POULTRY(http://oer.nios.ac.in/wiki/index.

php/Study_of_Poultry)
INTRODUCTION
The present per capita availability of animal protein is 14g in the form of fish, egg and meat which constitute 11 percent of the
requirement. Poultry provides the promise to bridge up the gap between requirement and availability with least cost compared to
other sources of animal protein like sheep, goat, pig, beef and milk cows. However, the aim is to produce 55g of animal protein
from poultry per person per day (30 g from the egg and 25g from the meat). This would mean that availability should be 180
eggs and 9 kg of chicken meat per year per person. Present availability of egg is only 32 and poultry meat is 550 gm. This big
gap can be bridged up by increasing poultry production. Poultry is the fastest growing sector of Indian agriculture. Broiler
production was started as a novelty in early 1970s and has turned out to be popular with its rearing of 750 million in year 2000.
The steep growth in broiler production is also reflected in the increased number of hatcheries from 77 in 1980 to over 750 in the
year 2000. In 2000 A.D. a Network of 600 hatcheries, feed mills, veterinary pharmaceuticals and equipment manufactures have
made poultry a dynamic agricultural business

OBJECTIVES
After going this lesson you will be able to:

explain the important breeds of poultry

define feeding of poultry

explain layer & Broiler Management Practices

Some important Breeds of Poultry

Rural Technology
The term poultry is applied to birds of several species like fowls or chicken, ducks, turkeys, quails, swan, pigeons, guinea fowl,
pea fowl, pheasants etc.
Fowls may be classified on the basis of utility, purpose such as meat type, egg type, dual purpose, game, ornamental etc. Birds
are also classified into different classes based on the country or particular region of their origin such as Asiatic, Mediterranean,
American, and English etc. Each class is further classified into breeds based on shape, size and colour etc. such as Minorca,
leghorn, RIR, Hampshire. Each breed may be classified into varieties based on type of comb and colour of plumage e.g. leghorn
varieties are single comb, white leghorn. Each variety can be further redivided into strains which can be named after a breeder
or farm etc.

Class and Breeds of fowls :Classification of Chicken Breeds (Based on Utility)

Feeding of Poultry

Rural Technology
The primary objective of feeding poultry is to convert low quality feeds like cereal grains, oilcakes and other by products of
agriculture and industry into high quality food like egg and meat.
Principles of feeding poultry
1. Birds have no lips and teeth and hence cannot chew the feeds therefore, ration must have chiefly concentrates (grains,
oil cake, by products).
2. Birds have simple stomach, hence requirements are more precise and specific.
3. Birds have higher rate of metabolism than other farm animals therefore different feed for different class of birds is
required as per recommended standards.
4. They are fed in groups.
5. Birds have no sweat glands to cool down their body hence their respiration, pulse rate and body temperature are
relatively higher. Consequently their metabolic rate is higher. Accordingly, nutritional adjustments is needed.
6. Feed must be free from Aflatoxins.
7. Clean, fresh and cool water must be made available at all times.
8. Birds are non-ruminants and hence feed must contain not more than 6 to 7 percent of crude fibre.
9. Birds are reared for different purpose (Meat, egg etc.) and hence according to purpose, age, breed, size and system of
rearing the requirements must be determined with definite ratio of protein and energy.
10. Feed must have all essential nutrients in balanced form.
11. Daily Average feed consumption of Layer Chicks and Broilers :-

Management of Chickens

Rural Technology

Layer Management

Layer House Layer house is of two types:

a) Rearing house : For starters and growers of age group 0 to 20 weeks. b) Laying house : For birds above 20 weeks and for
round the year egg production.
Adopt 3:1 housing system (3 laying houses for 1 rearing house) Average distance between two laying houses is 10.5m. Chicks

Contents
[hide]

1 Layer Management
o

1.1 Lighting

1.2 Temperature

1.3 Insulation

1.4 Floors =

1.5 Feeders

1.6 Care :
1.6.1 Prevention

of Vices

1.6.2 Vaccination

1.6.3 Cage
System

1.6.4 Sanitation

1.7 Broiler Management

1.8 Housing

1.9 Litter Arrangement

1.10 Lighting

1.10.1 Wateres

1.10.2 Feeders

1.11 Broiler House

Management
2 Intext Questions
3 What you have learnt
4 Terminal Questions
4.1 Answer to intext

o
Questions

5 Suggested activity

1. i) Should come from healthy parents.

2. ii) Good quality irrespective of cost.
3. iii) Vaccinated at hatchery for Mareks.
4. iv) Uniform in size, colour, clean hatched and well dried.
5. v) Alert, active with round bright eyes with leg, no leg deformities.
6. vi) Start one day old chick on 8% sugar water for first 15 hours and soluble electrolytes be used for first 2 days.
7. vii) Three hours after chicks have drunk water, give feed of top dressed cracked maize.

Lighting
a) 15 to 16 hours lighting period per day for maximum egg production. b) Rate : 1 Watt light intensity per 1 to 1.5 bird or per 0.28
sq.m. or 40 Watt bulb for 9.3m2 floor space. c) Bulb height : 2m above the floor d) Distance between two bulbs 2.5m to 3m. e)
Care i) Use reflectors to direct all light on the floor. ii) Clean all bulbs periodically & regularly to remove dust and maintain
enough light. Ventilation 1) Side Walls = Height 1.8 m; 1/3 closed by brick wall (60 cm) and 2/3 open (1.2 m) covered with
hexagonal wire netting. 2) End Walls = Solid with doors both sides. 3) Care i) door must be covered with wire netting to prevent
sparrows and rodents. ii) 1/3 side wall made solid to prevent rodents, predators and natural enemies (dogs, cats) out of sight.

Temperature
1. Most comfortable temperature for chicken is 55 0 F (130 C) to 750 F (210 C). 2. Preferred temperature is 65 0 F (180 C). 3.
Birds remain under stress if temperature is above 230 C.

Insulation
Roof weather proof with proper slope and fall of 1.2m. Care : i) Keep litter dry and specially take care in monsoon. ii) Keep
house cool in summer.

Floors =
1. Provide 0.18 m2 (2 sq.ft.) per bird. 2. Keep floor 30 cm above the surrounding level to prevent water seepage and flooding or
water stagnation. 3. Kind : Floor should be made of concrete and it must be kept smooth and dry 4. Care : Avoid dampness to
prevent infections. 5. Recommended floor space in cm2 per bird.

Feeders
Feeder designs are of two types:- ii) Circular drum type hanging one. iii) Trough type with supporting legs. Space / bird: - in
trough types 10 cm (4) per bird or 5 tabular feeders per 100 birds.

Care :
Avoid overfilling of feeders. Keep maximum distance of 15 ft. between feeders and waterers. Waterers : (Water space
requirement per 100 birds) Litter Arrange 3 (8cm) depth of litter. Use saw dust, paddy husk and straw. One kg super phosphate
may be mixed per 9.3 m2 area to prevent ammonia smell if occurs.

Prevention of Vices
Vices in birds are cannibalism, feather picking, breaking egg, egg eating, bullying etc. 1. Debeak the pullets at the age of 14
weeks. 2. Repeat the process at 6 months again. 3. Increase the salt in feed to 1% temporarily. 4. Prevent over crowding,
provide balanced feed in mash form and adopt proper lighting programme.

Vaccination
For prevention from diseases the vaccination is essential. In this connection following information is given:- Care: Vaccinate the
birds in the early morning. Give rest of two weeks between two vaccinations.

Cage System
Housing layers in wire cages has been regarded as a super intensive system (with 465 to 560 cm2 cage floor area per bird) of
poultry production wherein the layers are kept in one, two or more per cage arranged in single, double or triple rows. Cage
system of housing layer is generally considered to be very beneficial and modern.

Sanitation
i) Remove utensils, equipments outside of house clean & disinfect them using 0.5% carbolic acid. ii) Restrict the entrance of
visitors. iii) Arrange foot bath at the entrance of door. iv) Fumigate the damp house by use of formalin

Broiler Management
Chick Quality
1) Chicks from healthy parents
2) Average weight of 100 chicks should be between 3.8 to 4.0 kg.
3) Uniform size and colour.
4) Well dry, fluffed and cleanly hatched.
5) Should be alert, active and free from deformities.
6) Vaccinated at hatchery f
or Mareks disease and tested negative to gumboro (IBD)

Housing
i) Space per chick under brooder is 32 cm2 ii) Space per broiler is 1 sq. ft. iii) Adequate ventilation & proper temperature. iv)
Temperature : Minimum temperature should be 700 F, fresh air.

Litter Arrangement
Kind of litter :- Rice husk, saw dust, wood shavings etc. Type of litter : Clean, dry, new, free from dust & Aflatoxins. Depth of
litter : 5 to 7 cm. Care : i) Keep free from dust & moisture (between 20%). iii) Free from injurious material like fungus.

Lighting
Put on dim light all the night for three weeks during brooding and maintain the temperature according to requirement.

Wateres
1) Requirement of Drinking water per 100 chicks: 0 to 2 weeks age 2 litres capacity waterers. 3 to 8 weeks age 3 waterers of 1
gallon capacity. 2) Birds for water should not go beyond 3 m. distance. 3) Keep wooden board below waterers. 4) Keep water
fresh, clean and cool.

Feeders
1) Type Linear feeder. 2) Space per chick is 5 cm Method : (i) Group feeding, (ii) Feed chick mash up to 4 weeks (iii) Feed
pelleted or crumbled form for 5th weeks. Feed conversion ratio 2 kg. feed for 1 kg. gain in weight. Feeding space.

Broiler House Management

It includes: 1) Check electrical equipment & thermometer. 2) Two days before chicks arrive turn brooders to maintain 950 F to
1000 F (35 to 380 C) temperature. 3) Use solid guard of 45 cm (18 inches) height & 60 cm away from brooders to prevent
straying of chicks. 4) Place chick mash in trays. 5) Place waterers between feed trays. 6) Switch on white light or 40 watt bulbs.
First Two Weeks (Most critical period) 1) Place the chicks quickly under the brooders on arrival. 2) Check, if they huddle together
increase temperature. 3) Check, if they spread beyond brooders decrease heat. 4) Feeding movement observed a
satisfactory condition. 5) Mortality up to 2 percent. When 4 Days Old: 1) Place tabular feeders 2 feet away from brooders. 2)
Move guards back. 3) Increase feeders and waterers space. 4) Remove damp litter. One week old: 1) Reduce brooder
temperature by 50 F. 2) Reduce light intensity if vice are noted. After Two weeks: 1) Reduce brooder temperature to same as
ambient temperature. 2) Keep brooders up to 1 month. 3) Keep continuous lights up to 6 weeks. 4) When brooders are removed
provide 40 watt bulb light for 100 sq.ft. floor space. 5) If necessary debeak the birds to control cannibalism. Disease Control 1)
Vaccinate for Ranikhet disease at 5th day age, if not done at hatchery. 2) Keep litter dry to prevent coccidiosis as its organisms
thrive on wet litter. 3) Use coccidiostat in feed. 4) In case of outbreak, use coccidiocidal drugs in drinking water at recommended
level. Suggested Vaccination Programme for Broilers:

Intext Questions
Match followings: A B i) Maximum egg production a) cannibalism ii) Preferable temperature for chicken b) Paddy husk iii) Litter c)
M.D. iv) Vaccine at hatchery d) 15 to 16 hours light. v) Vices in birds e) 180 C temperature

What you have learnt

The term poultry includes birds of several species like fowls or chicken, ducks, turkeys, quails, swan, pigeons, guinea fowl, pea
fowl, pheasants etc. The primary objective of feeding is to convert low quality feeds like cereal grains, oil cakes and other by
products of agriculture and industry into high quality food like egg and meat. Layer and Broiler management for profitable egg
and meat production.

Terminal Questions
i) Classify the poultry birds on basis of utility. ii) Write the principles of feeding poultry. iii) Give the vaccination schedule for
broilers. iv) Write about Lighting, Ventilation, Temperature, Feeders in layer farming.

Answer to intext Questions

6.1 1) Leghorn 2) Cornish 3) Hamburg 4) Orpington 5) Cochin 6.2 i) Sweat ii) 6 to 7 iii) 120 grams iv) Broiler 6.3 i) 15 to 16 hours
light ii) 180 C temperature iii) Paddy husk iv) M.D. v) Cannibalism

Suggested activity
Visit to Layer and Broiler poultry farm to study the managemental practicesows. Cage system of housing layer is generally
considered to be very beneficial and modern.