Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-7cvxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T08:36:59.840Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Poultry farming in the cold, arid Himalayan region of India

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 July 2010

A. BISWAS ,
B.G. ROY ,
D. GOGOI ,
M. AHMED  and
S.B. SINGH
A. BISWAS*
Affiliation:
Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR), C/O: 56 APO, Leh-194101, Jammu & Kashmir, India
B.G. ROY
Affiliation:
Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR), C/O: 56 APO, Leh-194101, Jammu & Kashmir, India
D. GOGOI
Affiliation:
Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR), C/O: 56 APO, Leh-194101, Jammu & Kashmir, India
M. AHMED
Affiliation:
Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR), C/O: 56 APO, Leh-194101, Jammu & Kashmir, India
S.B. SINGH
Affiliation:
Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR), C/O: 56 APO, Leh-194101, Jammu & Kashmir, India
*
Corresponding author: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

In the cold, arid Himalayan region of India, where the altitude is 3048-3658 m above mean sea level (MSL) and the temperature ranges from +35°C to -35°C, poultry farming is very difficult. Poultry farming in Leh-Ladakh has been a venture that has generally taken a back seat in this cold, arid region for a number of reasons. In this region, the Buddhist community makes up most of the population, and, because of their largely vegetarian lifestyle; they generally avoid killing animals in principal. Another reason is the lack of availability of any specific high yielding variety of layer or broiler breed in this high altitude region. Typically, the existing local poultry breeds exhibit very poor egg and meat production. Further factors which have influenced poultry production are the unavailability of poultry feed and the existence of harsh climatic conditions. The status of poultry rearing in this region is not encouraging, with the current total population of poultry birds limited to just a few thousand. There are many constraints contributing to this, including limited availability of feed, lack of subsidies, religious sentiments, lack of availability of suitable germ plasm, limited poultry feed ingredients, and poor knowledge regarding poultry farming. Furthermore, the housing of poultry is difficult in this cold, arid climate. Maintaining the optimum temperature of 25 to 35°C inside brooder and 15 to 20°C inside grower and layer housing requires modifications to the design of traditional poultry housing. The different types of housing available for use in this area are above- ground mud walled poly sheds, semi-underground mud or stone walled houses, trombay wall sheds and solar poultry houses. Fertility and hatchability are therefore the main problems in this area. The problems of poultry farming in high altitude and their solutions have been addressed in this paper.

Keywords

poultry farminghigh altitudeascitescold arid regionhousing system
Type
Small-Scale Family Poultry Production
Information
World's Poultry Science Journal , Volume 66 , Issue 2 , June 2010 , pp. 297 - 308
Copyright
World's Poultry Science Association 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

BALOG, J.M., KIDD, B.D., HUFF, W.E., HUFF, G.R. RATH, N.C., and ANTHONY, N.B. (2003) Effect of Cold Stress on Broilers Selected for Resistance or Susceptibility to Ascites Syndrome. Poultry Science 82: 1383-1387.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
BEKER, A., VANHOOSER, S.L., SWARTZLANDER, J.H. and TEETER, R.G. (2003) Graded Atmospheric Oxygen Level Effects on Performance and Ascites Incidence in Broilers, Poultry Science 82: 1550-1553.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
BHAGAT, U.C. (2003) Proceedings of workshops on “Devising strategies to make Animal- Husbandry & Poultry farming sustainable and economically viable in Ladakh”. DIHAR, Leh, 27 September 2003.Google Scholar
CISAR, C.R., BALOG, J.M., ANTHONY, N.B. and DONOGHUE, A.M. (2003) The chicken bone morphogenetic protein receptor type II (BMPR2) gene maps to chromosome. Animal Genetics 34: 475-476.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
CUEVA, S., SILLAU, H., VALENZUELA, A. and PLOOG, H. (1974) High altitude induced pulmonary hypertension and right heart failure in broiler chickens. Research in Veterinary Sciences 16: 370-374.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
CURRIE, J.W.R. (1999) Ascites in poultry: recent investigations [Review]. Avian Pathology 28: 313-326.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
ELLS, J.B. and MORRIS, L. (1947) Factors involved in hatching chicken and turkey eggs at high elevations. Poultry Science 26: 635-638.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
GUPTA, K.L. (2003) Proceedings of workshops on “Devising strategies to make Animal- Husbandry & Poultry farming sustainable and economically viable in Ladakh”. DIHAR, Leh, 27 September 2003.Google Scholar
HUCHZERMEYER, F.W. and DE RUYCK, A.M.C. (1986) Pulmonary hyper-tension syndrome associated with ascites in broilers. Veterinary Record 119: 94.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
JONES, G.P.D. (1994) Energy and nitrogen metabolism and oxygen use by broiler susceptible to ascites and grown at three environmental temperatures. British Poultry Science 35: 97-105.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
JULIAN, R.J. (1993) Effect of excess sodium bicarbonate on the blood volume and erythrocyte deformability of broiler chickens. Avian Pathology 22: 419-454.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
LUNDY, H. (1969) In: CARTER, T.C. & FREEMAN, B.M. (Eds) The Fertility and Hatchability of Hen's Egg, pp. 143-176 (Edinburgh, Oliver and Boyd).Google Scholar
MESHEW, M.H. (1949) The use of oxygen in the hatching of chicken and turkey eggs at high altitudes. Poultry Science 28: 87-97.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
ODOM, T.W., MARTINEZ-LEMUS, L.A., HESTER, R.K., BECKER, E.J., JEFFREY J.S., , MEININGER, G.A. and RAMIREZ, G.A. (2004) In Vitro Hypoxia Differentially Affects Constriction and Relaxation Responses of Isolated Pulmonary Arteries from Broiler and Leghorn Chickens. Poultry Science 82: 835-841.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
PANDA, B., REDDY, V.R., SADAGOPAN, V.R. and SRIVASTAVA, A.K. (1997) In: ICAR (Ed) Feeding of Poultry (New Delhi, India).Google Scholar
PHUNTSOG, T. (2003) Proceedings of workshops on “Devising strategies to make Animal- Husbandry & Poultry farming sustainable and economically viable in Ladakh”. DIHAR, Leh, 27 September 2003.Google Scholar
SAHAN U., , AYDIN, I., OZGE, A. and BILGEHAN, Y.D. (2006) Effects of oxygen supplementation during the last stage of incubation on broiler performance, ascites susceptibility and some physiological traits. Animal Research 55: 145-152.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
SMITH, A.H. and ABBOTT, U.K. (1961) Adaptation of the domestic fowl to high altitude. Poultry Science 40: 1459.Google Scholar
WIDEMAN, R.F. (1994) Increased sensitivity to triiodothyronine of broiler lines with a high susceptibility for ascites. British Poultry Science 35: 633-667.Google Scholar
WIDEMAN, R.F. (2001) Pathophysiology of Heart/Lung Disorders: Pulmonary Hypertension Syndrome in Broiler Chickens. World's Poultry Science Journal 57: 289-307.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
WIDEMAN, R.F. and TACKETT, C.D. (2000) Cardio-Pulmonary Function in Broilers Reared at Warm or Cool Temperatures: Effect of Acute Inhalation of 100% Oxygen. Poultry Science 79: 257-264.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
WILGUS, H.S. and SADLER, W.W. (1954) Incubation factors affecting hatchability of poultry eggs. Levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide at high altitude. Poultry Science 33: 460CrossRefGoogle Scholar