Category Archives: Poultry Farming

Well-Stored Secrets about Raising Organic Poultry

Introduce the topic of  homesteading and there’s without doubt that individuals will often think about raising chicken first. However, if you are looking at beginning your personal chicken farm, it will likely to be a better option that you should raise organic poultry rather. Yes, the interest in poultry meat is greatest throughout Thanksgiving season, but it doesn’t mean that you’ll simply be costing your time by raising freerange poultry, the entire all year round. For just one, poultry breast enjoy great demand through the years because restaurants usually apply it sandwiches. That’s stable business, immediately! If you’re a chicken player, it will likely be a good idea to begin building the right path for your own poultry farm. Here are a handful of secrets that you ought to know for any effective and thriving business.

More often than not, proprietors of poultry farms join in mind first to their project without giving this essential consideration a concept: where you’ll get their poults. If you wish to raise the opportunity poultry, then it’s needed that you get hold of healthy poults before you begin your poultry farm. You need to options if this involves getting hold of the poultry that you’ll raise inside your homestead. You can order your poults by mail or else you should source them from among the dog breeders in your town. Because of the choice, opt for the second option. The strain the wild birds experience once they travel normally has negative effects in it and, clearly, this won’t be good if you’re planning to boost your poultry organically.

Another factor you need to take proper care of  is setting up rugged and durable fences round the area that you are wanting to use as the poultry farm. This is a valuable part of raising organic poultry, since your fences could keep your wild birds inside the perimeter of the house that you simply designed for them. Make certain that you employ materials that the freerange poultry won’t have the ability to peck through. Additionally for this, ensure that you’ll be giving your wild birds enough space to roan around in. Perform a sweep from the area that you are wanting to enclose and make certain that you simply rid it of something that may choke, harm, or hurt your turkeys by any means.

Finally, make certain that you simply install the required provisions that can make your poultry farm comfortable, not only habitable, for the wild birds. Install the required shelter provisions for the turkeys, in order to have them protected against rain, sun, and snow. If you reside within an area that have extreme climate conditions, install heating lights inside these coops too. Ensure a stable way to obtain grain and corn too, in order to make sure that your wild birds won’t starve yourself. As lengthy while you have the ability to set up a proper atmosphere for the poults, you need to have the ability to have great way to obtain organic poultry for the future clients.

How To Raise Baby Chicks,A Beginners Guide To Backyard Chicken Farming

 

Backyard chicken farming was widely observed up till the World War II.   The people used to raise the chicken by themselves for eggs and meat. The backyard chicken farming had a variety of merits. It acted as the natural nitrogen fertilization process when chicken perched the food and also a natural controller for bugs and pests. With modernization and industrialization, the chicken farms and chicken breeding on a massive scale emerged. However, with inflation and rise in unemployment, the backyard farming has recently increased. Another reason can be the quality of eggs and meat that the chicken provides. They make excellent pets chicken and they might serve as a significant aspect to spend some good time with your kids while farming. As a result of this increase in the chicken farming concept, you might need handful tips. Let us have a look at the pointers for backyard chicken farming.

 1-Choosing the breed:

The rudimentary thing is the type of breed you choose for farming. The best way of selecting the best breeds is to consult someone who is into this business or browsing it on web. One might buy baby chicks like Jersey Giant, Buckeye, Silkies, Delaware, Polish and Leghorn as an ordinary hen type. Another important thing is going for a hen rather than a rooster. Hens are less aggressive, are easy to handle and also provide good quality eggs.  Go for a rooster as a last option.

different breeds in backyard

2-Chicken houses:

Another pointer is the place where the chicken might be kept. This is a time consuming process because the provision of best area of your house is really necessary for the proper chicken development. The basic thing is providing comfort level to chicken and providing space to them. The chicken in the backyard ought not to be like farms where chicken are hoarded up and lack the space for proper development. Next important thing is the suitable environment all over the year. Whether it is summer or winter, the chicken coops need to be suitable and comfortable to prevent sickness of chicken. The coops should be strong and solid in order to prevent from predators. Proper positioning, height and width of coops must be the prime importance.

chicken house

 
4-Nutrition (food and water):

The proper food and nutrition is yet another pointer for chicken development. Providing diet is important because this assures the strong bones and good quality eggs of chicken. They need calcium as well which can be provided by mixing oyster shell in chicken feed Nutrition (food and water)

 5-Cleanliness:

The clean environment of the chicken area is another important thing in ensuring the best possible health of the backyard chicken. Keeping the area tidy and maintaining the cleanliness is essential. This can be done by cleaning it on a regular basis according to proper ways adopted by the best farmers

 6-Prevention from predators:

Preventing the backyard chicken from predators is yet another considerable phenomenon. This can be done by surrounding the area with strong wire mesh all over so that the predators might not penetrate the area. This results in minimum snatching by the predators and reduces the chance of losing the chicken. Prevention from predators

 7- Prevention from diseases:

Preventing your chicken from getting sick or other diseases is also an important task. The hens and baby chicks might suffer from diseases due to damp and untidy habitat, improper diet, viral outbursts or contacting with other sick chickens. This can be avoided by proper cleanliness of the area and proper vaccination on and off.

 

 Prevention from diseases

8-Advantages of backyard farming with respect
 to cost,egg quality and meat:

The benefits of backyard farming have been discussed time and again. This provides the best quality of eggs and meat to the chicken raisers.Raising your chickens with good quality food, shelter and optimum life conditions help to get the best of the best. Due to inflation, backyard farming is a shrewd option for those who cannot afford costly meet and eggs. This enables them to get economical, cheap and good quality.

Outlook of Family and Rural Poultry Production in Africa

A demand for the livestock products in addition to the poultry is now increasing in all regions of Africa. But the region where the demand is much more in comparison to the other areas is West Africa. The reason for this can be linked to the rise in the population of the area and to increase in levels of urbanization. Moreover, the trade liberalization has also effectuated the poultry sector in a dramatic manner. In lines to this pattern, some of the countries have seen a large inflow of imports while others have been subject to some low imports. Most of the imports coming into the continent are from the European countries. The two components of the poultry sector that are of prime focus here are the family and rural sectors.

Family poultry Production in Africa

Now here with the exception in terms of the urban areas in the northern and South African regions, the maximum levels of production in the continent are coming from the extensive family poultry production in rural Africa. Almost every other house in the village and other rural area prefer to keep the chickens and birds in their home based settings. On an average each home makes use of about 5 to 20 chickens. Overall, 80 % of the population of the fowls and birds in Africa used to be in the rural and family based settings till the year 1995.

rural poultry producion in south africa

Problems faced by Family Production 

The family production is indeed a major contributor towards the consumption needs of the people, but now it faces a number of constraints and disabilities linked to the diseases and poor farming settings. Moreover, the government is also reluctant in offering the people with some form of compensation for the growth of the sector. Together all these factors combine to mark the low levels of productivity coming from the rural and family settings, which is indeed a major drawback of the poultry production in Africa. It is clear that if some of these constraints might be removed, then an increase in the profits of the families and the country can be expected.

 In order to create an increase in the production, a coordinated and well researched system needs to be introduced that is going to make use of the data from other countries in order to make comparison of the input and outputs of the sector. The primary disease in the region that has limited to the overall poultry production in Africa is The New Castle Disease. It can easily eliminate nearly 80 % of the birds in any village poultry in a matter of a few days and those bird that survive come to have various antibodies and harmful germs in their bodies. In short, some serious measures and actions should be taken for the betterment of family and village chicken production in Africa.

castle disease in africa

Women and the Family Poultry Production in Africa

The principal caretakers in terms of the rural and family production houses in Africa are the women. They spend most of their time in making feeding and safety arrangements for the poultry animals and products. It is all because that the poultry comes to offer them good and efficient source of protein and meat which they cannot afford to buy from the markets. So it is evident from this, that the women are the ones who need to have some benefits. Moreover, the poultry production is what that restrains the people to migrate to the urban regions of the continent. It is important to ponder here that China has taken an efficient strategy for the betterment of the rural people and has also made arrangements for them, so that they might not feel the need of moving to the urban sectors.

the role of women in family poultry production

Solutions

All of these problems need to be addressed subsequently by making use of the funding and various medications. Moreover, improved housing and the best supplementary feeding protocols are also going to come in handy here. Furthermore, the international organizations and agencies should also look into this issue for the betterment of the people and poultry in Africa, most of which are living below the line of poverty. Although the National Agricultural Research Systems in Africa are offering their services for the solution to this problem, still a lot more needs to be done.

Overview of Poultry Industry in Australia

The Australian Poultry Industry offers its services to the market with only a few products. Although the land mass of the country is similar to that of the United States of America, still the poultry products that are exported are quite minor. One major reason for this can be linked to the rainfall that area experiences. The current poultry population of the country is nearly 30 million which indeed elucidates the poor rainfall conditions. Consequently, till now the country has not managed to make its mark among the top poultry producers of the world.

History and Development of Poultry Farming in Australia

The poultry industry of Australia is comparatively young, primarily because of the fact that the first poultry farm houses had been made in the country nearly 40 years back. The same applies to the meat industry which is still quite young in comparison to the other poultry producers of the region. Till the 1960’s there was no sort of governmental records about the start of the poultry production in the region, due to which offering a detailed account in this regard is difficult. There are a number of estimates that state nearly 3 million broilers had been produced in the year 1951, in comparison to the production of 460 million in the year 2007.

Major Poultry Producers in Australia

The major poultry producers in the region include Baiada Poultry Inc. Inghams Enterprises and Turi Foods. Baiada is privately run Poultry Company that is presently the largest poultry company in the country. It has always been known for providing some of the most premium quality products and has been offering its services since the year 1916. The same applies to Inghams Enterprises which also known to be in the lead in terms of chicken and turkey meat. The products offered by these companies are available all over Australia and New Zealand. Moreover, the company also offers a number of non-poultry products including stock feed and related items. The rise in the chicken production in Australia can be credited to these two leading companies.

major poultry producers

Broiler Production in Australia-Intensive and
 Free Range Farming Paradigms

Like the global trends all over the world, Australia has also shown a major growth in terms of broiler production. The two companies mentioned above now control nearly 70 % of the poultry markets with their high quality and top of the line products. Turi Foods controls 10 % of the poultry production. The bird placement density at the farming levels of production is as high as 0.55b per square feet. Some of the companies also prefer to place sexed birds in the settings in order to meet the demands of the markets. The product segmentation in Australia can be divided into two halves. The free range chicken account for 20 to 25 % of the poultry markets, while the remaining amounts are filled by the standard broilers. The high fixed costs in terms of poultry production are yet another reason for which the production is slow in comparison to the other countries. Moreover, the broilers farms are most of the times contracted for doing the job. For this reason, they offer their facilities including the litter, shelter, feed, necessary utilities and the labor for the management of the birds.

Broiler-farm-contract-growers

Poultry Consumption

Poultry meat consumption in the country has recently overtaken the use of beef. It is quite evident from this pattern that most of the poultry production in the country is dedicated for being used by within the country. The prime source of meat consumption is chicken followed by turkey. The reason for the low turkey consumption is its usage in times of Christmas only. On the other hand, due to the low preference of the beef in the country, most of the beef products are being exported. These patterns of export do come to effectuate the levels of protein availability in the region. Lamb consumption in Australia has also been declining over the span of the past 40 years. In the past the consumption rate used to be around 100lbs per capital, but it has now fallen to 25 lbs. The lamb meat is perceived to be a less healthy meat, which can be one reason leading towards the fall.

poultry consumption in Australia

Poultry Imports and Exports

Most recently, the poultry exports from the region have been hit by the emergence of the bird flu. In lines to this disease, the exports from the country have now been reduced to half. Although the poultry farms in Australia and other production houses have taken a number of evasive measures for controlling the outbreak and for raising the confidence of other countries in their products, still the poultry exports from Australia are not being considered to be credible. The major countries which made use of the Australian poultry products include Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, US and South Africa. In terms of the imports, the turkey meat is in the lead, which has been increasing on a yearly basis.

Famous Breeds

Famous poultry breeds in the country include The Araucana, The Australorp, orpingtons, The Plymouth Rock and The Rhode Island Reds, all of which are most used for the purpose of egg production in Australia. Most of the chicken breeds are owned by the hatcheries that use them for dual purposes.

FMOUS BREEDS

 

 


Key considerations for starting a small poultry farm to raise healthy chicks

Before the World War 2, poultry was considered an interesting activity but moreover, a secondary source of income. However, you could only see elderly people running after their little fellows in the backyards or smaller farms. What about the current scenarios? Things have rapidly changed over the last 20 years – the poultry is now a complete business with distributors and retailers and earns like anything. However, due to enlarged specialized operations the conventional poultry farm’s number is decreasing. Those who have brains and know how to make money still are doing well – small poultry farmers are seeking even in the minute opportunities. This merely includes marketing opportunities, but a lot of questions pop into the mind – this excerpt would answer each bit of it.

Be a good decision maker:

So, envisaging raising poultry? May be on a very small scale, it can be your desire or a way to generate money? Whatever the reason maybe, you need to play after proper research, planning and lots of consideration. What you must ask yourself?

  • What goals you have set for your business?
  • Is the venture profitable?
  • What is the market, target market and where it is?
  • Are you going to be in the business for the long run?
  • Establish the minimum requirement – set your milestones
  • What is the investment? How many times you would have to re-invest?
  • Legal issues – restrictions?

Let’s talk about how to come the dream come true?

Housing:

Animals feel disturbed if they are not placed in their desirable homes – so, housing for poultry must be paid full attention. It never means it must be expensive or lavish but clean, ventilated, spacious and dry. Also, special attention must be paid during the changing seasons – supplement heat during chillers and coolness during hot summers.

Litter management is equally pivotal in winter to work as insulation from coldness and also from getting litter wet which may cause ammonia problem otherwise, chances of cold injuries and diseases may get high.  Last but not the least; protection is the heart – otherwise, predators would get their special dinners each night.

Equipment and suppliers:

You don’t need much investment for equipments – only utensils for watering and feeding are needed. If not that you may be interested in buying electric poultry equipments, that’s your choice and pocket.

Brooding:

When it comes to brooding you need to know about heat source. It’s quite simple, you just need to have a 250-watt bulb and you are done – it accommodates up to 50 little fellows. You can always look up to commercial set-up that uses various energy sources. With all this, you would need a brooder guard – it’s a ring which is basically there for chick’s safety.

Laying hens:

Laying eggs is some most important process linked to poultry – you would need nest boxes and roost, typically 8 inch roost space is suggested for a single bird. If you talk about the one nest box (one square foot) can accommodate for every 4 to 5 birds – amongst the various sizes and types you must look for one which is 13 inches wide, 14 inches tall and at least 12 inches in depth.

Broilers:

Once you are through with the brooding process, you would need to maintain a good feeding and watering system. Once done with that you would require other necessary equipment, based on the type of system used for raising birds– movable pens would be needed if raising on pastured – similarly, there would be need for proper ventilation and fans for summers, if confinement is going on.

Lighting:

Lighting comes into play when egg production is being conversed. Also, during the winter lighting is required in order to keep the chicken coop warm. If not bulb lights all the time, you can make the most of the natural sun – especially during winters and for newly born babies.

Breed selection:

The variety and different types of breeds in the poultry world would make you go nuts – you must know what your right pick is. How can you decide for that?

For what purpose you need the breed? This would filter your options amazingly. This would cut down almost each option for you and you would be left with useful one. Normally the categories that are used for classification are;

  • Egg
  • Flesh
  • Dual purpose
  • Bantam

You can even filter the options based on the season type – it would help you to select the right breed which stays healthy within your regions climatic conditions.

Now let’s have a look at the breed types;

Egg type:

The features that make it different are;

  • Light weight – this breed has finer bones
  • Quick egg production – at the age of just 22 weeks

Examples:

  • Minorca
  • Leghorns – they are considered the best for egg production; for this reason they are cross sexed with other breeds to produce better eggs.
  • Buttercups

Meat types:

These are the types which we see on our dining tables quite often. They have heavy structures; they grow faster and are very efficient. The only popular and pure type of this breed is Cornish breed.

Dual purpose breeds:

They are efficient egg and meat provider – these types grow slower. The best examples are;

  • Plymouth rocks
  • Wyandotte
  • Orpington

Bantams:

This breed is the miniature of the larger ones; it has all the features but a reduced size, even up to one third of the standard.

Color of the egg:

It’s the only way through which the breed type can be determined – the outer color does not have any effect on the egg but people enjoy coloration.

Sources of chicken:

The possible sources include;

Hatcheries:

Inexpensive and newly born chicks can be obtained from hatcheries; however, they sell in a group of 20 or more so that chicks remain safe during shipping.

Breeders:

You get a chance to obtain a few, but these are expensive options. Breeders offer high quality birds which are often used for showcasing.

Feed and nutrition for chicken:

Indeed feed and nutrition for chicks would cost you more than anything – you have to use the commercial source here. The common types of feeding are;

  • Starter – contains more than 22 percent proteins, this diet is given to the bird till it is one month old.
  • Grower finisher – it contains 17 to 19 percent protein, ideal for bird with age of two months or more
  • Layer ration – it has 16 percent of protein and more calcium levels.

Lastly, if you want to feed something on your own, consider talking to some expert.

Biosecuirty in poultry farms:

It tells about what you would do in order to prevent the birds from diseases;

  • Cleanliness is the key – house must be neat and clean
  • Wild birds must be kept away

·         Age grouping clusters can help chickens grow better

This is an extract from learningstore.uwex.edu to view complete document click the following

http://learningstore.uwex.edu/assets/pdfs/A3858-01.pdf

The advantages of Trading inside a Chicken Farm and Organic Chicken Farming

Regardless of the common misplaced notions, the truth is, raising chickens like a clients are a hard factor to complete. You will find many things to consider before people should entertain that they would like to participate in organic chicken farming or perhaps in creating a chicken farm. The main consideration is locating the appropriate location in which the people can raise and breed the creatures. It’s indisputable that sufficient space is needed for that chickens to roam around. Some maqui berry farmers would prefer to let chickens be free instead of insert them in cages. Another major factor will be the investment that’ll be put into establishing the chicken farm or even the organic chicken farming. For individuals interested to take part in whether chicken farm or enter organic chicken farming, they ought to have deep pockets as this kind of business will probably result in a huge dent around the budget.

As with the situation associated with a other business, the amount of efforts an individual spends is commensurate towards the results it’ll yield. This really is quite relevant when likely to set up a chicken farm or to take part in organic chicken farming. Therefore, it is extremely important the individual expects to remain and spend energy when starting about this venture. If money isn’t a problem, it’s also highly preferred the owner themself ought to be hands-on in raising the chicks and chickens. Additionally, he should find out about the the inner workings within this business for example becoming acquainted with the best providers and employing a dependable vet. Understanding and determination would be the secrets that ought to help the person flourish in establishing a chicken farm or organic chicken farming.

Going past the difficulty mounted on creating a chicken farm or getting into organic chicken farming, people shouldn’t disregard the benefits that they’ll reap once their particular companies are ready to go. First is the fact that most customers would rather eat chicken over other creatures hence, the interest in chicken meat is predicted to stay solid within the succeeding years. The truth that many people are becoming health-conscious is an extremely good development. Furthermore, within the situation of organic chicken farming, the way of raising chickens is certainly more advantageous towards the creatures and it is eco-seem. Inside a chicken farm, the chickens can move about and directly eat plants based in the pasture. These factors lead towards the growing curiosity about possessing whether chicken farm or getting into a natural chicken farming.

Ultimately, what can tilt the chances in support of success over failure in possessing a chicken farm or operating the organic chicken farming may be the dedication and fervour from the owner. This can be a time intensive endeavor and persistence should be worked out in all the operation. Money and time should be balanced equally to ensure that those who setup the chicken farm or perhaps is running the organic chicken farming won’t be frustrated from going after this venture from beginning before the finish.

Problems faced by small scale poultry farmers in developing countries

According to the reports and surveys conducted by UNDP all over the world, more than 1000 million people suffer from the problem of mal nutrition and come to earn less than 1 US $ per day. One of the major modes of earning for the people of Africa is poultry.

Problems Faced in Family Poultry

Family poultry makes up nearly 80 % of all the poultry products in the developing countries, especially the ones located in Africa. This mode of poultry is indeed of great importance for the people who are in some ways linked to this discipline for their survival.

Water, Electricity and Disease Control Problems

The sector now faces a number of issues and difficulties including water, food, electricity and other major problems. In addition to the challenges posed by the various pathogenic diseases, the farmers also face the problem for low capital. Help from the side of the government and other investment institutions, is all that is needed by them for ensuring health growth and development conditions for the domesticated animals.

High Production Cost and Low Return

Most of the farmers of the third world countries are forced to sale their products at low costs to the suppliers, which in turn earn some large profits from them.

Limited Access to the Core Markets

It is all because of the limited access to the worldwide markets which is barrier in the way of these farmers. As they get little return on what they sale, so they never try to improve the quality of the poultry products and farms. Various significant improvements can be made in these production systems through the use and implementation of the most advanced and scientific practices.

Possible Solutions

In order to provide a solution to the poultry problems, some investment is now being made in those countries and proper steps are being taken to ensure the introduction of scientific research in these countries. But here an important thing to note is the specific economic and social environment of the area which is quite different from the rest of the developed countries.

Technical Training and Assistance for the Farmers

In order to solve the issues, specialized poultry networks and training programs should be introduced in order to provide awareness to the famers about the various diseases, health conditions, strategies and techniques which are necessary to ensure the quality of poultry products and for the better health of the chickens, ducks and other domesticated animals. The poultry producers in Asia and Africa are the ones which face the most number of challenges in comparison to the ones in EU and America.

Implementation of New Policies

Furthermore, the poultry sectors in Africa and Asia should be given due attention by the agricultural policy makers and scientists. Unfortunately, small scale poultry farms are not given due regards by the researchers. It is all because of the fact that there these researchers find no sort of political significance in working in some of the underdeveloped and backward areas of Asia and Africa. In order to ensure the betterment for all, policy makers and poultry tycoons should take some measures for changing the lives of the poultry farmers in the developing countries. The poultry producers should also change their attitudes and efforts in managing the quality of the products and the welfare of all the animals on their farms.

Current picture of poultry farming in India 2012

The poultry farming sector of India has attained a lot of success over the past few decades as it has been among the most rapidly growing industries here. The growth and progress has been due the investment that has been poured in by the government and private sector. This exposition is to give you an idea about the various features and trends of development in this industry, the driving forces behind such trends, and developments and the predictions which can be derived about its future.

History and development of poultry industry in india

If you gather the statistics of the past three decades or so, you will find that Poultry farming in India has been a huge success. Stats show a 2 percent increase per annum in the agricultural production during the last 30 years, while the rate of increase or growth in the poultry sector has been a dominant 8 and the recent trend is 12 percent which gives an idea about how well this industry is doing. Its annual turnover is closing in on 10,000 US dollars. If you look at the statistics of the growth in the population of livestock exclusive of poultry, the trends are mixed because there have been a rise and fall. But if you move towards the livestock population of poultry, the rate is continuously on the rise with every passing year. Poultry business in India is now going through various structural changes among which most of them are just in the discussion phase. Emphasis are being laid on devising methods for enhancing vertical coordination between the supply channels that will enable to lower the transaction costs even further. Similarly steps are being taken to maintain the balance between production and imports of poultry item so that the local producer is not harmed and neither the prices are inflated. The main structural change has been the increase in the integrated producers which are merging feed milling, breeding contract growing and are fostering improved production and reduction in marketing costs. So the gist is that the present is showing the same positive indications as the past and the rate of growth is expected to increase even further.

Poultry production and consumption trends in India

Poultry production and consumption trends in India

A population of more than one billion and an increase in growth of 3 to 4 percent in per capita income on annual basis, India is proving its potential for commercial Poultry farming. The production and consumption figures for poultry meat and other poultry items have been continuously on the rise. Though the government very rarely publishes authentic data on the growth and production of this sector, the market research by different experts have suggested a substantial increase of 15 percent as compared to the past 10 years. India is among the top three largest egg producers of the world and is also a very prolific broiler producer. The rise in the consumption and production trends has also to do with the approach of the people as they are now getting more inclined towards the use of poultry meat rather than veal, beef and the Buffalo meat. This shift has given investors the urge to invest more and more into this industry and the result is the increased Poultry production in India.

india poultry

Broiler and Layer growth trends and investment opportunities

The annual average growth which is being shown by the broiler industry is about 10 percent and has been characterized as steady but volatile. This steady and effective growth is the result of the expansion in the middle class of this country and the rise in their demands for protein affluent food. Though the demand is increasing but the production faces fluctuations due to factors like overproduction and avian influenza. Year 2008 saw a rapid fall due to A1 outbreaks and rebounded back on the path in 2010 after which the trend has again been a rising one with average between 10 and 15. 2012 has set a new record of broiler production i.e. 3.2 million tons.  Similarly the layer industry is showing increased growth due to increasing demand for protein with low costs. Products of egg powder of India have a strong demand in Africa, Middle East and Asia and this is also promoting the growth. So the country has many opportunities for investment in the broiler and layer industries.

egg and layer production

Significance of poultry meat and eggs in country’s export

Though India is the leader when it comes to the population of cattle and animals, its exports of poultry meat is not at the most convincing level as compared to its potential. The reason is the undeveloped meat processing industry. Egg exports and exports of other powder egg products have always been on the rise which is due to factors like cost competitiveness and other logistical advantages. The low cost poultry meat which furnishes people with desired protein has increased its importance as compared to other meat like veal and beef. The poultry exports of India for the current year have been on the higher side with 503154 million tons but are low as compared to the potential of the industry here.

poultry exports

Various positive reforms are being introduced to promote the industry even further and provisions for effectiveness of facilities such as environmentally poultry control houses/shed in India are being made.  Poultry farms in India or India poultry farming industry is taking the country to new levels of progress.

 

Rearing of Turkeys at Your Backyard

Most of the private and home based farmers widely consider raising turkeys for meat. The best and most affordable manner in which the goal can be achieved is by making use of the day old turkeys. But before your consignment of turkeys arrives, you should prefer to set up an area for the brooding process. The same is done at the Locust Grove Farm, which is a top notch professional poultry producer. Moreover, it is also crucial for making arrangements for keeping the birds and other domesticated animals warm at all times. In lines to this, the temperature should be maintained in the range of 90 to 100 degree F. After keeping the birds in this temperature for a week, next you should make use of the lamps for lowering down the floor temperature.

day old turkeys

At the same time, you also need to make use of some sufficient number of feeders and water kits for the birds. For example, if you have 25 birds to look after, 1 or 2 kits would be more than enough. For the second week, you would need to increase the roaming area of the birds. As the birds grow at an agile pace, their need for more open areas is notched. Very soon the birds start to climb the water kits and feeders which is a clear indicator that the birds need to roost. These facets hold a great deal of significance in terms of raising baby turkeys or raising turkey poults. The birds should only be confined after this time period if you feel the temperatures outside can get aversive and dangerous for them.

Pre-requisite Field Operations

Making use of a more developed roost assembly and allowing the birds with some more pen area is imperative for the normal growth of the animals. Now here, by growth, I mean the development in physical and psychological dimensions. The turkeys must be allowed to live outside in the range. Range is used to refer to the grazing or the area for pasture. For optimal results always make use of the area that has no sort of trees. The same applies for farm raised turkeys. Medium red clover together with the Kentucky bluegrass should be used for the pasture area. The idea here is to offer the birds with a humane treatment. The area which is allocated to the birds should be large enough for the needs of all the birds that are being domesticated in it. Nearly a dozen turkeys can be allowed to roam in an area which is about 1/8th of an acre.

open area for turkeys

Fresh Supplies-Food and Water

For the free range turkeys, the feeders and water kits should be in access to the birds. Moreover, you are also required to ensure some fresh supplies of poultry feeds and water all around the day. For this reason, you can also make use of the automatic water kits which are going to cut down the time required to do the process manually. In case if you have a number of mature organic turkeys, then you should use at least 2 gallons of water for their needs. The feeders and turkey growers used should be able to load 100 pounds of feed. The mature turkeys demand the consumption of some large amounts of feed.

waterer for turkeys

Visiting the Flocks

Rearing of turkeys also demands that you make regular visits to the animals, as they love to be in the company of some people. Moreover, backyard turkeys raising need company of human beings also happen to be well suited and adapted to all environments. At the same time, the strategy also ensures that no sort of violent behaviors are initiated in the mature turkeys.

human friendly turkeys

Raising the Entire Roost

You should make use of a moveable turkey roost. In addition to ensuring the manure deposits do not get accumulated in a single area, the moveable roosts also come in handy for other purposes. For this reason, you will need to use a number of materials for raising the roost including frame supports, side frames, front and back end footers. In terms of the roof you can make use of the fiber glassed panels. The kind of roost you will need depends on the number of turkeys you plan to keep in the shelter.

turkey roost

Free Range Chicken As Alternative Poultry Production Systems

When it comes to poultry alternative production systems in Australia, then there are three strategies that poultry producers make use of. These include free range, barn and organic systems used for the production of eggs and meat. It is through the use of these three systems that the customers have a wide array of choices to select while keeping in view the element of taste, personal and animal welfare and environmental sustenance. Although these modern systems are seen to be complimentary to the use of the conventional methods, still both of them have certain drawbacks. The original intent of the poultry industry is to create some sort of bond between the production systems and the amount of confidence the consumers have on the use of these products. Below are the three modes of production.

Free Range

Now for those who do not know, this mode of production is one of the most widely accepted and popularized among all the welfare groups. The free range hens in Australia account for about 11% of the total number of hens. The market share of these hens in terms of grocery sales is about 14.5%. The revenue generated from the use of these hens is about $ 71 on an annual basis. Furthermore, the principle of limited stocking density ensures for the animals, freedom from discomfort, pain, hunger and thirst. Here are some of the distinguishing features of this specific mode of production as stated by the Model Code of Ethics for the Welfare of Animals.

  • Maximum exposure to the natural environment
  • More chances of growth
  • Larger space for roaming, minimal risks for the environment
  • Free from antibiotics
  • Compliance with the set standards

free range chicken

Barn Poultry

This system involves the use of the cage as well as the free range measures. In other words, the system is more like an amalgamation or merger between the two farming practices. This mode is encouraged because of a number of its positive points with compliance to the Model Code of Practice in poultry. Here are some features of the system.

  • Use of weatherproof sheds and safe farming practices
  • Limited Density of the stock for encouraging the natural behavior from the animals
  • Freedom of movement and flying
  • Less chances of predation among the birds
  • Access to private and secured areas for the process of egg laying
  • Limited human contact through the use of automatic systems
  • Limited feather pecking and lower chances of cannibalism

poultry barn

Certified Organic Poultry

When it comes to the production of certified organic eggs and meat, then free range hens are the ones to be used. But here, the system is to be administered in lines with the National Standards and safe farming practices with no use of artificial colors and other chemicals that might come to cause any harm to the animals. Let us take now take a look at some of the features and requirements of this system, all of which follow the set standards.

  • The birds are fed by making use of certified organic nutrients
  • No use of antibiotic measures and medication
  • Varied use of diets and feeds
  • Certified organic meat chickens need to be fed with only the certified organic nutrients and are not to be cured through the use of the routine modes of vaccination.

certified organic poultrycertified organic poultry1