Poultry Layer Farming

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Poultry egg and meat are important sources of high quality proteins, minerals and vitamins to balance the human diet. Specially developed breeds of egg type chicken are now available with an ability of quick growth and high feed conversion efficiency. Depending on the farm-size, layer (for eggs) farming can be main source of family income or can provide subsidiary income and gainful employment to farmers throughout the year. Poultry manure has high fertilizer value and can be used for increasing yield of all crops.

Scope for Layer farming and its National Importance
India has made considerable progress in egg production in the last three decades. High quality chicks, equipments, vaccines and medicines are available. Technically and professionally competent guidance is available to the farmers. The management practices have improved and disease and mortality incidences are much reduced. Many institutions are providing training to entrepreneurs. The improved layer population has increased from 35 million in 1961 to 115 million in 1996. The egg production in the same period has increased from 2,340 million to 34380 million. The egg production registered compound growth rate of 6.83% during eighth plan period (1992-97). The per capita egg availability at present is 41 eggs; while as per ICMR recommendations about 182 eggs per person per year are required to balance the common vegetarian diet. Increasing assistance from the Central/State governments and poultry corporations is being given to create infrastructural facilities so that new entrepreneurs take up this business. Layer farming has been given considerable importance in the national policy and has a good scope for further development.

Package of Common Management Practices recommended for poultry farmers
Modern and well established scientific practices should be used to obtain maximum economic benefits from poultry farming. Some of the major norms and recommended practices are given below :

Poultry Housing
1.Select well raised land for poultry sheds. Land with hard rock or murram is more suitable. Avoid water logging and flooding near the sheds. Provide separate sheds for growers and layers.
2. Ensure adequate facility for water, electricity, approach road, supply of chicks, feed, veterinary aid and nearness to market for sale of cull birds and eggs.
3.Obtain training/experience in layer farming before starting a farm. You should be prepared to stay on the farm and have constant supervision.
4.Provide adequate floor space per bird (see details in Annexure III). BIS specifications for construction of poultry sheds are available.
5.Construct sheds in such a way that the end walls face East-West direction and the side walls face North-South direction, so that rain water will not enter the sheds.
6. Provide strong roof and hard flooring. Raise plinth of the shed at least one feet above the outside ground level.
7.Provide 3 to 4 feet overhang of the roof to avoid entry of rainwater inside the shed.
8.Provide at least 50 feet distance between two sheds in the same sector and about 150 ft between growing and laying sector.
9. Provide adequate light and ventilation and comfortable housing conditions during all seasons (cool in summer and warm in winter).
10.Construct sheds in such a way that predators (cats/dogs/snakes) will not enter the shed. Avoid entry of rats by constructing rat proof civil structures.
11.Keep the shed clean and free from flies/mosquitoes etc.
12. After every batch of growers/culled birds is disposed off, the dirty litter material and manure should be removed, walls and floors should be cleaned, white washed with lime and disinfected with 0.5% malathion or DDT insecticide spray.
13.If deep litter system is followed, always use dry and clean litter material (sawdust, paddy husk, etc.). Spread 4" layer of litter on the floor, keep clean/disinfect brooding, feeding and watering equipment and then introduce chicks in the house.
14. The litter material should be always kept loose and dry. Stir the litter twice a week. Any wet litter/droppings etc. should be removed and replaced with fresh/clean dry litter.
15. If cage system is followed, ensure that droppings are spread with lime powder or 10% malathion spray twice a month to prevent menace of flies. The droppings under the cage can be removed after 6 months.

Poultry Equipment
Use scientifically designed cages and equipment for brooding, feeding and watering purposes. BIS specifications for equipment are available. A good design can be shown and manufactured locally, so that cost can be reduced.

Chicks
1.Purchase improved strain of one day old healthy egger type chicks from a reputed hatchery. Usually 2-5% extra chicks are supplied.
2.If cages are used for housing of birds ensure proper cage space i.e. half of the recommended floor space on deep litter.
3.Clean, wash and disinfect all equipments with 0.5% malathion spray after every batch of birds is disposed off.

Feeding
1.Use high quality balanced feeds. Starter feed (upto 8 weeks of age), grower feed (9 to 16 weeks of age) and layer feed (17 to 72 weeks of age) manufactured by reputed institutions/companies should be used. BIS feed formulae and specifications are available. With proper knowledge/ experience, the feed can be prepared on the farm.
2.Store the feed in clean, dry, well ventilated room. A wet feed may bring fungus infection.
3.Use properly designed feeders and control the rats to avoid feed wastage.
4.Provide adequate feeding space per bird. More space is required as the bird grows in age
Keep proper records on feed consumption per bird for each batch. About 7 kg. feed upto 20 weeks and 38 kg. feed from 21 to 72 weeks of age is required. Excess consumption may be due to feed wastage, rats, low temperature of shed or poor feed quality (low energy feed).
6.Too low feed consumption may be due to disease condition, low quality/unpalatability of feed, high temperature in poultry shed.

Watering of Birds
Always give fresh and clean drinking water. Water should be always available at birds.
Use properly designed watering equipment. Provide adequate watering space per bird
Always keep water-pots clean. Avoid birds entering inside pots.
Provide cool water during summer. Store the water in tanks that are not exposed to hot sun in summer.

Disease Prevention/Control
1.Clean sanitary conditions of poultry sheds and equipment, balanced feed, fresh clean water, healthy chicks are essential to prevent diseases.
2.Avoid entry of visitors to farm, especially inside the sheds. If visitors come, ask them to dip their feet in a disinfecftant solution, wash and clean hands and to wear apron/boots provided by the farm.
3.Use proper vaccination schedule (for details see Annexure-VI).
4.Use high quality vaccines purchased from reputed manufacturers. Keep vaccines in cool, dry conditions away from sunlight.
5.Any left-over vaccine should be properly disposed off. Vaccines should not be used after their expiry date is over.
6.Any dead bird should be immediately removed from the shed and sent to laboratory for post-mortem examination or buried/burnt suitably away from the poultry sheds.
7.The waste of farm should be suitably disposed off. Different workers should be employed in brooding and laying sheds.
8.Any bird showing advanced signs of a disease, should be removed from the shed and culled. It can be sent to laboratory for diagnosis.
9.Birds showing advanced signs of a disease should be shown to a qualified veterinarian and suitable medication/treatment be given as per his/drug manufacturers recommendations.
10.Poultry manure, if infected, can spread disease, from one batch to another. Keep the litter dry, remove it after flock is sold and dispose the manure properly and quickly.
11.Keep proper records on mortality and its causes and the treatment given to birds. Dates of vaccination for each flock should be properly recorded.
12.Rats are important carriers of poultry disease. Avoid rats. Use suitable rat poisons/rat traps.
13.Many poultry medicines can be given in drinking water. When medication is to be given, remove the waterers in poultry sheds on the previous evening. Next morning give medicine in measured quantity of water, so that entire medicine will be quickly consumed and there will be no wastage of medicines.
14.Mild infection of disease may not cause mortality but it will reduce growth. Keep sample record of body weight for growers, mortality rate and egg production. Study the possible causes, if weight is low or egg production is low and take steps to improve the management of the subsequent batches. A Constant vigil and analysis of records/results is necessary to keep up the efficiency in farming.

Processing/Marketing
1.Ensure the constant and steady demand for eggs is available and the market is nearer to the farm.
2.Study the market demand for particular egg weight. Provide one nest box for every 5 birds. Collect eggs from the shed 4 times a day. Store them in a cool dry place and market them quickly.
3.Birds should not be kept on the farm beyond 18 months of age, as their egg production will go down considerably and their efficiency of feed conversion will reduce progressively as they grow older.
4.If live culled birds are sold after dressing (processing) use clean dressing hall and processing equipment. 5.Dressed birds should be chilled in the ice-cold water for 3-4 hours and excess water removed. Birds should then be packed in clean plastic bags and the mouth of bag sealed.
6.Processed birds should be marketed as early as possible. If they have to be preserved, deep freezing equipment (-10 to -200C) be used. Refrigerated vans may be required for long distance transportation.

Pointers for higher egg production
1. Quality Birds
Choose the strain that will perform best and is known to have good livability under reasonable environmental conditions. Good chicks may cost more but they will perform better and pay more too.

2. Housing
There should be ample fresh air, free from drafts. Air must be circulating. High levels of non-desirable gases decrease growth rate and increase flock's susceptibility to respiratory disease. Ensure that the litter is dry. A well managed litter helps the birds in putting on feathers and improve feed conversion. It also reduces coccidiosis problem.

3. Crowding
Overcrowding increases mortality, stress, as well as production cost.

4. Feeding
Always ensure adequate fresh feed. Birds that are without feed for six hours will record a drop in production and a 12 hour starvation will result in moult of wing feathers. There should be adequate feeder space for the birds. Guard against feed wastage. Maintain records of daily feed consumption. It will enable to determine feed utilisation and bird's performance.

5. Watering
Provide plentiful and clean disinfected water. This management factor, although obvious, is commonly violated. Water restriction is a quick way to accidentally force the flock to moult. Ensure that the waterers are so placed that they are easily accessible to birds. 

6. Lighting
The duration of light should be 16 hours per day, but not beyond 17 hours. No advantage is obtained by exceeding this limit. The amount of light given to the flock in one day should never be less than that given the day before. A decreasing day length can prematurely cause hens to go out to production. One 40 watt electric bulb is sufficient for 200 sq.ft. area.

7. Vaccination
Ensure that all birds are vaccinated for Marek's Disease and Ranikhet Disease. Birds not vaccinated are highly susceptible to these disease.

8. Debeaking
Follow correct debeaking programme. Poor debeaking can adversely affect egg production.

9. Culling
Unsuitable and uneconomic birds should be timely culled.

10. Health
Watch for early signs of disease for its timely treatment before it flares up in a big way. Some of the symptoms that indicate the onset of disease problems are : Drop in egg production and feed consumption: increased morbidity and mortality: inactivity and lack of vigour: droopy ruffled appearance and respiratory distress. Look for any sudden change in egg quality.

11. Sanitation
Sanitary measures are of vital importance in poultry operation. Keep roundworms, tapeworms and caecal worms under control. External parasites are a serious farm hazard, and can reduce production if unchecked. Deworming at regular intervals should be practised.

12. Egg Quality
Respiratory and intestinal diseases should be kept under control for the maintenance of quality of egg shells. Indiscriminate use of sulpha drugs can affect the egg shell quality. The use of tetracycline can, however, improve it.

13. Records
A daily record of feed consumption, egg production, mortality, income and expenditure is essential to help improve farming efficiency and pinpoint troubles and their solutions.

14. Routine Checking
Critical items of management should be listed on a daily, weekly or seasonal check list. Every item must be checked. It helps to locate the cause of trouble when it occurs. Routine checks are: Cleaning and refilling of waterers and feeders: cleaning the house and spraying insecticide; stirring the litter; dusting; culling of birds; egg collection, etc.

 15. TLC
Tender loving care

Economics of layer farming - Investment cost

Economics of layer farming - Cashflow statement

* Excluding the capitalised amount on chicks, feed, over heads etc.

Space Requirement Data

Average growth rate and feed requirement for egg type chickens

Recommended rations (per quintal of feed) for various age groups of layers

Source : Central Training Institute for Poultry Production & Management (CTIPPM), Hessarghatta, Bangalore.

Guidelines for integrated biosecurity in poultry production
A set of recommended biosecurity practices to be adopted by the poultry farmers for minimising the disease occurrence is given here under in brief.

1. Locational biosecurity :
* Farm should be located
- At an elevated and well ventilated site
- Away from any existing farms or complexes
- Away from water ways/water pools/lakes/tanks
- Away from any nearby village poultry
* Broiler and layer units should not be established in close vicinity
* Farms having more than 50000 (Layers) should have preferably separate facilities for
brooding/growing.
* The new poultry farms may be one kilometer away from the existing farms or complexes.

2. Structural biosecurity:

3. Operational biosecurity :

Microbial agents or toxins at periodic intervals.

Financial assistance available from banks/NABARD

NABARD is an apex institution for all matters relating to policy, planning and operations in the field of agricultural credit. It serves as an apex refinancing agency for the institutions providing investment and production credit. It promotes development through formulation and appraisal of projects through a well organised Technical Service Department at the Head Office and Technical Cells at each of the Regional Offices.
Loan from banks with refinance facility from NABARD is available for starting poultry farming. For obtaining bank loan the farmers should apply to the nearest branch of a Commercial or Cooperative or Regional Rural Banks in their area in the prescribed application forms which is available in the branches of financing banks. The technical officers attached to or the manager of the bank can help/give guidance to the farmers in preparing the project report to obtain bank loan.

For poultry farming schemes with very large outlays, detailed reports will have to be prepared. Banks provide financial assistance for the following purposes :
a.) For construction of brooder/grower and layer sheds, feed store, quarters etc.
b.) For purchase of poultry equipment such as feeders, waterers, brooders etc.
c.) For creating infrastructure items for supply of electricity, feed, water etc.
d.) For purchase of day old chicks or ready to lay pullets.
e.) For meeting working capital requirement in respect of feed, medicines and veterinary aid etc. for the first 5 to 6 months (i.e. till the stage of income generation).

Requirements of a Good Project
After the scheme is submitted to the bank it is examined for technical feasibility and economic viability.

A. Technical Feasibility : This would briefly include :-
a.Suitability of climate and potentiality of the area
b. Availability of inputs such as chicks, feed, medicines etc.
c.Technical norms
d. Infrastructrure available for veterinary aid, marketing, training and experience of the beneficiary.

B. Financial Viability : This would briefly include :-
a.Unit cost and loan requirement.
b.Input costs for chicks, feed, veterinary aid, labour and other overheads.
c. Output costs i.e. sale of eggs, culled birds, for meat, manure, empty gunny bags etc.
d.Income-expenditure statement and annual gross surplus.
e.Cash flow analysis.
f.Repayment schedule i.e. repayment of principal loan amount and interest.

Other documents such as loan application forms, security aspects, margin money requirement etc. are also examined. A field visit to scheme area is undertaken for conducting techno economic feasibility study for appraisal of the scheme.

Sanction of Bank loan and its disbursement
After ensuring technical feasibility and financial viability the scheme is sanctioned by the bank. The loan is disbursed in kind in 2 or 3 stages against the creation of specific assets such as construction of sheds, purchase of equipment and machinery, recurring cost during growing period on purchase of chicks, feed, medicines and vaccines, electricity and water, labour expenses etc. For first cycle. Constant follow up and supervision of the scheme is done by the bank.