Most farmers are skeptical of such activities as raising wild birds. However, the demand for such products is increasing every day. Therefore, partridge breeding is considered a profitable business. The main thing is to know all the subtleties.
Business benefits
Partridge farming as a business has several key benefits. Firstly, this bird is not demanding to care for. There is no need to create special conditions for keeping partridges. In addition, the wild bird is unpretentious to the diet.
If you wish, you can sell not only partridge meat, but also eggs. Such products are always in demand. And another advantage of this kind of activity is a small number of competitors.
Features of business registration
Partridge breeding at home, like any entrepreneurial activity, must be registered. Of course, practically everyone can start a business. It is enough to have the financial means to buy or to rent a land plot, as well as to build a small farm.
However, for starters, it is worth registering yourself as an individual entrepreneur. Especially if in the future large-scale breeding of wild birds is planned. As for the direction of activity, it is necessary to select "breeding poultry" during registration. After receiving the taxpayer number and all relevant documents, you can proceed with the construction of the complex and the purchase of young partridges.
Opportunistic Risks
A business such as partridge farming has several significant drawbacks. Among them:
- Exposure of birds to infectious diseases. Partridges have weak immunity. Therefore, experts recommend enriching their diet with vitamins and minerals.
- Partridges develop quite quickly. Females lose their ability to lay eggs after 9 months.
- Partridges are quite impressionable birds. Females may lose their ability to lay eggs for about two weeks in stressful situations. This can occur when changing feed, loud noise, and so on.
- To do business, you need a conclusion and additional certificates from the veterinary service.
Before starting an entrepreneurial activity in this direction, it is worth carefully weighing the solution and correctly assessing all the advantages and disadvantages of such a business.
Room requirements
Breeding and keeping partridges at home does not cause much difficulty. After registering the IP, it is worth starting the selection of farm buildings. The poultry room must be warm. It should not have drafts. As for the litter, it should always be clean and dry. Near the corral should be equipped with a small area for walking partridges.
The room itself should be large enough. Many experts claim that one partridge requires one square meter of free space. Do not grow a wild bird in a cage. This method is relevant only for small chicks.
If the room is small, then up to three partridges per square meter are allowed. It is also worth considering that such a wild bird has its own characteristics. When there is a period of hatching eggs and raising chicks, partridges live in pairs.
Aviary or cage?
Some entrepreneurs are breeding poultry in aviaries. This method has its own characteristics.The enclosures should be tall grass. It is also worth considering that partridges prefer to hide in the shade. Therefore, it is necessary to plant several bushes inside the aviary. When choosing this method of cultivation, do not forget about birds of prey. Hawks and crows are dangerous to partridges.
Some farmers grow wild birds in small cages. This approach is justified if there is no large land plot. However, in such conditions, the wild bird does not feel very well, which affects the amount of production.
Breeding partridges at home for a novice farmer may seem like a time-consuming process. However, it is not. Growing partridges is much easier than chickens. The main thing is to have enough land.
Where to get a partridge
There are several ways to get partridges: buying or self-raising chicks, hunting. Everyone chooses a more acceptable method for themselves. The easiest way to get little chicks and thereby start breeding.
If there is a desire to grow a livestock from eggs, you will have to try. For the chicks to hatch, an incubator is required. In this case, you will need to constantly monitor the eggs and turn them over. It is worth considering that the chicks appear soon. It is much easier to get eggs with a brood hen, if finances allow.
Where to begin
Partridge farming is a profitable business, but not everyone can do it. For starters, just try and lay no more than 10 eggs. This will allow you to evaluate your strength and identify all kinds of difficulties that may arise in the process of growing wild birds. It will also allow you to calculate the profitability of the business.
It should be noted that approximately 60 eggs are laid during one season. This is a fairly high indicator of productivity. Over time, the stock can be increased.
How to breed chicks
In order to make partridge breeding profitable, it is necessary to constantly increase the number of birds. To save money, you can breed offspring yourself. For starters, you should buy eggs or two heterosexual individuals. To get the chicks, you must do the following:
- A small wicker basket must be covered with a layer of dry hay.
- Lay eggs on the litter. You need to place them with a blunt end down and so that they do not touch.
- The basket should be placed in a cool place, and put the hen in it.
- Eggs should be carefully turned over every two days for two weeks.
Chick Care
Chicks, as a rule, hatch after 25 days. Initially, they can be left with a mother hen, and after a while they can be planted. At this stage, proper nutrition is important for the chicks. Release them into the aviary right away is not worth it. This can be done only a month after the hatching of the chicks.
In the early days, it is worth feeding them boiled egg yolks from chicken eggs. Gradually, chopped greens, such as cabbage or dandelion, can be introduced into the diet. On the 5th day, chicks can begin to give crumbs of white bread, larvae of ants, as well as boiled meat. Feed twice a day. At the same time, the amount of feed must be increased as the chicks grow.
Adult bird feeding
How to establish a partridge breeding business at home? It is worthwhile to dwell on the choice of food for wild birds. The formation of the diet should be approached with particular responsibility. Many aspiring entrepreneurs make many mistakes. The first of them is feeding partridges with compound feed for chickens. This is not worth it, since birds have a completely different need for caloric intake. Partridges are unpretentious in terms of diet. Therefore, cereals are ideal as feed.
For the diet base, it is worth choosing a cake after thorough processing of wheat or oats. You can also add corn to the menu. It is also not recommended to subject the feed to heat treatment.The digestive system of partridges is designed to make it easier to digest raw grains. It is also important to monitor the amount of feed. Do not overfeed partridges or starve them.
According to calories, the diet of each individual in the warm period should be from 270 to 300 calories. In winter, the need for nutrients drops significantly. Calorie intake at this time should be no more than 90 calories.
What to fear
When breeding and keeping partridges, some problems may arise. The most dangerous for wild birds are infectious diseases. To exclude the risk of death of the entire livestock, it is worth keeping separately pets and partridges.
At the same time, they should be fed with fresh products. The diet of partridges must be enriched with vitamins and minerals. This will increase their immunity and protect against many diseases.
Estimated Costs
Breeding a partridge is a fairly profitable occupation. Especially for aspiring entrepreneurs. However, the start-up of such a business requires initial capital. The main costs include:
- construction of pens - from 30 thousand rubles;
- the first partridges - 5 pairs cost 10 thousand;
- purchase of feed and feed - depends on the number of livestock;
- salaries for assistants - from 15 thousand per month.
The amount of costs increases if the land is leased.
How much profit
Of course, this indicator interests first-time entrepreneurs in the first place. One female is able to lay from 50 to 60 eggs per season, and 5 females - from 250 to 300. For one piece, you can gain 15-20 rubles. Profit for eggs can be 3-5 thousand. However, it is much more profitable to sell partridge meat. This product is considered useful and is in demand. It is worth considering that in the first year to start selling meat will not work. This will be more beneficial after an increase in livestock.
The price of one kilogram of meat is 1 thousand rubles. Already in the second year it will be possible to make a profit of 100,000 or more. This figure will gradually increase.
In conclusion
Breeding partridges and selling their meat is not the most expensive type of activity. In addition, this niche is not yet occupied, and the business is considered promising. This guarantees a stable income. That allows you to return the invested funds in a short period of time. You can sell finished products through restaurants, specialty stores. But if you wish, you can open your own outlet.