Turkey ​farming takes flight in Shailkupa

Delowar Hossain did not sit idly after completing his MA Degree. He started running a coaching centre and started a ​turkey farm earlier this year. He started his farm with two turkeys he had bought for Tk6,000. Now, his farm has over 200 turkeys, which have an estimated market value of around Tk7 lakhs. Many people come to his farm daily to buy turkey meat, eggs and chicks. Delowar said his capital had increased to Tk7 lakhs in the first year of his business. So far, he has spent about Tk2 lakhs. He has started raising Titir birds or Francolins. Inspired by his success, many have started their own turkey farms in ​a ​small scale with chicks they brought from Delowar. A number of big turkey farms have been set up in various areas of Shailkupa. Turkeys are more resilient than chicken and they start laying eggs within six months. They can tolerate both hot and cold weather. Turkeys lay over 230 eggs every year. Each turkey weighs at least seven kilograms and a pair of them fetches around Tk6,000. Shailkupa upazila livestock officer Golam Mostofa said turkey farming helped people easily become self-​sufficient​. He said they helped turkey farmers by providing them with necessary information about diseases that can affect turkeys and ways to prevent them.This article was first published on Bangla Tribune