Port Blair, July 07: After a long wait, the rain has arrived in this island of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and in the next six to seven month the island will witness almost 80 percent of annual rainfall. Clearly, the days ahead will be marked with high relative humidity and dampness. As the world is gearing to fight with the challenge posed by COVID-19, the poultry farmers in Andaman and Nicobar have to face another challenge of protecting the flock from unwanted chick morbidities and mortalities in the rainy season. In view of this, the poultry farmers must give consideration to the following important management points:
Housing: complete the repair work of poultry house. This includes leakage of roof and floor damage. Provide generous roof overhang of 3.5 feet to prevent entry of rain water into the shed. Plastic curtains must kept ready, which has the dual benefit of blockade of winds as well as showers. Make sure that the pipelines for water supply and drinkers are sealed for any leakage. The interior of the house should be white washed to reflect the light.
Premises of poultry house: Fill in all the ditches in the vicinity of the poultry shed which acts as a breeding place of insects and mosquitoes. In free range system, where it is difficult for the farmer to provide clean drinking water to the poultry, all the water reservoirs and wells must be disinfected with potassium permanganate / bleaching powder.
Care of feeds and feeding: Fungal contamination of feed during rainy season is a common problem. Do not store the feed for longer. The feed in the house should be placed on the platform above the ground to prevent the feed from regaining moisture and mildew. As a precautionary measure the farmers should avoid transport of feed during rain and feed must be stored in clean and dry place.
General health of poultry: In rainy season, the birds are likely to be chilled and therefore there is urgent need to keep vigil at night and make sure the heating element is alight and radiating enough heat to keep the chicks warm and comfortable. Consider adding energy rich sources like oil/fat to the diet or level of other nutrients may be reduced keeping the energy at same level. In free-range system, provide supplementary feeding to the birds to meet their nutrient deficit.
Brooding of chicks: Consider confining the chicks during the first eight weeks of age. Feed approximately 2 kg each of balanced feed and thereafter keep under semi-scavenging conditions. At eight weeks of age, the chicks are less susceptible to attacks by predators and more resistant to disease, due to their larger body weight and more effective vaccination immunization.
Care for litter: In deep litter system, removal of wet litter, breaking of caked litter, and periodic addition of fresh litter should be done on regular basis. Adequate ventilation should be provided in poultry shed using exhaust fan to maintain the humidity level between 50 and 70 per cent. If high moisture level in the litter persists treat the litter with slaked lime (lime wash) at the rate of one kilogram (1kg) for every ten square meter of the floor area. This can be done only if the litter is sufficiently thick (10 – 15cm at least) and loose.
Watering for poultry: With the rain, birds may encounter standing water (mostly in free-range) and end-up drinking from the ground leading to parasitic infestation from intestinal worms. Administer de-wormers before laying starts. Consider providing your birds with warm water periodically during this rainy season to encourage consumption and help them keep warm without using up energy reserved in the process
Above measures shall help the farmers to keep the chicken flocks as comfortable as possible and to reap the maximum out of chickens in terms of production, growth and survival.
The advisory has been issued with the guidance of Dr. B. Augustine Jerard, Director, ICAR-CIARI, Port Blair; Dr. A. Kundu, HoD, ASD, ICAR-CIARI and Incharge, KVK, Nimbudera in public interest under the project on “BIOTECH KISAN”, DBT, India/ NABARD, Port Blair, Farm sector promotion fund. For more information farmers may contact Animal Science Section, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Nimbudera, ICAR-CIARI/ Biotech Kisan Hub, Animal Science Division, ICAR-CIARI, Port Blair.
IGNOU approached DC to reopen the Study Centre at JNRM
Port Blair, July 07: The Indira Gandhi National Open University Regional Centre Port Blair has submitted its request to DC to reopen the Study Centre located in the campus of JNRM. On receipt of permission, the Study Centre will start its normal functioning. An official Communication from IGNOU Regional Centre Port Blair said.
