This document provides an introduction to poultry farming. It discusses that poultry refers to various bird species raised for meat, eggs, or ornamental purposes. The main types of poultry discussed are chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, and quail. Poultry farming has grown significantly in India in recent decades, evolving from small backyard operations to large commercial enterprises. Selecting the right birds, such as broiler chickens for meat or layer chickens for eggs, as well as proper housing, feeding, and management, are keys to success in poultry farming. Poultry provides benefits such as a source of income, fertilizer, and pest control, and can be profitable with the right

1. AN INTRODUCTION TO POULTRY
FARMING
Dr. K. Rama Rao
Dept. of Zoology

2. According to agriculture diary, poultry refers
to a wide range of birds of various species and
it applies to them generally alive or dressed
that is killed and prepared for sales.
It involves chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese,
guinea fowl, pigeons, peacock, peafowl,
ostriches, quails and even other game birds.

3. Most of them may be classified based on the
basis of utility, economic value or purpose and
this may include meat type, Egg type, dual
purpose, game, ornamental etc.
Changing food habits, globalization,
industrialization, rising income and
urbanization have created a favorable
atmosphere for development of poultry sector.

4. Poultry is one of the fastest growing segments
of livestock/agriculture sector and contributes
a major share in terms of protein
supplementation from eggs and meat.
India is the 3rd largest producer of eggs and 5th
rank meat production in the world.

5. Development of Poultry Industry in India has
made huge step during the last three decades
evolving from backyard farming to a full-
fledged commercial enterprise as a result of
research and development initiated by the
Government and subsequently taken up by the
organized private sector.

6. Hybrid layers of today lay on an average of
310- 320 eggs per year compared to 240-250
eggs 30 years back.
Similarly, present day broilers attain 1.8 to 2.0
kg mean body weight with a FCR of 1.6 to 1.8
in only 38 days (about 6 weeks).

7. For every success of poultry business,
adequate knowledge on various aspects of
poultry production is very much needed and
one can get sufficient professional and
technical information from this course, Status
and perspective of Indian Poultry Industry.
Various types of poultry farms and farming
systems practiced in India.

8. 3 types of poultry is
Laying Breedscapacity
Meat Breeds,
Dual-Purpose Breeds.

9. Selection of poultry specialization
8 levels to develop poultry farms–
Primary Breeders
Feed Mill
Breeder
Hatchery
Growout Farms
Processing Plants
Further Processing
Transportation and Marketing

10. Selection of bird
This is also an important factor. Several types of
bird can be reared and these are
Domestic fowl, Turkey, Geese, Duck, Peacock,
Guinea fowl etc.,
There should be mainly divided into two the
broilers and the layers. The broilers are the ones
being nurtured for meat production while the layers
are the one being nurtured for both egg and meat
production.

11. Start-up capital investment
Poultry farming business is capital intensive one,
and it depends on the scale, location of farm and
type of management technology used.

12. Citing of poultry farm
A good location and housing system is vital to the
success of a poultry farm.
A poultry should be sited where there is a large
availability of cheap land and closeness to areas
with high population density.
Housing systems such as range, straw yard, battery
cage and deep litter should also be considered.

13. Poultry farming equipment and feeding
The construction of poultry houses, provision of
feeders, drinkers, an adequate waste disposal
system, source of water.
Feeding is a crucial aspect because according to
poultryfarmingNigeriawordpress.com, 70% of
expenses go into feeding and so feeding aspect
must be well figured out before going into
poultry business.

14. Benefits
It requires less investment compared to rearing other
livestock
•It gives rapid return on investment that is production can
be increased within a short period of time
•It is a continuous source of income, it is not seasonal
and can produce income for the entire year
•Poultry droppings that is wastes are nitrogenous and
considered good for fertilizers
•Feathers in poultry are used for making pillows, fancy
articles and curios.
•It offers good full time or part time employment
opportunity to farmers.

15. Benefits of Raising Backyard Chickens
• Chickens lay eggs.
• Chickens create excellent fertilizer.
• Chickens make great pets.
• Chickens help clean your yard.
• Chickens are like a natural garbage disposal.
• Chickens are fairly easy to take care of.
• Chickens help control bugs and weeds naturally.
Fresh, home-grown meat.

16. Conclusion
There is usually a large impressive return on
investments in poultry farming by concealing
this analysis based on large scale poultry
farming.
According to wealthresult.com, average
healthy layers lays egg almost every day or at
least four times in a week, some breeds of
layers can lay as much as 325 eggs in a year
and take 21 days to hatch which means that a
layer can reproduce another fowl twice in
three days.

17. So if one has 1000 healthy layers of good breed,
they are capable of reproducing 24000 chicks in
40 days.
Also within the 21 days, the egg is hatched and
within 28 weeks, they are ready for the market
which means a farmer can start making his or
her money in 34 weeks after setting up his
poultry farms.

18. Chicks Ducks
Geese
Quils
Guenea fowl Turkey
Curtsey: Images taken from Google search