How to setup and run a successful Backyard Poultry in India | PowerGotha
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December 3, 2018

How to setup and run a successful Backyard Poultry in India

From the arsenal of PowerGotha, we are delighted to present you with the third section i.e. Countryside backyard Poultry farming.

 

Animal husbandry is part and parcel of an Indian farmer’s life.   Rearing of cows, goats, and poultry farming has been very commonplace in almost every rural Indian home as a financial support to main business of agriculture or otherwise.

 

Out of all of three pillars of animal husbandry, the backyard poultry farming is the simplest one to start with as little space, effort and money is required to start and maintain the business.

 

Our readers have shown great interest in backyard poultry farming compared to professional broiler varieties.  We have seen multiple conversations about regular income generation, egg production as a supporting business.  A lot of farmers have also been inquiring more about backyard poultry farming with Desi Birds, Hens and Desi Eggs.

Backyard Poultry in India for Egg Production

Figure 1Poultry Farming: Egg Production

Today a lot of indigenous as well as cross breeds are available in market.   They are quick in their growth.

 

 

Selecting Chicken Breeds for Egg Production

 

Following are some breeds with their characteristics which you may consider for egg production

  • RIR- Slow in weight gain, starts giving eggs after 6 months, in each cycle produce 220-250 eggs
  • Black Austropop– One of the best multipurpose breed which starts laying in 3 months, can grow up to 2 kg and produces 160 to 200 eggs in one cycle
  • Grampriya -180-200 eggs
  • Dahlem Red – 200-220 eggs per year
  • Giriraj – up to 1 kg weight increase in 2 months, 120-160 eggs in one cycle
  • Vanraj – up to 1 kg weight increase in 2 months 120-160 eggs in one cycle
  • Kadaknath Famous for medicinal properties.   An Indian breed which increases in weight slowly. But famous for its nutritional value and medicinal properties.  One can expect about 1 kg weight gain in 5 months, 60-80 eggs in one cycle

All these breeds are really robust and have high immunity power inherently.

 

 How to Start backyard poultry ?

 

Backyard poultry can be carried out using free range housing system, along with loose housing shed of cows and buffaloes.

The same farm can house all. 🙂

Domestic or cross breed chickens are really robust and have strong immunity power.

In poultry farming breed selection should depend on the availability of demand in the market.

Objectives of Backyard Poultry

Egg production or meat production can be the main objectives.

 

Poultry Farming – Deep litter and Free Range method

Backyard Poultry: Desi Chicken Free Range Method

Figure 2 Poultry Farming : Free Range Method

Adopting the Free range method has multiple benefit for farmer. With this method 100 birds can be reared with small amount of time and capital.

You can start the business by buying chicks of one day old.  For first 3 weeks, the birds need highest attention.  Major activities including brooding need to be carried out, in this period.   After beginning of feathering, they are allowed to roam around freely in the backyard.

 

Advantages of Free range poultry farm

  1. Big savings on expenses of wages and food.  You only need to protect the birds from natural enemies such as dogs, foxes & kittens.
  2. Improved breeds usually find their own food by roaming around in the backyard, eating green grass or insects.
  3. Improved breeds like Giriraj, Vanraj start laying eggs real fast
  4. In free range method, the chicks are put in enclosure only during the night, so you get plenty of time to clean the shed.

 

Construction of shed to start backyard poultry business

Farmers can create a shed in their farm field or near the Cattle farm

Backyard Poultry India: Shed Construction

Fig 3: Shed Construction for Backyard Poultry

 

Approximately 1 to 1.5 square feet per bird is the space required for the construction of shed.

Accordingly we can plan the shed area required.

  • Shed height should be 10-12 feet height in the middle and 8-10 feet on the sides.
  • Wall height to be of 2-3 feet.
  • Enclose it with help of chicken mesh.
  • Have proper flooring on the ground.
  • Free range: There should be provision of open space near the shed for chickens to roam around.

 

Planning

 

For venturing out in egg production, you should have a proper plan from day one.

For running a desi eggs business.  There are 4 major steps to carry out

Start by buying a day old chicks of Domestic or cross breed  from nearest Government or private hatchery.

  1. Brooding- Keeping the baby chicks warm

 

How to carry out brooding?

When eggs are hatched with the help of a machine they don’t have their mother with them. Thus, they need artificial heat.   This process of providing artificial heat is called as brooding in scientific language.

One day old chicks don’t have feathers on their body.  Because of which they needs artificial heat of approximately 2 watt per bird.

They need brooding for first 21 days with very careful handling.

 

How to construct a brooder?

Brooder is an enclosing structure to provide artificial heat.   Usually it is circular, made up of plastic or metal sheet with the capacity of 100 to 200 chickens.

While creating a brooder use plastic or metal sheet of approximately 6 to 8 feet in length and 1.5 meters in height.   By joining it’s ends we can create a circular shape.

Floor to be made of wood powder or rice husk inside it.  Put a layer of newspaper over it.  Lit a incandescent bulb over it to maintain temperature.   To manage the temperature, we can arrange the bulb with a provision to adjust its height with the help of rope.   You should have the bulb enclosed plastic cover to reduce heat loss from above.

 

Keep sufficient boxes with water and food inside as per the need.  Before bringing the chickens to the farm make sure the brooder is in working condition at least 24 hours prior to maintain temperature.

 

 Care to be taken while brooding

 

There is a possibility of chick mortality during the time of brooding.  You need to be attentive all the time

  1. Control the temperature of the brooder in suitable range
  2. Administer following vaccines on time
    1. Lasota
    2. Gumboro
    3. Infectious bronchitis
    4. Fowl Pox vaccine
  3. Provide an appropriate quantity of antibiotics and vitamins & nutrients
  4. Provide protein-rich foods called “Starter” with protein content of 18 to 19%
  5. As soon as 21 days are completed, increase the spacing in the brooder littering & hardening.

 

Handling Care for a Day Old Chicks

 

Government  and private hatcheries provide one day chickens in a box carrying hundred birds.

You should verify the chicks carefully before buying.   Chickens should be healthy, free of any diseases and nimble. Be assured Marek’s vaccine has been administered on day 1.

 

As soon as you bring the chickens on the farm, take them out from the box carefully.  Segregate the chick which have already died.

 

For rest of them, take approximately 1 liter of boiled and cooled down water.  Add, 100 grams of Jaggery or Electral powder mix.  Dip every chicken’s beak 2 to 3 times to educate them about drinking water.

Leave them inside temperature controlled brooder.   It is vital for them to drink water in initial few hours to avoid death due to constipation.

 

Approximately, after 4 hours, you can feed them rice or corn husk.   Start chick starter food from day 2.

 

Normally you will have to do brooding for first 21 days after which feathers will start growing on the chicken’s body.   The birds will be able to control temperature on their own.

For the next few days keep them inside shed.   After which, you can leave them open in the free range compound.  After one month, we should start the chick Finisher food.

 

  1. Growing stage – 4 to 5 months

 

This is the growth stage of the birds.  Segregate males from the females.   Sell unwanted males or keep them separate for meat purpose.

Appropriate physical growth is very important in this period.  Provide  them Grower feed with 15-16% of protein content.  Allow them to roam freely in the open space of free range compound.  Provide them proper nutrients and vaccines on time.

Following vaccines need to be given in this stage

  • Lasota
  • Fowl Pox booster

 

  1. Eggs laying phase (6 to 18 months)

 

Approximately after 24 weeks, hens will start laying egg.

Our income can start at this point.

In this period birds need a diet with 18-19% of protein content which is called Laying Mash.

Along with this 5% calcium diet should be given.

Nest box also needs to be provided for laying eggs.

Approximately chickens will lay eggs till they are 72 weeks in age.

Triplex-nesting-box

Nest Box for Backyard Poultry

  1. Moulting

 

Approximately after 72 weeks, feathers will start to fall from the chicken’s body, new feathers will come. The chicken will not be able to give eggs after this, you should sell them for meat purpose.

 

Income-Expenditure

 

From day one (buying one day chicks) to the day birds start laying eggs, approximately Rs 120-150 per chicken expenditure is estimated.

 

If we assume approximately 70% hens in a box of hundred chicks, we can expect 40 to 45 eggs every day.   Market rate is currently 5-8 rupees.  Our expenditure per egg is 2-4 rupees.

 

We can also get good quality manure from the hen’s excreta in addition to the income from eggs. We can reduce the cost of eggs even further by providing the chicks with waste food, vegetables & grains as food.

 

After 72 days if we sell them, we can expect approximately 150 to 200 rupees per bird. This excess income is actually an additional profit.

 

With arrangement for clean water, timely vaccination, backyard poultry farming can really be a very good business.   So many farmers are running successful backyard Poultry.

 

How to produce good breed chickens at your own farm

 

Instead of buying chicks from hatchery,  you can also start your own hatchery. It will help you venture into new line of business.   Some details on how can you do it are as follows

 

By making a broody hen sit on egg of improved breed, we can get chicks at our farm or shed. As improved breeds grow faster, give more eggs, and have higher immunity it is easy to earn money with it. You can also make money by selling eggs and the birds both in this case.

 

How to use Broody desi hen?

 

It is great if you have Broody hen to sit on the eggs naturally.  If not you can test a hen by placin one egg under a hen which has stopped laying eggs.  If she sits on it for approximately 5-6 days you can consider it as broody. In this duration, you arrange eggs of improved variety under the broody hen to have better progeny of chicks in the next cycle.

 

Making broody hen sit for hatching eggs 

 

Normally a farmer should 1 to 10 hens for hatching eggs at a time.  It will make handling multiple chicklets easy and help to reduce premature deaths. Make the birds sit in a circular vessel or a bamboo straw or patty or rice straw.

 

Advantages of making multiple hens it for brooding at the same time

 

  1. As a hen is not able to distinguish her own chicklets, it treats all of them as her own children.
  2. At starting the hens might fight with each other. Afterwards all of them collectively make sure that the chickens are warm which helps them to grow faster.
  3. When multiple hens are taking care of chickens, some of them will protect them predators like cats cross kittens, while others take care of the chickens.
  4. This will reduce the percentage of death due to natural reason along with additional care from hens. Roaming around in open atmosphere will improve their immunity.

 

Important things to consider

 

Due to scarcity of quality chicken in cities, people are ready to pay a premium for good quality chicken. People living in city have started to prefer organic food, which is free of any antibiotics, pesticides or chemicals.   They also are ready to pay premium for eggs and chicken produced through such method.

By marketing your products the right way you can get much better rates than broiler eggs.  In a group, you can also explore an alternative of dealing with grocery chains or malls like Reliance Mart, D Mart, Big Bazaar to increase your income.

 

Traditionally, in India every home used to have 5 to 10 hens.  Homemakers, the women of the house, used to manage them for high protein eggs and chicken for the family.  But in absence of commercial vision and proper guidance the business hasn’t been scaled commercially.

Now with increased access to knowledge and means of communication, transport etc, we can trade our goods to people living in city from our village itself.

 

We hope you attain growth in your business, by reading this piece.   Tell us about your success stories to keep others motivated.

 

 

25 Comments on “How to setup and run a successful Backyard Poultry in India

Gouri mitra
June 2, 2021 at 3:19 am

V informative. I would like tobegin backyard poultry in maharastra raigadh.pl advice the best brooder I can get.

Reply
Manjula
November 28, 2020 at 3:01 am

As I am from Bangalore can I start mini poultry in terrace

Reply
Shebha
October 19, 2020 at 5:35 am

It’s so informative. can you explain how to protect from snakes of cats or any carnivores. Pls share ideas. So that we can plan best way.

Reply
sunil patel
October 1, 2020 at 3:17 pm

Thanks for sharing keep up the good work.

Reply
zahir khan
September 10, 2020 at 7:01 am

i am new person but i need the same information
which is already some has written ,MI want to start cage free Deshi Poultry farming for meat & eggs also. I’m totally new in the business, I want complete information from construction of farm shed by using minimum fixed investment.

Reply
zahir khan
September 10, 2020 at 6:58 am

I want to start cage free Deshi Poultry farming for meat & eggs also. I’m totally new in the business, I want complete information from construction of farm shed by using minimum fixed investment.

Reply
Sanjay Wagh
August 20, 2020 at 6:54 am

I want to start cage free Deshi Poultry farming for meat & eggs also. I’m totally new in the business, I want complete information from construction of farm shed by using minimum fixed investment.

Reply
Vaibhav wagh
July 17, 2020 at 4:44 pm

Great

Reply
Surjit Singh
October 3, 2020 at 3:05 pm

can I do backyard layer poultry farming in punjab india is good and Profitable?
Pl give good advice.

Reply
tosnin
June 21, 2020 at 2:56 pm

Very informative ,I want to start poultry business ,can you please provide me the details from where I can purchase the better breeds of chicks

Reply
venugopal suvarna
May 23, 2020 at 9:46 am

Greetings of the day,

We are planing to venture into free range poultry and goat farming. Would like to visit your farm.
pl let us know the possibility and your availability.

Thanks

Mu mob 9702234443 9323234443

Reply
Satyendra singh
April 19, 2020 at 11:32 am

Sir
I am planning to run a free range poultry farm of RIR breed. I want to learn basic things of such kind of farming, because I am a beginner. Kindly suggest me where I can learn or Can I visit your farm for practical knowledge.
Please reply me back with your valuable suggestions.
Thank you

Reply
hardev singh
April 15, 2020 at 7:24 am

from where can I have desi breed which lay more egg per anum.

Reply
टीम पॉवरगोठा
April 16, 2020 at 1:56 am

Local hatchery at district or taluka level. Both sarkari Govt and private hatcheries provide eggs.

You can go for RIR breed to start.

Reply
Rajesh
June 11, 2020 at 7:23 am

where do i get RIR Breed in India (South India)? I searched with some poultry farms but they didnt response well. i thought they deal with bulk numbers only.

Reply
Syed
February 24, 2020 at 7:12 am

Wow. Awesome and true knowledge, as iam a farmer, i have seen trial n error methods over a long years. But because of internet and people like you knowledge is available means no need of trial n error or very less try n error.

Good work keep it up.

I am breeding kadhaknath, i will share my knowledge and experience with please share.

Thank you

Reply
Sarfaraz Memon
January 12, 2020 at 5:03 am

How can we developed desi breed?
Is it liable to do pure desi bird farming?

Reply
Priyanka
November 23, 2019 at 7:42 am

Hello , what is the protein content in RIR eggs ??

Reply
टीम पॉवरगोठा
November 28, 2019 at 3:08 am

Basically the same as white eggs. Depends on the diet of birds. 6-7 gms per egg.

Reply
Rajaramkothapally
April 28, 2019 at 4:23 pm

What is the brooding temperature for Desi Chick for new born

Reply
Rahul Sapke
February 21, 2019 at 12:56 pm

Sir, can poultry be setup near residential area? Is it allowed?

Reply
Kohale Prathamesh
October 10, 2019 at 7:47 am

No allowence to rear them in public places it produces some odour and due surrounding with lot of people there is chances to infestation of various diseases

Reply
Mehul Patil
February 18, 2019 at 2:19 pm

Can you help with some contact details of hatchery dealing in pure desi local breed? No cross breed.

Reply
SIDNEY CHANDE
January 23, 2019 at 3:48 pm

Very educative literature and hope to being updated on any new developments as indicate to venture into this kind of business

Reply
Team Powergotha
January 31, 2019 at 2:07 am

Thank you. We’ll keep providing quality info.

Reply

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