How To Start A Turkey Rearing Business In Ghana

Some farmers are engaged in the сommercial turkey
farming in Ghana.
This is a fairly promising and
profitable business, from which you can earn decent
money.
The main advantages of this line of activity
are quick payback and high demand for finished
products.
Here we describe the profitability of
breeding turkeys as a business for start-up
entrepreneurs.
Breeds of birds
The first thing you should think over before you start
your commercial turkey farming is the choice of the
breeds.
It is better to buy turkey poults in the farms
with a good reputation. You can also buy turkeys from
individuals who usually offer poults of a high quality.
A properly selected turkey breeds for farming at home
is a guarantee of business success. There are meat and
egg breeds.
Therefore, before buying young poults, you
need to determine the goals you want to achieve.
There
are turkeys that have been bred for meat, selling of
eggs, and selling of young poults.
The most popular breeds of turkeys for domestic
breeding are Broad-Chested Whites, Standard Bronze
and White, White Hollands etc.
More often in the
poultry farms, there are broad-chested white turkeys
bred in the USA.
This kind of meat breed is
characterized by high egg production and rapid
growth.
Profitability of turkey farming in Ghana
First of all, we would like to note that breeding turkeys
at home as a business is a very profitable endeavour.
Undoubtedly, it will require certain financial
investments, but all initial investments can be returned
in just one season.
To get a good profit, you need to
make a clear business plan for breeding turkeys.
You
should strictly adhere to all of its points.
The adult male weighs an average of 23 kg. The weight
of the female is about 10 kg.
If you buy a turkey in
the spring, over the summer, they will gain marketable
weight, and part of the herd can be sent to slaughter.
The rest of the birds are needed to form a parent herd.
If you take a look at the video of breeding turkeys as a
business, you can see that the turkeys are very
sensitive to their offspring.
They try to incubate their
eggs themselves and take care of the poults carefully.
Therefore, if economic opportunities do not allow you
to purchase an incubator, do not be upset.
To form a
herd at the beginning, the majority of farmers use
females.
When the business starts to bring a good profit, you
can purchase an incubator and start producing young
poults for sale.
In any case, put the purchase of an
incubator in the business plan of breeding turkeys for
beginners.
Otherwise, you will miss a good profit. If
you arrange the conveyor production of young poults,
it is possible to get 600 kg of dietary meat from one
female per year.
You should allocate a separate place
for the incubator and the rearing of young poults.
Conditions for keeping birds on the turkey farm
To save on fodder and veterinary services and for the
maintenance and breeding of turkeys, you will need a
spacious paddock.
It must be equipped with cereals or
herbs.
Note that turkey grows better in freedom, so if
you have your own land on which you have a lot of
space and pasture, breeding turkeys as a business will
be more profitable.
You need one acre of fenced land
to raise 200-250 adult free roaming turkeys.
If the turkeys are free, they can choose a diet
themselves.
In addition to grain, they will eat different
insects that provide the body with the necessary
microelements and proteins.
Females living in free
conditions can provide up to 200 eggs per season.
For
the breeding and maintenance of turkeys, no special
conditions will be required.
Feeding turkeys
If you are interested in breeding and taking care of
turkeys at home, you should remember that you have
to invest a lot of energy and time.
It allows you to
ensure the maximum revenue from the sale of finished
products.
The most important thing is a responsible
approach to this business.
The basis of the diet for turkeys, like any other poultry,
is grain. It is advisable to give them millet or oats.
Also, you can add soy and other legumes to the food.
Do not forget to include greens into the diet.
For this
purpose, you should prepare the grass on the area
where you plan to make pasture for the birds.
If you want to get 4 kg of meat from each turkey in 8.5
weeks, you will need 6 kg of food during this time.
During this period, the turkey exceeds any other
poultry in growth.
To get healthy offspring, you need to add Vitamin E
and ordinary chalk to the turkeys’ diet.
If you do this,
you will significantly reduce the percentage of
nonviable poults.
The average mortality rate of a
turkey is six to ten per cent.
Another important point is a strict feeding regimen.
Turkeys need to be fed at the same time.
Young poults
up to 1.5 months of age are fed seven times a day.
Gradually, the number of feeds is reduced to four
times a day.
Also, you must give fodder in feeders and
not on the ground.
Besides, turkeys require clean
water supply all the time.
Also, do not forget about the vaccination of the birds.
It protects the turkeys from diseases that can lead to
the complete extinction of the herd.
Financial investments and sales markets
Typically, the poultry production at home for beginners
starts with the purchase of young poults.
With proper care and observance of all rules for
keeping and breeding turkeys in the household farm,
the weight of one adult will be about 15 kg.
Half of
the herd can be sent for slaughter.
It’s not difficult to sell meat because such product is
always in high demand.
The rest of the birds, as
mentioned above, should be left to form a parent herd.
It is desirable to equip the paddock for turkeys to
reduce the cost of vitamins and feed.
The biggest
expense item is the building of a poultry house. For 20
turkeys you need a room with a space of 40 square
meters.
The turkey farm begins to make a profit in 4-6 months.
By this age, turkeys gain weight of about 15 kg.
In the future, you do not have to spend money to buy
young poults. One turkey female can produce 10-15
poults.
If they grow up, you can sell them and get a
good profit.
As the offspring brings several females,
breeding turkeys at home in Ghana provides you with
a decent income.
If you plan to expand your business,
you have to build new poultry houses in the future.
That’s why you should take care of a large plot of land
for your home farm in advance.
Farmers who grow turkeys can profit from the sale of
poults, meat, and eggs especially during festive periods,
such as Christmas, Easter and Muslim feasts.
Benefits and disadvantages of the business
Like any other business, turkey breeding has its
benefits and disadvantages.
Let’s look at the pros and
cons of this business in details.
Benefits
• Farmers who grow turkeys receive not only profit but
also fresh dietary meat.
• Turkey eggs have excellent taste qualities.
• Growing turkeys is a lucrative business that quickly
pays off and brings a real income.
• Turkey meat is more expensive than chicken.
• Turkeys do not require special conditions as shelter.
• This bird is simple to feed. It can eat the pasture
grass and insects.
Disadvantages
• High mortality of young poults
• Additional costs for vaccination
• Low egg production
Do not be afraid to start your turkey breeding
business.
If you take care of them properly, take all
the precautions to protect them from disease, you will
have success and a good profit.