Raising turkeys as a business. Turkey business: basics and aspects of activity

Turkey breeding as a business is still a rather unusual direction in which an entrepreneur can develop. Despite the fact that the meat and eggs of this bird are distinguished by their delicate pleasant taste and dietary quality, the demand for them cannot be compared with the demand for the same chicken. However, developing a new niche in poultry farming has its own invaluable advantages, and the main one is the absence of huge competition. Turkey meat and eggs, with proper promotion and good quality, will certainly find their buyers and recoup the costs invested in the business.

Before we begin to get acquainted in more detail with the difficulties that an entrepreneur will encounter along the way, let us briefly dwell on the main steps that he has to take.

Step 1. Buying turkey poults. We do not put the registration of a company as the first point because before completing the relevant papers, it is advisable for the poultry farmer to “get to know” turkeys a little, if he has not yet tried to breed them. Only after you have practiced caring for birds and are confident in your abilities can you plan further actions.

Step 2. Construction and arrangement of a poultry house. Next we will talk about the fact that there are walking, cage and floor types of housing. Each of them assumes the presence of a poultry house either made of brick or shaped like a frame hangar. You need to calculate the size of the room in advance, based on the livestock that you plan to keep.

Step 3. Business registration. Registration involves paying a state fee, sending an application form No. P21001, and contacting the registration authority located in your area. It is most convenient to register your organization as an individual entrepreneur or LLC (limited liability company). For convenience, registration can be done online.

Step 4. Passing a veterinary check. Once your application has been accepted, you will have to meet with a veterinary committee who will examine the birds and their living conditions. If the commission members are satisfied with everything, you will receive an official license, which will allow you to legally sell your products in the future.

Step 5. After you receive a license, you can begin searching for potential buyers of your products. They can be either various sanatoriums or exactly the same entrepreneurs who want to purchase young animals or turkey eggs.

Buying turkey poults

The issue of acquiring chicks is quite acute, since the condition of the future livestock depends on them. If you choose weak and sickly individuals, you will have to forget about creating a strong herd. Most likely you will have to purchase young animals again, which entails big expenses.

There are two ways to buy turkey poults:

1. from a private person;
2. at a poultry farm.

Both methods have their strengths and weaknesses. For example, a poultry farm is the most reliable supplier, but it rarely strives to give the buyer the best chicks. In addition, their prices for birds are usually greatly inflated. At poultry farms you can also purchase turkey eggs, from which chicks will subsequently hatch (using an incubator).

With private farmers everything is more complicated. If you do not know poultry farmers who breed turkeys, we do not recommend making a deal with a random farmer. It is difficult to recognize sick chicks at such an early age, so there is a high probability that you will acquire infected individuals that will die soon after arriving at your home. If your friends or acquaintances can provide you with turkey poults, then such a purchase will be considered the most profitable.

Important! When choosing chicks, choose individuals from different families if you want to continue breeding chicks yourself. Inbreeding will result in unhealthy offspring.

Inspection of chicks

Inspection, as a rule, is practiced when purchasing turkey poults from hand. At poultry farms, you agree in advance to purchase a batch, which is handed to you upon arrival. If you go to the market for chicks, you should take a good look at them. Healthy turkey poults have the following characteristics:

• a protracted umbilical cord from which there is no discharge;
• the feathers in the cloaca area are not dirty;
• the stomach is tucked, not bloated. It should be soft to the touch;
• legs are strong. When walking, the turkey chick does not fall over on its hind legs;
• the fluff is dry, free of dirt, tangles, etc.;
• a good appetite. It is not recommended to purchase emaciated or overfed turkey poults;
• quick response to sound. To check the reaction of turkey poults, just tap on some surface and watch their behavior.

In order to minimize their death after purchasing chicks, it is necessary to provide them with competent medical support. You can read below about what medications will help turkey poults avoid various diseases in the first month of life.

Methods for keeping turkeys

Depending on what funds and how much space you have, you can choose one of three main options for keeping turkeys.

Walking keeping

Another advantage of free-range keeping is the strengthening of the immune system of birds that spend long hours outdoors. Free-range turkeys are less susceptible to all kinds of colds and problems with the gastrointestinal tract.

Disadvantages of free-range keeping

This type of content also has its disadvantages:

Cellular content

In order to place cages with turkeys, you will need a poultry house, in which it will be necessary to maintain the optimal temperature and air circulation for the birds. It is worth noting that it is customary to keep light and medium breeds in cages. Cells are selected to house individuals who:

• will be used for breeding work in the future;
• are fattened for meat.

Despite all the benefits of cellular housing, it is rarely used for a long time. Turkeys, regardless of breed, kept in such cramped conditions grow up physically weak, prone to all kinds of fractures and dislocations. Therefore, the cage is a kind of transitional stage in the life of a bird, after which the animal is either slaughtered for meat or transferred to another type of housing.

As a poultry house, you don’t necessarily need to build a monumental brick building - a frame hangar is well suited for cages, the construction of which takes very little time. The hangar will need to be equipped with lighting and heating systems, which will cost the entrepreneur approximately 80 thousand rubles (the price varies depending on the number of birds and the size of the building).

Selection and occupancy of the cage

As cages, most entrepreneurs choose cages for chickens, since they are the easiest to purchase and their parameters are well suited to the size of turkeys. To make turkeys feel comfortable in the cages you purchase, consider the following nuances:

• no more than two individuals should be placed in one cage;
• the cage should be equipped with food bins, drinking bowls and trays to make cleaning more convenient;
• if you plan to keep a large number of turkeys, it is recommended to immediately purchase two-tier cage batteries, as they will save space;
• the approximate cost of such a battery for seventy heads is thirty thousand rubles.

By the way! If you don't want to spend money on purchasing cells, you can make them yourself. You can read about the methods on our portal.

Floor content

In order to equip a poultry house for the needs of turkeys, read the list of basic requirements for a turkey poultry house:

• Maintain a constant temperature in the turkey poultry. It can fluctuate from ten to twenty degrees depending on the season, but no more. This way you can avoid various colds in birds;

  

• When calculating the size of the future poultry house, estimate in advance the number of individuals in the flock. To prevent turkeys from crowding, there should be about half a meter of space per bird. However, when calculating, the live weight of the bird should be taken into account. If you raise chicks for slaughter, and they manage to gain a weight of only six kilograms, then five birds can easily fit on one meter;
• Be sure to place a bedding on the floor. Bedding absorbs liquid and is also an excellent heat insulator that protects turkeys’ legs from the cold floor. In addition, they can soften the fall in case of unforeseen situations. It is most convenient to use wood shavings as bedding;

  

• Divide the house into separate segments and fence them off from each other. Each segment should be intended for a specific group of birds. Sorting is done by gender, age and physiological condition. The partitions must be in contact with the ceiling.

You can get drinkers, feeders and other equipment for turkey poultry through many trading companies. A feeder for twenty individuals will cost you on average five hundred rubles, a drinking bowl - four hundred rubles.

General cost calculation

After you have familiarized yourself with the conditions for purchasing and keeping turkeys, let’s go over the upcoming costs:

After you have made all the necessary purchases, you will have to undergo a mandatory veterinary commission (if you want to officially supply your products). Only after passing the verification will you be able to register your business as a limited liability company or as an individual entrepreneur.

Feed costs

We will separately consider the cost of food, since if you feed incorrectly, you can easily run into a loss.

Table 1. Amount of feed consumed by turkeys

When fattening turkeys, there is a weight limit, after which raising birds becomes pointless, since weight gain becomes insignificant. For females this limit is 12 kilograms, for males – 22 kilograms.

Video - Cost of raising BIG-6 turkeys

Sales of received products

Product sales directly depend on the goal you followed when raising turkeys:

1. fattening for meat. Fattening is considered one of the most profitable areas, since turkeys quickly gain weight. Please note that for meat fattening it is better to select individuals of heavy breeds, since they gain about thirty kilograms of weight. Slaughter time depends on what feed you used. Turkey poults that ate concentrates are slaughtered already at six months of age, when they weigh fifteen kilograms. For one kilogram of turkey meat you can get from 200 to 300 rubles, depending on the buyer;

   

2. breeding laying hens. In addition to selling carcasses, you can also sell turkey eggs. Every year the turkey lays about a hundred eggs. It should be borne in mind that there are not very many people willing to buy such eggs. The bulk are entrepreneurs who plan to raise eggs in incubators. One turkey egg costs about forty rubles;
3. raising turkey poults. Entrepreneurs may be interested not only in eggs, but also in young animals. Turkey poults offered for sale must reach three weeks of age, otherwise they risk not surviving transportation. A turkey lays eggs twice during the season. The first brood is sent for sale, the second is left for fattening for meat. The cost of turkey poults varies depending on the breed and ranges from 250 to 500 rubles.

   

By the way! Bird droppings, which are sold as fertilizer, can also be used as an additional source of income.

Where to sell the products?

If you are thinking about looking for permanent partners, you should take care in advance to officially register your business as an individual entrepreneurship, after which you will have to choose your tax system. Registering a business ensures that you have a license, without which no serious buyer will want to work with you.

Most private poultry farmers establish contacts with various sanatoriums and private cafes. The likelihood of selling their products to hypermarkets or smaller stores is quite low, since such companies prefer to cooperate with poultry farms.

Profitability

Due to the fact that turkey meat, like turkey eggs, is a relatively new product for the Russian market. Therefore, competition in this area is still quite small, which will allow you to better sell your products. According to the latest indicators, the profitability of the turkey breeding business is up to 80%. However, this figure refers to large farms.

The fewer livestock you have, the lower the final percentage will be. For example, on family farms that do not employ hired workers, the profitability rate will be slightly above 50%.

In order to fully recoup production you will need from two to five years.

In recent years, raising farm animals and birds has become a fairly popular type of entrepreneurial activity, and in particular raising turkeys as a business. With proper planning, this area of ​​poultry farming can bring good profits to turkey farm owners. The productivity and profitability of this business directly depends on a well-written business plan and a reasonable approach.

Today, the turkey business is the most relevant business. You can successfully raise turkeys both on an industrial scale and on a private farm. Turkey farming has a number of advantages:

• low maintenance costs;
• ease of caring for livestock;
• low start-up costs;
• good yield of meat and egg products;
• high consumer demand;
• the bird is not picky about food;
• young animals quickly gain body weight (the weight of some breeds can reach 30 kg);
• Poultry meat is dietary, has excellent taste and beneficial properties.

An important stage in successful turkey breeding is the creation of comfortable living conditions on turkey farms.

Future farmers should take into account that the final result of entrepreneurial activity will depend on this. In this case, you should pay attention to such important factors as:

• air temperature and its composition;
• providing balanced and nutritious nutrition;
• the size of the poultry house and its population density;
• prevention of diseases to which there is a genetic predisposition

Breed selection

Before starting a business related to turkey breeding, a farmer must understand what kind of result he wants to get. You should also know the likely ways to achieve these goals. First of all, he must decide what he wants to make a profit from: from the sale of eggs or meat, from the sale of young animals or adult breeding animals. The choice of breed, selection of inventory and equipment depend on these factors. To choose the optimal cross of turkeys suitable for the tasks of a particular farm, it is necessary to study the features and characteristics of various breeds.

It is better for novice poultry farmers to choose light and medium crosses of turkeys for growing.

Representatives of heavy breeds need to be fed more, and they are more demanding in their care. At the same time, lightweight turkeys (up to 12 kg) have stronger immunity and are less demanding in terms of nutrition and living conditions. Heavyweight crosses are more suitable for experienced breeders. You can start breeding them as you gain experience.

For meat

Production growth rates and business profitability are greatly influenced by breed selection. Therefore, every farmer-businessman who decides to start raising turkeys for meat must first of all buy the right livestock. Some breeds grow quickly, others gain enormous body weight.

A farmer who plans to make a profit from raising turkeys for meat should choose breeds that have excellent meat properties. Broilers are best suited for this, as they will gain good body weight in a short period of time.

1. White broad-breasted turkey. It grows quickly and easily adapts to different climatic conditions. There are 3 varieties of this breed: light, medium and heavy. The weight of a male can reach 15 kg, and a female can weigh about 10 kg;
2. Big 6 is a cross meat product. Adult turkeys grow up to 25 kg, turkeys - up to 11 kg.

For eggs

The following breeds are excellent for producing not only meat products, but also eggs:

1. Bronze is a breed that is considered the best for industrial breeding. Males can gain weight up to 15 kg, females - up to 9 kg. This breed compares favorably with others due to its excellent egg production. In a year, one adult turkey can lay up to 120 eggs, which is a good indicator. The disadvantage is their inability to breed on pastures. This breed was primarily bred to be kept in poultry houses and cages;
2. – a species suitable for grazing. The egg production of mature turkeys is 80 eggs per year. The weight of a male reaches 10 kg, females – up to 7 kg.

Required personnel for business

Having a large number of turkeys on a farm, it is impossible to raise them yourself. One person cannot do this, since the bird must not only be fed, but also keep the house clean. It is also necessary to monitor her health status, carrying out both preventive measures and therapeutic procedures, if necessary.

For the full functioning of the business, a turkey farm must be staffed with at least the following personnel:

• poultry care assistants (several people);
• vet;
• courier driver for delivering feed and transporting finished products to the point of sale or to clients.

On average, this expense item will be about 30 thousand rubles.

Sales market

The success of breeding any livestock in order to make a profit from the sale of meat directly depends on properly organized sales of products. You can set it up in different ways, by agreeing, for example, with the nearest food retail outlets, cafes, canteens or restaurants. Also, meat carcasses, fillets, semi-finished products and minced meat can be sold at the meat market. You can offer products through advertisements.

To sell meat legally, you must officially register your business and choose a taxation system.

Having a quality certificate will allow you to sell it at a better price. This is a very important aspect, especially if there are competitors.

Financial investments

An important stage of any business is carrying out financial calculations that will help determine the amount of required initial capital. To open a turkey farm, you will need to purchase at least one male for every 5-6 females. This amount will be enough to start. Only healthy individuals should be purchased.

On average, one adult bird will cost about 2 thousand rubles, depending on the breed.

When drawing up a business plan related to raising turkeys, the following basic parameters should be taken into account:

• total number of livestock;
• quantity of poultry intended for sale;
• goods planned for sale (eggs, meat, offal);
• approximate yield of marketable products from one turkey;
• the total volume of products planned for sale (determined by multiplying the number of birds intended for sale by the approximate production yield);
• price of 1 kg of goods sold;
• total turnover;
• approximate annual turnover.

Cost items for a mini-farm include the following parameters:

• feed costs;
• medical care (vaccination, vitaminization, treatment);
• wages of service personnel;
• payment of utilities and rent;
• other expenses (equipment, inventory, transport, etc.).

Profitability and payback

Is it profitable to raise turkeys? Are these birds profitable? As practice shows, with fairly small initial costs, you can organize a profitable farm. The first profit from maintaining a turkey farm can be obtained within 4-6 months.

Full payback of all financial investments occurs within 2-5 years.

The profitability of a business depends on the main direction of farming activity.

Sale of meat

The profitability of this business is very high, but at the same time, the expenses are quite large. To feed a large population, it is necessary to have appropriate premises and a good food supply. You can get significant savings (on feed and heating) by fattening turkeys in the spring and summer, followed by slaughtering and selling meat products before the onset of cold weather.

Sales of eggs

Having formed a herd of a male and 6-8 females, you can make a profit from the sale of eggs, of which one female can lay up to 200 pieces.

Sale of turkey poults

This direction can bring the greatest profit to farmers. You can start selling chicks from the moment they reach the age of 4-6 weeks. The only disadvantages are the seasonality of this direction and difficulties with stable sales of goods.

Breeding

This business requires large investments and is associated with some risks and difficulties, so most often this area is developed in conjunction with other types.

Advantages and disadvantages

As you can see, the business idea for breeding and selling turkeys has a large number of advantages. The advantages of turkey farming are:

• short time to obtain the final product;
• high consumer demand for dietary meat;
• little competition in this commercial segment;
• good yield of commercial products;
• The business of raising turkeys can be combined with other activities.

Raising turkeys also has small disadvantages, for example:

• the bird requires attention and needs daily care;
• the business may become unprofitable due to the death of turkeys from various diseases;
• Difficulties may arise with raising birds of different ages, since each group has its own requirements for housing and feeding conditions.

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Many new poultry farmers are considering raising turkeys on their farms. First of all, they are attracted by the lower competition in this segment and the higher profitability of such a business, compared, for example, with keeping and breeding chickens. Indeed, a turkey weighs much more than a chicken (the weight of a male of a large breed at the age of 1-1.5 years can reach 30 kg). With intensive rearing of young animals and repeated recruitment of the parent flock, one bird can produce on average up to 200 eggs per year and more than 600 kg of meat when fattening the offspring. Turkey meat has excellent taste and nutritional properties, it is easily digested by the human body and contains a large amount of healthy amino acids and complete proteins.

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However, there are certain points that need to be taken into account at the planning stage of organizing a turkey farm. The main three problems that you will encounter in the process of work are diseases, feed supplies and sales of finished products. In general, turkeys have good health, are resistant to various diseases, tolerate frost and heat relatively well, and are not picky about living conditions. But all this is true only for adult birds. Turkey poults, on the contrary, have poor health. Therefore, if you do not have much experience in poultry farming, it is better to start with breeding and raising chickens. Turkeys are not omnivorous birds and are quite picky about what they feed. Although the feed consumption per individual is relatively small (especially taking into account the weight of the bird), nevertheless, the cost of purchasing feed ends up being very significant, which also needs to be taken into account when planning.

As for sales, turkey meat is indeed tasty and healthy, but so far it has not become as widespread on the Russian market as it is abroad. In Europe and North America, a large number of different dishes are produced from turkey meat - from smoked meats to pate. In Russia, the first place in terms of consumption volumes is occupied by cheaper chicken meat and dishes made from it. Although, in general, experts note a positive trend in the development of this market segment, the issue of marketing their products is very important for turkey meat producers. If you are ready to spend a lot of effort, time and money to “break into” the shelves of retail chains, negotiate cooperation on mutually beneficial terms with wholesale companies, organize your own retail outlets in markets in your city and/or region, then your turkey the farm will bring high and stable profits. True, we should not forget that the investments in this case will be considerable.

Choosing a specialization

First, you will need to decide on the specialization of your farm. There are three main options. You can engage in the sale of eggs and chicks, raising young animals to marketable age with their subsequent resale, production and maintenance of breeding birds. In the first case, if you are going to produce eggs, you will need to complete the herd at the rate of one male for 6-8 females. Turkeys reach egg-laying age at the age of 6-8 months. One turkey can produce up to two hundred eggs per year. You will be able to sell both the eggs themselves and young turkey poults. This direction is the most profitable. Experts believe that the most effective sale of young animals is at the age of 3-6 weeks. Taking into account the optimal volumes of consumption of very expensive feed and the high selling price of turkey poults of this age, profitability in this case can be up to 50-70% on farms, and up to 100% on homestead farms.

If space is limited, experts advise entrepreneurs to engage in the production of day-old young animals in the spring and summer (from March to July). Its cost is determined by the cost of hatching eggs, transport costs for their delivery and the results of incubation. Moreover, the cost of eggs reaches 85-90% of total expenses. To calculate the cost of daily turkey poults, electricity costs, personnel wages, the cost of veterinary drugs, depreciation of the equipment used and other operating expenses are also taken into account.

If you have sufficient production space and investment, you can start fattening turkey poults for meat. The main expense items in this case are the purchase of daily young animals and feed. Young animals reach marketable age by 20-26 weeks. The optimal fattening period for females is considered to be 154 days (20-22 weeks), for males - 182 days (26 weeks). During this period of time, females gain up to 14 kg of weight (on average, 5.8 kg), and males - up to 21 kg (on average, 11.4 kg). During these slaughter periods, the turkey carcass reaches a marketable state, and indicators such as the average daily gain in live weight and feed costs per 1 kg of gain are in the optimal ratio. Full gutting of poultry of this age allows you to get 60-65% of meat yield from live weight, and semi-gutting - up to 80%. In total, turkeys grow up to two years of age, but with further periods of fattening (from 26 weeks), feed costs per unit of production increase sharply, so poultry farmers replace expensive high-quality feed with cheap ones. The option of seasonal poultry farming in the spring-summer period, followed by full sale of products with the onset of cold weather and freezing production for the winter, is optimal for the northern regions. During severe frosts, high energy costs lead to a sharp decrease in the profitability of such production and make it unprofitable for year-round operation.

The most difficult, costly and unsuitable option for beginners in this business is related to the maintenance and breeding of breeding birds. For this purpose, young animals are selected from the healthiest females and males in the above ratio (one male for 6-8 females). For incubation, preference is given to eggs of medium size and regular shape. It is recommended to purchase eggs and young animals not from poultry farms, but from private farms from trusted breeders.

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If you already have your own homestead, if you are not sure that the business will work, or if you do not have special knowledge in raising turkeys, you can start with a mini-farm. Of course, it is better not to count on significant income in this case, but at least you will recoup all your initial expenses and gain valuable experience. To keep turkeys, you will need a separate, dry and clean room. You can even use an uninsulated barn or sheds on fenced plots of land for a turkey poultry house if you live in the southern regions. Turkeys tolerate temperatures down to –10-15 ºC well, but experts still advise providing the birds with more comfortable living conditions. This primarily concerns young animals and egg-bearing females. For chicks in the first week, the recommended temperature is 32-35 ºC when placed in cages and 28-30 ºC when kept indoors. Then the temperature gradually drops to 17-20 ºC. As is the case with many other birds, it is most profitable to grow and breed turkeys all year round in regions with a warm climate (southern part of Russia), since in the northern regions in winter up to 75-80% of all costs will be associated with heating turkey poultry Accordingly, the cost of finished products also increases.

The area of ​​the turkey poultry depends on the conditions of keeping and the number of the flock. When keeping birds in cages or enclosures, stocking density standards are up to 15 first-month turkeys per square meter, up to 10 second-month turkeys per square meter and up to five birds older than two months per square meter. At the same time, adult individuals must be kept separately from the young, otherwise they may trample or kill the chicks. Regardless of the form of keeping turkeys, it is necessary to exclude any possibility of their contact with wild birds. To avoid drafts, the cages are covered with plastic film, leaving enough space for ventilation.

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The room for the turkey poultry should be dry and well ventilated. Ideally, it is better to use a ventilation system that eliminates the possibility of drafts hazardous to the health of the bird. Perches, as a rule, are made of wooden beams about 8-10 cm wide and high. They are placed at a level of about 80 cm from the floor at a distance of half a meter from each other. There should be about 40-50 cm of perch per bird. Nests are arranged at the rate of one per four individuals. They can be placed on the floor or hung at a low height. A container with sand for sand baths is installed near each nest. When keeping turkeys indoors, it is necessary to equip a walking area, which is enclosed by a high mesh fence. As experience shows, the more active the bird leads, the higher the quality of the meat. The floor in the turkey house is lined with hay, shavings or sunflower husks, and the litter must be changed regularly so that it always remains dry and clean. Do not forget to clean the room and cages daily, wash and sterilize feeders and drinkers. This will help avoid the occurrence of various diseases to which turkey poults are so susceptible. For the same purpose, feeders and drinking bowls must be protected from droppings, carefully monitor the birds’ nutrition, and avoid stress.

Feeding turkeys

Turkeys, unlike chickens, are quite selective in terms of feeding. The main part of their diet consists of wheat grain and various flour mixtures. At the same time, they are also given root vegetables (usually boiled potatoes, as well as carrots and beets), cabbage, dry animal feed, wheat bran, cereals and herbs (corn, barley, millet, oats, alfalfa). Various vitamins and microelements are added to feed mixtures for the full development of poultry. It is also recommended for turkey poults to add cottage cheese, vegetable oil and salt to their feed. The amount of daily feed depends on the age of the bird. Young birds eat about 30 grams of food, and adult birds eat up to 400 grams. Feeders and drinkers are installed in the cool part of the cage or poultry house. Give turkeys fresh, clean water. In the first days, young animals are given boiled water at room temperature with a small amount of sugar to improve digestion.

Raising young animals

Turkey breeds are divided depending on the weight of the adult bird. Thus, there are three main forms (or crosses):

light (females up to 4.4 kg, males up to 9 kg);

medium (females up to 8 kg, males up to 16 kg);

heavy (females up to 14 kg, males up to 30 kg).

On small farms it is recommended to give preference to light and medium crosses. Heavy crosses are suitable for home maintenance or, on the contrary, for large industrial enterprises. Experts, as a rule, recommend purchasing young animals from private farms and not from poultry farms. Although, objectively speaking, there are disadvantages in both the first and second cases. Birds purchased from industrial enterprises, as a rule, have good immunity and are more protected from various diseases. However, the quality of the breed often leaves much to be desired. In addition, you should not count on a large selection of breeds. Private breeders have the opportunity to better monitor the livestock, engage in breeding of various breeds and even breeding work. However, they cannot afford to maintain a stationary veterinary service and veterinary specialists, so if you purchase young animals from an untested farm, you risk acquiring sick birds.

When purchasing new birds, choose only healthy and active birds. If there are any signs of poor health, promptly isolate sick birds from healthy ones. Take care in advance about the availability of medications on your farm (these include Lugol's solution, lye ash, creolin, bleach, etc.). Agree to cooperate with a good veterinarian.

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On small farms, for the first twenty days after birth, young animals are kept in cages in a warm, draft-free room with constant access to drinkers and feeders. Fine gravel is poured into a separate feeder. After three weeks, the chicks are transferred to a well-ventilated room, being released in warm weather for a walk twice a day - in the morning and in the evening.

In large poultry farms, birds aged 1-4 weeks are kept on the floor under brooders or in cage batteries, and then also released into the poultry house with the possibility of access to walking areas. Bunker feeders and drinkers are placed at the level of the bird's back and are gradually raised as the chicks grow. This allows you to reduce feed and water consumption. If feeders and drinkers are located on the floor, then turkeys often overturn them, scatter food and spill water from the drinkers.

Recently, a progressive scheme for raising light and medium-sized cross-breed turkey poults from one day of age to slaughter using cage batteries has become widespread. This technology has long proven its effectiveness. Keeping chicks in cage batteries allows you to optimize the labor costs of staff, reduce the cost of expensive feed per kilogram of growth, increase live weight, increase the safety of the young, and rationally use every square meter of poultry house area. They are metal frames divided into cells. At the ends of the frame there are front and rear racks, on which drives for distributing feed and removing litter are installed. Each tier of the battery is equipped with a tape for removing litter. Thus, such a cage battery allows you to automate almost all processes in raising poultry - from feeding and watering to cleaning cages. Thanks to the special design of the mounted bunker feed dispenser, it is possible to selectively dispense feed into feeders of any tier. In this case, a one-time adjustable dose of feed can range from 50 grams per linear meter to 2000 grams per linear meter. For drinking, a nipple system with drip eliminators is used.

You can find out more about the method of intensive rearing of turkey poults in battery cages on the websites of breeders who offer both the “raw materials” themselves (eggs and day-old young animals), as well as feed and all the necessary equipment. The use of cell battery technology, as manufacturers promise, allows you to get up to 190 kg of live weight per square meter of usable area. Please note that battery cages are typically designed to raise turkeys for up to eight weeks before they are moved to adult cages or floor housing.

Costs and income of a turkey farm

So, let's calculate the main costs of organizing a small turkey farm. Turkey hatching eggs can be purchased from breeders at a price of 50-60 rubles each. Daily turkey poults will cost from 100-120 rubles per head. To equip a simple turkey poultry house for several dozen, you will need from 0 to 25-30 thousand rubles, depending on the area, the condition of the premises, the availability of the necessary equipment (drinkers, feeders, etc.). Additional costs are associated with the purchase of feed, incubators, veterinary drugs, wages for service personnel, etc. Do not forget about registering your business. The optimal organizational and legal form in this case would be a limited liability company or an individual entrepreneur if you do not intend to operate on a large scale in the near future. In addition, you will need to obtain documents from the veterinary service confirming the quality and expiration dates of your products.

The retail price of turkey meat is 200-250 rubles per kilogram. Of course, it is most profitable to find regular customers from the very beginning, which can be cafes and restaurants, retail chains, as well as various entrepreneurs working in food markets. In addition to meat, you can also sell turkey eggs, which also have various valuable properties and are superior to chicken eggs in many respects. However, here you may encounter certain difficulties, which are caused, on the one hand, by the novelty of this product for the Russian market, and on the other, by the high cost of the product. Fortunately, turkey meat can no longer surprise Russian consumers, but few people know that turkey eggs are not only edible, but also very healthy. So this niche is still empty and there is no competition in it, as well as no demand. But thanks to a competent marketing policy and active methods of promoting turkey meat producers, perhaps the situation in this market will soon change for the better. Some turkey farms also sell poultry manure, which is a good fertilizer. The only thing that has no value is the feathers of turkeys, which are simply disposed of after plucking the carcasses.

Depending on the region and a number of additional factors, the profitability of a business for growing and breeding turkeys can range from 60 to 80%. In the case of small farms, this figure rarely exceeds 55% (for example, if we are talking about a family farm where relatives work, which can significantly reduce labor costs).

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A branch of poultry farming such as turkey breeding is becoming increasingly popular. As a business it is quite profitable. However, you should understand everything in great detail. At home, as well as on household plots and on large private farms, turkeys, the breeding of which is not very difficult, feel excellent.

This bird is most valued for its dietary meat, which is very juicy and tasty. Therefore, for some aspiring businessmen, growing it can turn into an excellent way to generate income.

Not chickens, but turkeys

Breeding of this bird began in America. There it was domesticated about ten centuries ago. The turkey bird arrived in Europe only in the sixteenth century, after Columbus’s fourth voyage. When this traveler landed on the American coast, he was sure that this was India. Apparently, this is why this large American bird was named so. A turkey or turkey is a beautiful and majestic representative of birds, although it is flightless.

This bird loves freedom and large space. Majestic and at the same time the largest and strongest domestic bird, the modern turkey (the breeding and maintenance of which requires certain knowledge and skills) is calmer and slower than its wild ancestors.

Description

The process of domestication of this bird entailed the creation of a large number of new breeds, which differ from each other mainly in plumage color and weight.

Despite the meat nature of turkeys, their eggs, down and feathers are also valued. Their carcasses contain more than fifty percent meat, about fifteen percent subcutaneous fat and more than ten percent internal fat.

Turkeys, whose breeding on an industrial scale for the purpose of obtaining eggs is unprofitable, are characterized by rapid growth with minimal expenditure on feed.

Characteristics of the bird

Like chickens, turkeys are considered big-legged. However, they do not rake the ground with their feet and do not graze like the latter. Turkeys do well on pastures and on field crops, which they do not damage because they do not dig anywhere with their limbs. There they run around and find suitable food.

Anatomical structure

The legs of turkeys, long and strong, are adapted to cover fairly large distances. Very interesting especially the rapidly growing shin bone, tarsus and tibia. The turkey's ankles contain strong and hard bones, which make it possible to carry a large body weight over fairly long distances. The muscles on the lower leg of this bird contain a lot of zinc, which perfectly strengthens bones and tendons. That is why its meat in the human diet is an excellent source of this element.

Breeds

There are a great many breeds of turkeys. These are white broad-chested, and heavy Big-6, and BYuT-8, etc. Many of them were bred artificially. One of the most popular are the broad-breasted white turkeys, which are considered to be native to the United States.

This breed is distinguished by high meat characteristics, sufficient growth rate and good egg production. However, white turkeys, the breeding of which requires the creation of certain conditions, are very demanding in terms of feeding.

In this breed, experts distinguish three types of females: light, heavy and medium. Their main differences are reproductive qualities and meat precocity.

Another breed - the North Caucasian Bronze - has been known among domestic poultry farmers for quite a long time. It adapts perfectly to pasture keeping. The wide body is elongated, with plumage tightly fitting to the body.

Breeding

Of course, turkeys are not as popular on the market as, for example, chickens, but their meat is also in high demand. Moreover, this figure is growing every year, especially in megacities.

Turkey breeding (as a business) can be started by assessing the demand for this product. The easiest way is to walk through food markets and ask the meat departments how much poultry they sell per day. In addition, it is necessary to imagine the level of competition, and also study the question of how turkeys, the price of which is considerable, are sold. If there is already a large poultry farm in a given region, then it is unlikely that it will be possible to compete with it. Therefore, it would be better to leave this idea and move on to something else. If you still decide to do this, you will need to register as a private entrepreneur and choose a tax system.

Premises

There are two types of raising turkeys - outdoors under a canopy and in specially equipped rooms. The first option is only suitable for residents of warm regions. In general, turkeys can withstand fairly low temperature conditions without any problems - up to fifteen degrees below zero. However, it will still be better if they are kept in comfortable conditions. Therefore, a well-equipped turkey farm is the best option. This is also worth considering.

And in the summer, when the temperature outside rises to fifteen degrees or higher, turkeys, the breeding and maintenance of which require certain costs, are transferred to the open air - with cages and a canopy over them.

Livestock

In each pen you need to stick to a certain number of birds. The livestock can be divided according to age. It is not recommended to keep more than fifteen birds in one cage that are not yet a month old, about 10 for two, and about 5 for older birds.

Taking into account the fact that the temperature regime should be maintained, it is necessary to take into account not only heating costs, but also the maximum insulation of the walls of the room, in order to be able to save at least a little in the future.

Market analysis

Like any other type of business, turkey breeding also requires certain investments. The business plan must clearly define the types of products produced. It is noteworthy that there are quite a lot of chickens and broilers on the shelves today. There is a lot of competition in this poultry industry. Whereas you can’t always see turkey in stores and not everywhere, which means that there’s really no one to compete with. Nevertheless, a novice businessman must determine a marketing strategy for his products.

The manufacturer can offer the consumer the following types of goods: eggs and offal, feathers and down, and, of course, meat. Products can be supplied not only to the retail chain, but also to workshops involved in the production of semi-finished products, to meat processing plants, or sold through your own retail network.

The key to the success of a newly organized farm will largely depend on a properly drawn up business plan. In general, according to experts, breeding this large farm differs from all other types of agricultural activities: in this case, the return on investment is very high.

Main stages of the technological process

In addition to the premises, in order to successfully raise turkeys, a novice businessman will need to take into account a number of important requirements, without which it is impossible to achieve the normal functioning of this enterprise.

The main stages of the technological process are as follows:

Equipping the premises with all necessary communications, such as electricity and ventilation, plumbing. In addition, heating devices must be installed.

Establishing an automatic supply of water, and if possible, then feed: this is done in order to minimize the number of personnel working on the farm, and therefore significantly save on wages.

Ensure cages are cleaned regularly: It is essential to maintain maximum cleanliness.

Equipment of a special area for poultry walking.

The presence of a competent, certified veterinarian who will constantly monitor the condition of turkeys and begin to treat them at the first symptoms of disease, preventing widespread deaths.

Selection of only high-quality food: experts recommend giving as little as possible (or even eliminating) various additives that are positioned as accelerating the growth of chicks.

By observing all these basic and very important rules, the future entrepreneur will be able to establish the normal operation of his small enterprise, the profile of which will be turkey breeding.

Where to buy young animals?

It must be purchased only in special incubators. These are either specialized large enterprises that cooperate with many farms, or small private firms that breed certain breeds of turkey.

But despite the fact that it is indeed possible to inexpensively purchase high-quality livestock from such private companies, experts still advise turning to larger breeders. This will allow us to resolve in the future, when selling eggs or meat, the issue of a quality certificate and a veterinary agreement. As practice shows, it is when collaborating with such large incubators that fewer problems arise when preparing the relevant documentation.

It is also necessary to take into account the fact that adult individuals differ in weight: this characteristic depends on the breed of the young. They are divided into:

• lungs, females of which weigh five, and males - about ten kilograms;
• averages: seven and ten, respectively;
• heavy - 15 and 31 kg.

The most popular and in demand are the first two varieties of birds.

Factory equipment and feed

When starting to raise turkeys, you must first purchase a standard kit. It should include incubators and automatic waterers, cages with feeders, heaters and lamps, as well as thermometers. All this ensures normal conditions. A special point in the business plan is the expense item, that is, the funds that will be used to purchase feed and mineral supplements.

The use of the most modern technologies will allow the future businessman to mechanize his production, as well as create conditions for the life of this poultry that will help produce only high-quality products. It is very important to think in advance about how to care for them. After all, both the quality of meat and the number of eggs depend on this.

But unfortunately, modern mechanized equipment is quite expensive. This means that not every novice entrepreneur is able to afford it.

As for feed, in addition to it, turkeys need vitamins. You should not skimp on this component in their diet, since these birds are quite “capricious”.

Therefore, when developing a business plan, special attention should be paid to the natural mortality of poultry. On average, ten to fifteen percent of the heads do not survive to maturity.

Staff

To ensure the normal maintenance of turkeys, the future farmer will need to hire a veterinarian, as well as a manager, sales manager and driver, who will have to deliver goods to a variety of retail outlets. The number of workers, of course, primarily depends on the scale of activity and the number of livestock.

Business plan

In order to be able to soberly assess the profitability of the enterprise being opened, a novice entrepreneur needs to analyze all possible costs and income.

The expense item will need to include the cost of renting premises and utility bills, repairs on the future farm, employee salaries, purchase and installation of necessary equipment, advertising, purchase of feed and multivitamins, and preparation of all necessary documentation. When calculating income in a business plan, you need to calculate the average revenue and monthly profit from breeding this bird.

conclusions

Growing turkeys is a fairly profitable business, the profitability of which is about one hundred or even one hundred and fifty percent. However, there are certain risks, for example, livestock diseases, which can cause huge losses. That is why you need to purchase only high-quality young animals: a turkey, the price of which seems very favorable, may ultimately turn out to be defective - sick or unsuitable for keeping. In addition, a good veterinarian must work on the farm.

Turkey breeding business can bring good profits. But you should know about all the nuances of their cultivation and maintenance, otherwise you may suffer a major failure. We will tell you more about this in the article.

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Important! Before starting, it is necessary to study the sales market in detail. You need to find out how much demand there is for turkey meat in your region. Due to the high cost, demand may be low in some regions. Please note that in a metropolis it will be much easier to sell products.

Advantages and disadvantages of this field of activity

Breeding the largest poultry has many advantages:

• several types of products: meat, eggs, as well as feathers and down;
• several implementation options: sales to retail chains, own retail chain, meat processing plants;
• high cost of meat;
• feed availability;
• rapid growth of the bird (the chick needs to be raised for about 5–6 months until it is slaughtered).

This business has several directions. After all, poultry can be bred not only for meat and eggs, but also for subsequent rearing of young animals. In these cases, incubators are used. Turkeys lay eggs twice a year.

Note! Experienced entrepreneurs sell the first brood of turkey poults, since the demand for early birds is always better. The second brood, the later one, remains on the farm to be raised for meat. A few individuals are left for reproduction.

Don't forget about the disadvantages:

• high mortality of young animals, especially with improper care;
• There is not a demand for turkey meat everywhere;
• you need to know the nuances of raising this capricious bird;
• special conditions must be created in growing rooms, which entails additional costs.

Purpose of breeding

Turkeys are bred mainly for the sale of meat and eggs. The advantage of the business is that you can sell both one and the second type of product at the same time.

Sale of meat

Dietary turkey meat is easier to sell in large cities, where the demand for it is much higher. If for some reason you were unable to organize sales of meat to retail chains or catering establishments, then you can offer it to the nearest meat processing plant. True, the revenue in this case will be significantly lower.

Selling eggs

Turkey eggs are sold to companies that breed turkey poults. Please note that such companies put forward certain criteria for eggs. Turkey eggs are tasty and healthy, but are practically not used for food.

You can use the eggs for your own incubator.

What you need to start a business

To start a business for raising turkeys, you need to prepare premises for the birds to live, purchase young animals, find personnel, and so on. Undoubtedly, all this requires start-up capital, patience and skill.

Documentation

Like any other business, raising turkeys must begin with documentation. You must then choose the tax system that suits you. Then you can put the paperwork aside and get down to business.

Important! Do not forget that to sell finished products you will need quality certificates, as well as other documents confirming the safety of meat received from the SES and other authorities.

Room

Turkeys love warmth and space. This must be taken into account when arranging a place for birds to live.

There are two types of raising turkeys:

• on open air;
• indoors (cell and floor).

If birds are raised outdoors, the area is fenced with a net. But this method is only suitable for very warm regions.

Otherwise, you need to take care of the premises. For 30 turkeys you will need a barn with an area of ​​at least 50 square meters. It is also worth considering that cold negatively affects the growth and development of these capricious birds, therefore, in the cold season, the premises must be heated to maintain the desired air temperature.

When the bird house is ready, you can start purchasing young animals:

1. Buy turkeys that are at least 2 weeks old. The likelihood that day-old chicks will die is much higher.
2. Choose a large company to purchase young animals, which will subsequently be able to provide you with the necessary documents for selling the products. Private companies can sell sick and weak chicks, which are more prone to mortality.

With a small start-up capital, some entrepreneurs purchase several turkeys and turkeys for further laying and incubating eggs. But in this case, it will take a long time to get the first profit.

Equipment

Birds need constant access to water and food. It is advisable to purchase automatic feed and water supply systems. They cost a lot of money, but they allow you to save on personnel, since the number of employees can be reduced.

If there are few turkeys, then equipment is not a necessary item, since at first everything can be done manually.

Feed

The main diet of turkeys consists of:

• wheat;
• corn;
• barley;
• oats and other agricultural crops.

In addition, birds are prone to illness, so it is recommended that they be regularly given vitamin complexes. It is also necessary to add bone meal and vegetable oil or other fat to the food to make the food juicier and higher in calories.

Staff

Your turkey farming enterprise must have:

• livestock specialist;
• driver;
• vet;
• manager;
• workers caring for poultry.

If you plan to sell finished products yourself, you will also need a salesperson.

There should be 1–2 workers involved in feeding and cleaning up after the birds if the farm is small.

Important! There is no need to try to save money on a veterinarian job. Without it, the probability of death of young and adult birds increases significantly.

Breeding technology

Acquired young animals require special attention. It is necessary to create microclimate conditions suitable for turkeys.

To do this you need to take care of:

• room ventilation;
• maintaining air temperature;
• timely replacement of litter;
• constant access to clean water and food.

It is also important to give birds the necessary vitamins and minerals to reduce the risk of disease and mortality.

Note! With the right approach, the enterprise will be able to provide itself with young animals every year. The costs of purchasing poultry will be needed exclusively at the start.

With the free-range method of raising turkeys, caring for them will be much easier, since they will be able to balance their diet on their own. But this requires a large plot of land and favorable climatic conditions.

Profitability assessment

Experts say that the business of raising turkeys is profitable. Its profitability can be 100-150% with the right approach and drawing up a business plan. But at the initial stage you need a lot of start-up capital.

Money will be needed for:

• construction of premises;
• purchasing equipment and laying all the necessary engineering networks: water supply, electrical networks, and so on;
• purchase of young animals;
• insulation of the room.

These expenses will require about 80,000–00,000 thousand rubles. In addition, you need to take care of purchasing food and paying utility bills. This will require about 7–8 thousand rubles. Employee salaries should be noted as a separate expense item.

If you buy 30 chicks in six months, when they grow up, you will be able to cover almost all the initial costs. The first income from the sale of meat will be more than 150,000 rubles. But in the future, the cost-to-profit ratio will increase.