Peacock Farming as Profitable Business
Peacock farming is not a new business idea. These birds are common and are being raised by the people from a very long time ago.
People raise various types of poultry birds for the purpose of producing meat, eggs, and also for their beauty. But peafowls are not raised for meat or eggs, rather they are raised for their beauty.
Peafowls are very useful to farmers and they help them by eating harmful insects, snakes etc. They are very helpful for nature.
 |
| How to start Peacock Farming for profit |
Raising various types of poultry birds is one of the best and lucrative business ventures. Peafowl production is also very profitable. But they are not used for meat or eggs. Mostly they are raised as pets, for their beauty and also for enhancing the beauty of a property.
Some people also raise peafowls as a hobby and for entertaining purpose. Raising peafowls is very pleasuring.
Peacock farming is just like raising other poultry birds such as chicken, ducks, geese, turkey, quail, swan etc. And raising them is very easy and simple.
Economic Importance of Peacock
The Indian and Burmese peacocks are considered as the most beautiful birds. Peacocks are very beautiful and their feathers attract almost all types of people.
Peafowls are good to watch. They are very entertaining, and it’s very pleasuring to monitor their activities. So, showing peacock can be a good business.
Generally, peafowls are not raised for their meat or eggs. But they are highly valued in the market. They are among the highly priced birds.
For this reason peacock farming is absolutely very profitable like pigeon, chicken, ducks and other poultry farming business.
Peacock features also have huge demand and value for decorating houses. A general person who has never seen any peacock yet, is also a fan of their feathers.
Peacock features have a great popularity internationally. Many luxurious shop sell peacock features, due to it’s high demand and popularity.
Commercial peacock farming is not too popular yet. Right now, you can see peacocks in a few farms and in the zoo. In India peacocks are highly available both in the wild and in commercial farms.
Peafowls are suitable for commercial raising both in the town and village areas. Contact with your nearest wild life service centers and learn whether commercial peacock farming is permitted in your area or not.
Features of Peacock
The peacock has iridescent blue-green or green colored plumage. Head, neck, van and throat protector is little blue colored. Both peacock and peahens have crest atop the head. Their legs are reddish.
Peacocks have very attractive tail and they use their beautiful tail for attracting the peahens. You can see ‘eyes’ on their tail, when they fan their tail. Peacocks dance raising their tail plumage to attract peahens, which is very impressive and mind blowing.
Peacocks always love to stay in a group. Usually you will see 1 peacock with 5 to 6 peahens in a group. In the wild peacock move over the ground for a short period, most of the time they stay upon the large trees.
Grains, insects, snakes, small fish, frogs, etc are their favorite food. Peahens lay about 3 to 5 eggs by making a small hole in the ground. The eggs are off white colored.
And it takes about 27 to 30 days for hatching their eggs. Average life expectancy of peafowl is around 35 years. They reach sexual maturity at their 3 to 4 years of age.
Advantages of Peacock Farming
Commercial production of peafowl has many benefits or advantages. Here we are trying to describe the top advantages of starting commercial peafowl farming business.
- The main benefit of peafowl farming is ‘it’s very pleasuring’. Peafowls are very beautiful birds and watching their activities is very mind refreshing.
- You will be able to start small scale peafowl production with little investment.
- Return of invest ratio is very high. You will be able to make good profits from your business.
- You can utilize your backyard and make some extras.
- Like other poultry birds, peafowls don’t require much caring and other management.
- Peafowls and their products have huge demand and value in the market.
- Commercial peafowl production can be a great employment source for the rural people. Especially for the unemployed educated young people.
How to Start Peafowl Farming
If you want to raise peafowl on your property, then you have to feed them nutritious foods and make a suitable environment for them.
Peafowls are omnivorous, their regular includes wheat, rice, vegetables, seeds, insects, snails etc. Papaya, melon and other fruits are also their favorite food.
Along with providing nutritious food, you have to supply sufficient amount of fresh and clean water daily.
Starting large scale peacock farming is relatively easy. Here we are trying to describe more information about starting commercial peafowl farming business.
Complete a Training
First of all, try to complete a training for raising and caring the peafowls. You can visit some existing farms and ask them for training. Having practical knowledge is very important.
Select a Good Location
This the very important part of starting a large scale peafowl production business. Selecting a good location is directly related to good production.
Although, you can use your backyard or existing land for starting this business.
Just ensure that electricity, water and good transportation system is available in your selected location. Because all these are very important for starting this business.
Select Good Breed
There are many peafowl breeds available around the world. Usually peafowls have three species and rest are the hybirds or crosses.
Some common peafowl breeds are Blue Indian, Black Shoulder, Bufford Bronze, Charcoal, Cameo, Green Peafowl (Java Green), Opal, Oaten, Spalding, Purple, White, Pied etc.
Among these breeds, Blue Indian are mostly raised peafowl. Most of the people like this breed mainly for their mild and timid nature.
Behavior
Peafowls do not bathe in water, like other pheasants. They clean themselves by vigorously rubbing their plumage in dust and dry soil. They love to have dust baths.
Indian blue peafowls are the mostly raised domestic species and very popular for their mild and timid nature. Green peafowls are aggressive in nature and they are less common as domestic bird.
Housing
In case of large scale peafowl farming, you have to ensure adequate housing and good environment. Usually 100 square feet space required for each bird. Adjust the housing space according to the length of peacock’s trains.
Generally peacock trains can be over 5 feet long. Their shed must have to be at least 8 feet tall. You can use chicken wire for the walls and roof. Provide a wooden shelter similar to a small shed or barn.
You can bed this area with straw and keep a warming light inside. Provide large shed or barn, if you have nesting peahens. Use hanging dishes inside the shed for providing foods, and keep the water elevated so that you do not get droppings in it.
You will need to cover their pen, because peafowls are great flyers. Usually peafowl like to roost at night. You have to make suitable roosting place for them inside the house. Ensure well ventilation system.
Make the house suitable enough for preventing all types of predators, such as raccoon wild dogs or foxes.
Feeding
Peafowls are omnivorous. They eat almost everything whether any plant or animal matter. Wild figs, berries and nuts are favorite foods in season, but seeds, grain and leaves are staple items all year.
They also love to catch and eat mice, frogs, small snakes, various types of small mammals, various types of insects such as ants, grasshoppers, termites etc.
Peafowl don’t drink water frequently like other domestic poultry birds. Usually they drink water during their midday rest and while eating in late afternoon. They drink again just before going to roost.
You can also feed your peafowl a wide range of crops and fruits such as bananas, chilly, groundnut, paddy, tomato etc. If you have any pea chicks, you can feed them turkey starter feed, boiled chicken eggs etc.
Breeding
Usually peafowl’s breeding season starts with the monsoon. There are some advantages of mating during this season. Pea chicks benefit from the abundance of food resulting from the rains.
Peacocks show their trains and dance for attracting the peahens. Each peacock mate with 5 to 6 peahens in his group during this season.
After successful mating, peahens lay eggs. Usually it takes about 27 to 30 days to hatch their eggs.
Caring
Taking good care of your peafowls is very important for good growth and also good health of the birds. So, always try to take good care of your birds. Always try to keep good contact with a vet in your area.
Marketing
Peacock farming is well-spread throughout the world and it is considered as a very lucrative business. Most of the peacock farmer raise them for the purpose of producing their colorful feathers, and also for selling live birds to the fanciers.
Peacock feathers have a huge demand around the world, especially in the European countries. As far as we have learned, in some places price of a single feather ranges between 1 to 5 euros.
Although the price depend on the size. Peacocks change their plumage once a year and you can get about 150 to 200 feathers from and adult bird every year.
So if you want to start commercial peacock farming business, consider about marketing your products first. Because, if you can’t market your products well, then your venture will not be profitable.
These are the common steps and ways for starting and operating a successful peafowl farming business. Hope this guide has helped you!