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POULTRY AND BROILER FARMING

INTRODUCTION

The broiler industry is a highly intergrated industry in which most of the steps in the production process are controlled by a single firm. A hatchery, breeder stocks, feed mill, processing plant, and a number of contract growers served by technical service staff make up a typical integrated broiler company. More than 90% of the commercial broilers are raised by growers under contract to a broiler firm.

Broiler production is concentrated in relatively few states, most of which are located in the south. Produce about 83% of all the broilers produced in the United states. From large integrated broiler companies produce about 18% of the broilers in the United States, and the 20 largest companies produce 50% of the broilers in this country.

The production of poultry n India and generally throughout the world is carried out by a highly specialised effecient poultry Industry that has been a leader in treads of scale and industrialisation that have taken place in Indian Agriculture over the past few years.

MARKET SURVEY

GROWTH OF POULTRY INDUSTRY

Poultry keeping started as a backyard ventures but has now grown into a full-fledged commercial agro-business, with investment running into millions of rupees. The modern poultry industry really started in India in early 'Sixties' with the introduction of world famous hybrid stock and balanced feeds, compelled with a substantial financial support from the government for creating infrastructure facilities. The value of poultry products has gone up some Rs.65 crores in 1961 to Rs.1500 crores in 1995.

Growth of broiler Production in India

Thus in last 5 years the poultry industry has grown by 50%.

While broiler is gaining importance in relation to the traditional sources of poultry meat, in terms of other meat market, it also offer advantages, considering broilers viz-a-viz the other traditional meats like mutton, beef, sea-food and pork and ham, the picture seems to be even more favourable. Broiler meat is also the most "acceptable" to the Indian household.

CONSUMPTION OF POULTRY PRODUCTS

The products of the poultry industry provide high quality human food poultry meat and eggs represent one of the cheapest sources of protein available to the Indian Consumer.

The demand for high-quality eggs is growing alongwith the increase in population, but the total demand at any one time is inalastic so that relatively small changes in total egg production can cause sharp declines in the prices that independent producers receive for eggs. Vertical intergration has served to distribute the financial risk, and large volume has enabled such operatives to make a profit inspite of narrow margins between production costs and market prices.

POULTRY BREEDING

Basically, all characteristic of animals are genetically determined to some degree. The size, shape, colour, behaviour, or tissue anzyme content of an animal are all characteristics under genetic control.

The hereditary material of a chicken is located on 39 pairs of chromosomes in the nucleus of a cell. These chromosomes carry the gens, the units of heredity.

Each gene occupies a specific location or locus on the chromosome. Chromosomes occur in cells in pairs, one from the size and one from the dam. Except for the sex chromosomes in females (Z and W), each chromosome of a pair is like the other in size and shape, and each carries genes for a particular trait at the same locus on the chromosome. The genes carried at this site may exist in different forms called alleles on each member of a pair of chromosomes.

TEMPERATURE

There is no general agreement among poultrymen as to what constitutes exactly the proper hover temperature for chicks just out of the incubator or at succeeding ages. There is no cumulative experimental evidence determining definitely what these temperatures should be.

Ideal temperature conditions probably exist when there is a range in temperature always available to the chicks, from a maximum of not less than 100oF to a minimum of 60oF. When they have a choice, chicks soon learn to find the temperature that is most comfortable to them. Trouble comes not so much from temporary exposure to low or to variable temperatures. As from continuous exposure to temperatures that are too high or too low, with no opportunity for the chicks to move at will to more comfortable temperatures.

EFFECTS OF CHILLING AND OVERHEATING

When a chick becomes uncomfortably cold under conditions of artificial brooding, and is unable to locate heat enough to warm him quickly, he seems to obey the instinct that tells him to get his back against the mother hen. The result is that he tries to crawl under the other chicks. This action, taken up by more and more chicks, results in bunching and crowding with the accompanying evils of smothered chicks and a diminution of thrift on the part of the entire flock.

BROODING REQUIREMENTS

There requirements of brooding appear to be essentially those of housing with the addition of temperature regulation. A complete brooder is simply a special form of house designed for the purpose of keeping chicks comfortable. To be commercially practical, brooding equipment must also be reasonably low in cost.

VENTILATION

Proper ventilation is important in all phases of poultry production, constant renewal of air in the poultry house is essential not only for supplying oxygen, but also for removal of products of metabolism such as carbon dioxide, ammonia, moisture, and heat, in fact, the removal of moisture, and heat, in fact is usually most important in determining ventilation rates.

HEAT AND MOISTURE OUTPUT OF BROILERS OF INDICATED WEIGHT

AGE AVERAGE HEAT OUTPUT IN WATER OUTPUT IN WEIGHT BTUX PER 1,000 POUNDS PER 1,000 (POUNDS) BROILER PER BROILERS PER DAY HOURS

HOVER AND FLOOR SPACE

ell-fed chicks grow rapidly, often doubling their weight as many as five successive times in the first 6 weeks. As they grow, their need for supplementary heat become less, with the result that floor space in the brooder house is more likely to become oritical than heated over space. Furthermore, the optimum floor area for greatest biological efficiency may not coincide with the optimum for greatest economic efficiency. In the rearing of replacement pullets it is considered sound practice to provide 7 square foot of total brooder house floor area. For chicks reared in confinement, this will be adequate for the first 4 to 6 weeks, but only about Half enough for the succeeding bu 4-6 weeks, Two square feet per bird are needed after 12 weeks.

Broiler should be allowed approximately 7 square inches of space under the brooder during the first 3 weeks and then 0.75 to 1.0 square foot of floor space after the brooding period. Actual floor space requirements may vary depending on climate and ventilation capacity.

FLOOR BROODING EQUIPMENT

Portable brooders are made in a number of different styles and sizes, but in commercial use the gas-heated types have largely replaced the areas, commercial broiler grower often use hot water or hot air types with a central heating system.

In cold weather, a guard of corrugated paper, metal or wall board should be placed around or along the hover, 2 to 3 feet from its edge to prevent floor drafts and to keep chicks from the source heat until they learn to find it easily. In warm weather wire may be used. The guard can be removed at the end of the first week.

LITTER

Many materials are suitable as litter. The primary requirements are that they be inexpensive, nontoxic and highly absorbant. Daried can fiber, wood shaving, saw dust, and corncobs are commonly used. A2 inch layer is required at the start of brooding, and more will usually be added as the chicks grow. Wet litter must be avoided, organism and adds to the stress of chicks subjected to a cold environment.

DISEASE CONTROL

Disease can reduce productivity and cause permanent physicological impairment of the pullet. Market's disease and two highly contagious bronchit is and new castle disease, are normally controlled by programmed multiple vaccination during the rearing and laying period. Vaccination against other viral diseases such as laryngotrable if recent outbreaks have occurred on the producers's farm or in areas nearly. Pullets grown on litter usually develop and immunity to concidlosis those grown in cages do not have access to dropping infested with the organization and therefore do not develop immunity. Cagreated pullets should not be transport to floor pans, as these birds lack immunity to coccidios is and may develop an out break during the laying year.

Disease problems may be minimized by vaccination programs, avoiding stressful environmental conditions which weaken the flock's natural resistance to infection, avoiding contact with other populations of poultry or other birds, proper disposal of dead or infected birds, and maintaining a constant vigil for signs of lacks of thrift of discomfort in the pullet or laying flock.

BROILER FARMING PROCESS

HOUSING & HEATING

In the early days of the broiler industry, the traditional type of broiler house was a shed-roof or gable-roof house 20 or 24 ft. wide and whatever length was desired. These houses usually had partitions about every 20 ft., each per containing brooder stove. On many farms where broilers and vaised house 20 or 24 ft. wide are still used although a central-heating systems is often used and in many cases partitions are 40 to 60 ft. apart.

USING THE RADIENT HEAT METHOD

Some commercial broiler products who raise large nos. of broilers each year used what is known as the Radiant Heat Methods of providing heat or the broiler chicks. Hot water pipes running lengthwise in a brooder house are buried in concrete to a depth of from 1 to 3 in. Iron, brass, steel, or copper piping may be used through from piping of 1 1/2" size has been found a job satisfactory when welede rather than threaded. Copper Tubing (1 /2 or 1/2") may be soldered, thus having labour in installation. Copper tubes are spaced from 5 to 12 in apart, depending upon the size of tubing used.

The concerete in which the piping or tubing is embededed may be laid on solid dirt, sand, graval, or a subbase of concrete. The piping should be cold when the concrete is poured. In order to avoid excessive the brooder house, it is advisable to insert an insulating strip having a moisture-resistant covering between the concrete floor and the wall. This same type of insulation could also be laid under the concrete floor if desired.

An automatically controlled ventilating system is usually installed. Keep the outside ventilating louvers closed for about the first 2 weeks. After that ventilation is necessary even when the outside air temperature is relatively cold when the chicks are placed in the brooder house, have the temperature at the surface of the floor about 95oF. The air in which the chicks are moving will have a temperature of about 90oF. After the first week, reduce the air temperature about 2oF each week till about the 8 weeks, the air temperature may be maintained at about 70 to 75oF.

RAISING CHICKENS IN BATTERIES MAINTAINING PROPER TEMPERATURE

Keep the temperature of the battery brooding room at about 72oF during the day and about 77oF during the night during the first 3 weeks. After the third week, the temperature of the battery room should be about 70oF during the day and about 75oF during the night. The temperature of the air in the battery brooding unit should be lowered about 30oF every 3 days for about 3 weeks. After about the fourth week, the chickens may be transferred from the batteries equipped with brooding units to holding batteries that have no brooding units.

RATE OF PRODUCTION OF EGGS

The laying hen may produce eggs at a maximum rate over the temperature range of 55 to 75oF, the optimal temperature is probably closer to 75o. After researches it is reported that egg production increased at each 5oC increment in ambient temperature from 15oC (59oF) to 30oC (86oF) provided the relative humidity at the highest temperature was 50% or Egg size and egg shell thickness tended to be reduced at the highest temperature. In practice the producer must decide on enamibient temperature that is economically feasible. It is usually less expensive in the winter time.

HEAT LOSS IN BALANCE WITH HEAT PRODUCTION

POULTRY FEED

Maize, rice bran, groundnut cake extractions, fish meal, meat meal, molasses are the major ingredient used in poultry feeds in India. These are produced in the country. Some agricultural and Industrial products like Sal seed cake meal, milk worm pupae meal etc. are also used in feeds.

Various vitamins, minerals, cocodiostala etc. manufactured in the country are also added in poultry feeds. Many of the feeds additives are being produced in technical collaboration with internationally known organisationally and fully meet international standards. Poultry industry presently consumes about 2.0 million tonnes of various types of poultry feeds with prices varying from about Rs. 4500 to Rs. 8200 per tonne.

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR POULTRY FARMERS

All commercial and co-operative banks in India provide credit facilities for setting up of larger broiler farms hatcheries and other enterprise in the poultry field, they give loans of as much as seventy to eighty percent of capital investment and so also meet the working capital requirement. The present normal rate of interest charged by the banks is about 18% Development provides refinance assistance upto 80 per cent of loans given by banks to the entrepreneurs.

ISI STANDARD

BROODERS    IS-5309

FEED    IS-1374

FEEDERS    IS-5255

HOUSING    IS-2732

WATERS    IS-5283

POULTRY FARM EQUIPMENTS

1.    Acharya & Associated Pvt. Ltd.

      Plot 39, Sector 27 A, Faridabad.

2.    Essex Farms,

      4, Aurbindo Marg,

      New Delhi - 16.

3.    Friends Farm Equipment,

      162, Kamla Market,

      New Delhi - 62.

4.    Friends Steel Industries,

      129, Kamla Market,

      New Delhi - 02.

5.    Magg Farms Pvt. Ltd.

      8th floor, Eros Apts.,

      New Delhi - 19.

SUPPLIERS OF RAW MATERIALS

1.    M/s. Shaw Wallace & Co. Ltd.,

      8/9, Themba Chetty St.,

      Madras.

2.    M/s. Godrej Scaps (P) Ltd.,

      Vikhroli

      Bombay - 79.

3.    M/s. Hindustan Feed Products.,

      Opp. Sewree Rly. Station,

      East Bombay.

4.    M/s.Hyfed Poultry & Cattle Feeds,

      4-187 Tilak Road,

      Hyderabad.

5.    M/s. AVM Cattle & Poultry Feeds Mfg. Industries,

      25/689, R. Gowder Street,

      Coimbatore.

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