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 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!