BACKYARD POULTRY FARMING WITH USE OF INDIGENOUS TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE (ITK)

Backyard poultry production is an age old practice in rural India. Most of the backyard poultry production comprises rearing of indigenous birds with poor production performances.

The potentiality of indigenous birds in terms of egg production is only 70 to 80 egs/ bird/ year and meat production is also very less. However, the backyard poultry production can be easily boost up with improved varieties of chicken and can promise a better production of meat and egg.

To improve the socio-economic status of the traditional farmers, backyard poultry is a handy enterprise with low-cost initial investment, but high economic return along with guarantee for improving protein deficiency among the poor.

1. Low initial investment but higher economic return.

2. A unit can be started with as low as two chickens to a large flock.

3. Feed cost is negligible due to better utilization of agricultural by-products and leftover feed and grains.

4. Egg and birds can be sold in local market with high price, because there is a growing demand for local chicken.

5. And the consumers are willing to pay higher prices for high quality desi chicken meat or egg.

6. Boost up in family income for better utilization of family laboures who are not able to perform other agricultural works like old family member or children.

7. Backyard poultry farming acts as an ‘ATM’, because as per family need the birds and eggs can be sold at anytime anywhere with cash in hand.

8. Quality of chicken and egg is better in terms of organic farming as the birds are raised in stress less environment with natural input.

Large share of the rural poor is dependent on poultry for food and income hence growth in poultry sector can contribute to enhanced nutrition and poverty reduction in India,.The native chicken varieties adopted in free range backyard conditions for centuries contribute about 11% of total egg production in India..GOI targets GDP growth rate of 9 percent per year, the livestock sector is expected to grow at between 6 and 7 percent per year, with poultry growing at 10 percent per Year. Specific improved varieties of birds are now available for backyard rearing for meat or eggs and few varieties for both (dual purpose). Some of the popular rural poultry varieties in the country are Gramapriya, Vanaraja, Srinidhi, Kuroiler, Kalyani DK, CARI-Nirbheek, CARI-Shyama, UPKARI, HITCARI, Krishna-J etc.

Though native and improved birds reported to have better immune competence, they need to be protected against certain diseases like Ranikhet disease, Marek’s Disease, Fowl pox, Gumboro disease and parasitic infestations under backyard and free ranging conditions. Other diseases that may affect the poultry birds are Coccidiosis, infectious coryza, Salmonellosis etc. For better health care in backyard poultry farming the birds should be timely vaccinated and dewormed as and when required. Among vaccinations, ND vaccination must be the most important one to be considered in backyard poultry.

Vaccination Schedule for Vanaraja / Gramapriya birds

Age (days) Vaccine Dose Route

1 Marek’s Disease 0.20 ml S/C

In the nursery

5thor 7th day Ranikhet Disease (Lasota) One drop Eye drop

14th day Infectious Bursal Disease(Georgia) One drop Oral drop

21st day Pox ( Fowl Pox) 0.20ml I/M or S/C

28th day Ranikhet Disease (Lasota) One drop Eye drop

In the field

9th week Ranikhet Disease Repeat every 6 months interval 0.50 mL Eye drop or pellet

12th week Fowl Pox Repeat every 6 months interval 0.20mL S/C

If disease is endemic, ND control through vaccination is generally a very cost-effective intervention .Commercial vaccines become unsuitable for backyard poultry because of heat labile nature and large doses availability. A vaccine which can be easily administered in feed is required for ND control in free range chickens

• Vaccine contains live D58 strain of Newcastle disease virus in pellets made up lactose,

amaranthus dye and starch.

• The oral pellet vaccine is highly useful. It is easy to handle and administer.

• The oral pellet vaccine has to be administered at the rate of two pellets per bird of more than

10 days old and the dose should be administered within two and a half and three months interval.

• Product presented as vials containing vaccine granules of 25 doses.

Mosquitoes can be controlled by removing stagnant water, pouring oil or kerosene on stagnant water.Deficiency of protein, vitamins, minerals and vital amino acids and insufficient energy in feed cause poor growth and ruffled feathers. Vitamin A deficiency causes respiratory symptoms and conjunctivitis. A vitamin B deficiency causes paralysis and neuritis. A vitamin B2 deficiency causes curled toe paralysis, manganese and choline deficiency causes slipped tendon disease.

• Disease free, improved strain, dual purpose poultry birds may be procured for back yard poultry farming.

• Periodical vaccination should be done on regular basis.

• Clean drinking water and fungus free feed should be supplied to the birds. FAO considersfood and water management as a biosecurity hazard to backyard poultry.

• Overcrowding should be avoided.

• Sick bird should be immediately separated/ culled from healthy flock.

• Poultry equipments particularly waterer and feeder should be regularly cleaned and

disinfected.

• Alternate sources of high protein content like grasshoppers, earthworms, termites, mermaid cricket meal and algae like spirulina, azolla can be fed for tolerance to combat viral diseases.

• Initially protecting the chicks and feeding creep feed and offering shelter to protects from airborne predators can be considered.

• The birds should be free from predators and should not be scared by other animals.

• Before procuring new flocks the shed should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.

• During summer and winter months the shed should be protected from hot or cold wind by hanging curtain/ wet gunny bags around the side of the wall or shed. In summer months water sprinkling also can be done or shady trees can be grown near coop.

• Effective disinfectants include chlorhexidine, sodium hypochlorite (6%),

• Age and species separate rearing of poultry/consideration for single species rearing.

• Try to avoid taking birds to (or bringing birds home from) all shows and exhibits. If new birds are introduced onto your farm, keep the new birds separate from your flock for one month and look for any signs of disease.

• Newly introduced birds must be quarantined for two weeks prior before joining the flock to allow a time lag for any disease to reveal itself.

• Mix a solution of three parts bleach to two parts water, and use it liberally to clean rubber boots and equipment brought onto your farm.

• Wash surfaces with soap and water, rinsing well, before applying disinfectant.

• Burning or deep burial disposal method of dead birds is one of the strongest recommendations

Indigenous traditional knowledge in health care of backyard poultry—-

Newcastle Disease –Symptoms

Respiratory symptoms- gasping, nasal discharge, greenish diarrhea, torticollis

Turmeric powder 1 tsp in 2 lit water Ground garlic leaves mixed in feed 6-7 nos / 10 birds

Potassium Permanganate 3 – 4 drops in water

Fowlpox— Gasping seen in Diphtheritic. Blisters/ scabs eruptions in cutaneous form

Black- pepper seeds

(twice a day for 3 days) Chick – 1 seed

Adult birds – 2 to 3 seeds

Dry seeds of mature chili pepper

(for 3 days) Chicks – 2 to 3 seeds/ day

Adult birds – 5 to 10 seeds/ day

Cough and cold—- Nasal discharge, swollen sinuses, gasping.

Turmeric rhizomepowder 1/2 tsp / lit water

Crushed garlic cloves 1 clove / bird / day

Fenugreek seeds 10 g / liter of boiling water

Chopped onion 1/4 / bird / day

Ginger/ Adhrak juice of 10g ginger with 250 ml of water and 10 g of brown sugar.. Add 3 tablespoons of the mixture in the drinking water each day /10 birds

Andrographispaniculataor kalmegh. Boil with 2 liters of water till 1 liter is left. Soak 2 handfuls of uncooked milled rice in this water overnight. Feed to chicken next morning mixed with other feed.

Plain Yogurt with Live and Active Cultures Probiotic and source of calcium

Thulsileaves Boilhandful of leaves in 1lit of water

Diarrhea ——-Off feed, watery fecaces, can be viral ,bacterial or protozoal infection

Crushed garlic cloves and turmeric rhizome in feed 7-10 cloves and fingernail sized turmeric rhizome / 10 birds

Garlic + onion bulb +cumin seeds +fenugreek seeds +dry turmeric rhizome in feed for 2-3 days 7-10 garlic cloves + 1 onion bulb + 5-10 gcumin seeds + Thumb-sized turmeric rhizome

Myrsticafragrans/ jathiphala fruit Grind 1/4 of a dried mace.

Grind 1/4 of a dried mace

Azimatetracantha/ needle bush/ Kanda-gur-kamay Grind a handful of leaves or roots and mix with yoghurt and add to feed

Sesbaniaaegyptiaca/ janathiseeds in feed 5 g of seeds

Parasitism——- Stunted growth, poor appetite.

Fresh turmeric rhizomejuice

as drinking water(once every month) 250 g

Groundfresh cloves of garlic infeed (Repeat once every month) 6cloves /10 birds for 1-2 days

Raw papaya sap

(containsbenzylisothiocyanate- show efficacy towards roundworms) Mix 5 parts of sap with 1 part of water. Give 2-3 teaspoons of liquid (1015 ml) for every 10 chickens for 5 days

Heat air-dried Areca crèche (supari) nuts Put a pinch of powder of ground areca nuts in the mouth of each bird once a day for a week.

Centratherum (=Vernonia) anthelminticum (Black Cumin/ kallijeeri) Seed extracts showed efficacy against some ascarid roundworms (e.g. Toxocaravitulorum) and threadworms (e.g. Strongyloides).

Raw Pumpkin Seeds

(cucurbitacin paralyses tapeworm and round worm) Offer ad libitum

Heat stress—— Gullar flutter, carcass of dead birds show cooked appearance.

Sugar 4 tsp sugar/ lit of drinking water

TICKS, LICE AND MITES—–

Anemia, dull , scaly legs in mite.

Diospyrosebenum/Ebnus/ ebony Dry leaves hung in shed or coop

Dry tobacco leaves (do not allow birds to eat tobacco) Dry leaves hung in shed or coop

Ocimum sanctum/ thulsi Dry leaves hung in shed or coop

lemon grass (Cymbopogoncitratus) Dry leaves hung in shed or coop

A mixture of 2 parts neem (leaves or oil), 1 part of salt and 1 part of ash Rub on the birds’ skin

A mixture of I part of salt and 2 parts of mustard oil Rub on the birds’ skin

driedAnnonasquamosa (seethaphal, custard apple) seeds. Rub on the birds’ skin

Local name Botanical name Parts used Selection of disease symptoms treated Possible target diseases

Aloe (Eshikakha)— Aloe Vera Leaves Diarrhoea(Whitish,greenish,bloody) Newcastle disease

Pepper (Pilipili)—– Capsicum Fruit Coughing, gasping, noisy breathing Respiratory diseases

Sisal (Likonge)—– Leaves Diarrhoea, unthrift ness, drooping wings Gastrointestinal diseases

Lilokha —— Leaves Diarrhoea Gastrointestinal diseases

Neem (Mwarobaini)—— Azadirachta indica Leaves, bark Whitish diarrhoea,pox lesions, scaly legs Viral diseases and external parasites

Kumukimilia —–Combretum mole Leaves, bark Gasping, coughs ,foamy diarrhoea Respiratory diseases and intestinal worms

Omutsuitsui—— Croton megalocarpus bark Swollen heads, Foamy diarrhoea, unthrift ness Coryza, Intestinal worms

Amavinzo—– Tithonia Leaves Diarrhoea (foamy), coughing, unthrift ness, drooping wings Gastrointestinal diseases and worms

Musembe—— Endatta abysinica Bark Cough, gasps and diarrhoea Respiratory diseases

1. Disease free, improved strain, dual purpose poultry birds may be procured for back yard poultry farming.

2. Periodical vaccination should be done on regular basis.

3. Clean drinking water and fungus free feed should be supplied to the birds.

4. The poultry shed should be regularly cleaned and free from moisture and humid condition.

5. Overcrowding should be avoided.

6. If possible there should be separate space for different age group of birds.

7. Sick bird should be immediately separated/ culled from healthy flock.

8. Poultry equipments particularly waterer and feeder should be regularly cleaned and disinfected.

9. There should be restriction for outsider into the poultry shed or farm.

10. The birds should be free from predators and should not be scared by other animals.

11. Before procuring new flocks the shed should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.

12. There should be provision for footbath in front of poultry shed.

13. During summer and winter months the shed should be protected from hot or cold wind by hanging curtain around the side of the wall or shed. In summer months water sprinkling also can be done.