Independent Poultry Association Meeting held at Guru Angad Dev Veterinary & Animal Sciences University

A monthly seminar was held by the Independent Poultry Association (IPA), which is affiliated with Guru Angad Dev Veterinary & Animal Sciences University (GADVASU), Ludhiana. The association's president, Sanjay Sharma, invited university experts, broiler farmers, and Hipra India Pvt. Ltd. Pune representatives.

He discussed the rising cost of raising broilers and the challenges faced by farmers who rear broilers for money in southern Indian states, specifically the margin per bird they receive.

Dr. Daljit Kaur spoke about managing broilers during the monsoon. She went on to explain that because birds lack sweat glands, high humidity and high temperatures during the monsoon are stressful for them. They are also confined; their sheds are on fields with paddy all around them. Stress begins when the Thermal Humidity Index (THI) rises above 70. Birds try to sit in cooler spots, drink more water, and pant more to remove extra heat, but if stress persists, morbidity and mortality also occur. An effort should be made to keep the sheds cool during the rain. She informed about foggers, fans, exhaust fans, wind chill effect and tunnel ventilation. She showed different designs of roofs of poultry. She laid the importance of shed design.

The meeting's coordinator, Dr. Parminder Singh, talked about the physical and chemical characteristics of broiler feed. He provided the farmers with information on the Bureau of Indian Standards requirements for various broiler age groups. Regarding the malpractices in broiler feed, he warned the farmers. He emphasized the significance of the feed's ingredients as well as its color, smell, feel, and sound. He provided a variety of testimonials regarding the negative impacts of the broiler feed's high moisture, fiber, and toxins content. Farmers must consider the impact feed prices linked to low feed intake claims of better feed conversion ratio.

Dr. Pramod Damane, in-charge Technical Services of Hipra India Pvt. Ltd., emphasized the value of biosecurity while also educating the farmers on the various vaccines available from the company to protect against infectious bronchitis and the Newcastle disease using oral, oculonasal, and spray delivery methods.

Farmers were advised to make use of the university's feed analytical laboratory by Dr. Parkash Singh Brar, director of extension education. He discussed the various tests used to confirm the quality of broiler feed. He also urged the broiler farmers to take part actively in the Pashu Palan Mela, which the institution will host in September 2022.