Make it efficient, don’t let it rot
Mostly people of ages between 20 and 35 years adopt this method; their family size tends to be between three and seven people; and family income usually ranges between Rs16,000 and Rs25,000
Back yard poultry farming refers as the keeping of chickens, mostly indigenous breeds, on small scale by poor families of rural areas. People of developing countries do this practice to fulfill their social and financial needs worldwide.
According to a study conducted into back yard farming methods adopted by lower income groups, the incidence of this phenomenon is found to be adopted largely among men and women in Lahore. Mostly people of ages between 20 and 35 years adopt this method; their family size tends to be between three and seven people; and family income usually ranges between Rs16,000 and Rs25,000.
People here are generally educated but not beyond medium level. According to the study, average five birds were kept by the respondents, and average ratio of male to female birds is 1:4. The research also revealed that most people hold few birds owing to lack of knowledge about management.
Birds generally lay more eggs in summers as opposed to winters, though the consumption is greater in winters. Almost all respondents reported having desi(local) breed of chicken.
Respondents in the study area used cages/shelters for birds at night while some also kept them in mud houses and in open places.
In summer majority of them used eggs for their domestic need, some sold them and very few of them used for hatching while domestic need of eggs increases in winter as compared to summer.
This is a low cost means of generating revenue for the lower income class, which should be handled amicably and put on a growth trajectory
Average egg price in summer and winter is Rs12 and Rs15 respectively. Some respondents know about poultry diseases and a small amount of people use vaccination and medication for their birds if they get sick otherwise they never vaccinate their birds.
The research also found visible lapses in participants’ understanding of controlling diseases among birds. There is an urgent need, for example, to spread awareness and understanding about the so called new castle disease. People usually repeat the vaccination every three months because a large number do not understand their vaccination schedules. This information gap, among other things, causes inefficiency in this practice.
Respiratory diseases are also most prevalent in these areas. Most people use home remedies for the treatment of diseased birds like nose feathering for egg eating birds, turmeric with oil and sprit for wounds and injury, spinach as calcium source. In general, people lose a large number of birds unnecessarily to diseases, which is hurting the industry’s growth prospects.
Many diseases transfer to humans from infected animals included chicken via different ways. This is called zoonoses. Mostly people have information about zoonotic diseases while only a small number of people know about poultry zoonotic diseases. According to the survey results, to some extant people have knowledge that contaminated eggs and meat cause gastroenteritis.
To make this practice more efficient, there is an urgent need to educate people about suitable breeds, medical needs, and disease prevention to name a few. This is a low cost means of generating revenue for the lower income class, which should be handled amicably and put on a growth trajectory.
Programs about disease prevention and their vaccination patterns should be held on regular basis to reduce bird mortality and zoonotic diseases. Balanced feed should be available to ensure higher productivity. In short useful planning and synchronisation should be ensured to coordinate public-private partnerships. This sector should be encouraged, not allowed to become inefficient and irrelevant.
