Understanding Organic Poultry Farming: India’s Green Farming Future

Understanding Organic Poultry Farming: India’s Green Farming Future

Shweta

M.V.Sc Scholar

Animal Nutrition Division

National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana

Email id: shweta1021998@gmail.com

Poultry farming in India has come a long way — from simple backyard rearing to becoming a large, organized industry. Today’s consumers are more aware than ever about the safety and quality of the food they eat. With rising purchasing power, people are willing to pay a little extra for products they trust to be safer and healthier. This growing demand for chemical-free and residue-free poultry products has sparked a strong interest in organic poultry farming. Across India, farmers and consumers alike are turning toward organic practices, seeking healthier birds, better meat and eggs, and a more sustainable environment. According to FAO/WHO codex alimentarius commission-organic farming is a unique production management system which promotes and enhances agro-ecosystem health, including biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity, and this is accomplished by using on-farm agronomic, biological and mechanical method in exclusion of all synthetic off-farm inputs.

In organic poultry farming, priority is given to raising local breeds that are naturally adapted to their environment. To ensure truly organic meat production, the birds must come from parent stock that has also been reared organically. It’s equally important to create a natural, stress-free environment where poultry can freely express their natural behaviours like pecking, scratching, and roaming. Setting up an organic poultry farm isn’t instant—it involves a conversion period, which is the time needed between adopting organic practices and officially getting the farm and its products certified as organic.

Aim of the Organic Farming:

The core goal of organic farming is to build and maintain a natural balance between the soil, plants, and animals, creating a sustainable agro-ecological system that thrives on local resources. Unlike conventional farming, it avoids the use of synthetic fertilizers, antibiotics, and chemical inputs, instead focusing heavily on managing and nurturing the ecosystem itself.

Organic farming is guided by the following aims:

• Reducing health risks associated with chemical residues
• Protecting and preserving the environment
• Supporting the livelihoods of small farmers
• Promoting a harmonious relationship between crop production and animal husbandry
• Minimizing all types of pollution
• Producing fully biodegradable, eco-friendly products
• Delivering high-quality food in sufficient quantities
• Maintaining and protecting genetic diversity

Organic certification standards in India:

Although the organic crop production and certification system is reasonably well established in India, the organic livestock and organic poultry production is in its budding phase.

Organisations such as APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority), FASSAI (Food Safety and Standard Authority of India) and BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards), along with research establishments like ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research), are now putting serious efforts into establishing protocols and promote organic livestock production and its certification in India.

In India, the standards for organic agriculture were introduced in May 2001 through the launch of the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP), managed by the Ministry of Commerce. The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) oversees the certification of organic products under the guidelines of the NPOP. Notably, the production standards and accreditation system under NPOP have been recognized as equivalent to the standards of the European Commission and Switzerland. Additionally, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has acknowledged India’s accreditation procedures as meeting U.S. requirements.

Thanks to these international recognitions, Indian organic products certified by accredited Indian bodies are now readily accepted in major global markets.

Table: Organic vs Conventional Poultry Production (Beia et al., 2024)

Principles of Organic Poultry Production:

The core principles of organic poultry farming revolve around minimizing synthetic inputs, promoting animal welfare, and nurturing ecosystem health.

• Appropriate housing that permits natural behaviour, including outdoor access
• Certified organic feeds
• No antibiotics, drugs or synthetic pesticides
• Organic processing of meat and eggs
• Record keeping system to allow tracking of poultry and products’
• Organic system plan including description of practices to prevent contamination, monitoring practices and list of inputs
• Production that does not contribute to contamination of soil or water
• No genetically modified organisms, ionizing radiation or sewage sludge
• Pasture management
• Grazing management
• Stress management
• Seasonal breeding
• Access to environment
• Avoidance of synthetic substances
• Rearing of birds without cages
• Organic feeds
• Natural treatments

Practices of organic poultry production:

1. Poultry Breeding:  Breed should be chosen which are adaptable to system. Breeding goals should not be in the opposition to animal natural behaviour and should be directed towards good health. The use of genetically engineered species or breeds is not allowed. Reproduction technique should be natural. Artificial insemination is allowed only upon veterinary necessity (Chander, al., 2006). Hormonal treatment for more egg production should be prohibited.
2. Poultry housing and management:The main objective to follow organic housing and management standards is to provide an opportunity for poultry bird to exhibit all its normal behaviour patterns. This will be helpful to minimize the stress to the birds. Stress free birds are likely to have a positive effect upon both the health and production capacity of the flock.

Housing should be designed and constructed in such a way that birds can be protected from predators. Good sanitation with regular cleaning of poultry sheds is important. For organic poultry production birds should not be caged and reared under deep litter system. Artificial light can be used according to the time prescribed by the certification agencies. In the organic meat sector birds must be grown for usually a period of 81 days of age. Poultry must have easy access to an outside grazing area, fresh air, clean water balanced ration, dust-bathing facilities and an area for scratching, and hence presents an emphasis to enhance the welfare of the animals. De-beaking and beak trimming are usually prohibited practices but some certifying agencies still permit trimming and de-beaking. De-beaking if done, more than 5mm of the upper beak should be removed (Chander, et. al., 2006, Lampkin, 1997).

3. Chicken behavior and interventions: Behavior traits are of more importance in free range/organic production, when trying to create a production system, which permit hens to move around in large flocks (Chander, et. al., 2006). For the normal expression of the bird behaviour there should be ample space for wing flapping and stretching and areas suitable for sand, dust and sun bathing. More specifically, sand and dust-bathing are important for the maintenance of hygiene and help to reduce the number of external parasite considerably (Lampkin, 1997). The major behavioural problem faced by the poultry is feather pecking and cannibalism. Finding food is another social behaviour of the birds. Pecking and scratching are the part of normal feeding behaviour, and their housing system needs to provide appropriate space for these activities (Lampkin, 1997).
4. Feeding and watering:The birds should be fed 100% organically grown feed of good quality. All ingredients must be certified as organic, except vitamin and mineral supplements making up to 5% of the diet. The diet should be offered to the poultry in a form that permit the birds to execute their natural feeding behaviour and digestive needs. The digestive system of the chicken is made to handle insects, seeds and grain rather than forage. Therefore, this needs the formulation of concentrated balanced feed rations, if the birds are to be produced organically at required level. The largest component of any organic poultry diet is the cereal (maize). The high quality roughages, particularly legumes can supplement to the diet. Home grown protein sources like peas, beans and rape seed can be utilized. Sprouted grains are a good source of vitamins and can be used to replace synthetic amino acids. Limestone and phosphate rock can be employed as mineral source for organic ration. For layers, limestone grit and oyster shell will provide needed calcium for egg production. Hence, a balanced ration is the key factor for sound and healthy birds. Over feeding must be avoided. Use of synthetic amino acids for poultry diet in organic production system should be avoided. Requirement of essential amino acids can be fulfilled through feeding of organic soya bean, skim milk powder, potato protein, maize gluten etc. (Chander, 2009). The birds must have continuous access and supply of quality water without any antibiotic and bacteriological residues. The water should be regularly tested for ground water contamination.
5. Health care:If all management practices are directed to the well-being of the birds, they will achieve maximum resistance against disease and prevent many infections. Sick and injured birds should be given prompt and adequate treatment. When illness does occur in the birds, objective should be to find the cause and prevent future out breaks by eliminating the cause and changing management practices. Use of antibiotic should be avoided. Vaccinations should be used only when diseases are known or expected to be a problem in the region of the farm. Use of natural medicines and methods including Homeopathy and Ayurvedic should be emphasized. In hot and humid climate area, coccidiosis and parasitic problems are more common. Providing poultry access to species specific feed, housing conditions with good ventilation and ample space to express natural behaviour along with establishing clean grazing system and dry litter will help to overcome almost all these health-related problems.
6. Record keeping:Systematic noting of activities, observations and items with respect to time for future reference, evaluation and monitoring is record keeping. It assists in reporting to the creditors, other farm asset owners, and to others who have an interest in the financial position of the farm business.

Important records to be kept in organic farm are breeding records, register for source of animals purchased, formulated organic feed ration record, purchased organic feed record, feed supplements and additives inventory, organic poultry pasture record, health care products inventory, sanitation products inventory, organic egg layers monthly flock record, organic meat poultry flock record, organic poultry slaughter/sales summary and monthly organic egg packing/ sales record.

Advantages of organic poultry farming:

• Guarantees high standards of animal welfare.
• Prioritizes the comfort and natural behaviour of poultry.
• Boosts the overall health and sustainability of agro-ecosystems.
• Delivers premium-quality poultry products.
• Promotes leaner birds with less abdominal fat and better muscle growth in broilers.
• Supports the production of safer, chemical-free poultry products.
• Contributes significantly to uplifting the socio-economic status of rural communities.

 Challenges in Organic Poultry Production:

Despite its promise, organic poultry farming in India faces challenges like:

• High initial costs
• Limited access to organic feed
• Lack of awareness and marketing channels
• Lengthy and expensive certification processes

But with growing demand for organic meat and eggs, especially in urban areas, the opportunities are immense.

 Conclusion:

 India holds immense potential for organic poultry production, especially since a large portion of the country remains naturally organic by default. At the same time, growing concerns about the negative impacts of conventional farming are pushing consumers to choose safer, organic alternatives. Organic poultry is well-positioned to revolutionize not just the poultry sector, but the entire field of animal agriculture—provided that supportive regulations, better infrastructure, technology transfer, and focused development programs are put into action. The core emphasis must remain on food safety and poultry welfare. What India urgently needs is a strong institutional and policy framework that can promote organic poultry farming—and organic livestock farming overall—on a nationwide scale.

REFERENCES:

1. Beia, S.-I., Tăpăloagă, D., Șonea, C., Gheorghe-Irimia, R.-A., Roșu, P. M., Al Dulaimi, M. K. H., & Tăpăloagă, P.-R. (2024). Organic vs. conventional: A comparative review of health-related welfare issues and their economic impact on poultry production. Scientific Papers Series Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and Rural Development, 24(2)
2. Chander, M., Subrahamanyeswari, B., & Pathak, P. K. (2006). Organic livestock farming. In Organic livestock farming: A reference manual (275). Division of Extension Education, IVRI.
3. Chander, M. (2009). Organic production management: Challenges for livestock feeding. Proceedings of ANA World Conference, 14-17 February, New Delhi, 112-114.
4. Lampkin, M. (1997). Organic poultry production. Welsh Institute of Rural Studies, The University of Wales.

Please follow and like us: