Do you want to start a peacock farm? If YES, here is a detailed guide on how to start a profitable peacock farming business with no money and no experience.
If you are interested in going into poultry farming business; a business that is green and very promising, then you should consider starting a peacock cum peafowl farming business. Peacock farming is perhaps one of the new and less competitive bird related farming businesses an entrepreneur can start, but that does not rule out the fact that it can sometimes be challenging.
In order to maximize profits with your peacock farming business, you have to learn the process of helping your peafowl with laying and hatching their eggs and then groom their young ones to maturity. If peacocks are well – groomed, they can participate in circus shows and similar games for animals.
Before launching this type of business, it will pay you carry out your due diligence as it relates to market research, economic and cost analysis and of course feasibility studies. If you get things right before launching your peacock farming business, then it will not take you long before you break-even and start smiling to the bank.
You can start your peacock farming business from a small town in the United States and if you are diligent, it won’t be too long before your business becomes a nationally recognized.
Steps to Starting a Peacock Farming Business
1. Understand the Industry
The agricultural industry of which poultry farming or better still peacock rearing is a subset of, is no doubt among the leading industries in most countries of the world; it is the industry that produces food for the populace and raw materials for industries.
Because of the significant role the agricultural sector plays, the government of most countries ensures that they subsidize seedlings, fertilizers, farming implements and machinery for farmers and also encourage entrepreneurs to go into various kind of farming including poultry rearing business.
There are several business opportunities available in the agricultural industry and one good thing about the industry is that there is market for all the produce from the industry.
Peacock farming is of course a thriving and profitable business because of the usefulness of the feather, the egg and even the whole peafowl. Actually a good percentage of peacock farmers raise them for the purpose of their colorful feathers.
Peacock or peafowl in general is a common name for three species of birds in the genera Pavo and Afropavo of the Phasianidae family, the pheasants and their allies. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female peafowl as peahens.
The two Asiatic species are the blue or Indian peafowl originally of the Indian subcontinent, and the green peafowl of Southeast Asia; the one African species is the Congo peafowl, native only to the Congo Basin.
Male peafowl are known for their piercing calls and their extravagant plumage. The latter is especially prominent in the Asiatic species, which have an eye-spotted “tail” or “train” of covert feathers, which they display as part of a courtship ritual.
In order to rear peacock cum peafowl on a commercial scale, you should construct a large pen surrounded with chicken wire, with a wooden shelter or hen house with a nesting area, complete with a warming light.
One thing is certain about peacock farming business, if you are able to conduct your market research and feasibility studies, you are more likely not going to struggle to sell your birds because there are loads of people who are interested in either making use of peacock feathers for artistic purpose or keeping peacocks as pets.
Some of the factors that encourage entrepreneurs to start their own peacock farming business is that the business is rapidly becoming a thriving and profitable business; you can actually start your own peacock farming business in your compound if you live in rural community/farming community. All you need to do is to purchase the first set of peacocks (peafowls), purchase their feed and then build your fence.
Despite the fact that poultry farming has been in existence since time immemorial, that does not in any way make the industry to be over saturated. The fact that there is always a ready market for meat makes the business ever green.
There are few barriers to entry into the peacock farming business. Usually, all inputs are readily available. In the nearest future, players in this industry may face the highest costs associated with accessing technology, especially in relation to genetic modification engineering in peacock breeding.
So also, intellectual property rights protecting new inventions and technology may mean that new entrepreneurs coming into the industry will need to pay license fees and this of course will cause an increase in startup capital for the peacock farming business.
2. Conduct Market Research and Feasibility Studies
- Demographics and Psychographics
The demographic and psychographic composition of those who purchase peacocks or make use of the products derived from peacocks is not restricted to a group of people. People of different races and cultures buy peacocks for various reasons hence the market for peacock farm produce is all encompassing.
So, if you are looking towards defining the demographics of your peacock farming business, then you should make it all encompassing. It should include;
- Artists who want to make use of peacock feathers (Peacocks change their plumage once a year and you can get about 150 to 200 feathers from and adult bird every year)
- Free range chicken farmers and other poultry farmers who want to use peacock to scare away snakes from their poultry (Peacocks are tough on snakes. A peafowl generally will not allow snakes live within their territory. If they find a snake, they will actively fight with it, even if it is a poisonous snake.)
- Families and organizations who want to keep peacocks as pets
- Retailers of peacocks eggs
3. Decide Which Niche to Concentrate On
It is important to state that there are no niche areas when it comes to peacock farming. Those that engage in peacock farming raise peacocks to generate colorful feathers for textile and the art industry, engage in mating peafowl and in some cases grooming peacocks to perform in circus shows or animal games.
The Level of Competition in the Industry
The level of competition in the peacock farming business to some extent depends on the location of the business and of course the capacity of your peacock farm. If you can successfully add feather processing and packaging to your peacock farming business, you are likely going to experience little or no competition.
For instance, if you are the only peacock farm that engages in selling processed and packaged peacock feathers or grooming peacocks for circus shows in your location, you can successfully monopolize the market for a long time before you start having competition.
It is important to also state that the competition in the peacock business depends on the scale of your peacock farm. There are farms in the united states that are competing with leading poultry farms around the world and there are farms that can only compete at the local level.
4. Know Your Major Competitors in the Industry
These are some of the leading peacock or poultry farms in the United States of America and in the globe;
- Leggs Peafowl Farm
- Peacock’s Poultry Farm
- Bows Peafowl Farm
- Waco Peafowl Farm
- California Peafowl
- Amazing Grace Aviaries
- Hopkins’ Alternative Livestock
- Cole’s Feather Farm
- com
- Black Swamp Peafowl
- Erdman’s Game Farm
- Blue Feather Farm
- Farrs Peacocks N More
- Rock Ridge Peafowl
- Croyle’s Peafowl
- Potts of Peafowl
- Stepinsky’s Peafowl
Economic Analysis
If you are considering starting a peacock farming business, you just have to get your costing cum economic analysis right if your intention of building the business is to generate profits, grow the business and perhaps expand the business and start exporting live peacocks and feathers within your country.
When conducting costing and economic analysis for your peacock farming business, you just have to critically examine these key factors; access to the market, access to feed, access to medications, access to cheap labor and of course good climatic condition.
As a matter of fact, you would have to continue to review these key factors while running your business. As a peacock farm owner, you just have to have a proper grasp of your competitive landscape if indeed you want to maximize profits and be in the frontline of the industry.
It is important to note that medication and feed cost are some of the most important factors contributing to the overall cost of running a peacock farming business and should be considered as a major factor when carrying out your costing and economic analysis.
5. Decide Whether to Buy a Franchise or Start from Scratch
When it comes to starting a business of this nature, it will pay you to start from the scratch as against buying a franchise. Besides, from available research conducted, there is no known peacock farm in the United States of America that is into franchising; most players in this business are adopting strategies that will help them sell their peacocks, eggs and feathers beyond the city, state or country where their peacock farm is domicile.
Besides, it is easier to start and run a peacock farming business from scratch without leveraging on a known brand name. People will patronize your business based on accessibility and pricing as against relying on a brand name. Please note that most of the successful peacock farms around started from the scratch and they were able to build a solid business brand. It takes dedication, hard work and determination to achieve business success.
6. Know the Possible Threats and Challenges You Will Face
If you decide to start your own peacock farming business today, one of the major challenges you are likely going to face is the presence of well – established peacock farms and even poultry farms who also raise peacocks in your target market location. The only way to avoid this challenge is to create your own market.
Some other threats and challenges that you are likely going to face when you start your own peacock farming business are global economic downturn that can impact negatively on household spending, bad weather cum natural disasters, unfavorable government policies and the arrival of a competitor within the same location.
There is hardly anything you can do as regards these threats and challenges other than to be optimistic that things will continue to work for your good.
7. Choose the Most Suitable Legal Entity (LLC, C Corp, S Corp)
When considering starting a standard peacock farming business, the legal entity you choose will go a long way to determine how big the business can grow.
You have the option choosing a general partnership, limited liability company, or a sole proprietorship for your peacock farming business. Ordinarily, sole proprietorship should have been the ideal business structure for a small-scale peacock farm especially if you are just starting out with a moderate startup capital.
But if your intention is to grow the business and sell your peacocks, eggs and feathers all across the United States of America, then a sole proprietor is not an option for you. Limited Liability Company, LLC or even general partnership will cut it for you.
Setting up an LLC protects you from personal liability. If anything goes wrong in the business, it is only the money that you invested into the limited liability company that will be at risk. It is not so for sole proprietorships and general partnerships. Limited liability companies are simpler and more flexible to operate and you don’t need a board of directors, shareholder meetings and other managerial formalities.
These are some of the factors you should consider before choosing a legal entity for your peacock farming business; limitation of personal liability, ease of transferability, admission of new owners and investors’ expectation and of course taxes.
If you take your time to critically study the various legal entities to use for your peacock farming business, you will agree that limited liability company; an LLC is most suitable. You can start this type of business as limited liability company (LLC) and in future convert it to a ‘C’ corporation or a ‘S’ corporation especially when you have the plans of going public.
Upgrading to a ‘C’ corporation or ‘S’ corporation will give you the opportunity to grow your peacock farming business so as to compete with major players in the industry; you will be able to generate capital from venture capital firms, you will enjoy separate tax structure, and you can easily transfer ownership of the company.
8. Choose a Catchy Business Name
When it comes to choosing a name for your business, you should be creative because whatever name you choose for your business will go a long way to create a perception of what the business represents. Typically, it is the norm for people to follow the trend in the industry they intend operating from when naming their business.
If you are considering starting your own peacock farming business, here are some catchy names that you can choose from;
- Pally Roman & Family® Peacock Farms, LLC
- Percy Jones & Sons® Peacock Farms, LLC
- Gareth Matthew™ Peacock Farms, Inc.
- Tim McQueen© Peacock Farms Ltd.
- Ray Thomas™ Peacock Farms, LLC
- Lewis Nathaniel® Peacock Farms Ltd.
- George Mendez® Peacock Farms, Inc.
- Texas Brothers® Peacock Farms, Inc.
- Rainbow® Peacock Farms, Inc.
- Kane Perry® Peacock Farms, LLC.
9. Discuss with an Agent to Know the Best Insurance Policies for You
In the United States and in most countries of the world, you can’t operate a business without having some of the basic insurance policy covers that are required by the industry you want to operate from. Thus, it is imperative to create a budget for insurance and perhaps consult an insurance broker to guide you in choosing the best and most appropriate insurance policies for your peacock farming business.
Here are some of the basic insurance covers that you should consider purchasing if you want to start your own peacock farming business in the United States of America;
- General insurance
- Health insurance
- Liability insurance
- Animal Mortality Insurance
- Farm Equipment and Auto Insurance
- Commercial Agribusiness Insurance
- Workers Compensation
- Overhead expense disability insurance
- Business owner’s policy group insurance
10. Protect your Intellectual Property With Trademark, Copyrights, Patents
If you are considering starting your own peacock farm, you may not have any need to file for intellectual property protection/trademark because the nature of the business makes it possible for you to run the business without having any cause to challenge anybody in court for illegally making use of your company’s intellectual properties.
But if you just want to protect your company’s logo and other documents or software that are unique to you or even production concepts especially in relation to genetic modification engineering in bird breeding, then you can go ahead to file for intellectual property protection. If you want to register your trademark, you are expected to begin the process by filing an application with the USPTO.
11. Get the Necessary Professional Certification
Aside from the results you produce in your farm, professional certification is one of the main reasons why most peacock farmers stand out. If you want to make an impact in the peacock farming line of business, you should work towards acquiring all the needed certifications in your area of specialization.
Certification validates your competency and shows that you are highly skilled, committed to your career, and up-to-date in this competitive market. These are some of the certifications you can work towards achieving if you want to run your own peacock farm business;
- CPD Certification & IAO accreditation
- (Cert III Level) or (Cert IV Level)
- Professional Diploma in Poultry Farming
Please note that the average local peacock farmers in suburbs in the United States do not have certifications but that does not in any way stop them from growing their peacock farms to enviable heights.
12. Get the Necessary Legal Documents You Need to Operate
The essence of having the necessary documentation in place before launching a business in the United States of America cannot be overemphasized. It is a fact that you cannot successfully run any business in the United States without the proper documentations.
If you do, it won’t be too long before the long hands of the law catches up with you. These are some of the basic legal documents that you are expected to have in place if you want to legally run your own peacock farming business in the United States of America;
- Business and liability insurance
- Commercial Vehicle Operator’s Registration for distribution truck
- Appropriate driver’s licenses for drivers
- Assistant’s licenses for assistants
- Health inspection Certificate
- Proof of ownership, proper identification and vehicle license
- Tax Payer’s ID
- Fire certificate
- Certificate of Incorporation
- Business License
- Business Plan
- Non – disclosure Agreement
- Employment Agreement (offer letters)
- Employee’s Handbook
- Operating Agreement for LLCs
- Farm Partnership Agreement
- Operating Agreement for LLCs
- Insurance Policy
13. Raise the Needed Startup Capital
Starting a standard peacock business can be capital intensive especially if you choose to launch a large peacock farm. Securing a large farm land, building a well – secured and conducive poultry farm with the right fencing, purchase of the first set of peacocks, bird feed, medications and farming equipment are part of what will consume a large chunk of your startup capital, but if you choose to start the business on a small scale, you may not need to source for fund to finance the business.
When it comes to financing a business, one of the first things you should consider is to write a good business plan. If you have a good and workable business plan document in place, you may not have to labor yourself before convincing your bank, investors and your friends to invest in your business.
Here are some of the options you can explore when sourcing for startup capital for your peacock farming business;
- Raising money from personal savings and sale of personal stocks and properties
- Raising money from investors and business partners
- Sell shares to interested investors
- Applying for loan from your bank/banks
- Pitching your business idea and applying for business grants and seed funding from, government, donor organizations and angel investors
- Source for soft loans from your family members and your friends.
14. Choose a Suitable Location for your Business
Starting a peacock farming business comes with its own challenges; it is a business that cannot be started in any location of your choice. As a matter of fact, you will not be allowed to start a peacock farm in a residential estate in the United States of America. The only location you can be allowed to start a peacock farm is in an area designated for poultry farms and it is usually in the outskirts of town – countryside.
It cannot be overemphasized that the location you chose to construct your poultry pen is key to the success of the business, hence entrepreneurs are willing to rent or lease a facility in a visible location, and a location that has minimal predators and the right climatic condition for the types of peacocks you intend raising.
If you make the mistake of renting or leasing a farm land in a location that is prone to predator attack, rough topography and has bad climatic condition simply because it is cheap, then you must be prepared to spend more in protecting your peacock.
It is important to note that a business facility in good location does not come cheap hence you should be able to allocate enough fund for leasing / renting in your budget. If you are new to the dynamics of choosing a location for your peacock farm, then you should feel free to talk to a business consultant or a realtor who has a full grasp of the city.
Most importantly, before choosing a location for your peacock farming business, ensure that you first conduct a thorough feasibility studies and market survey. The possibility of you coming across similar business that just closed shop in the location you want to open yours can’t be ruled out.
These are some of the key factors that you should consider before choosing a location for your peacock farming business;
- The demography, topography and climatic condition of the location
- The demand for peacocks, eggs and feathers in the location
- The purchasing power of the residents of the location
- Accessibility of the location
- The number of peacock farmers, fiber and textile mills in the location
- The local laws and regulations in the community/state
- Traffic, parking and security
15. Hire Employees for your Technical and Manpower Needs
When it comes to starting a standard peacock farming business, you will need the following equipment/machines; hatchery, feathers and egg collectors, water trough / channel, fencing, shovel and rake, and wheel barrow/cart. This equipment can be purchased as fairly used if you have low budget.
When it comes to choosing between renting and leasing a farm land for your peacock farm, the size of the farm you want to own and your entire budget for the business should influence your choice. If you have enough capital to run a pretty large peacock farm, then you should consider the option of long lease or out rightly purchasing a farm land.
As regards the number of employees that you are expected to kick start the business with, you would need to consider your finance before making the decision.
Averagely, when it comes to starting a standard peacock farm business on a large scale, you would need the services of the following professionals; Chief Operating Officer (you can occupy this position), General Farm Manager, Veterinary Doctor (optional because it can be contracted), Human Resources and Admin Manager, Accountant/Cashier, Sales and Marketing Executive, Poultry Farmers/Field Employees, Cleaners, and Security Guards.
Over and above, you would need a minimum of 5 to 15 key staff members to effectively run a medium scale but standard peacock farm.
The Service Delivery Process of the business
When it comes to running a peacock farm, the process is simple and straight forward, and as a matter of fact, a peacock farm can successfully run on auto-pilot with little or no supervision from the owner.
Basically, when the peacocks are matured enough to produce eggs and peacock feathers, then a specific period of the day is chosen (usually in the morning) where the eggs and peacock feathers are collected. Once the eggs and peacock feathers are collected, they are stored in a neat container/crates or directly supplied to a customer as requested. Peacock feathers are sold to artist studios, fiber mills and textile companies.
16. Write a Marketing Plan Packed with ideas & Strategies
As a peacock farmer, you would have to prove that you have the capacity not only to manage a peacock farm, but also to supply peacocks, eggs and peacock feathers in commercial level on a consistent basis.
The fact that the entry barrier for starting a small – scale peacock farming business is low means that there is bound to be more players in the industry no matter the location you choose to start yours. In essence, you must be creative if you must carve out a market for yourself within the available market in your community, city, state or country.
So, when you are drafting your marketing plans and strategies for your peacock farming business, make sure that you create a compelling personal and company’s profile. This will help boost your chances in the market place. Here are some of the platforms you can utilize to market your peacock farming business and its produce;
- Introduce your business by sending introductory letters alongside your brochure to poultry farmers and stores that need peacocks, eggs and peacock feathers, fiber mills and artist studios that make use of peacock feathers and related businesses in the United States
- Advertise your peacock farming business in community – based newspapers, local TV and radio stations
- List your peacock farming business on yellow pages ads (local directories)
- Leverage on the internet to promote your peacock farm
- Engage in direct marketing and sales of your peacocks, eggs and peacock feathers
- Encourage the use of Word of mouth marketing (referrals)
- Leverage on the internet to promote your business
- Join local chambers of commerce and industry around you with the main aim of networking and marketing your products
- Engage the services of marketing executives and business developers to carry out direct marketing for you.
17. Work Out a Reasonable Pricing for your Services & Products
One key factor that will help you sell your peacocks, eggs and peacock feathers at rock bottom prices is to purchase your peacocks, peacock feeds, medications and other poultry equipment directly from the manufacturers in pretty large quantities.
Another strategy that will help you retail your products at the right price is to ensure that you cut your operational cost to the barest minimum, operate your own hatchery and channel your efforts towards marketing and promoting your brand name. Aside from the fact that this strategy will help you save cost, it will also help you get the right pricing for your products.
You can also try as much as possible to work with independent contractors and marketers; it will help you save cost for paying sales and marketing executives.
18. Develop Strategies to Boost Brand Awareness and Create a Corporate Identity
If you are in business and you are not deliberate about boosting you brand awareness and communicating your corporate identity, then you should be ready to take on whatever the society portrays your business to be.
If your intention of starting a peacock farming business is to grow the business beyond the city where you are going to be operating from to become a national and international brand by opening chains of peacock farms and franchising, then you must be ready to spend money on promotion and advertisement of your brand.
Irrespective of the industry you belong to, the truth is that the market is a dynamic and it requires consistent brand awareness and brand boosting cum promotion to continue to appeal to your target market. Here are the platforms you can leverage on to boost your brand awareness and create a corporate identity for your peacock farming business;
- Place adverts on both print (newspapers and agriculture and fashion magazines) and electronic media platforms
- Sponsor relevant community – based events/programs
- Leverage on the internet and social media platforms like; Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google + et al to promote your products (peacocks, eggs and peacock feathers)
- Install your Billboards in strategic locations all around your city or state
- Engage in roadshows from time to time in targeted neighborhoods to create awareness of your peacock farm.
- Distribute your fliers and handbills in target areas
- List your peacock farming business in local directories/yellow pages
- Advertise your peacock farming business in your official website and employ strategies that will help you pull traffic to the site.
- Position your Flexi Banners at strategic positions in the location where your peacock farm is located.
- Ensure that all your staff members wear your branded shirts and all your vehicles and trucks/vans are well branded with your company logo et al.
19. Create a Suppliers/Distribution Network
Firstly, in order to successfully run a peacock farming business, you must establish good business relationship with wholesale distributors and producers of bird feeds, medications and other peacock cum poultry farming tools and equipment.
When it comes to supplying and distributing your peacocks, eggs and peacock feathers, you need to build good business relationship and healthy rapport with key stakeholders most especially fiber mills and textile and artistic studios that make use of peacock feathers and related businesses in the United States.