The Turkey bird farming is gradually gaining popularity in the Rajshahi region as it fetches good profits.
A large number of farmers are showing more interest in farming the bird due to its low farming cost, says a BSS report.
Ashraful Islam of Dargapara has been operating a turkey bird farm successfully. After starting the business with 45 birds, he's now the owner of 120 birds worth around Taka 3.5 lakh with gap of only three to four months.
"With my curiosity, I had bought turkey chicks from Joypurhat and they started laying eggs at the age of three months," Islam said, adding that the eggs are being hatched in incubator machine.
"I am earning around Taka one lakh through selling both adult birds and chicks per month," he continued with smiling face.
Like him, many others including youths and housewives have attained solvency through turkey birds farming in the region.
Azizul Alam Bentu, a turkey bird farmer in Haragram area of Rajshahi city, said farming of the bird is suitable for small and marginal farmers as it can be easily grown in an open space or under semi-intensive system.
He said, "I started my farm with 43 turkey chicks a year ago. In nine months, I started selling chicks and eggs."
He also said that currently there are 365 big turkey birds, 250 chicks in his farm. He gets 75 to 80 eggs per day.
One pair chick aged one month can be sold at Tk 2,000, and for two months, it can be sold at Tk 3,000, he added.
Additional District Livestock Officer Dr Zulfikar Akhter Hossain said turkey birds grow very fast in a short duration. Currently, every kilogram of turkey meat in the market is being sold at Tk 500 to Tk 550.
In five months, the weight of a turkey bird stands five to six-kg, whose market value is TK 3000 to 3500.
Besides, the expenditure of turkey farming is very low. The turkeys eat the same foods that are available in the market for other poultry chicken.
Hossain added that it can be kept in open areas. The possibility of contracting diseases to turkey birds is less. So it needs less medicine.
Commercial turkey farms have been developed in the city area and its outskirts as well as different upazilas in the district.
More than 70 turkey farms have been established here in last one year. Besides, many people have started keeping the bird in their houses in small-scale.
