smart farming solution: January 2020

Country chicken/Desi Murgi/Naati koli

Country chickens are all native domesticated chicken that are bred by local farmers on small scale basis in natural environments. Most of them spend a majority of their time in great outdoors, running around and scratching the dirt for worms or insects, then supplementing their diet with household scraps. This means that they deal with the normal issues of growing up, including fighting for their food, trying to escape from predators, etc. which manifest into the taste and texture of these birds. Rearing of these birds acts as a supplementary income for small farming community. Their meat has a deep, complex flavor, and they have lower fat content and a higher muscle mass.

India has made considerable progress in broiler production in last two decades. High quality chicks

Rooster and Hen feeding on waste

Country chicken Varieties

New Hampshire
White Plymouth rock
Rhode island red
Minorca
Ancona
Australop
Sussex
Kadaknath
Asil (fighter)

Comparison between Country chicken and Broiler

Country chicken possess fewer toxins from free foraging, meaning little to no health risks, as opposed to broiler chickens, which, according to consumer reports are injected hormones and additives that are known to increase the risk of cancer and early onset of puberty.
Country chickens also contains more muscle and less fat, which is exact opposite for broiler chickens
Country chickens have a more complex and tender flavor, whereas all broiler chickens have relatively fixed flavor.

Advantages of country chicken farming

Low initial investments clubbed with higher economic returns.
Country chicken farm can be started with just two birds and gradually increase to a flock.
Owing to high demand of local chicken, the birds and the egg produced by them can be sold in the local market irrespective of the season
Left over feed, grains and various agricultural by-products can be used as feed for the birds. In other words feed cost is negligible.
Country chicken or desi murgi and brown egg variety has a higher demand than the other breeds.
There is no labor cost practically involved since the family members are involved
Since the eggs and poultry birds can be sold almost any time, rural poultry is a any time money

Housing facility for country chicken farm

Since country chicken is of the sturdier and adaptable type, they do not need elaborated housing preparation unlike other breeds. The house must protect the birds from harsh sunshine, rain, wind and cold stress. It should also protect them from frost during winters. In case of free range rearing system the birds are let loose to forage during day and kept in pens during night time. In order to avoid direct sunlight and encourage maximum air circulation the house must be built in the north south direction. Inexpensive, locally available housing materials like bamboo, wood, thatch, grass, etc are used for building the houses. The floor is at an elevation to avoid water accumulation or flood like condition. It must free of rat trouble or water cracks, must be portable to enable shifting the position of the houses if need be and they must facilitate easy cleaning.

Farm feed

As compared to other forms of rearing feed expense in country chicken is at a minimum since the birds are let to scavenge out in the open. Their daily nutrient requirements of proteins, vitamins, minerals and energy are met through worms, insects, weeds, household waste, crop residues and leftover.

Chick brooding

Brooding is described as the ‘art’ of raising chicks right from the day they hatch. A newly hatched chick takes about two weeks to develop its own homeostasis and thermoregulatory system. In other words, they are unable to maintain their body temperature during the first few days of their life. Hence special provision must be made for maintaining the body temperature. This process is called brooding. Brooding is of two types

Natural brooding

In natural brooding, indigenous broody hens are used as sitters. The hen is provided with all the necessary nesting materials including food and water. Eggs belonging to improved variety are used for incubation. Once the eggs hatch, the chicks are left with the mother for scavenging. Special provisions are made for the chick and the mother for the nights. A Broody hen can take care of 12-15 chicks at a time.

Artificial brooding

No broody hen is used in this case. Instead there is a provision for supplying artificial heat. There are specially designed ‘bukharies’ in which wood, charcoal, kerosene, saw-dust, etc. is used as a heat source. The temperature is maintained at 95⁰ F in first week. In the following weeks, it is reduced by 5⁰F till the 6th week. On an average a heat of up to 2 watts per chick is needed in the brooding stage.

Floor space for country chicken

Chicks brooding in deep litter need about 280 cm² of floor space per chick. From the 6th week approximately one square foot of floor space must be provided. Overcrowding in the brooding stage can cause stress thereby leading to infections and mortality. The feed conversion ratio and growth must be proportional to the floor space available for the chicks.

Light management

The idea behind providing light in brooders is to increase the feed consumption and thus maximize the growth in a very short period of time. For the first six weeks there must be continuous light for the up to 48 hours. During the growth stage 10-12 light hours is needed. While providing light provisions, there must also be a chick guard to prevent the chicks from coming directly in contact with the heat bulb. It is normally made of cardboard.

Marketing of country chicken

Marketing country chicken is very simple since local, indigenous chicken variety is always in demand in the markets. They can be supplied in shops or the farms can have a tie-up with hotels for supplying country chicken on a regular basis. Country chicken farming(‘desi murgi palan’ or ‘nati koli farm’) is an alternative source of income in integrated farming system.