FACILITIES

Laboratories:

a) Quantitative genetics

This is the PDPs major activity, which generates, processes and documents breeding data. This facility undertakes genetic improvement of various purelines for growth and production performance traits. Various tools of population genetics viz genetic and phenotypic parameters, index selection, correlation and regression analysis are being used for selection of pedigree. This facility is equipped with advanced data recording equipment, and computers with data analysis software.

Contact persons: Dr R.N. Chatterjee, Dr B.L.N. Reddy, Dr M. Niranjan, Dr T.K. Bhattacharya, Dr U. Rajkumar

b) Molecular genetics

This facility undertakes molecular characterization of pureline populations. The laboratory is well equipped with thermocycler, microplate reader, gel documentation system, electrophoresis systems, laminar flow hoods, freezers, CO2 incubator etc.

Contact persons: Dr. R. N. Chatterjee, Dr. T.K. Bhattacharya

c) Semen biology and Artificial insemination

This facility provides evaluation of semen from various pureline males and facilitates artificial insemination in pedigree. The semen biology laboratory is equipped with equipment required for routine analysis of semen samples.

Contact person: Dr.M. Niranjan, Dr. M. Shanmugam

d) Poultry nutrition

This facility undertakes research on nutrient requirements of purelines and their crosses, nutrient estimations, immunomodulation by nutrients, mycotoxins and improvement of nutrient utilisation. Nutrition laboratories are well equipped with Atomic absorption spectrophotometer, Gas chromatograph, High performance liquid chromatograph, Automatic nitrogen analyser, fat analyser and fibre analyser, HPTLC scanner and sample applicator, Microwave muffle furnace etc. The facility also extends expert guidance to PDP customers on nutrition and feeding.

Contact Persons: Dr G.Shyam Sunder, Dr S.V.Rama Rao, Dr M.V.L.N.Raju, Dr A.K.Panda

e) Disease Diagnosis and Health management

This facility provides necropsy and laboratory diagnosis, designs disease control and health management measures, investigates specific diseases of importance, evaluates immune competence and provides expertise to other scientific community of PDP. The post mortem and laboratory facilities are well equipped with laminar flow hoods, CO₂ incubators, fluorescent and inverted microscopes, freezers, microplate reader, Real-time PCR machine, cryotome, histopathology equipment, spectrophotometer, electrophoresis unit, vaccine storage facilities etc.

Contact Person: Dr M.R.Reddy, Dr T.R. Kannaki

Experimental farm

PDP has well-managed floor brooder cum grower houses and cage layer houses for rearing of purebred meat type, egg type and dual type chicken lines. Facilities are well designed to rear and obtain individual bird data on genetic traits. The average number of birds at any one time is about 16,000-20,000. In addition, stainless steel battery cage facilities (2000 bird capacity) are available for controlled nutrition and health experimental studies. This facility rears various genetic populations as per the requirements of population geneticists of PDP. The populations housed currently in the farm include four layer lines (IWI, IWK, IWH and control), three broiler lines (Pb1, Pb2 and broiler control), two gene lines (Naked Neck and Dwarf), five rural poutry lines (Vanaraja male & female lines, brown egger line, Aseel, Kadaknath) and several test crosses.

Contact Person: Dr S.K.Bhanja

Experimental hatchery

A well-maintained hatchery is situated at a strategic location to receive hatching eggs from different layer houses. This facility consists of fumigation room, walk-in cold room for fertile egg storage and three setters each with the capacity of 13,000 eggs and two hatchers each with capacity of 9,000 eggs. This facility stores fertile eggs and hatches pedigree and commercial chicks and undertakes sexing of pedigree chicks.

Contact person: Dr Daryab Singh

Feed compounding

A modern feed compounding facility, consisting of raw material storage godown, a cold room for storage of feed additives, feed grinders and mixers, compounds and supplies chick, grower and breeder feed for the stocks maintained at PDP. About 50-60 MT of poultry feed is compounded every month at this facility.

Contact person: Dr S.K.Bhanja, Mr A. Ravi Kumar

Marketing & Technology Transfer

The unit is involved in supplying various chicken varieties developed at the Directorate. Further, dissemination of various technologies developed at the Institute is carried out through various means like participation in Farmer - scientist meet, developing video and audio programs and telecast/broadcast them through electronic media like television and radio, screening them at different extension programs where the Institute participated. The technologies are also being propagated by using print media of local, national and international agricultural/animal science magazines apart from publishing the research data in peer reviewed scientific journals. Bulletins, brochures and leaflets made (local, national language and English) on different technologies are made available to farmers. Technical guidance is provided on various aspects of poultry farming, nutrition, health management, etc. for both Intensive and free-range rural poultry farming.

Contact persons: Dr S.V.Rama Rao, Dr R.V. Rao

Library

The Library has comprehensive information on all aspects of poultry science and allied disciplines. The library is subscribing twenty three foreign journals/magazine and Ten Indian journals/magazines respectively. At present, around 492 reference textbooks on different topics of poultry science and other subjects are available in the library. The resource full reference materials available is of very much helpful to scientists and scholars of the institute in their routine research works and as well for research scholars and veterinary scientists of other Institutes and Universities. Apart from this photocopying facility is also provided in the library for taking copies of necessary reference material.

Books Published:

1. Research Manual in Poultry Nutrition

- A.K.Panda, M.V.L.N.Raju, S/V.Rama Rao

2. Prospects of Naked neck & Frizzle chickens in tropics

- T.K.Bhattacharya, R.N.Chatterjee, R.P.Sharma, M.Niranjan

B.L.N.Reddy & U.Rajkumar.

The library has electronic database in the form of CD-ROM.

Contact persons: Dr A.K. Panda, Mr J.Srinivasa.Rao

ARIS Cell

The Cell assists the users in effective application of various software packages pertaining to statistical analysis of research data, photo editing, document conversion, pay bills, audit and accounts etc. Local area network (with sufficient anti-virus protection) and website are maintained for easy communication/data transfer and projection of Institute’s activities, respectively.

Contact persons: Dr M.V.L.N.Raju, Mr V.V.Rao