Assessment of Suitable Breeds for Backyard Poultry
U. G. Thakare
Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Akola, India.
G. P. Manjulkar *
Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Akola, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Backyard poultry farming is an important livelihood activity for smallholder and landless rural households because it provides supplementary income and household-level nutritional support. This study assessed the performance of two improved dual-purpose poultry breeds, Kaveri and CARI Nirbheek, in comparison with local indigenous birds under backyard rearing conditions. Seven on-farm trials were conducted using three technology options: local birds as the control, Kaveri, and CARI Nirbheek. Egg production, mortality, gross cost, gross return, net return, and benefit-cost ratio were recorded. Kaveri recorded the highest average egg production, with 93 eggs per bird, compared with 62 eggs per bird in CARI Nirbheek and 49 eggs per bird in local birds. Both improved breeds recorded 0% mortality during the study period, whereas local birds recorded 10% mortality. Economic analysis showed that CARI Nirbheek generated the highest gross return of Rs. 630, net return of Rs. 300, and benefit-cost ratio of 1.91. Kaveri also performed better than local birds, with a net return of Rs. 199 and benefit-cost ratio of 1.68. The findings suggest that improved dual-purpose breeds may improve production and economic return under the tested backyard conditions. Kaveri may be more suitable for farmers prioritising egg yield, while CARI Nirbheek may be more suitable where higher net economic return is the main objective.
Keywords: Backyard poultry, Kaveri, CARI Nirbheek, indigenous birds, dual-purpose breeds, egg production, survivability, mortality, benefit-cost ratio, rural livelihoods, on-farm trials