CHAPTER-6 RAISING AND PRODUCTION OF POULTRY BIRDS
Raising and production of poultry birds 6.1 INTRODUCTION Poultry- fish farming is the integration of poultry animals like chicken, duck and geese with fish farming (Tokrisna, 1995.) The most common practice in India is fish cumchicken, which is widely practiced because of its profitability. Birds raised for egg (layers) or the one that are raised for meat (broilers) can be integrated with fish farming. This will reduce the cost of inputs, such as fertilizer and feed, so as to maximize profits. The poultry house can be constructed inside and raised over the pond or beside the pond as the case may be. The excreta from the birds serve as manure, which fertilizes the pond or the fish can feed on them directly. It will be more ideal and better if the poultry house is raised over the ponds that is, vertical integration, allows easy transportation of manure to ponds thereby maximizing the usage of the land. The poultry house will be cleaner, as the excreta falls directly to the ponds (Gabriel, 2007). Two basic types of poultry wastes are produced in India: broiler litter and caged layer manure. Broiler litter, for the purposes of fertilization, includes all floor-type birds such as broilers, pullets, and floor layers. Bedding material such as wood shavings or peanut hulls is used to absorb liquids. Caged layer manure is usually free from litter material and generally has higher moisture content. Poultry manure is managed primarily for its nitrogen (N) value. However, N availability from broiler litter is the most difficult of the three primary nutrients to predict. About one-third of the total N in broiler litter is in the ammonium form (NH 4 -N) and the rest is in an organic form. The amount of N available for plant uptake is ammonium nitrogen plus the amount of organic nitrogen that mineralizes during the growing season. For the first 14 days, chicks need to be raised separately in a brooder (not on pond), as they need higher temperature of 28-33 ºC (85-95 ºF). Each chick during this period needs a space of 7.5 x 7.5 cm (9 in²). To maintain the required 205
temperature range, surround the chicks in a bamboo fence and hang an electric or kerosene lamp above them. A rice husk heater can also be used.housing can be constructed on pond or on embankment. Each bird requires 3 ft² floor area.any good strain of chicken, like Star Cross Shavar, could be raised. For the first 16 weeks, feed is given at the rate of 80-110 g/bird/day and from 17th week onwards, 110-120 g/bird/day. Feed composition is given in the chart below.temperature in the poultry house should always be above 20-22 C. When the temperature goes below this level, hang two 200-watt bulbs or two kerosene lamps for every 50 chickens. A rice husk heater can also be used.broilers reach market size of 1.5-1.8 kg in 7-8 weeks and it is possible to raise six batches in a year. Layers start laying after 22 weeks and 250-280 eggs/bird/year could be obtained. Egg laying becomes uneconomical after chickens reach the age of 18 months, when they need to be replaced.because chickens are usually kept in confinement, they are susceptible to disease. When disease strikes, the whole flock may be affected: growth will be retarded, egg production will go down or the chickens may die. Thus, broilers will not reach market weight in time. For layers, sexual maturity is delayed. Protective measures are needed. For present study, one day old chicks (Croiler Variety) were procured from the Poultry research centre, Pantnagar in the month of June. The chicks were grown for 2-3 weeks in brood house providing proper uniform light and heating. For successful rearing of day old chicks, the chicks were fed with prepared starter feed purchased from market. Plastic feeders and drinkers were used for providing feed and water to the chicks. The chicks were fed ad libitum for 2-3 weeks. Necessary medication and health supplements were also provided through drinking water since their procurement for better growth and survival. After successful rearing, healthy chicks were stocked in experimental cages. Poultry chicks were fed with the domestic waste such as grains, leftover Kitchen waste and partially supplemented with prepared grower feed purchased from market. The left over and spilled feed from poultry cages were dropped in to the fish ponds. Poultry droppings and wash out from the cage was directly drained in to the pond water daily. Any other manure was not used in controlled (without 206
integration) and in treated ponds (integrated). However, lime was applied @ 2-3 kg per month in all ponds. Samples of the whole day wastes were collected from the each cage during the rearing period on monthly basis. Average of the weight of all samples was calculated to estimate the average quantity of waste voided by birds in a month. The total quantity of waste recycled in the pond was computed by average quantity and numbers of rearing months. On the basis of proximate nutrients composition, the quantity of each nutrient from recycled wastes was calculated. At the end of the experiment, samples of the poultry droppings of 7 days were collected from each integrated unit and analyzed for proximate composition to know the manorial value of the poultry waste. 6.2 RESULS AND DISCUSSION The initial weight of the 2 weeks old chicks was recorded as 40 g. The average weight gain by the individual bird in 12 months was recorded as 2.2 kg. Hence, a net production of the poultry birds was achieved as 22 kg from the integration of 10 birds and 44 kg from the integration of 20 chicks. The feed intake of the individual birds during the entire rearing period of 12 months was 30 kg in integration of 10 birds and 60 kg in integration of 20 birds. The FCR of the poultry feed was calculated as 1.36. The poultry waste included the droppings, urine and spilled feed. On the proximate composition of the waste, 1.8% nitrogen, 1.2% phosphorus and 75% moisture was found. Hence a net quantity of 34.5kg.waste was added in the pond of 10 bird s integration and 69 kg waste was added in the pond having 20 chicks. 0.620 kg. Nitrogen and 0.414 kg phosphorus was made available in the pond having 10 chicks through the continuous recycling of poultry waste. Similarly, 1.240 kg.nitrogen and 0.828 kg phosphorus was made available in the pond having 20 chicks. Birds started egg laying after attaining the age of 22 weeks. The average production of eggs was 200 per bird upto the disposal. On average 40% bird provided the eggs (Table 6.1, 6.2). 207
Table 6.1: Growth performance of Poultry birds and waste production in different stocking densities. No. of chicks stocked Parameters 10 nos. 20 nos. Nos. of Chicks 10 10 Av. Initial wt. (gm) 40 40 Av. Final wt. (kg.) in 12 months 2.240 2.240 Av. Gain in wt. (kg) 2.2 2.2 Eggs production/year/bird 200 200 Total Eggs production 800 1600 Feed intake in 12 months/bird (kg) 3.0 3.0 Total feed intake (kg) 30.0 60.0 Total *Waste released (kg) 34.5 69.0 Total N recycled in pond (kg) Total P recycled in pond (kg) * Including droppings + urine + spilled feed 0.620 1.240 0.414 0.828 Table 6.2: Proximate composition of nutrients in poultry droppings (%). Parameters Quantity (%) Nitrogen 1.8 Phosphorus 1.2 Moisture 75 208
Plate 6.1: Poultry cage at the fish pond s dike. Plate 6.2: Poultry Chicks in the brood house. 209
Plate 6.3: Raising of poultry Chicks. Plate 6.4: Poultry birds moving on the pond s dike. 210
Plate 6.5: Measurement of poultry Birds. Plate 6.6: poultry Eggs. 211