Table of Contents
Turkey Farming For Profit
Turkeys have the leanest meat though it’s bony and it has less fat.To farm turkey for profits, it is deemed wise to ensure turkey housing is well secure and predators have o access to enter.
Since dogs are known to be watchdogs the compound, they can pose danger to the birds unless properly trained then they can be of great help to deter other predators.
It is best to start with poults so you establish a relationship with them, they are least expensive and chances of bringing in disease are very slim or none.
However, they require lots of care and it calls for the farmer to be hands on so to monitor growth of birds. Be sure to know the exact age for your intended bird purchase.
Rearing
Turkeys can be reared under free range or intensive system.
Free range rearing turkeys can reduce the feed cost by 48%, be of low investments and their cost benefit ratio is high.
Intensive rearing of turkeys requires less movement and more feeding in tightly controlled conditions. This will improve production efficiency, better management and disease control.
Housing
Turkey breeding system is similar if not the same as that of chickens. The house or shelter can be either erected on the backyard or adjacent to the house front. Night shelter should be provided since birds require their own space especially when they prepare for brooding.
Deep litter system can be practiced in rearing turkeys because just like chickens, they can be raised under the same litter standards. The litter must be well maintained and using material that is easy to dispose off such as hay or straw or shredded papers. The disposed material can be used as compost for vegetable farmers.
Housing specifications of turkeys; housing protects turkeys form sun, rain, wind, predators and provides comfort.
In hotter parts of the country the long axis of the house should run from East to West.
The distance between two houses should be at least 20 meters and the young stock house should be at least 50 to 100 meters away from the adult house.
The width of the open house should not exceed 9 meters.
The height of the house may vary from 2.6 to 3.3 meters from the floor to roof.
An overhang of one meter should be provided to avoid the rainwater splash.
The floor of the houses should be cheap, durable and safe preferably concrete with moisture proof.
However, you can use space available if land is not adequate and also to consider is the starting up number of birds that will give the measurements of housing you will need.
Activity Of Turkeys
They are active in the mornings and early afternoons especially when the weather is calm and clear. When the weather is bad, they prefer to be confined in their housing.
In countries where there is snow, some turkeys are resilient to frigid winters. So it is viable that farmers should purchase cold-hardy breeds. Keep turkeys warm at night with extra carbohydrates before they sleep.
Breeds
There are several breeds that can be reared for meat production and eggs. Below are few breeds we will look at;
Norfolk black turkey / Blue slate / Royal palm / Midget white / Broad breasted bronze / Broad breasted white / Beltsville small white / Heritage / Narragansett.
Turkey Meat
Turkey meat has nutritional and sensorial properties which make it almost ideal raw material for rational and curative nutrition. People prefer turkey meat because of its leanest nature.
Eggs And Nesting
The turkey will start to lie from 30 weeks of age and its production period is 24 weeks from the point of lay. Under proper feeding and artificial lightening management turkey hens lay as much as 9 – 13 eggs monthly, and you may expect around 60-100 eggs annually. Nearly most eggs will be laid in the afternoon. How To Raise Turkeys The turkey eggs are tinted and weigh about 85 gm. Egg is noticeably pointed at one end with strong shell. Turkeys will nest eggs for 28 days but that happens once it has finished laying eggs.
Incubation
There are two methods of incubation and these are natural incubation and artificial incubation. The incubation period takes 28 days in turkey.
Natural Incubation with broody hens and brooders can hatch about 10-15 eggs and only clean eggs with good eggshell and shape should be placed for brooding to attain hatchability and healthy poults.
In artificial incubation, the eggs are hatched with incubator assistance. There are specifications on the temperatures, humidity setter and hatcher. The eggs should be turned hourly daily and individually. The eggs ate to be collected frequently to prevent breakage, soiling and to get great hatchability.
Brooding
In turkey 0-4 week’s period is brooding period. However, in winter brooding period is extended up to 5-6 weeks. As a thumb rule the turkey poults need double roost space as compared to chicken. Brooding day old poults can be done using infra red bulbs or gas brooder and traditional brooding systems.
During Brooding
The floor space requirement for 0-4 weeks is 0.14 square meters per bird.
The brooder house should be made ready at least two days before the arrival of poults.
The litter material (wood shavings) should be spread in a circular manner with a diameter of 2 meters.
Poultry guard of at least 1 feet height must be provided to prevent the poults from wandering away from source of heat.
Starting temperature is 350Celsius followed by weekly reduction of 20Celsius per week up to 5 weeks of age. It is advisable to have a thermometer.
Shallow waterers should be used.
Caring For Turkey Especially Poults
Poults are very fragile and need attention when feeding, wandering and there are some parts of the body that require trimming because they won’t harm themselves. Make sure poults have small feeders and waterers, adequate water is needed.
Lighting systems for poults is a necessity and always check on their behaviour when placed under the light. Once they move away from light it’s too hot for them, and if they cluster under the light then its cold. They should roam freely inside their litter.
Poults have a high mortality rate if no care is taken hence the following measures have to be done to ensure better production for farmers
Beak-trimming or debeaking – remove beak about half the distances from nostril to tip of the beak, to control feather picking and cannibalism. This can be done at day old or 3-5 weeks of age.
Desnooding – removal of the snood or a fleshly appendage on the forehead of turkeys prevent head injuries from picking and fighting.
Toe clipping or detoeing – Clipping is done at day old by removing the tip of the toe just to the inside of the outer most toe pad including the entire toenail.
Turkey Hygiene
Clean and disinfect your birds and farmers are encouraged to dip and deworm turkeys monthly.
Turkey Selling
Your birds should have at least an average weight of about 3.6 kg – 7.2 kg for a fully grown turkey. Farmers can easily find places to sell their birds as long as they are healthy and have weight.