With a little forethought and planning, establishing a sideline business of raising specialty poultry for meat can become a viable business option for your farm. Poultry raised for specialty markets includes a wide variety of fowl. The most marketed specialty poultry are chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese. Other more exotic fowl include offerings such as guinea fowl and pheasants. Specialty poultry can also include quail and pigeons (or squab).
IDENTIFYING YOUR NICHE
For the business to be profitable, you'll need to identify the types of poultry that consumers in your geographic region will buy. Repeat advertising of your specialty fowl will let buyers know what you have and help generate interest in the specialty poultry you raise.
You'll need to be realistic about the prices local consumers are willing to pay. Learning about your customers' preferences may take some time, including beyond the first year of operation. For this reason, it's often best to start small, test your market and slowly expand your operations as you identify what works for you.
One harsh reality that many specialty poultry producers face is that large retailers can sell turkeys and chickens so cheaply, especially during holidays, that raising and selling these birds locally can be challenging. This isn't said to discourage but rather is one of the facts that must be considered when planning such a venture.
Denne historien er fra March - April 2023-utgaven av Hobby Farms.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra March - April 2023-utgaven av Hobby Farms.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
The RISE of Opportunist WEEDS
Be prepared to see increasing changes in weeds we fight, such as poison hemlock and poison ivy, and in the crops we grow.
LIVESTOCK Health
Prepare yourself for how to spot symptoms of illness in your farm animals so that you can get them help before it's too late.
CUT FLOWER Farming
If you're considering growing flowers for sale, brush up on these five key things to know before diving in.
WINTER Survival
Keep your land, animals and yourself in good shape this winter with this helpful advice.
COVERAGE CONCERNS
Avoid common insurance mistakes for rural and hobby farm businesses.
FARMER'S GUIDE Berries
Set the stage for tasty strawberries, blueberries and brambles with these soil-boosting garden tips.
Preconditioning CALVES
Follow our step-by-step guide to get more money for your calves.
Soil Conservation
Often, outside of having a specific problem that needs to be addressed, soil conservation isn't something every farmer readily thinks about. Yet conserving the soil should be at or near the top of every farmer owner or manager's list of concerns because absent the prevention of soil erosion, we have the opportunity for another dust bowl.
Year-Round Lettuce & Salad Mixes
It's easy to think of salad greens as just a spring- or fall-garden crop, but it's possible to enjoy freshly harvested lettuces, mustards and more from your own garden year-round.
Barn Improvements
Days are never long enough for a farmer. From dawn to well into the night, tasks arise that often require immediate action. Having to search for tools or equipment is an enormous time waster and incredibly frustrating when you can't find what you need, especially when you know you have it.