livestock farming business ideas and opportunities

Livestock Business Ideas - Having farmed is a dream for every person who likes farming. This is business are that can be develop an earning big money. But almost of them, they don't know how to start this farm business. Farm business ideas are indispensable to create and develop this business area. However, an idea of a creator in business is greatly influence the farm business in the future whether to stop and did not work or will be a new breakthrough in the world of the farm business. Farm business idea is a little and not everyone glance. So this is a big gap to enter the business world, especially in the farm business.
 Are you interested in starting an animal farming business? Do you want to know the best livestock farming business ideas and opportunities? Then read on because this article is for you. Livestock Business Ideas - Having farmed is a dream for every person who likes farming. This is business are that can be develop an earning big money. But almost of them, they don't know how to start this farm business. Farm business ideas are indispensable to create and develop this business area. However, an idea of a creator in business is greatly influence the farm business in the future whether to stop and did not work or will be a new breakthrough in the world of the farm business. Farm business idea is a little and not everyone glance. So this is a big gap to enter the business world, especially in the farm business. So today, we will be focusing on a section of that industry and this section is livestock farming. Now what is livestock farming? Livestock farming or animal husbandry is simply the process of breeding animals for consumption purpose. But in this article, we will be looking at the profit or business side of livestock farming. It is a known fact that as long as humans exist, there will always be need for food and the two major sources of food for mankind are crops and animals. Now livestock farming is one of the most profitable businesses in the agriculture or agro-allied industry. But most people shy away from this business because it is capital and labour intensive. However, if you are interested in rearing animals for profits, then below are some livestock you can breed and make money from their sales.

Ostrich Farming

Ostrich farming – How this amazing business makes millions

Why should anyone be interested in starting an ostrich farm and how can you make money from it?

As we mentioned earlier, ostrich meat is by far the healthiest alternative to our traditional meat. It has lower fat, calories and cholesterol than beef, chicken, turkey pork and fish! In contrast to chicken and turkey (which are classified as ‘white meat’), ostrich meat is a "red meat" similar in colour and taste to beef. A huge portion of all the meat from an ostrich comes from the leg, thigh, and back. Because ostrich meat is very lean, they are fast becoming a favourite with people who want to live healthy but still love read meat. Ostriches give these people the best of both worlds!As expected, the ostrich lays the largest egg by any bird in the world! An ostrich egg is roughly the size of a football and can weigh almost 2 kilograms (approx. 1 pound). A mature female ostrich can lay up to 40 of these eggs in a single year!

How to start an ostrich farm – A couple of things you should know

Putting it all together

Although many people are unaware, ostriches produce more meat than cattle and contain the least fat, calories and cholesterol of all meats (beef, chicken, pork, lamb and turkey). Because they are not as common as other meats, ostrich produce fetches a very high and handsome price. In a world that is more than likely to switch to low-calorie and healthier meats in the near future.

Apart from a few farms in South Africa, North America, Europe and Asia, ostriches are probably the least farmed birds in the world. This is quite shocking given the amazing features of the ostrich that make it such a lucrative agricultural venture.

Ostriches allow the farmer to make higher and quicker returns on investment. In recent years, a number of European and American beef producers have converted to ostrich farming because of its amazing profitability. Some serious comparison here would be great.

 A typical cow produces one calf every year. This calf will be ready for market in two years and produce about 250kg of beef at slaughter. An ostrich produces up to 40 eggs every year and these chicks usually reach market size in about 14 months yielding meat that weighs up to 1,800 kilograms! In addition to meat, a single ostrich (including its offspring) can produce up to 50 square metres of leather and 36 kilograms of feather… in just one year!

If properly managed, a single female ostrich can produce up to 72,000 kilograms of meat, 2,000 square meters of leather and 2,000 kilograms of feathers during her economic (productive) lifetime.Compared to other traditional farm animals (cattle, goats, pigs, fish, chicken and turkey), ostriches are quite easy to raise and most ostrich farm projects turn out to be very successful. The most important period in the life of every ostrich is the first 3 to 5 months of its life when a good and balanced diet containing the sufficient quantities of important nutrients are required.

 The market for ostrich products

One of the reasons why ostrich farming is so profitable is because of the number of valuables an ostrich has on offer and very little ever goes to waste. Ostrich eggs, meat, hide (leather) and feather are very highly priced and command high prices on the local and international markets.

Meat 

According to the Maasai Ostrich Farm in Kenya, ‘a well-fed eight to ten month-old juvenile ostrich produces 45-50 kg of meat on-the-bone and sells for US$12 per kg. Steak fetches around US$24/kg, and US$28 for fillet.’ 

Type of Meat	Protein (%)	Fat (Grams)	Calories (KCal)	Iron (mg)	Cholesterol (mg)
Ostrich	26.9	3.0	142	3.2	81
Beef*	28.1	10.5	209	3.0	83
Veal*	33.9	9.4	225	1.2	124
Pork*	29.3	15.2	256	1.1	91
Chicken	28.9	7.4	190	1.2	89
Turkey	29.36	5.0	170	1.8	76
Lamb*	30.4	9.4	215	1.2	95

 Leather 

Compared to cattle (which yields less than 3 square metres of leather a year, an average ostrich (offspring included) will average about 50 square metres of leather. That’s more than ten times the return in a single year! Ostrich skin (hide), with its characteristic and distinctive ‘goose bump’ look is a very high-quality, thick, soft and extremely durable leather product that fetches one of the highest prices in fashion shops and boutiques. A lot of fashion enthusiasts consider ostrich leather to be very luxurious and equal to (if not better than) snake or crocodile leather.Ostrich leather is currently used by many major fashion houses including Hermès, Prada, Gucci, and Louis Vuitton. The leather is used for a wide variety of products including jackets, bags, shoes, purses, caps, wallets and belts.

Ostrich leather products… (photo credit: pierotucci.com; thatshop4you.com and selectism.com)

Feathers

The best feathers come from ostriches bred in the dry and semi-dry regions of the world such as Africa and the Middle East. As a result, the quality of feathers produced from ostriches raised in Europe and North America differs in many respects from those produced in Africa.Ostrich feathers are used to make feather dusters for cleaning fine machinery and equipment as well as for decorations, furniture stuffing and in the fashion industry. It also has wide application in creative arts and has proved to be a very versatile and popular material.

Eggs and Livestock

As the size of the international market for ostrich grows, the demand for live exports is also on the rise, with markets as far afield as France, Holland, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates (UAE), South Africa and China.We’ve looked at the economic and business potential of ostrich farming, it’s now time to look at some of the things you need to successfully start your own ostrich farm. This is by no means a full business plan. You should see this as a checklist that helps you organize your thoughts while you’re considering this business.

Registration – It’s always good to make sure that you are  licensed to operate an ostrich farm in your area. Registration used to be overlooked before the bird flu epidemic. Nowadays, operators of bird farms (poultry) are required to be registered and licensed with a government agency. You should double check and make sure you don’t run afoul of any laws or regulations.

Breeding – It’s usually advised to start with a breed stock of 1 male and 2 – 4 females. Depending on your location, a mature breeder (male or female) could cost from as low as $800 up to $5,000. Ostriches are very fertile and can lay up to 40 eggs throughout the year. However, a female ostrich stops laying eggs if she has to incubate them. For all-year round production, eggs must be moved to a machine incubator on the facility. In many areas, ostrich chicks may suffer high mortality.

Space, equipment and facilities –

Well, if we haven’t told you yet, you should know that ostriches than grow to be 9 feet tall and can reach speeds of 70 miles per hour. Yes, these guys can run! They need a lot of space and the geography doesn’t matter. Ostriches thrive very well in all climes including deserts, grassland, forest regions and swamps.You may be unable to successfully breed these guys in small and confined spaces. They typically need a lot of space to thrive. A family of four birds would need up to ½ an acre of space for optimal results. Ostriches also drink a lot of water so a nearby and steady source of clean water would be a great idea.

Feeding - Ostriches are very adaptable birds and can survive on quite a wide variety of foods. Ostriches in the wild feed on insects, rodents (rats and mice) and even grass! But if you’re raising them for profit, it makes a whole lot of sense to provide good quality, balanced and nutritious poultry diets so they can grow well and fetch a handsome market price!

Putting it all together

Ostrich farming has been aptly called a ‘business of the future.’ From the current market economics, the benefits from this venture clearly trumps other traditional livestock (including cattle, chicken, pigs and turkey). Although the start-up costs are higher than other types of livestock, its payout can be huge.If you have any experience in this area or know a little more about it, we’re sure a lot of people reading this would love to learn from you. Please leave a comment in the section below or share this opportunity with a friend.To your financial success!

Cattle farming

 is potentially appealing to people who have the necessary land and resources to make it pay. Whether you’re planning on setting up an operation for
 * Beef cattle farming, * Organic cattle farming, * Dairy cattle farming,  
The industry of cattle farming is becoming progressively fashionable and lucrative. Cattle can be raised on land, which has few other uses, such as areas of land, which are unsuitable for any other crop except grass. There are a number of elements to look at and these include calving, inoculation and breeding. For many people cattle farming is an activity which requires less labor input than most farming activities and its is important to look at your specific objectives when setting out along the path of farming cattle, since there are a number of different ways of farming cattle for net income.
For example you could keep a low number of high quality cows and specialize in raising calves from this basic stock. Plainly such an endeavor also requires the services of a good herd bull unless you plan to utilize artificial insemination.
Another potential method of earning good money from cattle farming is to purchase good quality new born calves and then feed them on until they reach over 400 pounds in weight. This type of activity in general takes more labor to make it a winner but the pecuniary rewards can be high. Alternatively the feeding can continue until the calves weigh considerably more and therefore make them more attractive to the beef wholesalers or even to consumers directly.
The purchase of acceptable herd stock is of supreme importance and generally the size and quality of animal is more significant than the actual breed of cattle used. Cattle with abnormal fat are best avoided since they are likely to gain weight slowly, particularly in the first couple of months. Check prospective purchasers cautiously, good cattle should be alert, bright eyed and move around normally. Exceptions to this should be regarded with a degree of mistrust. Similarly, and much like humans, small framed cattle will generally end up as relatively light in weight and those with heavier frames will tend towards the heavier weights. It’s usually best to purchase cattle that are regular in frame since widely diverse frame sizes tend to need different feeding programs, which in turn requires more work.
Many cattle farmers have now seen the rewards of selling directly to consumers but if you plan to do this then it is important to consider having a sturdy business plan with specific aims in mind. Wherever practicable have a specific location for selling since it is generally easier and cheaper to transport live animals for a relatively short distance than a packaged and refrigerated product. As with most endeavors, your merchandise should be well branded and your facilities clean and in good repair.

* Beef cattle farming,
Beef cattle farmers are responsible for the daily care and management of cattle raised for beef production.
The duties of a beef farmer may include feeding, administering medication, maintaining facilities, monitoring the herd for signs of illness, assisting with calving, performing artificial insemination, and managing waste. They also may be responsible for marketing their animals, transporting sales stock, baling hay or harvesting other forage for use as feed, maintaining farm equipment, and maintaining facilities.
Beef cattle farmers work in with large animal veterinarians to maintain the health of their cattle through vaccination and medication protocols. They may also rely on advice from animal nutritionists and livestock to create balanced rations for their herd.
Beef cattle farmers may also benefit from having personnel management experience, as most commercial farms have employees to manage and direct. Even smaller family cow-calf operations may hire outside help when needed. Farm managers must be able to schedule employee shifts, address employee concerns, and oversee the day-to-day activities on the farm.
As is the case with many livestock careers, a beef cattle farmer may work long hours. It is not uncommon for cattle farmers to work weekend, evening, or holiday shifts. The work many involve working in extreme temperatures and varying weather conditions. It is also important that cattle farmers take precautions when working with these large and potentially dangerous animals.

Career Options
Beef cattle farmers may operate as commercial feedlot beef producers or as cow-calf operations. Feedlot producers are involved with raising beef cattle to market weight and usually purchase their cattle as weanlings instead of breeding their own stock. Cow-calf operations breed and raise their own cattle, often for resale at weaning age to commercial stockyards or feed lots.
* Organic cattle farming,
Organic production practices are just one of the many options available to livestock producers to grow and market quality livestock and wholesome end products.  Organic livestock management practices offer unique rewards and challenges to the livestock producer regardless of the animal species produced.  Organic livestock production often necessitates the integration of animal-pasture-crop production to be successfully.  There are a number of considerations that need to be addressed to successful produce certified organic livestock and products.


For Further Enquairy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_breeds_of_cattle#List_of_cattle_breeds

Goat Farming

Goat farming is not a new enterprise. Rearing goats is a profitable business. Goat has been rearing since the time immemorial. Generally goat farming means rearing goat for the purpose of harvesting milk, meat and fiber. At present, Goat farming has become a profitable business with a low investment because of its multi functional utility. It keeps a great contribution to the economy and nutrition of landless.

Benefits of goat farming:
There are some benefits of rearing goats with other household animals. The main benefits of rearing goats are described bellow.

· To start this business, needs low initial invest.
· Because of small body size no need huge area for goat housing.
· Usually goats are friendly with nature.
· Goats are plentiful breeders and reach sexual maturity at the age of 10-12 month and give birth kids within
   a short time.
· There is less risk of goat farming in drought prone area than any other livestock farming.
· Both male and female goats have equal value.
· No religious forbidden against goat farming and meat consumption.
· Goat meat is cholesterol free.
· Goat milk is used to made various food and easy to digest than cow milk.
· Goat farming creates a potential way of employment for unemployed people.

In short, goat farming is a traditional, profitable, risk less and more benefited business because of its multifaceted utility. It also can be used as a tool of poverty reduction and play vital role in economic growth of a country, though some risks go with this business.

Goat Feed:
Goat is not a carnivorous. They don’t eat other animals. Usually goats prefer to eat grasses, plants, shrubs, weeds and herbs. Besides these feeds, goat also needs energy, portion, vitamins, fiber and water to make better from this business.

For Further Inquairy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_goat_breeds

Sheep Farming

A sheep business can be a very profitable venture especially if you raise a lot of them however starting it may tend to be very slow. For an entrepreneur to succeed in such a venture a lot of patience is needed as well as understanding the cycles of your business for harvest time is a different season from planting.

In most agricultural enterprises, profit margins are slim and profitability varies from year to year, as supply and demand vacillate and input costs rise (and rarely fall). Sheep production is no different than any other agricultural enterprise. It is not a "get rich quick" scheme. It requires good animal husbandry and business management skills to be successful and generate a return to land, labor, and management.

Business planning
In most agricultural enterprises, profit margins are slim and profitability varies from year to year, as supply and demand vacillate and input costs rise (and rarely fall). Sheep production is no different than any other agricultural enterprise. It is not a "get rich quick" scheme. It requires good animal husbandry and business management skills to be successful and generate a return to land, labor, and management.


Financial success usually begins with business planning. A business plan is a "road map." It allows you to plan your business before spending any money. It increases your chances of success and helps avoid costly mistakes. Business planning is considered essential to the success for both new and established enterprises.

While the formats and components of business plans vary, most plans include an executive summary, business description, production plan, marketing plan, and financial plan. Not all plans include all of the same components. Business planning will be more complicated for value-added enterprises versus production-only enterprises.
Every state has Small Business Development Centers and Cooperative Extension Offices that can assist agricultural producers with business planning. Many county governments now have someone in the Economic Development Office that specializes in agriculture.

 Percent lamb crop

Percent lamb crop is usually defined as the number of quality lambs marketed per ewe exposed for breeding. While there are some additional costs associated with producing a higher percentage lamb crop (e.g. lamb finishing costs), for the most part extra lambs mean extra profit. It costs the same amount of money to maintain a ewe no matter how many lambs she produces. Overhead or fixed costs are reduced when productivity is higher.
The optimal lamb crop varies by geographic location and production system. In situations where feed costs and overhead are very low and wool still comprises a significant portion of the income, a hundred percent lamb crop may be profitable. These situations are getting fewer and far between.

Most sheep producers, a 200 percent lamb crop is an appropriate and reachable goal. Most breeds of sheep are capable of producing a 200 percent lamb crop if they are fed and managed properly.
In situations where land and production costs are higher, lamb crops in excess of 200 percent should be the goal. To achieve such a lofty goal, accelerated lambing programs or prolific genetics are usually required. However, beginning shepherds should not start with prolific breeds or attempt to lamb ewes at frequent intervals.
There are various strategies for increasing lambing percentage. Not all strategies will apply to all farms. The number of lambs that a ewe gives birth to varies by her age, genetics, body condition, nutrition, and season. Ewes reach their peak productivity between the ages of 3 and 6. Maintaining too young of a flock will reduce lambing percentage. Fertility is usually highest in the fall months. Ewes bred to lamb in the spring (March-April) will usually give birth to more lambs than those bred to lamb in the winter or fall.

While the heritability of reproductive rate is only 10 percent, selection will increase lambing percentage. The birth type of the individual lamb is less important than the lamb's family history. It is especially important to select rams from multiple births. Rams with large testicles are also desirable for breeding, as scrotal circumference has been linked to reproductive rate in female progeny.
Nutrition exerts a large effect on reproductive performance. Ewes that are in better body condition will usually ovulate more eggs. Flushing may increase the ovulation rates of ewes in sub-optimal body condition. Flushing is when the nutrition is increased prior to and during the early part of the breeding season. Supplementing ewes with 1/2 to 1 lb. of grain usually accomplish it. Ewes that are already in good body condition usually do not respond to flushing.

For Further inquiry
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sheep_breeds

Worldwide Livestock Firm

In this section I provide the data for your conveyance where you can get help

Breeding

http://www.hendrix-genetics.com/en/
http://www.britishlivestockgenetics.com/
http://www.wageningenur.nl/en.htm
http://www.livestockbreedingservices.com.au/index.htm
http://beef.unl.edu/home
http://www.altafandco.com (For Pakistan)
http://www.pggwrightson.co.nz
https://www.nationallivestock.com/index.php


Livestock Feed / Nutrition and Health

http://www.alltech.com/home
http://www.cargill.com/feed/index.jsp
http://www.maxim-intl.com/
http://www.hitechgroup.pk/index.php (For Pakistan)

Poultry Farming

Poultry farming is a viable business anytime any day; and to be sincere with you, it’s a business I have been considering for some time now. Below are reasons why I consider poultry farming a profitable business?
There are a lot of factors that make poultry farming business a profitable one but I will be highlighting only three major factors:
1. Food is one of the basic needs of man. Regardless of the economic situation, human beings must feed and since domestic birds are consumable; that makes poultry farming feasible.
2. My country Nigeria for instance has a population of over 150million and growing; bear it in mind that a huge population means a huge demand for food (egg and meat).
3. With the increased awareness on the health implications of red meat; there’s an increased demand for white meat and birds are a source of white meat.
But before I go into the details of starting a poultry farming business, I want to emphatically state that the information provided in this article does not in any way replace the need for you to conduct a feasibility study, write a poultry business plan and do your own due diligence. Secondly, the information shared in this article is applicable to any locality; be it USA, Canada, UK, Nigeria, Ghana, etc. Without wasting your time, below is a step by step guide on how to start your own poultry farming business.
                How to start your own Poultry Farming Business Plan
1.            Select your Poultry Niche
The poultry industry is a broad niche. There are many sub-sectors in the poultry industry which you can tap into. Below are niches in the poultry business:
1. Egg production (Layers breeding)
2. Meat production (Broilers breeding)
3. Chicken breeding (Hatchery)
4. Poultry feed production
5. Poultry equipment manufacturing
6. Egg and meat processing, packaging and marketing
2.            What type of bird will you be focusing on?
Poultry farming can further be classified into the types of birds:
1. Domestic fowl (Broilers and layers)
2. Turkey
3. Guinea fowl
4. Pigeon
5. Duck
6. Goose
But for this article, I will be focusing on poultry breeding for egg and meat purposes with respect to the domestic fowl.
3.            Start-up Capital Investment
The poultry farming business is capital intensive; depending on the scale, location of your farm and the type of management technology used. A small scale poultry farm being run behind your house may require a capital of between $500 – $1,500. A medium scale poultry farm may require $2,000 – $5,000 and a large scale poultry farm may require a start-up capital of $10,000 and above. Like I stated earlier, scale is directly proportional to capital.
4.            Poultry Location
A good location is vital to the success and profitability of your poultry farm. An ideal poultry farm should be sited where there’s a large availability of cheap land and at the same time; should be close to areas with high population density. It’s not advisable to site your poultry farm within a residential area because of the offensive odour it produces.
5.            Housing your birds
There are three methods you can employ with respect to housing your birds. They are:
1. Extensive system:    Range and fold unit
2. Semi Intensive system:  Standard semi intensive unit and straw yard
3. Intensive system:    i.   Deep litter,     ii.   Wire and slated floor,     iii.  Straw yard,      iv. Battery cage.
If you are running a poultry farm for commercial purposes and you intend getting the best out of the business; with respect to high birds’ productivity and efficiency. Then you should consider housing your birds using the intensive system. Note that each of the three housing system has its own advantages and disadvantages. Lastly, your poultry housing structure should be built at a particular angle; taking sunlight and wind into consideration.
6.            Poultry equipment and appliances
The following equipment may be needed for your poultry farm:
1. Feeders
2. Drinkers
3. Perches
4. Nests
5. Crates
6. Lighting system
7. Waste disposal system
8. Incubator
7.            Poultry Farm staffing and manpower
Operating a poultry farm is not labor intensive if the use of technology is employed. With respect to staffing, the number of manpower needed is also dependent on the size of your farm. But some must haves should be admin officer or manager; who will oversee the day to day running of your business. Your manager can also double as your accountant to cut down cost. It is advisable you have personnel who will reside permanently in the farm to monitor and see to the well being of your birds. You will also need security personnel that will monitor the inflow and outflow of people around your farm; and most importantly, guard against theft. Aside these few mentioned, you can add more personnel to suit your business needs.
8.            Projected return on investment
The incubation period of the domestic fowl is 21 days. You can start selling off your birds as early as 8 – 12 weeks but full maturity is reached between 20 – 24 weeks. The payback period of a poultry farming business is between 3 – 5 years.
                Five Challenges of Starting a Poultry Farming Business
§ High start-up capital
§ Longer pay back period
§ Outbreak of diseases
§ Labor intensive
§ Pests and predators

Pet Birds Farming

Pet Birds Farming
Farming is productivity oriented animal stewardship. The product from this investment and effort is what maintains the farm. Without production, the farm experiences numerous difficulties. Severe or continuous hardship will ultimately threaten the existence of the farm. Productivity, therefore, has the significant role of maintaining the life of the farm unit.

Aviary design
The closed aviary should have its own anatomy, similar to the birds that live within it. Each aviary, if it is to be conceptually closed, must have designated areas for quarantine, breeding, nursery, and isolation. Each designated area should have a distinct and separate location in the entire breeding operation. The attending veterinarian as well as the aviculturalist must have these areas well understood and properly conceptualized. It is the rules regarding traffic flow between these areas that allows for managerial control and improved preventative management efforts. Without these areas clearly understood, progressive management is at best difficult and sporadic.

Breeding aviary
The breeding aviary is the designated area where the adult breeding birds are housed and maintained. In the conceptually closed aviary, the breeding area is the area with the lowest human and bird traffic flow. Focus is maintained on productivity management within the breeding aviary, and reproductive success is generally the desired product.
The breeding aviary may be at a separate location, placed in a separate building, or located in a separate room within the house. Multiple designated breeding areas may be present or desirable within a single facility.

Isolation
Isolation is the designated area where birds that have already been admitted to the collection through quarantine or on-site hatching are housed if they become ill or no longer meet the criteria that were required for admission to the breeding aviary or nursery. Adult birds from the breeding facility and chicks from the nursery should each have a separate isolation area. The isolation area includes the 'hospital' area by definition.
Adult birds or chicks that have been transferred to their respective isolation areas are deemed fit to return to the breeding aviary or nursery by meeting uniform entry requirements. This type of protocol allows for protection of the uniformity of the breeding collection, as well as protection from potential introduction of infectious disease.

Nursery
The nursery is the location where the young are hand fed and raised. These young represent the productivity of the breeding aviary as well as the primary desired product of the breeding facility. Young antiracial birds such as macaws are environmentally and immunologically more vulnerable to lapses in management protocol and infectious disease. As such, attention to detail in nursery management tech unique and traffic flow control is important to minimize stress and reduce the risk of infectious disease introduction and transmission within the nursery.Any breeding facility that does not have a clearly designated nursery area cannot hope to protect its young from infectious disease and outside stressors. Increased mortality and decreased productivity from the nursery is usually experienced in nurseries with poor conceptually closed design or nursery management techniques

Summary
The closed aviary concept offers both the aviculturalist and the veterinarian an foundation to build on. In a conceptually closed facility, there is consistently adequate thought applied towards traffic control. Therefore, risk of infectious disease as well as other disruptive factors should be significantly reduced. Standardized medical and aviculture knowledge about breeder populations within the closed facility allows for more potential success in population management protocols. The specific management protocols recommended and structural design of each component of the closed aviary will vary significantly between facilities depending on the numerous outside variables. Consistent application of closed facility concepts, however, should always remain constant.

For Further inquiry
http://www.all-pet-birds.com/types-of-pet-birds.html

Fish Farming

Types of Fish Farming
Fish farming can be broken down into two basic categories. With extensive fish farming, fish are held in nets or cages in their native habitat, such as lakes, rivers or oceans. Intensive fish farming refers to the containment of fish in ponds or tanks, where the fish farmer provides nearly all of their nutrition.

Feeding the Fish

Fish farming techniques for feeding fish depend on the species of fish being raised. Some fish require vegetation; some require zooplankton and others will only eat smaller fish. In a polyculture operation, where multiple species of aquatic life are raised in the same body of water, a balance must be found that will prevent one species, or one type of food, from overtaking the growing environment.

Monitoring Water Quality
With intensive fish farming, the body of water is a closed ecosystem. If a virus or chemical imbalance occurs, it can spread quickly to the entire system. Fish farming techniques must be used to keep runoff from effecting the water, to insure that harmful chemicals cannot enter the system and that diseases are prevented or held in check. Electronic devices are available that perform constant checks for variations in water quality, oxygen levels and temperature. Some devices will notify the fish farmer if test results fall out of an acceptable range.

Monitoring Oxygen Levels

Different species of fish require different oxygen levels. Farmers use a variety of methods to replenish depleted oxygen in the water such as bubblers, paddle wheels, forced air and oxygen tablets. Weather events or biological conditions in a pond or tank can quickly alter oxygen levels. Fish farmers must react quickly or the entire season's crop can be lost in a matter of hours.


Closed Loop Systems

With a "closed loop" system, fish are generally raised in tanks and the water is circulated through the system using pumps. The functions of the individual components of a closed loop system may vary, depending on how much room, time and money the fish farmer wants to dedicate to the operation. Basically, a closed loop system will provide separate tanks for raising fish, cleaning debris from the water, replenishing oxygen and converting harmful chemicals from waste into beneficial biological organisms. A closed loop system is more expensive to set up and maintain, but fish density may be increased to provide a higher yield to the fish farmer.

Rice Fish Farming

Rice fish farming may add income to every household, contribute to nutrition and food security as well as contribute to enhanced rice production sustainability.

In general two production methods have been advised for fish culturing in the rice fields: concurrent and simultaneous scheme, and rotational and alternate method.

Rice fish farming is a technique good for rice and fish as well. Hidden safely from birds and other predators, this fish grow in the thick rice plants, at the same time provide fertilizer with their compost, eat insect and pests that is risky for rice plants as well aid the rice field in circulating the oxygen. Rice and fish farming can increase rice production by 10% in addition they have extra source of food necessity.

Construction

To start with, practical actions is essential for a farmer to know a appropriate site: you need to find a place which is not flood prone to prevent your rice fish farming from washed out. Create a dyke about 60 cm high about the field outskirts. This is a double purpose method, to keep your fish in the field as well as allow vegetable nurturing about the rice field. Digging a channel is the next step; this is to provide fish a sanctuary during dry season.

Stocking and Planting

The rice plants by the planter are in rows, which are about 35 cm away from each other, and then fill 50 percent of the channel with water. And water is sanitized using a small amount of lime plus a little amount of organic fertilizer. Once the rice begins to grow, the amount of water across the rice field is augmented to 12 up to 15 cm, and fingerlings or small fish are free into the channel. The moment they have acclimatized to the water, the planters release the fish into the rice field and increase the water level. The fish aid the rice grows by giving organic fertilizer, circulating oxygen as well as eating insect that is risky to your plants; this allows the farmers to save additional money in purchasing fertilizer.

Harvesting

You need to wait 4 to 5 months prior to harvest; the planter will harvest first the rice, and then the fish through draining the water in the rice field. This makes it easier for them to catch the fish. In places wherein Practical Action has assisted person to build rice fish farming, planters have stated a 10 percent improve in rice production and fish for their meals.

Advantages

Some of the advantages provided by rice fish farming include, additional income and food in the type of fish, insects and mollusks that are damaging to rice, it reduced danger of rice failure that leads from fish and rice integration, continued flooding and rooting activity as well as fish helps to stir up the nutrients of the soil that makes them more accessible for rice. This improves the production of rice.