TURKEY MEAT TASTIER, PROFITABLE THAN EXOTIC BIRDS – CHIBOMBO FARMER

TURKEY farming is one of the most profitable and rewarding farming ventures with good returns if the farmer is equipped adequately with the right knowledge and know-how, Kenneth Ellis, a farmer in Chibombo district has said.

Speaking to The Scoop, Mr. Ellis said turkey rearing was three times more profitable than ordinary chickens such as broilers or exotic birds.

He said only the right management of turkey rearing could determine if one was able to amass in a turkey poultry type of farming.

“Turkey meat is tastier compared to other birds and the reason why most people prefer it to chicken is unknown but on the business side, turkeys are the most profitable,” Mr. Ellis said.

He said despite him rearing them on a small scale, he is able to get enough profits after selling them including their eggs for those that wanted to have them hatched in their own incubators.

He further stated that turkeys were easy to keep as they were not easily susceptible to diseases like it was in the case with other ordinary birds.

“The good part about this type of poultry farming is that these birds can be reared on a large scale and on a small scale at the backyard. The biggest secret lies in the management and when it comes to feeding, turkeys feed on chicken feed and whatever feeds chickens eat,” he said.

He added that turkey meat was on high demand everywhere and that a fully-grown turkey could fetch up to K650 locally, more than five times the price of an ordinary chicken.

“People just come to buy from my small farm and sometimes we sell along the road while some people buy for consumption and other buyers are newcomers who want to rear them as well. Turkeys are easy to rear as they can be kept as free range or in an enclosure if desired,” he said.

He noted that for a turkey to be fully grown and ready to be sold out, it took at least a period of six months adding that poultry farmers could also diversify into other poultry production such as turkey farming in order to maximize profit.

“A farmer can make houses for them or they can be left to be free range because turkeys spend most of their time on the ground but when it is time to sleep they fly up into trees. Turkeys cannot see well at night so to protect themselves from predators they roost at dusk and fly down at dawn,” he added.