To supplement the country’s rising demand for eggs and meat, the Turkey Breeding Farm at Relangthang in Gakiling gewog, Sarpang, is promoting alternative poultry farming. Established last year, the farm now rears more than 500 turkeys of two breeds along with over 300 guinea fowl.
Here at the farm, two turkey breeds are reared, the American Bronze, which is larger with dark color, and the Beltsville Small White, a smaller breed with light, white feathers.
In addition to turkeys, the centre has also been raising guinea fowl which is valued for both meat and eggs, with their eggs known for lower cholesterol content.
However, productivity challenges emerged as the parent birds grew older than five years. To address this, the centre replaced them with new generations bred from the existing stock to restore production and ensure long-term sustainability.
Chandra Bahadur Phulami, the caretaker of the farm said, “These birds do not produce eggs like layer chickens. If we have about 400 birds, there will be about 60 eggs laid in a day. They lay only about seven months a year, from March through September or October. The same is the case with guinea fowl.”
To further improve production, a hatchery was set up at the farm in 2024, allowing it to produce turkey and guinea fowl chicks on its own. The hatchery handles egg checking, hatching, brooding, vaccination, and supplies healthy day-old chicks, ensuring a steady supply for farmers.
The caretaker said, “Both the eggs of the birds take about 28 days to hatch. The birds after 23 weeks are old enough and start to produce eggs.”
During the 2025–2026 financial year, the farm produced 905-day-old turkey chicks, of which 429 were supplied at subsidized rates to farmers in Thimphu and Dagana Dzongkhags. The centre also produced 258 guinea fowl chicks and were supplied free of cost to the Eco-Tourism Park in Panbang.
For now, the Turkeys and guinea fowl may lay fewer eggs than chickens, but they can help diversify local poultry and strengthen supply. With expansion underway, the Relangthang Turkey Breeding Farm is set to play a bigger role in meeting the country’s demand for eggs and meat.
Passang Dorji/ Karma Wangdi
