How many types of poultry do you know besides chicken, turkey and duck? Let me know in the comments section. Often, when people talk about getting into poultry farming, what they think of is investing in raising chickens and sometimes raising turkeys.
In
Nigeria, the Seven Types of Poultry Birds; Turkey, Ducks, Geese, Guinea Fowl, Quail,
Chicken and Pigeon.
There
are different types of poultry that you can raise besides chicken, which is the
most common type of poultry that people invest in.
In
this article, I will talk about seven different types of poultry that you can
start as a farmer.
Here are Seven Types of Poultry Birds in Nigeria
• Turkey
•
Ducks
•
Geese
•
Guinea Fowl
•
Quail
•
Chicken
•
Pigeon
•
TURKEY
The
first type of bird you can enter is the turkey. Turkeys are bigger and bigger
than any type of bird you can imagine. Turkey was first raised in Mexico after
the Second World War and is now widely grown in Canada, North America and the
United States of America. Modern turkeys are descendants of wild turkeys called
Meleagris gallopavo.
Turkeys
are kept mainly for commercial purposes (meat production). They also lay eggs
for feasting, but this is not common. The strange thing about turkeys is the
fact that in some parts of Africa they are kept as pets and as a form of
protection.
Male
turkeys are usually larger than female turkeys and usually weigh between 5 and
11 kg while female turkeys weigh between 2.5 kg and 6 kg. It takes an average
of 19 weeks or about five months to reach the maximum kill. The average
lifespan of a domestic turkey is 10 years.
Turkeys
can be raised in an open space or build a chicken house to raise them.
The
classes of turkeys are:
•Roasters- These
are young turkeys that are less than 16 weeks or 4 months old
•
Hens
- These are female turkeys and when they are about 21 weeks or five months old
•
Tom
- These are turkeys that are 52 weeks or 12 months old.
•
Mature - These are turkeys that are over 65 weeks or 15 months
old. Common types of turkeys are small Beltsville whites, black turkeys, state
blues, Bourbon reds, etc.
Turkeys
produce 45 poults per year and it takes 28 days for turkey eggs to hatch. They
are often slaughtered for feasting at Thanksgiving and Christmas.
•
DUCK
The
second type of poultry you can raise is duck. Water ducks are usually smaller
than geese and swans. Unlike turkeys, chickens, etc., ducks are rarely bred. They
are often bred in England, the Netherlands, and the United States of America.
Ducks are mainly raised for egg production and meat consumption. Their wings
are a great source of income. A duck weighs about 0.72 kg and 1.6 kg
A
male duck is called a drake while a female is called a duck. The average
lifespan of a Mallard is 5 years.
There
are 12 types of ducks which are:
•
Dabbling ducks
•
Diving duck
•
Eider
•
Goldeneye
•
Merganser
•
Perching Duck
•
Scoter
•
Sea Duck
•
Stifftail
•
Teal
•
Whistling Duck
•
Domestic Duck
There
are over 40 types of ducks, but the most popular ones you can breed indoors are
the Cayuga, Call, Campbell, Pekin, Indian Runner, and Muscovy. Ducks lay an
average of 300 eggs per year.
•
GEESE
The
third type of poultry you can raise is the goose. Like ducks, geese are
waterfowl, and the most common poultry species is the gray goose. Geese are grouped into two main subspecies
which are Anser and Branta. They were the first domesticated birds. Greylag
geese were first bred in Europe, West and North Africa.
The
swan was first born in East Asia and is often called the Chinese goose.
They
are bred similarly to ducks for egg production and meat production. Their wings
also have some advantages. Wild animals were domesticated in Egypt more than
3,000 years ago. The average weight of male geese is 5.2 kilograms while that
of females is 4.8 kilograms. The goose has an average lifespan of 31 years.
The
most common types of geese are Embden, White Czechoslovakian, Huoyan goose,
Kuban, Lands and Toulouse. A male goose line produces an average of 55 to 65
eggs while a female line produces an average of 60 to 70 eggs per year.
•
GUINEA FOWL
Another
type of poultry you can raise is poultry. Pet birds are called Pintados. They
are from the family Numididae (Galliformes).
Guinea fowls are native to Africa and are often raised for meat.
The
amazing thing about keeping guinea fowl is that they can be used to control
ticks on farms. They are known for their vocal work and are used as protection
for other birds in the farm.
Guinea
fowl usually weigh about 1-1.5 kg at 12 weeks when they are ready for sale and
slaughter. The average life expectancy of Guineans is between 10 and 15 years.
There
are 3 different types of birds namely pearl, lavender and white. You can also
cross guinea fowl with chicken.
The
most common breeds of guinea fowl are:
•
White-breasted guineafowl
•
Black guineafowl
•
Helmeted guineafowl
•
Plumed guineafowl
•
Crested guineafowl
•
Vulturine guineafowl
•
Numida Meleagris.
They
lay about 30 eggs in a deep nest. Ducks hide the nests they build before laying
eggs and share them with other hens. Their eggs are small, they are dark and
white in color.
Guinea
fowl meat is leaner than chicken and turkey meat, and the eggs are smaller and
darker than chicken eggs. They have an incubation period of 28 days and when
the egg is laid it is called Keets.
•
QUAIL
The fifth on the list of types of poultry that you can raise on the farm is quail. They are semi-dominant birds classified as game birds in the Phasianidae and Odontophoridae families. Quil has about 130 types.
Quails
are bred for meat consumption and egg production. The egg is used as medicine
for many types of diseases. China is the largest producer of quail meat in the
world with 160,000,000 kilograms per year. The lifespan of a quail is 3-5 years
and weighs about 0.096 kg.
Their
main diet is insects, although they eat fruits, leaves and berries.
The
most popular types of quail are:
•
Japanese quail (Coturnix)
•
Italian Quail
•
English White quail
•
British Range quail
•
Ornamental quail
•
Gambel’s quail
They
lay an average of 200 eggs per year, and it takes about 23 days to hatch their
eggs.
•
CHICKEN
The
following types of poultry are the most commonly kept throughout the world.
Chickens are versatile birds (egg production and meat consumption). In 2018,
there are 30 billion chickens in the world. Chickens are also kept as pets. In
the United States, Canada and Australia, a male chicken over one year old is
called a rooster.
Chickens
can weigh from 3.4 kg to 3.9 kg and have a lifespan of 5 to 10 years.
The
most common types of chicken divided into three (American, Mediterranean and
English) are:
•
Rhode Island (Red and White)
•
New Hampshire
•
Leghorn
•
Sussex
•
Orpington
•
Sussex
Chickens
start laying from 16 weeks depending on the type and breed you keep. A hen lays
eggs every 24-26 hours and can produce up to 240 eggs per year. If you are
thinking of starting a chicken farm and don't know where to start, read this
article on how to start a chicken farm.
•
PIGEON
The
last type of poultry you can raise is the pigeon. Pigeons are part of the
Columbidae family along with the pigeons. Domestic pigeons are called squabs
and are descended from rock pigeons (also known as pigeons). They are bred for
sport and as a messenger and mainly for meat consumption. Pigeons are more
recreational birds than commercial birds. Pigeons weigh about 2.1 kilograms and
have a lifespan of 6 years.
The
most common types of pigeons are:
•
Fliers
•
Fancy breed
•
Utility breed
Pigeons
nest when they are about 25 to 30 days old. They lay about 24 eggs per year.
Final
Thought
There
are other types of poultry that you can enter. They are but not limited to emu,
ostrich, pheasant, etc. Depending on your situation, some birds may not be easy
to keep, but I can guarantee you that at least 4 on the list are things you can
start right away and get money from them.
I
would like to know the types of poultry birds mentioned in this article, which
ones will you raise in your farm?
If
you found this article useful, be sure to share it. You can also check out the
article where I compare the two highest paying farming jobs, poultry and
fishing.
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