Arinze Onebunne
Entrepreneurs are reaping from little known
animals with promising future, such as the raising of guinea fowls,
geese, rabbits, grasscutters, quails, ducks, snails, etc. This is
because the business is easy to start and it requires a small capital.
Our nationwide seminars are initiated to drive investments in
agriculture, skills and develop a robust economic base that can
withstand the shock that will come after oil.
For people who want to start their own
businesses, I will advise them to try raising guinea fowls for a steady
income. Given the state of the economy, guinea fowl farming is one of
the most lucrative ventures for small scale
farmers. Guinea fowl is a valuable genetic resource for evolving a low
input-grain saving poultry alternative for production in the developing world. Today’s farmers should embrace creative subsistence farming to meet the food needs of the family and even to augment income.
At Jovana Farms, we are looking inwards
and focusing on the neglected, but vital sources of animal protein for
household diet and employment generation. Therefore, our nationwide
agro-seminars are intended to provide useful information
on the various aspects of animal production, create awareness and thus
motivate Nigerian farmers, investors, job seekers, retirees, students to
get involved in animal farming for profits.
Many people have never seen a guinea
fowl, not talk of hearing of the fowl. Guinea fowls are galliformes, a
group encompassing all chicken-like birds. Native to Africa, they are
known for travelling in large, gregarious flocks. There are seven
species of guinea fowl, of which the helmeted pearl is by far the most
common. Others are the white and the lavender, etc.
Guinea fowls are raised mainly for their
tasty meat and eggs. The meat has a taste similar to other game birds
and has many nutritional qualities that make it a worthwhile addition to
the diet. The meat is lean, dry and rich in essential fatty acids.
The meat has a high yield of 80 per cent after processing with
excellent meat to bone ratio. Many people don’t know that it is more
profitable to raise guinea fowl than chicken.
The business
Chicken and turkey farmers keep guinea
fowls to ward off poultry-eating predators. Ranchers turn them loose to
discourage rattlers and copperheads. Rural dwellers like the way they
gobble down diseases-carrying ticks. Orchardists use them to drive off
marauding birds. Farmers put them to work patrolling for row crop pests. Guinea fowls perform these functions without damaging crops because they much prefer insects, weeds and seeds.
Guinea fowl farming can start with a
unit normally called a foundation stock, which is sold for N25,000
depending on the specie. A unit comprises two males and eight females.
It may interest you to know that you could get fast-growing species of
guinea fowls and other animals, including large quantities of geese and
quail eggs from our farm.
Rearing systems
Three methods of rearing guinea fowls
are free-range, semi free-range and intensive systems. When kept
intensively, low light intensity should be used to reduce possible
flightiness.
Guinea fowls are difficult to confine in
open yards unless their wings are pinioned or one wing is clipped. In
their wild state, guinea fowls mate in pairs. This tendency prevails
also among domesticated guineas if males and females in the flock are
equal in number. They are hardy birds; therefore, they do not suffer
from many diseases as compared to chickens.
Feeding
Those who believe in the virtue of hard
work are advised to try raising guinea fowls. A good commercial chicken
or turkey mash will give satisfactory results, with birds either on free range
or in confinement. In the wild arena, the guinea fowl eats a variety of
foods but most important are weed seeds and waste grains, which fall to
the ground after the harvesting of crops. Some common guinea fowl diets
include: fruits, berries, seeds, grass, insects, worms, molluscs and
frogs. They have gained popularity for use in reducing insects’
population in gardens, snail farms and around the home.
Reproduction
The guinea fowl can begin to lay eggs as
young as 16 -17 weeks old and can lay up to 120 eggs or more in a year.
In tropical Africa, laying only occurs during the rainy season and a
few weeks that follow. A clutch size of 12-15 eggs is common. A guinea
fowl’s egg is smaller than that of hens, and on the average, weighs 40g
and has very hard shells, which are difficult to test for fertility by
candling. Incubation period is 26-28 days.
To get any further information on how to strat-up these business or any poultry business please fell free to subscribe as my follower by e-mail and get instant videos and E-books sent to you on how to be very successful in these business or you can write a comment stating your details and I will contact you...
Money is an Idea and not the amount in your pocket....
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