ICAR-Directorate of Poultry Research, Hyderabad has successfully established a Field Demonstration Unit on "Integrated Moringa Farming with Backyard Poultry" in the adopted tribal village of Baoji Thanda, located in Mahbubnagar District, Telangana. A progressive farmer dedicated 0.25 acres of his land to this initiative. The Unit was inaugurated by Dr. R.N. Chatterjee, Director, on 9th January 2024.
To ensure biosecurity, the land was enclosed with chain link fencing, and a high-density Moringa plantation using ODC-3 variety was implemented, maintaining a spacing of 1.3 ft. between two ridges and 0.7 ft. between two plants. A total of 100 Gramapriya birds, a rural layer chicken variety, were provided by the Directorate and reared in this unit under a free-scavenging system, utilizing resources from the unit such as fallen Moringa leaves, plant materials, insects, worms, ants, flies, etc. Additionally, the birds were supplemented with poultry feed and dry Moringa leaves. This feeding regimen significantly improved survivability under backyard conditions. Nighttime shelter facilities were provided, ensuring 1.8 to 2.0 sq. ft. of space per bird.
During his address, the Director, Dr. R.N. Chatterjee, emphasized the benefits of integrated farming as a better approach to farmland management. Growing Moringa provides high-quality protein feed (22-24% CP) for the birds, leading to a substantial reduction in the cost of chicken production. This makes the venture highly profitable and viable for the farming community. The event witnessed the participation of about 60 farmers from the village, along with scientists and technical staff from the Directorate. The program was coordinated by Dr. R. K. Mahapatra, Pr. Scientist, Dr. B. Prakash, Pr. Scientist and Dr. S. K. Bhanja, Chief Technical Officer of this Directorate.
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ICAR Web News: https://icar.org.in/establishment-field-demonstration-unit-integrated-moringa-farmimg
