Scientific Native Chicken farming: Avenues for sustainable livelihood – A Success Story
C.Suresh, V.Sujatha and M.Saminathan
1-Assistant Professor and Head, Veterinary University Training and Research Centre, Nagapattinam, Tamilnadu -611001
2.Assistant Professor, Farmers Training Centre, Tiruvarur,TANUVAS
3.Scientist (SS), CADRAD, ICAR-IVRI, Izatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh.
Key words : Gramapriya, Chicken, Poultry, Egg, Sucess story, Livelihood, Azolla, Income, Scientific farming, Incubator.
Mr. Kabilan is a 35 year old D.T.Ed graduated and unemployed also an Diploma EEE drop out youth whose business in running a milk agency “Amrita Milk” in Aayakaranpulam village , Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu. The maximum Monthly income of Rs.20,000/- per month was insufficient to run his 7 member joint family choice to run a vegetarian family Mess in the same village that provides a daily income of Rs.500/- only.
With the scope to utilize hotel waste for the better he arrived to Veterinary University and Training centre, (VUTRC) Nagapattinam for Advisory service. Dr.C.Suresh, Assistant Professor and Head found him to an active participatory person explained about to NABARD funded Scheme “Rehabilitation of Rural Livelihood in Gaja cyclone affected Areas of Nagapattinam District through value chain based interventions in Scientific Native Chicken Rearing”. As he was interested he was included as one of the beneficiaries of this Scheme.
He was given 50 Grama priya chicks (Egg type) with cage were provided under NABARD sponsored scheme in 2nd August 2019 being implemented by Dr.C.Suresh at VUTRC, Nagapattinam. He was also supported with other inputs like incubator, medicines, vaccines, nutrient supplements drinkers and feeders.
Mr.Kabilan almost spend Rs.2500 per month when feeding Commercial feed along with hotel waste and found it to be costly. He was then suggested to prepare his own fed which he was willing to purchase raw ingredients and prepare. Hence, he willingly purchased a feed grinder (Mini feed mill, 1.5 tonne capacity at a cost of Rs. 1 lakh) and started to produce his own feed that cost about Rs.1000/- only per month. Currently his feed cost is only Rs.1000/ month along with hotel waste. Preparation of his own poultry feed as saved a cost of Rs.1500/ month that approximates to Rs.18,000/-
The scheme sponsored only 8 incubators to cover all the farmers of this scheme. As kabilan was not one of them and being an Dip.EEE drop out he be made his own automatic incubator of 100 eggs capacity that saved him another Rs.13,500. During this period of involving in poultry farming, he found that among 50 chicks 30 were male and only 20 female. He chose to sell the cocks only after attaining minimum body weight of 2.5 kg and as on date he has sold only 25 cocks and his selling price Ranged from Rs.500/ – to Rs.750/- per bird that earned an income between Rs.12,500 to Rs. 18,750/-Establishment of Azolla plot as part of the scheme and feeding of azolla to layers further decreased the cost of feeding to the farmer.
The chicks came to at the correct age of (6 months of age). The 20 chicks came to lay in Mid January 2020 and their initial production were only 5 eggs that was utilized for family consumption alone. The egg production has been increased to 10-15 eggs per day; sale of eggs at neighborhood alone @ Rs. 10 per egg was initiated. His current egg production is 18 eggs per day. Two days advance booking is practiced towards sale of eggs. This provided an average income of Rs.4000/ per month for 20 months (minimum Income being Rs.80,000). He stores one day egg production for incubator purpose and as of date he has hatched 250 chicks. The cost of Day of chicks was Rs. 40 and one month old chick Rs.100/- (Income earned Rs. 4000 + Rs.15000/-through sale of chicks).
His incubator making skill earned him another Rs. 1,00,000. He is presently expertise himself in Incubator making with egg capacity between 50 to 2000.Sale of poultry was for Rs. 300 per 40 kg Manure. Rest unutilized.
He presently maintains the twenty hen as parent stock and has not replaced it which is he focusing in near future. Been satisfied with profits from this poultry farming, he at present has constructed new poultry to house 500 birds with automatic feeder and drinker , all his low cost innovation that cost him Rs. 1,00,000/-.
| Strength in continuing this poultry farm | Focus of Mr.Kabilan |
| Ø Market demand for eggs in his neighborhood is still unsatisfiable.
Ø He has not started to prepare and sell poultry feed. Ø Has not ground feed for other poultry farmers Ø Incubator Fabrication at low cost |
Ø Increasing the farm size
Ø Meet the egg demand of neighborhood atleast Ø Preparation and sale of Poultry feed Ø Establishment of Feed Mill Ø Sale of Incubators Ø Sale of Chicks |
Transfer of Technology included
- Scientific Construction Poultry shed
- Feed formulation
- Feed preparation and storage
- Incubator making and maintenance
- Candling of eggs
- Vaccination technique
- Azolla cultivation technology
The Investment made for shed; incubator and feed mill will be lucrative in years to come which made Mr.Kabilan feel financially secure especially during the COVID period and in future.
CONCLUSION
Dissemination of technology to the farmers with continuous follow up will ensure the higher level of adoption to upscale the farm to realize the profit. This will pave the way for doubling the farmers income.
Photographs for Success Story
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