Jaynendra is a poultry farmer from district Unnao in Uttar Pradesh. He is the owner of brand Jaynendra poultry farm and was recently interviewed by Vivek Rai of Krishi Jagran on FTB.
He firstly talks of his main business broiler chicken poultry contract farming. He owns a shed which can house 5,500 to 6,000 chickens at a time. The chicks on average take 40-45 days to become fully grown chickens, weighing 2.5 Kgs to 3 Kgs. Different varieties of chicken take different periods to grow, the broiler chickens grow relatively much quicker and hence are popular among growers and sellers, as less time and less investment is required. We are able to monitor and grow these chickens easily and without any difficulty. The company who has contracted us then comes and lifts the chickens away. We get the commission from the company Rs 10-12 per kg weight of the chickens. The company has a FCR (feed conversion ratio) standard which we need to follow. The feed consumption is monitored by the company. They calculate our payments based on these and other factors.
He said they also collect the chicken droppings (chicken excrement) and process it to use it as manure for their crop farms. We have a waste decomposer where we decompose these droppings. We use vermicomposting procedure. They grow wheat, rice and rapeseed crops and this natural organic manure comes very handy in growing these. This is an organic method which gives good results in terms of productivity. Poultry in itself is a profitable business and we get the manure too. They also grow mustard which is farmed but in smaller quantity. The organic manure that they use also has good effect on the quality of their produce in farms and the consumers of these crops feel healthy.
He has been in poultry farming for last two years. He grows the broiler variety of chickens which are grown mainly for their meat. Most of the broiler birds have white feathers. They have 2 sheds each of 3100 sq feet. They also have a solar panel installed by the Uttar Pradesh government, under their solar panel scheme. We are able to get electricity and water cheaply with the help of the solar panel. There is a 3HP solar pump which provides water in quantity that is enough for their consumption.
We are hired on contract and follow the instructions given by the company. Feed, medicines are all provided by the company. The company supervisor (usually a poultry veterinarian) regularly visits our sheds to see the growth of the chickens. If some birds are dying then he tries to find out why this is happening and how to rectify the problem. If some birds are sick or weak, he gives us medicine to cure the birds. He guides and suggests how to look after the birds. Depending on how well we have done we receive payment directly into the brand bank account.
He said he would recommend other farmers to take up poultry farming, as a side business to improve their earnings. He said farmers have sometime between farming different crops, and this time can be spent profitably in poultry farming. He said in farming you have to wait for months to see your crops grow, while in poultry farming you get results within 40-45 days. He said poultry farming is like growing cash crops which give cash in a month or so. There are lots of companies out here like, Suguna group among others, who hire farmers on contract for poultry farming. A shed will take initial investments of Rs 50,000 to 60,000, and once approved by the supervisor, according to the capacity of your shed you will be given chicks to grow.
He tells the readers and viewers of Krishi Jagran that the farmers can make their occupation profitable by diversifying their investments, to follow animal husbandry (poultry, dairy cattle, fisheries) alongside their standard farming. This will definitely boost their incomes.