MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN POULTRY FARMING AT KISHOREGANJ DISTRICT IN BANGLADESH

Abstract

The study was conducted to identify the management practices of poultry farmers (broiler and layer) and also assessing their socio-economic status in Kishoreganj, Bangladesh. Total 40 poultry farms (20 broilers and 20 layers) were selected from Kishoreganj district. The mean farm size (Number of bird), number of family member, number of educated person per farmer family and amount of land (Acre) per farmer were 4336.84 541.99, 6.16 0.47, 1.26 0.23 and 3.51 0.4 with range; 1500-10000, 3-10, 0-3 and 0.2-5.6 respectively in broiler farms and 5252.63 708.61, 4.79 0.27, 1.37 0.21 and 4.1 0.45 with range; 1200-1000, 3-7, 0-3 and 0.45-6.3 respectively in layer farm. This study revealed that comparatively rich farmers are more involved in farming, 57.5% of the farmers have their own investment in farming, very few of them have taken training (27.5%), more than half (55%) had taken farming as main occupation, 50 % of the farmer have no loan, most of the farmer (62.5%) have poor level of knowledge about poultry farming but have high management skill in 37.5% of the farmer. Although the percentage of illiterate farmer is lower (15%) but number of high educated farmers also minimum. About 30% of the farmers have good health status. Per bird annual Cost Benefit Ratio is higher in the layer farming (1:1.66) in comparison with broiler (1:1.17), hence it is revealed that layer farming is more profitable. One of the outcome of this study is that, the common management practices in layer farms are somewhat improved in comparison with broiler farm.