay eggs, which are much superior in taste and nutritional quality to chicken eggs, which provides significant advantages to their breeding. When slaughtered, you can get tasty, tender meat that contains a large amount of valuable amino acids.
If your homestead farm is located in a village, then it is recommended to buy turkey poults for breeding on private farms. Practice shows that the majority of turkey poults raised and purchased at poultry farms die, which can cause a business to incur significant losses.
Once purchased and newly hatched, turkey poults are recommended to be kept in a cage for two months. After the end of this period of care, the turkey poults can be moved to the poultry house. The best nutrition for raising turkey poults during feeding may be compound feed intended for broilers. If this is not the case, then you can use and feed any other feed that contains:
- Cereals;
- Corn grits;
- Meat and bone meal or fish meal;
- Powdered milk;
- Supplements of a variety of vitamins and minerals;
- The total share of additives should be no more than 2-3% of the total mass of the feed.
From the beginning of complementary feeding, on the third day, turkey poults can add chopped grass to the feed; after 7 days, fish and meat are included; after 3 weeks, cottage cheese and boiled eggs are added.
How to expand the feeding diet of chicks
In addition to traditional feed, turkey poults can also be fed food waste. To prepare the mixture, you should use leftover root vegetables, boiled vegetables and dairy products. In early spring and summer, birds are given greens and plants throughout the day. All these components can be introduced into the diet as part of wet mash with water.
An example of a diet for turkey poults, over 10 days old. Properly developed chicks weigh 125 grams.
- chalked oats – 30%;
- corn flour - 30%
- fine wheat bran – 20%;
- fresh cottage cheese – 16%;
- bone meal and chalk – 1-2%;
- table salt – 0.5%
Table 3: feeding babies for proper development, in detail
| Feed / age, days, weight grams | 1-10 | 11-20 | 21-30 | 21-60 | 61-80 | 91-120 |
| Boiled egg | 3 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Millet | 5 | 10 | - | - | - | - |
| Wheat bran | 3 | 5 | 10 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| Cereal mixture | 6 | 11 | 15 | 35 | 80 | 110 |
| Broken wheat | - | - | 20 | 35 | 45 | 50 |
| Pulp and bone meal | 1 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 20 | 20 |
| Curdled milk | 30 | 20 | 25 | 40 | 50 | 50 |
| Cottage cheese | 7 | 10 | 5 | - | - | - |
| Fresh herbs | 10 | 30 | 50 | 50 | 100 | 150 |
| Salt | - | - | - | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Shell and chalk | - | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
Fattening adult turkeys for weight gain
To quickly fatten turkeys, take time to prepare feed. Proper nutrition of chicks and chicks will speed up weight gain. Industrial feed contains the necessary vitamins and minerals and has beneficial and nutritious substances. It is quite possible to make complete feed with your own hands on homestead farms.
If the farm is large, then harvesting and subsequent preparation requires time. Which may not be profitable. This can be compensated by the low cost of blanks. For example: straw, green fodder, potatoes, vegetables, grain crops.
Adult turkeys are fed three times a day in winter, and 4 to 5 times a day in summer and spring. An adult bird should drink about 100 milliliters of water per day - resulting in 1 liter of water per 10 birds. For males the norm is 90 ml, and for females - 60 ml. On large farms, special drinking bowls are used. Make the calculation based on the number of individuals.
The main feeds include:
- Cereals and legumes (for example, buckwheat, oats, other grains) serve as a valuable source of protein and healthy fats;
- Meal and cake contain many amino acids and are used as a replacement for animal feed;
- Green food and root vegetables serve as a source of carbohydrates in the diet;
- Straw and hay improve the digestion process: high fiber content.
- Also, feed of animal origin, vegetable oil and nuts are introduced into the diet of turkeys: they improve the quality of turkey meat.
TIPS: In order to support your turkey keeping business plan, you must follow some rules:
- 1. Regularly change the water in the drinking bowls in the poultry house and on the site; the water should be at room temperature;
- 2. Have all necessary medications on hand in case of sudden illness in turkeys;
- 3. Turkey poults are kept separately from other birds;
- 4. It is not recommended to use birds of this breed as brood hens;
- 5. Do not place high perches inside the poultry house;
- 6. Only active and healthy birds must remain in the flock to maintain the population on the farm;
- 7. Cleanliness is required in the poultry house.
If you have developed a plan for how you will run this business, then remember that the initial costs will not exceed 3,000 rubles. You will be provided with poultry meat and eggs, and at the same time you will earn good money from their sale. Turkey meat is very valuable in the USA and Europe. Currently, our meat processors have accepted this meat as the most valuable and high-tech raw material used in the production of ham, smoked meats, sausages, and frankfurters.
PLEASE NOTE: What do turkeys get sick with? I. Contagious diseases: 1. Smallpox. 2. Respiratory mycoplasmosis. 3. Worms. 4. Histomoniasis. 5. Newcastle disease. 6. Tuberculosis. 7. Pasteurellosis. II. Non-contagious: 1. Hypovitaminosis. 2. Hard goiter. 3. Rickets.
In conclusion: turkeys produce down and feathers, which are used for various decorations.
The turkey is a living incubator. In order to have fresh eggs all winter, you need to plant a hen in February to get chicks in early March. In early maturing breeds, such as Faverol, Viondot, Cohihin, Langshana and Brama, if the chicks were born in early April, they begin to lay eggs already at the age of 4.5 months.
The biggest difficulty in such cases is to get an early hen, since chickens usually require boarding only after a long period of wear, around April or May, then in this case you can replace the chickens with turkeys. They are easy to train to incubate at any time of the year with success and as many times as needed, with the exception of the time when they molt or lay eggs. The turkey is allowed to incubate in the nest for 2 - 4 years, and 25 - 30 chicken eggs are laid.
When they want the turkey to start brooding, they put it in a convenient box, lined with hay or straw at the bottom and place test eggs under it, and put some kind of board or basket on top of it and keep it in the dark for a day without feeding. A day later, the turkey is released into the wild for 1/2 hour to walk and eat, and then put back into the nest.
The turkey begins to sit up on the 3rd day. Then the test eggs are replaced with fresh ones. Anyone who tries to test a turkey as a hen will be completely satisfied, since the turkey not only covers almost double the number of eggs compared to a chicken, but also hatches better chickens, because they are better warmed by the turkey and suffer less from weather changes. In farm conditions, chicks are “hatched” by incubation, since this process requires large batches of brood.
What are the best breeds for breeding?
- Bronze turkeys
- Bronze Broad-breasted Turkeys
- Breed North Caucasian bronze turkeys
- Moscow Bronze Turkeys
- White broad-breasted turkeys
- North Caucasian white turkeys
Read a detailed description of the breeds on our website in a special article in the “poultry farming” section
Turkey breeding as a business. Reviews and comments from our readers.
What do you need to raise turkeys? Many experts and farm owners who have experience and knowledge in this area argue that raising turkeys and running this kind of business is very risky and dangerous. In order to protect yourself from various risks, you need to carefully study a lot of literature that can give practical recommendations. The main thing is to maintain cleanliness and select only healthy and active birds. In this case, you definitely won’t have any problems selling the finished meat.
The question arises: how profitable is raising turkeys at home from a business and profit point of view? How do you say: “turkey” or “turkey”? Leave your feedback and recommendations for beginners.
To start your own business in the poultry industry, you need to have minimal knowledge in this area, an appropriate plan, desire and time. Turkey breeding as a business is becoming more popular every year and is in first place in generating profit and developing entrepreneurship in the relevant field. The positive aspects are due to the fact that birds are not picky about food or maintenance, they quickly gain weight, and their meat is in demand and is a dietary product.
Turkey breeding has become increasingly popular in recent years.
Where to begin
Turkey is rich in iron and protein; the fat content of the meat is low. The turkey business should start with the purchase of young animals. The best option would be to buy it in February so that the females can lay eggs in the spring. For one male you will need five females. The average price of an adult bird is about 2 thousand rubles, so a family will cost 10-12 thousand.
You can start raising poultry at home by purchasing day-old chicks. The cost of one individual is around 100 rubles. But in this case, you should remember about careful care, maintaining a constant temperature (at least 36 degrees), vaccinating the bird, and using special high-quality feed. In two years it is possible to raise an animal weighing up to 30 kg; in addition, turkeys lay eggs, the energy value and nutritional value of which are higher than those of their chicken counterparts. It is better to buy turkey poults from a breeding farm, choosing healthy chicks from different litters.
Turkey poults need careful care and quality nutrition.
Raising turkeys indoors
The rearing of young animals can be done in cages. This method will increase the average daily gain of poultry live weight while reducing feed consumption. But there is no need to keep adult individuals in cellular mode throughout the entire life process. Over time, the bird's legs weaken, its wings break, and its growth slows.
Therefore, after a turkey gains a weight of 15-20 kg, it is advisable to transfer them to outdoor rearing with walking, if climatic conditions permit.
You can build a poultry house for turkeys at home from frame blocks, which are equipped with a ventilation system and are quickly erected. Such a hangar will cost less than building a brick building. The average price per square meter is about 40 USD. Using calculations, you can find out that an outbuilding for 500 turkeys will cost about $10,000 (+100 thousand rubles for ventilation and lighting).
Outdoor rearing of turkeys requires a well-heated and ventilated room. The floor should be made of bedding, mesh, slotted or combined type. The coating itself is made from shavings or sawdust, which absorb moisture well, retain heat and provide excellent shock absorption. Turkey poults can eat sawdust, clogging their crops, so it makes more sense for them to use straw or hay. The litter should be changed at least once a month.
Business plan
Any business activity requires a business plan, and raising turkeys at home is no exception. When compiling it, the following factors should be taken into account:
- Registration of adult turkeys and females with the distribution of some birds for slaughter and individuals for breeding the parent flock. If there is space for poultry to roam, it should be sown with grain grasses, which will provide additional ration in the fall.
- The plan should include the cost of purchasing an incubator. Despite the fact that turkeys, with appropriate nutrition, have high rates of laying eggs and are distinguished by careful care of their offspring, the incubator will help put the production of young animals on the conveyor belt.
- If the turkeys are provided with regular walking, the feeding schedule can be organized twice a day. Turkey is quite resistant to frost, so if you have a well-insulated room, equipping the poultry house with additional heating may not be included in the plan.
- If it is not possible to walk the birds at home, breeding them in captivity is allowed. However, it should be remembered that this approach will be profitable if additional costs for microelements, high-quality feed, and good lighting are included in the business plan.
While walking, turkeys get their own vitamins
Feeding and care
The business of raising turkeys will be more profitable if you have your own feed production. At home, it is better to sow oats, wheat, legumes, and soybeans. An integral part of the bird's diet is chalk and vitamins. Adequate nutrition will allow turkeys to lay normal eggs, gain weight quickly, improve the taste of meat and strengthen the pets' immunity.
Pay special attention to the presence of vitamin E in the diet of young animals and poultry prepared for slaughter (reduces the mortality rate of young animals and improves the preservation of meat).
All costs for seeds, vitamins, chalk must initially be included in the procurement plan.
To prevent diseases among turkeys at home, the following rules should be followed:
- protect the bird from dampness and drafts;
- change the bedding in a timely manner;
- monitor drinking bowls and feeders, preventing droppings from getting into them;
- avoid feeding chicks with low-quality food;
- separate turkey poults from adult animals;
- limit the interaction of birds with wild animals;
- Avoid stressful situations in the herd.
To effectively run a business, it is worth clearly delineating the layout of the existing site into walking areas, space for feed and free space. By swapping these zones, you can increase feed yields and the profitability of raising turkeys.
Turkey feeders and drinkers must be kept clean at all times.
Don't forget about veterinary care. Owners of small farms do not need their own veterinarian; it is enough to conclude an agreement with the nearest clinic. Timely vaccination and examination will reduce the incidence of disease in poultry. Since some of the vaccinations are free, veterinary costs will not be very high.
Sales of products
Even before you start raising turkeys at home for business, you should develop a plan for selling the meat. To do this, you should monitor the nearest retail outlets where you can sell young animals, meat, and live poultry. You can sell products to cafes and restaurants. You must first register an individual enterprise and select a tax payment system. The presence of quality certificates will provide an additional opportunity to sell meat at a better price, especially if there are no competitors in the surrounding area.
Reasonable use of available space, a properly drawn up business plan, suitable points for selling products - these factors make it possible to profitably develop the raising of turkeys at home with a good and stable profit.
How to build a business with turkeys: step-by-step plan + calculations for the cost of breeding at home + 2 turkey poultry layout options from professionals.
Capital investment in breeding: about 200,000 rubles
Payback period for a turkey business: 12 months
Turkey breeding as a business- an economically profitable project with a low level of competition in the field of poultry farming, especially in comparison with chicken breeding.
Moreover, unlike chickens, turkeys gain weight quickly and reach up to 30 kilograms in adulthood.
Also, this type of activity has high profitability and will never lose its relevance.
Since turkey meat is a dietary product, but also contains a large amount of protein and iron, it is always in high demand, regardless of the time of year.
Turkey business makes a profitable investment due to the fact that the costs of breeding animals are not so high.
However, the risk is minimal, and the first income from the sale of meat can be received within 4-6 months.
All this, of course, subject to proper organization.
The nuances of raising turkeys as a business at home
To successfully breed turkeys, they need to create comfortable living conditions.
It is worth considering a list of factors such as:
- habitat temperature;
- air composition;
- bird habitat area;
- genotype;
- food and fodder supply;
- susceptibility to certain diseases.
Like any animal, turkeys can get sick.
But don't be scared, this doesn't happen very often.
The most important thing is to prevent any viruses and diseases that could spread among the livestock.
Contagious diseases:
- mycoplasmosis;
- tuberculosis;
- histomoniasis;
- worms;
- smallpox
Non-communicable diseases:
- hypovitaminosis.
Minimum requirements for an aviary to organize turkey business:
Notes: the lack of water in the drinking bowl, its contamination, or the temperature rising above normal (approximately 20 - 22 degrees) should not be allowed.
Growing turkeys as a business
The biggest trouble on this farm comes from turkey chicks.
They require constant care and monitoring.
At a young age they are susceptible to diseases.
Therefore, it is worth ensuring that all of the above requirements for their breeding are met.
Also, if they are vaccinated on time, many diseases can be avoided.
Very small turkey chicks should not be housed with other chicks, especially chickens or geese.
Since they are more sensitive to disease, and generally very timid, such a neighborhood will be a huge stress for them.
There is still a possibility that if they move in together, they may get enterohepatitis.
Kids are very demanding in terms of food and its quality.
They do not like frequent transitions from one food to another.
They should be fed seven times a day, with a gradual decrease.
Feeding turkey poults is divided into two periods: from the 1st to the 60th day, and from the 61st to the 120th.
Adults are not so whimsical in food; they can be fed less often than cubs.
However, it is better to diversify your diet with specially purchased herbs and cabbage.
It is worth remembering that large birds that eat a lot are more prone to obesity.
To prevent this, they must be forced to move more, and the food must sometimes be changed to greens and grass meal.
Turkeys are large birds, larger in size than chickens.They need a lot of free space to roam freely.
Also, high humidity and lack of light should not be allowed in the poultry house.
The site should be equipped with special enclosures.
You can make them yourself by skimping at a construction hypermarket, or you can hire people who are engaged in arranging agricultural premises.
But if you still want to save money, you will need wire and mesh with a height of 40 centimeters.
The length already depends on the number of chicks raised.
For example: for 200-400 turkey poults, a fence with a diameter of 6 - 9.5 meters will be required.
The area of the barn where adults are kept should be of impressive size, according to the number of birds, they should not be crowded there.
The height of the perches (where the birds will spend the night) can be at least 80 centimeters, 40 centimeters per adult turkey.
If there are laying hens in the flock, it is imperative to arrange nests for them.
The number of nests depends on the number of laying hens, but no more than 5 females per nest.
For greater comfort, it is worth making thresholds under the nests to make it easier for them to climb.
Both straw and hay can be used as bedding in the turkey house.
The most important thing is that the size of the filler does not restrict the bird’s freedom of movement.
It is advisable to equip the enclosure so that males and females are separated.
Options for poultry house layouts from professionals.
Option 1:
Option 2:
Note: the thin line indicates the grid!
What personnel do you need in a turkey business?
It is impossible to fully breed and monitor the livestock yourself.
To do this, it is worth hiring care professionals and related personnel.
In addition, without the necessary education, it is very difficult to monitor the health of birds.
Where to sell meat for a successful turkey business?
Success in breeding any livestock for meat depends not only on proper production, the main thing in this matter is how the sale of products is organized.As already mentioned, turkey meat is in demand at all times of the year.
The easiest way to sell it is in the markets.
If the meat is really good, then they will definitely come back to you and also recommend it to everyone they know.
This is called the principle of word of mouth.
Organizing the sale of turkey meat, not only on the market, is unlikely.
Since it is impossible to compete with poultry farms.
But you can also sell meat through fulfilling orders.
Since homemade meat is more valuable, it can be ordered in restaurants and cafes.
If you have all the certificates, the meat can be sold at the best price.
You can also cooperate with large stores or supermarkets that have farm departments.
Selling meat online also happens.
Because now is the time when everyone buys online.
Capital investments for turkey business
The main starting investments will be the costs of arranging a poultry house and purchasing chicks.| Expenditures | Amount (rub.) |
|---|---|
| Total: | From 126,500 rub. |
| Paperwork | 5 000 |
| Purchase of chicks (100 pcs.) | 50 000 |
| Poultry house arrangement | From 50 000 |
| Buying an incubator | 15 000 |
| Advertising | 1 500 |
| other expenses | From 5000 |
Monthly Costs of a Turkey Farming Business
Don't forget that turkeys as a business, require not only capital investments, but also monthly costs.
Despite the relatively small amount of investment in organizing a business, as discussed earlier, turkeys require careful care.
Therefore, a considerable amount will be spent on their maintenance every month.
Profitability of turkey breeding as a business
Turkeys as a business will begin to make their first profit in 4-6 months.
During this period they grow into individuals up to 15 kilograms.
Considering that 1 kilogram of turkey meat can be sold for 200 - 250 rubles, for the sale of 15 carcasses, you can earn from 45 thousand rubles.
If we remove from this amount the cost of food (about 2,250) and the purchase of turkey poults themselves (about 7,500), the income from such a sale is 35,250 rubles.
Soon the cost of purchasing young animals will decrease, since an adult female gives approximately 10-15 chicks.
And since the offspring produces several laying hens, breeding these birds will quickly pay off and provide a good income.
But for further expansion of the business, it is worth taking care of a plot of land whose area allows it right away.
From the video below you will learn how to properly raise turkeys:
From all of the above, you can be sure that turkeys as a business, require minimal investment, subject to the availability of land, and such a farm can pay for itself in less than a year.
But in order to increase your income in the future, it is worth expanding your area of activity.
You can sell eggs, as they are much more expensive than chicken eggs.
Also, if the area allows, you can expand the farm with other birds, for example: chicken, ducks, quails.
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Turkey breeding is a fairly profitable business; this branch of poultry farming is gradually gaining momentum in our country. To achieve tangible success in breeding this unique bird, it is necessary to clearly understand all the features of this complex matter, where to start and what to pay special attention to.
Turkeys are beautiful and large flightless birds that love freedom and large spaces for walking, while domestic breeds of birds are calmer and slower than their wild relatives.
In the process of domesticating turkeys, many new breeds were developed, among which the White Broad-breasted and North Caucasian Bronze attract attention. They can be characterized by rapid growth, high egg production and rapid increase in meat mass. White breeds require certain conditions of maintenance and high quality food.
How to start a turkey breeding business
It should begin with studying the relevance of products in your region, for which you can go around nearby markets and stores and find out how much poultry meat is sold in them in one day. Then, after deciding to open a poultry farm, you need to register as an individual entrepreneur and choose a tax payment system.
For residents of the southern regions, keeping turkeys outdoors, in a covered area, is suitable, since individuals can easily withstand temperatures as low as -15°C, although it is best to equip them with warm rooms for the winter, and in the summer transfer them to open cages with a canopy from the rain.
The livestock is divided according to age: at the age of up to a month, no more than 15 birds are kept in one cage, at the age of two months - up to 10, at an older age - no more than 5 birds. When kept in cages, a temperature of up to +35°C is suitable for chicks; when kept free, up to +28°C; for adult turkeys, +17°C is sufficient.
An important condition for the successful keeping of turkeys is compliance with the following conditions:
- inadmissibility of contact between adult turkeys and chicks;
- good room lighting and absence of excess moisture;
- constant ventilation of the room;
- arrangement of a walking area;
- clean water with a temperature of approximately +26°C;
- Thorough cleaning of cages and walking areas:
- high-quality varied food.
Proper nutrition is of great importance in the diet of turkeys, so their daily diet should include:
- flour feed;
- cereal mixtures;
- grains, root vegetables, fresh grass;
- vitamins and other supplements containing beneficial substances.
The business has three directions:
- breeding and raising chicks for sale;
- sale of eggs;
- raising poultry for slaughter and selling carcasses.
It is most profitable to raise poultry for the purpose of selling carcasses.
To obtain a large number of eggs per male, 6-7 females are needed, which begin to lay eggs in the eighth month of life, provided the room temperature is acceptable. If all standards are observed, one female produces up to 200 eggs per year.
When breeding turkeys for meat, you need to know that the female gains weight 13 kg, and the male up to 20 kg at the age of about 23 weeks. After cutting the carcass, the meat yield is up to 65% of the live weight of the bird.
To successfully raise turkeys, the following requirements must be met:
- the room must be equipped with all communications and heaters;
- automatic supply of water and high-quality feed;
- exclusion from the diet of any supplements to accelerate growth;
- regular cleaning of cells;
- engaging a competent veterinarian.
Purchasing young turkeys to start a business
There are three classes of individuals (in kilograms):
- light: females up to 7, males - 9;
- medium: females up to 8, males - 16;
- heavy: females up to 14, males - 30.
For the business of breeding turkeys, it is recommended to choose a middle-class bird, since raising heavy birds is profitable on an industrial scale, and light birds are raised only for personal consumption.
The purchase of young animals is carried out from private individuals or on poultry farms, and from private owners you can choose the desired breed. But you can buy sick chickens, but there is not much choice on farms, and the quality of the young is quite low due to mass production.
The best option for breeding turkeys for business is still specially organized enterprises or private companies focused on raising turkey chicks. This will make it possible to provide yourself with a quality certificate and a veterinary agreement, which will be required when selling products and starting a business.
Caring for young animals
Young turkeys are tougher than chicks of other birds and have a higher survival rate. The main thing in caring for them is to provide them with a dry and warm room with a temperature not lower than +36°C and constant lighting at first.
At the first stage, individuals are fed 8 times a day, and the diet includes dry small cereals mixed with crushed boiled eggs. Up to the age of one month, turkey poults continue to be given small grains with herbs or fed with special feed, which already contains vitamins and components for growth. The chicks are kept in the same cage with the hen for up to one and a half to two months, after which they are moved out and transferred to adult feeding.
Nutrition of adult turkeys
A successful breeding business depends to a large extent on choosing the right food. On private farms, turkeys are given sprouted grain in dry form, as well as mixtures of various consistencies. Starting in spring, individuals should graze in open areas, since their diet is based on greens. Feeding regimen during the ripening period is 4-5 times a day, the rest of the time 3 times is enough. To make the meat more tender, the amount of succulent feed is increased and the amount of dry grain is reduced.
Farm equipment is an important stage of business
To grow them, a standard set of equipment is purchased, which includes automatic drinkers, feeders, cages, incubators, heating devices and lighting, and thermometers. It is advisable to purchase fully mechanized equipment, however, it is very expensive, so not every farmer can allocate funds for it.
When drawing up a business plan, you should take into account not only the cost of equipment, but also include in losses the natural mortality of chicks, which can be up to 15% of the original number.
To maintain a farm and run a business with turkeys, the breeder needs to hire a livestock specialist, a sales specialist, a competent manager and a driver. To assess the profitability of an enterprise, an analysis of expenses and income should be carried out, which includes the price for renting premises and payments to utilities. The cost of equipment and its installation, as well as the cost of feed and medicine, the cost of paperwork.
The profitability of a turkey farming business is 60-80%, although some particularly successful entrepreneurs achieve 100%.
As can be seen from the experience of many turkey farm owners, poultry breeding as an enterprise is quite profitable, given that the market for the consumption of such meat is steadily growing.
It must be clearly understood that business attracts the close attention of various government agencies that are called upon to monitor the quality of food products. Its implementation requires appropriate documents from veterinary services, which will ensure that you sell your products without problems and have the opportunity to further develop your business.
From all of the above, we can conclude that raising and breeding birds for eggs, meat, or to produce young animals for sale is quite a profitable, but very troublesome business, requiring a lot of effort and some initial capital. In addition, there are certain risks beyond the control of the business owner. These include the possibility of mass disease in the livestock, which leads to huge losses. Therefore, you should purchase chicks only from trusted breeders who have no complaints or negative reviews, feed turkeys with high-quality food, and have an experienced veterinarian on staff.