Chicken rearing is improving the rural livelihood of Phenwenyu village
Our Correspondent
Kohima | April 22
Rural livelihood at Phenwenyu, a small village under Tseminyu sub division of Kohima district is seeing a transformation hen–after-hen through backyard poultry farming.
A number of farmers from the village have benefitted from the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) Kohima supported poultry project and their testimonies are promising, as was highlighted by KVK Tesophenyu, Kohima district during an exhibition held at Tseminyu town recently.
Phenwenyu comprises of 80 household and its population is largely dependent on agriculture-with paddy, maize, collocasia, chilly, beans, tomato, squash as their main crops. The villagers also grow horticulture crops like plum, pears, peach, wild fig, mango, banana, passion fruit etc.
Since the farming system is rain fed, most of the agricultural activities are cultivated and harvested during the kharif season. The villagers remain busy in their fields from April until October and stay idle from November to March. During this lean period, the main livelihood activity of the villagers is stone quarrying.
To promote poultry farming in the village, the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) Kohima conducted a frontline demonstration on backyard farming of broiler birds. Participatory Rural Appraisal was conducted and ten women- five each from two Self Help Groups (SHGs) were identified for the demonstration.
Before commencement, all the beneficiaries were given training on small-scale rearing of broiler birds in their backyards and 30 number of Vencobb 40 day-old chicks, veterinary medicines, weighing balance and feeds were provided to all the beneficiaries.
During the demonstration, vaccination was administered and body weight measured once in two weeks until the birds attained the market-weight. The poultry houses were cleaned regularly, feeds and water were provided to the birds at regular interval.
After 45 days, the average body weight and feed conversion ratio of the birds were 2.2 kg and 1.8 respectively. The birds were sold at Rs 140 per kg in Tseminyu town with a net profit of Rs 2, 500 per beneficiary.
Encouraged with the success, the stock strength per farmer was increased to 50 chicken and by the end of one year; six batches have already sold their hens with an average net profit of Rs 40,000 per batch.
Thus, in an overall, 10 farmers contributed approximately around Rs 2, 40,000 to the village economy in a year.
With this success, the farmers are planning to increase the present stock strength to 100 per batch and encourage more families into the broiler-poultry farming business since it is more remunerative and also provides employment opportunity.
