ROLE OF BACKYARD POULTRY UNDER INTEGRATED FARMING SYSTEM

ROLE OF BACKYARD POULTRY UNDER INTEGRATED FARMING SYSTEM

Sreedhara J N , Mahantesh M.T , Jagjiwan Ram and  Pralhad

UAS, Raichur.

Sreedharajn012@gmail.com

  Poultry: It refers to wide variety of birds of several species which are either live or dressed and includes chicken, duck, turkey etc.

Backyard poultry: According to Mandal et al., “It is a low input or no input business and is characterized by indigenous night shelter system, scavenging system, with little supplementary feeding, natural hatching of chicks, poor productivity of birds, local marketing and no health care practice”.

 Backyard Poultry includes

• Indigenous birds which are used for production of eggs and meat

Which are appreciated for their taste and texture

• These are hardy. But, poor in productivity
• Their food habits are scavenging type.

POTENTIALS OF BACKYARD POULTRY

1. The indigenous poultry genetic resources are held in high esteem even after fifty years of commercial poultry production.
2. Local poultry breeds exhibits superior adaptability in their habitat and possess ability to survive, produce and reproduce on low plane of nutrition and suboptimal management.
3. The inputs required are very small as they scavenge their feed requirement and are raised with little veterinary care.
4. They possess the ability to protect themselves from predators.
5. All the local breeds show broodiness and hatch their own chicks making the system auto generating.
6. People have a preference for eggs and meat of indigenous poultry compared to those realized from farm bred chicken. Consequently eggs and meat from local breeds are sold at a premium price.
7. Cock Fighting is the popular sport for many tribes.
8. Use of colored birds for socio-religious use.

Native Indian breeds for Backyard Poultry:

• Aseel: are encountered in parts of AP, UP and Rajasthan. It is noted for high stamina, majestic gait and dogged fighting qualities

Body Weight:            Cock – 4 – 5 kgs

Hen – 3 – 4 kgs

• Chittagang: It is also known as MALAY found in Eastern India. It is a large bird, strong, hardy and quarrelsome.

Body Weight:            Cock – 3.5 – 4.5 kgs

Hen – 3 – 4 kgs

• Kadaknath: It is also called KALAMASI meaning fowl with black flesh. They are found in MP. Here blood is darker due to melanin pigment.

Body Weight:            Cock – 1.0 – 1.5 kgs

Hen – 0.8 – 1.0 kgs (It is small bodied bird).

• Busra: This is a small to medium sized bird and is found in small numbers in some parts of Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Backyard Poultry development suffers mainly due to failure of vaccination against Ranikhet disease and also due to deworming leads to 80 % mortality.

 

IMPROVED STRAINS AVAILABLE FOR BACKYARD POULTRY

Desi or indigenous birds are generally poor performers in egg and meat production. To obtain maximum profit from backyard poultry farming there is a urgent need in the country to improve the status of backyard poultry farming with improved strain of poultry birds. Improved chicken that can be introduced in backyard poultry farming should have following characters:

1. Adaptability in village condition
2. Self propagation
3. Good brooding capacity
4. Mothering ability
5. Well body conformation
6. Hardy in nature
7. Good scavengers
8. Attractive and colored plumage
9. Escaping capacity from predators
10. Disease resistance.

Considering the above characteristics the following varieties can be recommended for backyard poultry farming are:

• VANARAJA
• GIRIRAJA
• GIRIRANI
• KRISHI LAYER
• CARIRED
• KRISHIBRO
• CARIBRO
• GRAMAPRIYA
• NAKED NECK BROILER
  • DWARF BROILER
  • CARIGOLD
  • KALINGA BROWN
  • KHAKI CAMPBELL DUCKS
  • ATULYA
  • GRAMA LAKSHMI

Differences between Native birds & improved varieties in Backyard poultry.

Giriraja                   Native birds

1) Body weight in 8 weeks        1.6-1.7 kg                 600-700gms

2) Egg production (year)           140-150                    60-70

3) Egg weight (Gms)                 55-65gms                 45-50gms

4) Adult body weight

Cock                                4.5-5.5                        2-2.5Kg

Hen                                 3.5-4.0                       1.5-1.8

Backyard Poultry is a better tool for upliftment of poorest of the poor as well as provides income, valuable animal protein and empower the rural women. These improved varieties grow at faster rate and produce 120– 140 eggs/ year.

Housing management for Backyard Poultry farming

The poultry house should protect birds from sun, rain and predators. For better better production performances certain criteria that can be considered are-

1. The poultry house should be in east –west orientation to protect from summer wind and cold stress and also from direct sunlight in winter months.
2. Low cost housing material like wood, bamboo, grass, thatch etc can be utilized.
3. The poultry house should be free from water seepage or moisture.
4. Floor should be in elevated land or above ground level (minimum 2 ft) and free from cracks and should be rat proof and durable.

Backyard Poultry modules under Integrated Farming System

1. Crop – Fish – Poultry Farming System
2. Crop – Livestock – Poultry – Fish Farming System

IFS involving diversified components such as Agriculture, Horticulture, Forestry and Animal Husbandry have been proved to be economically viable, technically feasible, environmentally sustainable and socially acceptable.

ROLE OF POULTRY IN AGRICULTURE

• Poultry excreta can be used as a good source of NPK (3:2:1) which is an excellent fertilizer. The calcium, sodium &magnesium and other minerals in poultry manure increases the soil porosity and retains water in the soil. Poultry manure is the combination of urine & faeces so only it is good manure.

 

• One tonne deep litter manure is equivalent to

1)160 kg Ammonium sulphate

2)150 kg Super phosphate

3)50 kg Potassium sulphate

4)30 kg calcium

5) 7kg Magnesium

6) 7kg sodium.

 

As per the ICAR manure usage guidelines, 1 tonne manure is useful for 0.75 h cereals or 0.40 h maize, wheat or paddy and 0.20h vegetables and 0.10 h sugar cane crop. Poultry manure unites soil particles and prevents erosion. It favours the bacterial growth in the soil and keeps soil smooth for easy agricultural operations.

 

How to improve manure quality; It is done by proper storage and mixing it with super phosphate or lime powder. By this phosphoric acid Quantity and manure quality increases. By adding lime powder, it keeps the manure dry &fly menace will be reduced. Poultry manure can be better stored in compost pits. This can be applied to the fields 3-4 weeks prior to sowing gives better results.

     NPK Components of different manures

Moisture             N               P           K

1) Deep litter manure     15-20%                 3%         2%       1.7 %

2) Cage manure             15-20%                  4            3           2.5

3) Broiler manure           15-20%                 3.2         2.1       1.5

4) Cow dung                  15-20%                 1.5         1.5       1.2

5) Sheep manure           15-20%                 1.8         1.7       1.5

 

• Poultry used in orchards or vineyards after harvest to clear rotten fruit and weeds while fertilizing the soil.
• Poultry will eat waste grains, insects because of its scavenging type of food habits.
• It provides income as well as valuable animal protein and empowers rural women.
• The average annual income from backyard poultry ranges from rupees 5000 per house hold per year. Most of its income comes by selling of birds rather than by meat and eggs.
• The poultry birds are also important from the biodiversity point of view as they act as natural scavengers. The droplets of the birds also improve the fertility.

References:

1.Pradeepta Kumar Rath.,Kruthi Debanath Mandal.,and Prathikshya panda., 2015,Backyard poultry farming in India: A call for skill upliftment, Research journal of Recent sciences ,ISSN 2277-2502,Vol.4(IVC-2015),1-5(2015).

2.MandalA.B.,Tyagi P.K.,and Shrivastav A.K.,Research priorities in poultry nutrition and feed technology to 2020.Proceedings of national seminar,November2-3,Central avian research institute,Izatnagar,96-114,2006.

Ali J, .Livestock sector development and implications for rural poverty alleviation in india.Livest.Res.Rural Dev., 19(2), (2007).

Economics of rearing 50(Improved variety) birds in

                                          Backyard farming

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Non-recurring expenditure

 

1) Poultry house construction under own site

1 sq ft per bird         1 x50=50sq ft@Rs50/sq ft          2500/-

 

2) Purchase of feeders & waterers @Rs 11/bird          550/-

Total                3050/-

 

Recurring expenditure

 

1) Cost of 1 day old chicks @Rs 10/chick                    500/-

 

2) Cost of feed

Each bird takes 3.42 kg feed for 8 weeks@

Rs 18/kg 3.42x 18x 47                                                 2893/-

(5% mortality is considered)                Total                3393/-

 

Receipts

 

1) Sale of birds

Birds attain body weight of 1.8 kg at 8^th week

@Rs 100/kg    1.8 x100x 47                                          8460/-

 

2) Sale of manure &empty gunny bags                          100/-

Total               8560/-

 

Net profit=Receipts –Recurring expenditure

= Rs 8560 –   3393

= Rs 5167/-for a batch of 50 back yard poultry.

Or       Rs 103 /bird /8 weeks.