FAQ ON BACKYARD POULTRY

i.        Proper temperature requirement ie.(70-75 ^oF)

ii.        Proper Ventilation.

iii.        Appropriate floor space ie.0.25 sq.ft./ chick in Ist week to be increased to 0.50 sq.ft. by 3^rd week.

iv.        Clean and sanitized water supply

v.        Quality feed supply.

i.        Feeders: small ones (3 ft. long ) for 50 chicks and(2) big ones- (6 ft. long  for  50 grown up birds.

ii.        Waterers:   small ones ( 2 Lit.cap.) for  chicks-50 and big ones (5 Lit.cap.) for grown up bird-50

iii.        Chick guards.

iv.        Brooders :- Bulb filament brooder or gas brooder @ 1.25 watt./chick.

v.        Bird cages, Net boxes, egg collection trays for larger bird.

vi.            Other: such as medicine measure cylinder   Vaccinators vaccine box, vaccine dropper litter taker etc.

i.        water should be kept dust and dirt free right from the source of water.

ii.        Regular cleaning and disinfection of water tanks and pipe lines.

iii.        Daily cleaning of waterers.

iv.        Regular sanitation of water.

v.        Treatment to reduce hardness and salinity of water.

i.        Bleaching powder (Hypochlorite)

ii.        Quartanernary  Ammonium compounds.

iii.        Potassium paramagnet.

i.        Free range system.

ii.        Semi Intensive system.

iii.        Intensive system:-

a.     Cage system

b.     Deep Litter system:-

1.     Floor brooding.

2.     Slotted floor.

3.     Environmental control house.

i.        Cleaning and disaffection of house and surrounding.

a.     Dry cleaning after removal of litter.

b.     Wet cleaning with caustic soda /liquid soap/bleaching powder and   water under  pressure.

c.     Blow lamping   of non inflammable excess /material.

d.     Spraying of disinfectants/ fumigation.

ii.        Repair of   cracks and crevices.

iii.        White washing of shed.

iv.        Cleaning and disaffection of water system, feeding  system and all other equipment in use.

v.        Preparation of brooder 24 hours before arrival at chicks.

i.        Brooders of size – 1 S.ft. for 25 chicks. Heat sources  @ 1.25 Watt / chick.

ii.        Litter material – of good absorbing quality-like saw dust, paddy husk etc.

iii.        Chick guards  –2 ½ – 3 ½  feet surrounding the brooder.

iv.        Papers or corrugated sheets or gunny cloth to cover litter material.

v.        Feeders and waterers well  spared  around brooder like spokes of cycle wheat.

vi.        Curtain to reduce air breeze.

i.        Depending on size

a.     Small

b.     big

ii.        Depending  on shape

a.     Square

b.     Circular

c.     Hexagonal

d.     Plain top

e.     Slating top.

iii.        Depending upon use

a.     Electricity :  Bulb or filament

b.     Gas Brooder

c.     Coal Brooder ie.Shegdces

d.     Sawdust brooder   ie. Brokharis

e.     Kerosene Brooder.

i.        Provide aquate floor and feeder space.

ii.        Provide quality feed with appropriate calorie- protein ratio.

iii.        Avoid injuries to chicks.

iv.        Separate injured chicks and treat them.

v.         Immediate removal of dead birds from shed.

vi.        After cannabolism starts debeaking. If not debeaked at  proper time.

Required especially in layers or desi type birds. Can be done at

i.            day old age or

ii.            10 days or

iii.            35 days and

iv.            12-14 weeks.

i.        Cut Beak in appropriate size ie. Cut upper beak –2/3 and lower beak 1/3 from up

ii.        Tongue of bird should mot burn.

iii.        Do not cut with junk or very slowly.

iv.        Check for any bleeding after debeaking.

v.        Provide sufficient feed in feeder immediately.

i.            Maximum Width – 20-25 Ft.

ii.            Maximum Length- 200 ft.under Indian conditions.

iii.            Centre height       – 10-12 ft.

iv.            Side height          –  6-8 ft.

v.            Over hang           – 2 ½  – 3 ft.

vi.            Width sides        – built wall

vii.            Length sides      -build wall upto 1-1 ½ ft.from floor and Remaining covered with ¾ – 1 inch wire nets.

viii.            Raised Platform of 2 ½ – 3 ft/  from surrounding lands.

i.        Keep shed cool by:

a.     Water spinkler, foggets, fans etc.

b.     Wet curtains.

c.     White washing of roof.

d.     Tree and grass plantation around shed.

ii.        Provide more floor spaces per bird.

iii.        Avoid feeding during hot hours.

iv.        Provide wet mash to birds.

v.        Reduce litter depth.

vi.        In extremes cases bird doping.

i.        Avoid entry of rain water in shed.

ii.        Avoid excessive moisture in litter.

iii.        Sanitation and disinfection of drinking water.

iv.        Avoid spoilage of feed by excessive moisture.

Feed requires to obtain marketable weight in broiler is 3.5 Kg.(starter 1 Kg. and finisher 2.5  Kg.) for 35-40 days  and weight about 1.5 to 1.7 Kg.

Mash, Pellets, crumbles etc. are the different kinds of feed.

Filling 2/3 of feeder adjust height of feeders, beak trimming to minimize the feed Wastage.

i.        Venky’s –Utara feeds

ii.        Japna’s feed

iii.        Godrej- Agrovet

iv.        Premium feeds

v.        Hindustan feeds

vi.        Pranor Agro’s – Amrut feeds.

Proper storage – proper  ventilation ,rat proof house, leakage  proof  godown to be maintain for feed storage and early disposal of feed prepared feed should be taken in to consideration.

Minimize  wastage  (i) Preparation of  least cost  feed by using  locally available ingredients by using standard  feed formulation  procedure.

Average  feed consumption  is  115-125gm./day  / layer.

Average  feed requirement is  3.2 – 3.5 Kg./42 days/broiler.

Normal FCR is 1.9 – 2.0 for broiler and 1.8 for layer.

It ensures adequate protein intake at all possible dietary metabolizable energy  levels.

• wider C: P ratio – Higher fat deposition of corcass, hence using in broiler finisher  Stage.
• narrower  C:P ratio:- lower fat and higher protein deposition on the caress hence sing  for  lean meat production.

i.        The gut-flora in chickens do not provide any Vitamin synthesis

ii.        Due to higher metabolic rate ,chicken needs higher levels of  Vitamins, which  act as the “spark plugs”  of the vital metabolic reactions in the body.

iii.        Intensively kept chickens undergo  many stresses which increases their Vitamin requirements

i.        whole grain  feeding system

ii.        Grain and mash method.

iii.        All mash method

iv.        Pellet method and

v.        restricted or controlled feeding   method.

i.        skip a day programme ;

ii.        alternate day feeding iii).restriction of feeding etc.  Before adopting this practice farmer should know the suit his particular  condition as none of the methods are suitable for all conditions.

i.        Feeds must contain all essential nutrients in right amount and proportion required for the purpose for which it is fed.

ii.        Chickens of different ages require different  levels of nutrients ,hence only the accepted standards as per age to be followed.

iii.        While  selection nutritional value  of  each ingredients should be evaluated vis-à-vis cost.

iv.        Ingredients should be grind into proper sizes  in keeping in mind to age of the chicken.

v.        Micro-nutrients and non-nutrient feed additives should be carefully chosen and mixed  up meticulously  for effective  results.

vi.        Include agro-industrial by-products to minimize cost and select a variety of   ingredients to make  good deficiency of one by the other.

vii.        While selecting an ingredient care should be exercised to judge its optimum level of inclusion as many of the ingredients are likely to be deleterious at higher level.

viii.        Fungal infested ingredients should always be avoided to avoid its mycotoxin effects.

ix.        Care should be taken to select optimum  C:P ratio  for the purpose  for which feeds are compounded.

x.        Before using  of ingredient /vitamins  its quality to be checked.

A farmer interested to compounding poultry  mashes  should  have the basic  knowledge  of  various types of  raw ingredients available as to their  efficiency  and  nutrient  composition vis-a vis cost to make  any mash effective for his flock.

i.        Protein supplement : (Primary source of protein)

a.     Vegetable protein supplement-eg. groundnut cake, soyabean meal, mustard cake, maize gluten etc.

b.     Animal Protein supplement:  eg. fish meal, skim milk powder ,liver meal, meat meal etc.

ii.        Energy supplement :

a.     Primary source of energy cereal grains like maize, wheat, miller grains like jowar, milo, bajara ,rice polish etc.

b.     Cereal by products (Diluents, medium energy content and sources of minerals) eg. wheat bran, rice bran, maize grit etc.

iii.        Salt

iv.        Minerals

v.        Vitamins

vi.        Non- nutrient feed additives. eg.  Antibiotic, antioxidants, coccidiostat etc.

Lysing,   methionine, cystire and tnyplophan are the most essential amino acids for poultry.

2 : 1 is the ideal  Ca : P ratio.

A maximum  level  of 0.6% salt in the diet of various classes of chickens was Given by I S I Standard.

Ammonia treatment of ground nut cake, meal is reported to detoxify the meal safe enough for feeding.  Diets containing higher protein levels, Vit.D 3 and  Magnesium to provide protection against Aflatoxins.  Feed ingredients to be checked for aflatoxin before use to avoid its toxic effect.  Feed / ingredient containing more than 12% moisture should not be  use to avoid fungal growth in it.