Comparative Economic Analysis and Constraints in Egg Production Under Cage vs. Deep Litter Systems of Rearing in India

Abstract

The objective of the present study is to estimate and compare the costs and returns in deep litter and cage systems of poultry rearing and also to identify the constraints, which affect the poultry production in India. Results of this study reveal that the fixed investment per farm is found to be more on cage system of rearing for all the three size groups. In both systems, the feed cost decrease gradually when the stock size increases except in medium size group in deep litter system and accounts for more than 84% of the total cost of production irrespective of stock size and system of rearing. The cost of production per bird reveal that the cost of permanent and family labor and electricity increase with increase in stock size in case of deep litter system whereas in cage system, it is found to decrease with increase in flock size. The cage system appears to be more efficient than the deep litter system in producing eggs and the feed efficiency increases with decrease in stock size in both the system of rearing. Further, the net returns per farm increase as the size of the farm increases in both the systems and the returns per farm is, however, higher in cage system than in deep litter system in all the three groups. The major constraints in egg production are identified and ranked by using Garrett's Ranking Technique and are in the order of high cost of feed, high cost of medicine and vaccine, supply of poor quality feed and feed ingredients, non remunerative price for eggs, lack of disease control facilities and higher rate of electricity tariff.