What do I need to start commercial turkey farming?

Demand: You must know where the market is as well as factor in the price and timing. The buying terms and conditions should also be clear. What size of turkeys do they need? Answers to such questions must be obtained satisfactorily before engaging in the business.

Success stories: When new in a venture and you have limited knowledge or experience of how it works, it is important to find out who has done it before. Get to read about or visit them and understand what it takes to get in such a venture.
Availability of input supplies: There is need to know where to find your future source of inputs. One must know where they will buy the turkey poults (baby turkeys, feed, vaccines, medicines and all that is needed to raise turkeys. Equally important is where to find a veterinary doctor.

Operational requirements: To produce turkeys for meat or young ones to sell to other farmers is a process. This is the production process. The sum of activities that must be done every day so that your target of production can be achieved are the operational requirements.

The easiest way to know these is through learning from others. If this is not possible they should hire someone knowledgeable to manage operations. This will entail supervising human resource on the farm, providing a suitable living environment, feeding, managing health and disease prevention programmes, dealing with supplies plus marketing products, among others.
Risks associated: Just like any other business, there is potential for loss in turkey farming. It is important to prepare for it. Risks include; disease, weather extremes, theft, accidents among others. You must seek to know what to do, when faced by such situations. How ready you are for risks will determine success in the venture.
Profit: It is good practice to assess whether you will make profits or not. From the interaction that a prospective farmer has with experienced farmers or technically savvy persons, one must seek to know what costs are incurred to produce the end product (turkey poults, meat or eggs) and the current selling prices. With such knowledge, establishing just how much one can potentially earn as profit from the venture is done easily.

Capital requirement:
Once one has their research about the venture covered, they need to make a budget. There is need to establish the cost of set up and maintenance of the business. Seek knowledge from an expert. You need to know the kind of structures you are putting up and the equipment needed.

My birds have stagnated

I have more than 100 birds in a room. However, lately I have realised that there is stagnated growth. What could have gown wrong?

Dear Latima: To grow, birds need good nutrition. Good nutrition involves giving the birds balanced feed that they will need to meet all their requirements in the body. The body requires food to; maintain its normal body functions, grow, produce and reproduce. For younger birds, they mostly need to maintain their body function and grow. Now, if the birds have stagnated in growth, it means they are not gaining weight at the rate at which they should have been growing at.

Growth is limited by; the sheer lack of a balanced diet (low quality feed), insufficient feed supply (being given less than they are meant to eat), diseases or parasite infestation.
Feed quality and quantity inadequacies are the commonest causes of stunted growth. These directly deny the bird access to proper values and balance of nutrients for growth. Diseases that affect the digestive system (causing diarrhoea and dehydration) and any other that hinder access to food lead to wastage of eaten feeds thus making it hard for the bird to retain nutrients.

Parasites feed on feed taken in (worms) or suck blood of the victim birds. These directly affect nutrient use in the body plus imbalances that ultimately lead to stunting.

What causes infertility in cattle?
Poor management and feeding or nutrition of heifers may decrease their growth rate and delay their sexual maturity. Fertility problems may be complicated by poor detection of the short heat period which may occur at night. There could be cases of sterile heifers due to reproductive defects or dysfunction. Control: Observe your herd for sterility and cull off those that are not productive to improve the fertility of your stock.
Source: Agricultural Research Extension Network
(www.arenet.or.ug)

When should fish grown in ponds be harvested?

Six months after stocking, the Nile tilapia should have attained a size of between 150 to 350g. At this time, the female will have started to mature and small fish fry may be observed in the pond. Once fry are observed in large numbers, then all the fish must be harvested to prevent overcrowding and stunting.

You should start harvesting when the fish in your pond reach the size you can sell or eat. This should start six months onwards from the release of fingerlings. This reduces the chances of poor growth as a result of having too many fish.
Source: Agricultural Research Extension Network
(www.arenet.or.ug)

How often should I feed my birds “akaboombo”?

The tendril bearing tropical vine (akaboombo), bitter melon (emboobo) are among highly ranked plants used to treat ailments in both people and animals in rural areas. Just like for humans with the bitter melon, the tendril bearing tropical vine leaves are given freely to birds to eat as feeds. It is sometimes squeezed as juice and administered to birds orally.

The plant’s leaves contain elements that have antibacterial activity. It thus helps to relieve the birds of bacterial infections. It can be given twice a month for preventive purposes.