BASICS OF LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT

BASICS OF LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT

POULTRY : SOME IMPORTANT FACTS

Zoological classification:
Kingdom : Animalia
Phylum : Chordata (with bone)
Sub-Phylum : Vertebra (Animal having spinal column)
Class : Aves (Feathered, warm blooded vertebrates with 4-chambered heart)
Sub-class : Neorniths (without teeth)

Biological data of different poultry species & common terms

Age at
Incubation period Chromosome number sexual
S.No Species
(days) (pairs) maturity
(weeks)
1. Chicken 21 39 18-20
2. Duck 28 40 28-30
Muscovy
3. 33-35 40 28-30
duck
4. Goose 28-32 40 28-30
5. Guinea fowl 27-28 39 28-32
6. Turkey 28 40 28-30
7. Quail 17-18 39 6-7
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8. Pigeon 18 39 10-12
9. Ostrich 42 40 52
10 Emu 52-55 40 52

Male
Species Young(0-8 Young(9-18 weeks) Castrated
Adult
weeks)
Male Female Male Female
Chicken Chick Cockerel Pullet Cock/Rooster Hen Capon
Duck Duckling Drakelet Ducklet Drake Duck
Turkey Poult Tom Hen
Quail Chick Cock Hen
Guinea
Keet Cock Hen
fowl
Goose Goosling Gander Goose
Pigeon Squab Pigeon Pigeon
Swan Cygnet Swan Swan

The livestock provides food and non-food items to the people.

1. Food: The livestock provides food items such as Milk, Meat and Eggs for human consumption.
India is number one milk producer in the world.

2. Fibre and skins: The livestock also contributes to the production of wool, hair, hides, and pelts.
Leather is the most important product which has a very high export potential.

3. Draft: Bullocks are the back bone of Indian agriculture. Despite lot of advancements in the use of
mechanical power in Indian agricultural operations, the Indian farmer especially in rural areas still
depend upon bullocks for various agricultural operations. The bullocks are saving a lot on fuel which is
a necessary input for using mechanical power like tractors, combine harvesters etc. Pack animals like
camels, horses, donkeys, ponies, mules etc are being extensively used to transport goods in different
parts of the country in addition to bullocks. In situations like hilly terrains mules and ponies serve as
the only alternative to transport goods. Similarly, the army has to depend upon these animals to
transport various items in high areas of high altitude.

4. Dung and other animal waste materials: Dung and other animal wastes serve as very good farm yard
manure and the value of it is worth several crores of rupees. In addition it is also used as fuel (bio gas,
dung cakes), and for construction as poor man's cement (dung).

5. Storage: Livestock are considered as “moving banks” because of their potentiality to dispose off
during emergencies. They serve as capital and in cases of landless agricultural labourers many time it is
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the only capital resource they possess. Livestock serve as an asset and in case of emergencies they
serve as guarantee for availing loans from the local sources such as money lenders in the villages.

6. Weed control: Livestock are also used as Biological control of brush, plants and weeds.

7. Cultural: Livestock offer security to the owners and also add to their self esteem especially when
they own prized animals such as pedigreed bulls, dogs and high yielding cows/ buffaloes etc.

8. Sports / recreation: People also use the animals like cocks, rams, bulls etc for competition and sports.
Despite ban on these animal competitions the cock fights, ram fights and bull fights & bull racing (jalli
kattu) are quite common during festive seasons.

9. Companion animals: Dogs are known for their faithfulness and are being used as companions since
time immemorial. When the nuclear families are increasing in number and the old parents are forced to
lead solitary life the dogs, cats are providing the needed company to the latter thus making them lead a
comfortable life.

The livestock plays an important role in the economy of farmers. The farmers in India maintain mixed
farming system i.e. a combination of crop and livestock where the output of one enterprise becomes the
input of another enterprise thereby realize the resource efficiency. Livestock production and agriculture
are intrinsically linked, each being dependent on the other,and both crucial for overall security.
Livestock sector is an important sub0sector of the agriculture of Indian economy.It forms an important
livelihood activity for most of the farmers,supporting agriculture in the form of critical inputs,
contributing to the health and nutrition of the household, supplementing incomes, offering employment
opportunities and finally being a dependable “bank on hooves” .It also acts as supplementary and
complementary enterprise.

The livestock serve the farmers in different ways.

1. Income: Livestock is a source of subsidiary income for many families in India especially the
resource poor who maintain few heads of animals. Cows and buffaloes if in milk will provide regular
income to the livestock farmers through sale of milk. Animals like sheep and goat serve as sources of
income during emergencies to meet exigencies like marriages, treatment of sick persons, children
education, repair of houses etc. The animals also serve as moving banks and assets which provide
economic security to the owners.

2. Employment: A large number of people in India being less literate and unskilled depend upon
agriculture for their livelihoods. But agriculture being seasonal in nature could provide employment for
a maximum of 180 days in a year. The landless and less land people depend upon livestock for utilizing
their labour during lean agricultural season.

3. Food: The livestock products such as milk, meat and eggs are an important source of animal protein
to the members of the livestock owners.
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4. Social security: The animals offer social security to the owners in terms of their status in the society.
The families especially the landless which own animals are better placed than those who do not. Gifting
of animals during marriages is a very common phenomenon in different parts of the country. Rearing of
animals is a part of the Indian culture. Animals are used for various socio religious functions. Cows for
house warming ceremonies; rams, bucks and chicken for sacrifice during festive seasons; Bulls and
Cows are worshipped during various religious functions. Many owners develop attachment to their
animals.
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BASICS OF LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT

Standings of India in the world

Ranking Sector

Total Livestock Population, Milk Production, Cattle

Population, Buffalo Population, Carabeef
1st
Production, Goat Milk Production, Total Bovine
Population
Goat Population, Bristle Production (a pig industry
2nd
by-product), Fish Production
3rd Sheep Production, Egg Production
4th Chicken Production
5th Poultry Meat Production, Poultry Production
8th Duck Production
9th Camel Population, Wool Production

Animal Products Statistics

Total Production (per ICMR
Commodity Per Capita Availability
year) Recommendations
Milk 165.4 MT 355 grams/day 280 grams/day
Meat 7.4 MT 2.96 kg/year 11 kg/year
Eggs 88.1 billion 69 eggs/year 182 eggs/year

Total Wool Production in India: 43.5 million Kg

Leading States in India for Livestock

Production
Feature State

Highest milk producing state Uttar Pradesh (25,198 L)

State with highest per capita availability of milk Punjab (1075 g)

State with highest per capita availability of eggs Andhra Pradesh (312 eggs)

Highest meat production Uttar Pradesh

Highest goat meat production West Bengal

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Highest poultry and sheep meat production Andhra Pradesh

Highest wool production Rajasthan

Highest indigenous milch cows Madhya Pradesh

Highest Cross-bred or exotic cows Tamil Nadu

Highest number of poultry birds Andhra Pradesh

Highest number of mules Jammu & Kashmir

Highest number of livestock Uttar Pradesh

Highest cattle population Madhya Pradesh

Highest buffalo population Uttar Pradesh

Highest sheep population Andhra Pradesh

Highest goat population Rajasthan

Highest pig population Assam

Highest camel population Rajasthan

Highest mithun population Arunachal Pradesh

Highest yak population Jammu & Kashmir

Highest horses and ponies population Uttar Pradesh

Highest donkey population Rajasthan

 Share of Uttar Pradesh in Total Milk Production in India: 16.8%


Share of Tamil Nadu in Total Egg Production in India: 18.9%
 Share of Uttar Pradesh in Total Meat Production in India: 18.23%
 Share of Rajasthan in Total Wool Production in India: 32.9%

Growth Rates of Livestock Products

Product Growth Rate

Meat 5.21 per cent

Broiler production 11 per cent

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Egg production 6.28 per cent

Milk production 5.3 per cent

Wool production -0.08 per cent


Highest growth rate in milk production: Andhra Pradesh (12.6%)
 Highest growth rate in egg production: Himachal Pradesh (18.2%)
 Highest growth rate in meat production: Daman & Diu (65.4%) (Among states:
Maharashtra (25.2%))
 Highest growth rate in wool production: Arunachal Pradesh (63.17%)

Value Output from Livestock Rearing

Sector Percentage of total output

Milk and Milk Products 65.05 per cent

Meat and Meat Products 19.83 per cent

Dung 6.93 per cent

Eggs 3.77 per cent

Increment in Livestock 3.35 per cent

Wool and Hair 0.2 per cent

Percentage Distribution of Total Livestock

Species Percentage

Cattle 37. 28 per cent

Buffalo 21.23 per cent

Sheep 12. 71 per cent

Goat 26.40 per cent

Pigs 2.01 per cent

Others 0.37 per cent

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Species Wise Milk Contribution to Total Milk

Production in India
Species Percentage of Total Milk

Buffalo indigenous 35 per cent

Buffalo non-descript 14 per cent

Cow indigenous 11 per cent

Cow non-descript 9 per cent

Cow cross-bred 26 per cent

Cow exotic 1 per cent

Goat 3 per cent

Species Wise Egg Contribution to Total Egg

Production in India
Species Percentage of Total Eggs

Improved fowl 86.80 per cent

Desi fowl 11.96 per cent

Desi duck 0.96 per cent

Improved duck 0.28 per cent

Species Wise Meat Contribution to Total Meat

Production in India
Species Percentage of Total Meat

Poultry 47.05 per cent

Buffalo 19.80 per cent

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Goat 14.25 per cent

Sheep 7.68 per cent

Pig 6.50 per cent

4.72 per cent

Cattle

**Reasonable efforts are made to ensure the accuracy of the data used in the notes, however the students are
requested to check latest data and figures released by different govt. agencies time to time .