Poultry Farming in West Bengal, How to Start, Schemes, and Loans

Introduction to poultry farming in West Bengal: Poultry farming is the rearing of domestic birds such as chickens, turkeys, ducks, and geese, whose purpose is to raise for meat or eggs. Poultry is raised in large numbers, with chickens being the largest. More than 50 billion chickens are raised annually for their meat and eggs. Layers are defined as chickens raised for eggs, while broiler means chickens raised for meat. 

In general, poultry farming means raising a variety of domestic birds to produce food such as eggs and meat. Nowadays most people are using chicken as a synonym for chickens. Because chickens are the most widely raised poultry. 

Guide on Poultry farming in West Bengal, farm activities, benefits, location, equipment, housing & feed management, vaccinations, breeds and schemes

Poultry farm activities 

A variety of poultry birds have been raised in India for a long time. The most important task in raising chickens is to provide a stable natural environment for them to live and thrive. If you are currently raising chickens or are considering raising them, there are several things you can do to make your project a success. It is also a type of animal in which birds are used. 

Poultry farm activities are as follows;

• House preparation 
• Feeding chickens 
• Monitoring of conditions inside the chicken house, including temperature, humidity, and air quality 
• Feed and monitoring of water lines to make sure they are providing the chickens with plenty of fresh water and chicken feed
• Poultry health monitoring 
• Cleaning of chicken houses or coops 
• Collecting eggs (for laying hens) 
• Loading chickens onto trucks for moving chicken (for meat chickens)

Benefits of poultry farming in India 

The main benefits are listed below;

• Commercial poultry farming in India has created and still creates lucrative business opportunities for traders. 
• The poultry farming business can provide the best source of employment for job seekers. This is a business in India that will never end. 
• All kinds of poultry products are in great demand in the Indian market. And there is no religious prohibition on eating chicken and eggs. 
• High-yielding local and foreign breeds are available for commercial production. 
• Poultry birds require very little water for drinking and cleaning. One liter of water is enough for 5 birds a day. 
• Poultry provides farmers with a good opportunity for full-time or part-time employment. 
• Poultry farming provides high yields and it doesn’t take much capital to become a poultry farmer. 
• It does not need much space to start and you can start with your available area. 
• Poultry farming can be immediately profitable. Poultry farmers only need less care. You can easily get a license for this poultry farming business. 
• Marketing is very easy.

Selection of location and required equipment for poultry farming

One of the most important steps in choosing a location and purchasing the right equipment is to find suitable land for the business. This is the most expensive step in setting up a business. Land size can vary depending on the type of business and the scale. The four types of poultry farms are;

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• Free-range poultry farms – For these free-range poultry farms 12,000 to 36,000 square feet are required. 
• Semi-Range Poultry Farm – This type of farm requires approximately 8000 square feet. 
• Battery Cage Poultry Farm – About 6,000 square feet are required for poultry birds. Birds will not be allowed to move on this type of farm. 
• Completely Wild Poultry Farm – This type of farm resembles a natural bird habitat with many trees. It will require about 44,000 square feet. 

Other factors to consider when choosing a location are to find an area away from the city, preferably a safe, quiet, pollution-free, easily accessible amenity such as a freshwater market. However, when commercializing poultry production, it is always advisable to start a poultry farm on your land. Furthermore, it is important to understand what tools are needed to operate the business and to acquire them at an early stage. 

Housing management for poultry farming in West Bengal

For poultry farming, making suitable poultry housing is another important factor. But it is not as expensive as buying land. There are many ways to make a good home for poultry. However, when building a poultry house, keep in mind the following;

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• A proper ventilation system is important in the poultry house. Because good ventilation system ensures good health and proper development of birds. Therefore, the house must be well ventilated. 
• Try building a poultry house on the south side. This will help in getting plenty of clean and fresh air. 
• Always keep the house clean and fresh. 
• Have a proper indoor drainage system. This will help you to clean the house easily. Keep all appliances at a reasonable distance indoors. And always clean the house and equipment regularly. 

Feed management for poultry birds

Birds should have easy access to food. Proper feeder line-height adjustment for bird height helps reduce feed loss combines feed with litter and ensures that all birds have access to feed. Appropriate feed is also accessed by following the feed line manufacturer’s recommendations for the number of birds on the feed pan or trough feeder line.

Feeding can be the most important expense, as the quantity and quality of food will later affect the health and productivity of the chicken. The diet of chickens varies depending on the stage of life of the bird. 

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Invest in quality feeds – Have a good source of food. Consider adding calcium and mineral supplements to grains, such as oyster shell grit or diatomaceous earth. Not only will this improve the diet of the chickens but the addition of calcium will also help in producing strong eggs. 

Use of vaccination in poultry production

Vaccination is very important because it directly affects our profits. Farmers will be safe by giving priority to vaccination. Poultry vaccines are widely used to prevent and control infectious diseases in chickens. The purpose of their use in poultry production is to prevent or reduce the appearance of medical disease at the farm level, thus increasing production.

Vaccines and vaccination programs vary widely depending on many local factors (such as product type, local disease pattern, costs, and potential losses) and are usually administered by the poultry industry. The goal should be to vaccinate birds, some of which will enter the eye but most will be given orally. Day-old birds will easily take very small drops of water off each other and from the flat surfaces of the box. The spray vaccine used should be able to distribute evenly over the birds.

Protect poultry birds from disease

Like pets, you will want to make sure that you are vaccinating your chickens against the disease. Control the infection of insects and parasites, it goes hand in hand with cleaning and vaccines. 

West Bengal Comprehensive Area Development Corporation 

Production of chicks – WBCADC is running 3 number of poultry hatchery units in the districts of Coochbehar (Balarampur Project), Hoogly (Boinchi Project), and Howrah (Bagnan Project). Rhode Island Red (RIR) birds are being raised in these projects. 

Eggs from parent birds are hatched in the incubator machines of related projects. Day Old Chicks (DOC) is sold through projects to individual farmers or backward village development programs, Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana, or any other program. In addition to RIR (Rhode Island Red) chickens, also tried to breed Vanaraja, Kalinga Brown, and other breeds in the backyard system of raising chickens in villages.

For the poorer sections of UP villagers, backyard poultry increases their profitable subsistence income for their livelihood. In addition, the enterprise helps to include some protein in their diet which protects their growing children and expectant mothers from malnutrition. WBCADC is in the mode of serving the villagers to improve the livelihood of the poor families in the village with its limited capacity. 

Poultry breed in West Bengal

Harringhata Black

Haringhata Black is a great example of an indigenous poultry breed. HB can be used to start poultry farming in the backyard, it is the cheapest method of farming through which rural people can maintain their livelihood by investing less and earning more. HB (Haringhata black) is India’s homespun (Desi) registered poultry breed, originating from the Haringhata block of Nadia district, West Bengal, and other adjoining areas like Chakdah, Amdanga, Bongaon in dist. At first, the poultry breed HB became extinct but later a project was started through which they have been successfully saved from their previous condition by genetic purification.

The first birds were reared in the ‘Rashtriyo Murgi Khamar’ located in the Haringhata block of West Bengal. Their eggs are later hatched by artificial hatcheries or incubators and the HB bird population is increased. They are resistant to many different diseases like cholera, pleurisy, avian influenza, etc. They can be raised by women in rural areas (90.7%) for economic purposes. In an organized farm, a deep litter system is also implemented where they are vaccinated and watering, feeding, and bedding is well organized. In the case of poultry, bedding is essential to reduce the chances of litter-borne diseases.

What is a poultry farm loan? 

Poultry Farm Loan is a type of business loan or working capital loan offered through various private and public sector banks to individuals, MSMEs, and business owners in rural or urban areas across the country. Poultry loans are offered at competitive interest rates by various financial institutions with flexible payment options. 

Different poultry farming schemes in West Bengal

Daulat Farms Commercial Kadaknath / Black Meat Chicken Contract Scheme 

• Required Land Area – 2 Acres; 
• Required Shed – 10000 Sq. Ft (as company guidelines, it is not required at the time of application, it can be made after approval); 
• Batch size – 2000 poultry birds per batch; 
• Batch number – 150 batch max; 
• Advance fee / Franchise Fee – Rs.15 Lakh Only – All approved locations including poultry day old chicks, poultry feed, medicine, supervisor salary, doctor salary, processing cost, marketing cost, packaging cost, export & supply cost, etc. As our company invests up to Rs. 82 crores provided by Working Capital Company] 
• Profit to the farmer – Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 225,000 per batch 
• Provided by the company – Day-old baby chickens, nutritious poultry feed, company-certified antibiotics, supervisor, and doctor. 
• Technical support – Training and technical support is provided by the company from time to time as required
• Ready birds – take back by the company 
• Technical knowledge – not required
• Contract period – 15 years (renewable) 

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Who can apply? 

The individual/farmer has his desired land in a rural area which has water and electricity facility connected to the road, who has ready shed and farmland ready or can build poultry shed and company guild lines. The landlord can prepare the land accordingly, who can pay the above or the franchise fee, which can pay full time and is dedicated to maintaining the quality, can apply for this scheme. 

Daulat Farms Commercial Poultry Layer Farming Scheme 

There is no provision for the sale and purchase of anything under this contract farming scheme. Farmers only need to take care of the birds and the farm.

• Required Land Area is about 10000 Sq Ft Minimum
• Required Shed – 8500 Sq. Ft. (As Company’s Guidelines with Poultry cage for 5000 birds and it is not required at the time of application, it can be constructed after approval)
• Batch size – 5000 birds
• Up Front Fee / Franchise Fee – Only Rs. 15 lakhs only – All including Poultry Day Old Chicks, Poultry Feed, Medicine, Supervisors Salary, Doctors Salary, Processing Cost, Marketing Cost, Packaging Cost, Export and Supply Cost, etc. Working capital of Rs. 82 crores have been provided by the company at the approved places. 
• Batch Cycle – 12 months to 18 months 
• Profit to the farmer – Rs. 5 lakhs – Rs. 12 lakhs per batch (Suppose if the profit per batch is Rs. 9 lakhs then the profit will be Rs. 54 Lac to Rs. 90 Lac in 15 years. 
• Number of Batches – 6 to 10 batches
• Other Misc. Cost – as actual per month
• Electricity Charges – as actual 
• Provided by Company – Day Old Chicks, Nutritious Poultry Feed, Company Certified Antibiotics, Surveillance, and Doctor. 
• Technical support – Training and technical support are provided by the company from time to time as required. 
• Prepared eggs – Return by company
• Technical knowledge – not required.

Daulat Farms Gramin Bharat Poultry Layer Farming Program

• Farmers only need to take care of the birds and the farm. 
• Required Shed – 10000 Sq. Ft. (according to company guidelines, it is not required at the time of application, it can be made after approval), poultry cages are not required.
• Batch size – 5000 birds 
• Advance fee/franchise fee – Rs.15 Lakh Only (One Time Only) – No Need to Invest Actual Huge Required Working Capital Investment, As Our Company Invests up to Rs. 82 Crores on Working Capital at all approved locations including Poultry Day Old Chicks, Poultry Feed, Processing Cost, Marketing Cost, Packaging Cost, Export and Supply Cost Etc. Provided by the Company.
• Batch Cycle – 12 to 18 months
• Profit to the farmer – Rs. 5 Lakh to Rs. 12 Lakh per batch 
• Number of Batches – 6 to 10 batches
• Other Misc. Cost – as actual per month
• Electricity Charges – as actual 
• Provided By Company – Day Old Chicks, Nutritious Poultry Feed, Supervision, and Doctors. 
• Technical Knowledge – Not Required
• Contract Period – 15 Years (Renewable) 

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Who can apply? 

The individual/farmer has his desired land in a rural area which has water and electricity facility connected to the road, who has ready shed and farmland ready or can build poultry shed and company guild lines. The landlord can prepare the land accordingly, who can pay the above or the franchise fee, which can pay full time and is dedicated to maintaining the quality, can apply for this scheme. 

Daulat Farms Sashakt Bharat Poultry Farming Employment Creation Program 

There is no provision for the sale and purchase of anything under this contract farming scheme. Farmers only need to take care of the birds and the farm. 

• Minimum required land area – 5000 sq. Km. Feet, 10000 square feet, 15000 square feet, 20000 square feet, etc. 
• Required shed – 500 square feet, 1000 square feet, 1500 square feet, 2000 square feet, etc. (as company guidelines, it is not required at the time of application, it can be made after approval)
• Batch size (number of birds) – depending on the size of the farm 500, 1000, 1500, 2000, etc. per bird; 
• Franchise fee – Rs. 20 per sq. Ft. 
• The company invests up to the working capital of each project in all approved locations including Poultry Day Old Checks, Poultry Feed, Medicines, Supervisors Salary, Doctors Salary, Processing Cost, Marketing Cost, export and supply cost, etc. 
• Profit to the farmer – Rs. 20 per bird 
• Electricity charges – As per the original per batch (must be paid to the farmer)
• Farming method – According to the company guidelines 
• The company provides – Day Old Baby Chickens, Nutrition Poultry Feed, Company Certified Antibiotics, Supervisor and Doctor. 
• Technical support – Training and technical support are provided by the company from time to time as required. 
• Ready birds and by-products – Return by company
• Technical knowledge – not required. 
• Contract period – 15 years (renewable)