Turkey farming profitability — anatomy of the result
Is turkey farming profitable? You cannot answer that with a single number — the result depends on how revenue and costs line up over one cycle. A turkey means long rearing (~16–22 weeks) and heavy slaughter weights (toms roughly ~18–22 kg, hens ~10–11 kg*), so the game is about feed, poult price, mortality and the live-weight purchase price. We show the structure of the result and an illustrative formula on figures from public prices and norms — with no data from specific farms. Prices are volatile, so treat every number as an example into which you plug your own values.
verifiedFrom the team that has organised work on poultry farms for years.
Profitability is not one magic figure but the difference between what the farm earns for live birds and what it spends to produce them. With turkeys that difference is especially sensitive, because the cycle is long and the bird is heavy — feed eats the lion’s share of costs, and the result flips with every change in the purchase price or the price of grain. This page sets out what the result is made of and how to calculate it step by step. The whole process is covered in the hub on turkey farming.
Where do the numbers in this guide come from?
All values in the examples come from public prices and norms — turkey breed management guides (BUT, Hybrid), feeding tables and publicly available quotations for live birds and feed (the statistics office, the agricultural economics institute). It is deliberately a model "from the norm", not the results of specific farms — we do not collect or publish farmers’ data. The figures are indicative* and serve only to show the structure of the calculation. Plug in your own weights, prices and mortality and you will see how the result changes.
Why is a turkey different from a broiler?
A broiler is a fast, short cycle (~35–42 days) and a light bird (2–3 kg). A turkey grows much longer and reaches heavy slaughter weights, and toms and hens differ in weight and rearing length (toms longer, to a greater weight). That is why feed conversion per kilogram of gain (FCR) matters even more with turkeys, because every extra week is more kilograms of feed per bird. The logic of feed cost per kg of live weight is explained generally in the guide on feed cost per kg of live weight — the mechanism is the same, only the scale is larger with a turkey.
Anatomy of the turkey result — step by step
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1. Revenue: slaughter weight × purchase price × head count
Revenue from a cycle is the number of birds sold multiplied by their average slaughter weight and the live-weight purchase price per kilogram. With turkeys the weights are heavy but differ by sex: roughly toms ~18–22 kg, hens ~10–11 kg*. Some farms run mixed flocks, some split by sex. An illustrative example: 1,000 toms × 20 kg × purchase price = gross revenue from the batch of toms. You can check the current live-weight price in the purchase prices tool — it is what most decides whether a cycle comes out in the black.
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2. Poult cost (placement)
The first big cost is buying turkey poults. You calculate: number of poults placed × price per head. Turkey poults are more expensive than broiler chicks, and their quality shapes the whole cycle — a poor start is hard to recover. You take the number placed, not sold, into the calculation, because you pay for poults upfront, before you know the mortality. The gap between placement and sale is reconciled by the mortality step.
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3. Feed × FCR — the largest cost item
Feed is usually the largest cost in turkey production. You calculate it through the feed conversion ratio (FCR, kg of feed per kg of gain): feed use per bird ≈ slaughter weight × FCR. With a heavy tom and an FCR of around ~2.5–2.8* per kg of live weight*, that is tens of kilograms of feed per bird. Feed cost per bird = weight × FCR × feed price per kg. Use norms and feeding phases are in the guide on turkey feeding norms. This is where the grain price and the FCR lever act most strongly — an improvement of a few tenths can shift the whole result.
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4. Mortality and other variable costs
Not every bird placed survives to collection — mortality over the long turkey cycle can be higher than in broilers and lowers the number of birds sold, even though you have already paid for the poults and part of the feed. You account for it by calculating revenue from birds sold and the poult and feed costs partly from those placed. Variable costs also include heating and energy (long rearing = more heating), litter, water, treatment and vaccinations, labour and the farm’s fixed costs. The microclimate and equipment that affect energy and water use are covered in housing requirements for turkeys and turkey drinkers and feeders — norms.
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5. Result: revenue − costs (per cycle and per m²)
The result is revenue minus the sum of costs (poults + feed + other variable + fixed). It is worth converting it not only per cycle but also per square metre of the house and per year (how many cycles fit given the long turkey rearing). Stocking per m² links economics with welfare: too dense = health problems and worse quality, too sparse = unused floor space. How to calculate stocking is explained in turkey stocking density, and how conditions affect results in turkey welfare.
What turkey cost and revenue are made of
Four pillars of the result. Indicative values* from public prices and norms (BUT/Hybrid, statistics office, agricultural economics institute) — prices are volatile, plug in your own.
Revenue = weight × price × head count
Number of birds sold × average slaughter weight × live-weight purchase price. Weights depend on sex: toms roughly ~18–22 kg, hens ~10–11 kg*. The purchase price is the most volatile item and most decides the result — track it in the purchase prices tool.
Feed and FCR
The largest cost item. Feed use per bird ≈ weight × FCR; cost = that × feed price per kg. With a heavy tom and an FCR of ~2.5–2.8* that is tens of kilograms of feed per bird. The grain price and an FCR improvement of a few tenths shift the whole result.
Poults and mortality
Poult cost is calculated from the number placed and is higher than for broilers. Mortality over the long cycle lowers the number of birds sold while the poult cost and part of the feed have already been incurred — which is why a good start and good health are economically key.
Energy, labour, fixed costs
Long rearing (~16–22 weeks) means more heating and energy, more litter and water, labour and treatment and vaccinations. On top of that the farm’s fixed costs are spread over fewer cycles per year than with broilers. These items grow with the length of the cycle.
The most common mistakes in calculating turkey profitability
These slip-ups make the calculation look better than it really is — or spring a loss at the end of the cycle.
Counting revenue from birds placed, not sold
It is easy to count revenue from the number of poults that entered the farm — but you only sell those that survived to collection. With realistic mortality over the long turkey cycle that is a significant difference. Count revenue from birds actually sold, and poult and feed costs from those placed — otherwise the result on paper is overstated.
Ignoring FCR and the grain price
Feed is the largest item, yet it is sometimes guessed at "by eye". Without a real FCR and the current feed price the whole calculation is guesswork. An FCR improvement of a few tenths or a jump in the grain price can turn the result from a plus to a minus. Use norms are in turkey feeding norms.
Assuming a constant purchase price for the whole cycle
A turkey cycle lasts ~16–22 weeks, and the live-weight price changes over that time. Planning on a single "today’s" price is a risk — it is worth calculating a cautious and an optimistic variant. Track current quotations in the purchase prices tool and treat the price as a variable, not a certainty.
Not calculating cost per m² and per year
A result per whole cycle without converting to per square metre and per year is misleading — with long turkey rearing you fit fewer cycles per year than with broilers. Two farms with a similar result per cycle can have a quite different annual result. Stocking and floor-space use are calculated with turkey stocking density.
Frequently asked questions about turkey farming profitability
Is turkey farming profitable?add
It depends on the specific cycle — profitability is the difference between revenue (weight × purchase price × number of birds sold) and costs (poults, feed, energy, mortality, fixed costs). The largest item is feed, and the result depends most on the live-weight purchase price and the grain price, which are volatile. Instead of looking for one answer, calculate the structure of the result on your own figures — we show a model from public prices and norms on this page, and you can check the current live-weight price in the purchase prices tool.
What slaughter weights do turkeys reach?add
Roughly* toms reach ~18–22 kg and hens ~10–11 kg, with the exact weight depending on the genetic line (BUT, Hybrid), the length of rearing and feeding. Toms grow longer and to a greater weight, which is why some farms run flocks split by sex. Weight multiplies directly into revenue, so controlling it (sample weighing, the breed growth curve) is part of the economic calculation — more in the hub on turkey farming.
How long is a turkey rearing cycle?add
Roughly ~16–22 weeks, much longer than a broiler (~35–42 days). Hens are usually reared for a shorter time and to a smaller weight, toms longer and to a greater weight. A long cycle means more feed, more heating and fewer cycles per year in the same house — which is why it is worth calculating the result not only per cycle but also per year and per square metre. The whole course of rearing is covered in the guide on turkey rearing.
Why is feed the most important cost item?add
Because a turkey is heavy and grows for a long time, so it eats tens of kilograms of feed per bird. You calculate feed cost through FCR (kg of feed per kg of gain): use ≈ weight × FCR, and cost = that × feed price. With an FCR of around ~2.5–2.8* per kg of live weight*, even a small improvement in the ratio or a change in the grain price shifts the whole result. Use norms and feeding phases are in turkey feeding norms, and the logic of cost per kg of live weight in feed cost per kg of live weight.
How do feed and live-weight prices affect the result (sensitivity)?add
Very strongly and in opposite directions. A rise in the live-weight purchase price raises revenue, while a rise in the feed price raises cost — and because feed is the largest item, the farm is most sensitive precisely to the grain price and FCR. So it is sensible to calculate several variants: a cautious one (cheap sale, expensive feed) and an optimistic one. Track live-bird quotations in the purchase prices tool and plug different prices into the same model.
Are these figures data from specific farms?add
No. All values in the examples come from public prices and norms — breed guides (BUT, Hybrid), feeding tables and public quotations (statistics office, agricultural economics institute). It is deliberately a model "from the norm", to show the structure of the calculation rather than the results of real holdings — we do not collect or publish farmers’ data. The figures are indicative* and prices are volatile, so treat them as an example into which you plug your own values.
Sources & resources
- linkIERiGŻ-PIB — poultry market analyses and farm calculations (ierigz.waw.pl)
- linkStatistics Poland (GUS) — agricultural product prices and live-bird purchases (stat.gov.pl)
- linkAviagen Turkeys (BUT) — Commercial Management Guides (aviagenturkeys.com)
- linkHybrid Turkeys — Commercial Management Guide (hybridturkeys.com)
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