Improved Technology for Native Chicken Production

Improved Technology for Native Chicken Production

1. Native Chicken

Native chicken is reared in almost every house in rural Bangladesh. Bangladesh

Livestock Research Institute (BLRI) has innovated this technology. The main

characteristics of the technology is to reduce mortality in family (native) chicken

specially mortality of chicks through supplementary feeding and vaccination and to

increase egg and meat production rate of native chicken. The technology may be

adapted in all the farm families in rural areas who produce crop year-around. The

farmers of Bangladesh would be able to produce more eggs and meat for fulfilling

their family nutrition and income generation through this technology. This technology

may be adapted in all areas of Bangladesh.

Main characteristics:

• The mortality of the chicks is reduced by supplementary feed, control of parasite,

Newcastle and Fowl pox diseases.

• Improve the body weight and egg production of native chicken.

• Size of the rural farm with male-female ratio should be 1 cock: 3 hens or 1 cock: 6

hens with an area of 50 or more than 50 decimal in small, medium and large size farm.

Management

Night shelter and Creep feeder

• Each farmer should have a

separate feeding pen (Creep

feeder) for feeding supplementary

feed to his or her chicken along

with night shelter. This feeding

pen can be made of bamboo and

wire net or only bamboo consisting of two parts, one for adult chicken feeding and

another for chicks.

• The size of the creep feeder should be 4 x 2.5 sq. feet for small farmers and 5x3 sq.

ft. for large and medium farmers. The mesh size of the fence of the creep feeder

should be 1.50 to 1.75 inches so that growing or adult chicken cannot enter into the

feeding space of chicken to share the supplementary feed given to the chicks.

Feed management

• Thirty five (35) gm of supplementary chicken diet should be given to each growing

and adult chicken divided in the morning and in the evening along with their

scavenging feeding.

• Young chicks should be fed ad libitum upto 6 weeks of age. The amount of

supplementation will be reduced gradually after 6 weeks. In the initial period, 4/5

days the mother hen should be allowed inside the creep feeder with the chicks. The

Night shelter and Creep feeder Creep feeder

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chicks don`t pick feed unless their mother do so. At the age of 10 weeks and

onward the amount of supplementary feed per chicken will be 35 gm. During the

period of 6-10 weeks the chicks will be habituated to scavenge feed in the

homestead with their mother.

Egg production of the hens

• Small farmers should allow one of their 3 hens for chick hatching round the year;

rest 2 hens would produce eggs throughout. On the contrary medium and large

farmers should allow 2 of their 6 hens for chicks hatching and rest 4 hens should

be allowed to lay eggs throughout the year.

Vaccination and Disease control

• The chicken house will be kept neat and clean for keeping the birds in hygienic

condition as well as disease free. Moreover, the birds should be vaccinated as per

following schedule.

Name of vaccine Age at vaccination Dose and Route

BCRDV 5-7 days 1 drop in each eye

BCRDV (Booster) 14 days 1 drop in each eye

Fowl Pox 30-35 days Sub cutanious dose by needle

RDV 60 days

Precaution measures

• It is necessary to follow the methods, route and dose of vaccine as per schedule.

• The supplementary feeds should not be consumed by the neighboring poultry.

• The chicken should be protected from predators (fox, jackle, kite etc.) in the

respective areas.

Dissemination area and Method

• All areas of Bangladesh where agricultural products and bi-products are grown.

• The technology can be successfully disseminated to the farmers/users through

Department of Livestock Services (DLS) and Non-Government Organizations

(NGO) and their offices at the district and Upazilla levels.

Advantages of the Technology

• There is no harmful effect observed for this technology. The farmers should generate

family income and reduce family nutritional gap. Moreover, chicken rearing at the

homestead maintain the biodiversity and ecosystem of the environment.

• The mortality of the chicken especially chick mortality have been reduced from 55-

60 to 25-30%. Traditionally, a farm family can earn Tk. 2000 by rearing 6/7

chickens if followed this technology. He/she could earn Tk. 6000 annually because

the growth rate of the family chicken increased by 65% and egg production by

70%. If a total of five crore farm families of the country adopt the technology to

produce at least 5 more chicken in each of their family, 25 crores of chicken may be

added to present production to bridge the nutritional deficiency of the nation.