Small Poultry Research Articles

Economics of Layer Poultry Production in West Godavari District of Andhra Pradesh, India

The study aims to analyze the economics and profitability of layer poultry farming in West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. The data was collected from three small, eleven medium and sixteen large layer poultry farms using purposive random sampling. A pretested questionnaire was used to collect data from poultry farmers. The economic analysis reveals a positive net present value and benefit- cost ratio greater than one for small, medium and large layer poultry farms, indicating economic viability. The internal rate of return for small firms is 39.15 per cent, while medium firms exhibit 72.07 per cent and large firms exhibit 78.03 per cent indicating substantial profitability in layer poultry units. Based on NPV, BCR and IRR, large layer farms were most profitable followed by medium and small layer farms. A layer produces a minimum of 22, 21 and 20 eggs in small, medium and large farms, respectively. The margin of safety stood at 277.51, 279.80 and 283.19 for small, medium and large farms, respectively. The higher margin of safety is on large farms over medium and small farms. The study revealed that poultry layer farming is a profitable business in West Godavari district. However, challenges such as adverse climatic conditions affecting birds with attack of viral diseases and high cost of inputs are major production constraints. High price fluctuations and lack of co-operating marketing facilities are major marketing constraints.

Survivability of low pathogenic avian influenza virus in aqueous poultry manure fertilizer

Avian influenza has been a growing problem in the United States for decades. Low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) virus causes low morbidity, while highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has a devastating effect on the poultry industry causing high morbidity and mortality worldwide. Manure from large and small poultry operations is spread on crop fields as a fertilizer. During an outbreak of avian influenza in a farm it is critical to adequately process the manure to kill the virus before its use in agriculture. Aqueous extraction of poultry manure at high temperature (55-65°C) is an attractive method for treatment of poultry manure, which extracts the nutrients and kills harmful microbes from the manure. The end product is a nutrient rich liquid that can be safely applied to fields or used in hydroponic operations, with nutrients that are more bioavailable to the plant compared to dry litter. However, we do not know whether aqueous high temperature extraction processes completely kill avian influenza virus present in the manure. Our aim in this study was to determine the competence of the aqueous extraction of poultry manure on avian influenza virus inactivation. We optimized the procedure using a LPAI virus isolate in a biosafety level 2 cabinet. Our data indicated that LPAI virus including the hemagglutinin protein of the virus were completely destroyed when the poultry manure was processed by aqueous extraction at temperatures ≥ 55°C for one hour. Future research will identify the conditions required for inactivating HPAI virus using this optimized procedure by performing the study in a BSL3 facility.

Sanitary management and the presence of Salmonella spp. in a small-scale aviary and poultry carcasses

Salmonella spp. is one of the primary foodborne pathogens and is a problem for public health and poultry farming. This study aimed to evaluate the sanitary management of a small poultry farm of a family farming company under female management in Jataí-GO and how such management affects the presence of Salmonella spp. Samples were collected for microbiological analysis from the environment of two batches of chicks at the entrance (D0), on the 28th (D28) and the 60th (D60) day of the chicks; from the carcass, from the evisceration table and the chicken plucker. The presence of Salmonella spp. was not detected in any of the samples, which were taken from the bottoms of the transport boxes, from eggshell residues, from the growth and fattening rations, from shoe covers, from chicken litter, from the reception sheds, from the feeders and water fountains, from the walls and screens, from the external area of ​​the shed, from the compost pile and the carcasses. The pH, water chlorine, ambient temperature, and carcass temperature were assessed using a good production practices monitoring form and were considered adequate. The descriptive analysis of the data considered the current legislation. Therefore, strict monitoring of the standards underlying the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Standard Hygiene Operating Procedures (SHOP) programs controlled the spread of Salmonella spp. in the poultry meat rearing and processing process and also ensured the quality of the final product for consumption.

The results of research on technological indicators in the experimental module for growing broiler chickens

Russia ranks fifth in the world in poultry meat production. In the period from 2010 to 2021, the volume of production of this type of product increased by 1.77 times, which in physical terms is 2,190 thousand tons. The largest volume of poultry meat production, 89.7%, falls on the meat of broiler chickens. This indicator is justified by consumer preferences of the retail market, a low feed conversion rate, a high level of automation of production processes, as well as the possibility of up to 8 production cycles per year. The main share, amounting to 93%, of broiler chicken meat production is accounted for by large agricultural enterprises. Households of the population and peasant farms account for 7% of production. This result is observed due to the lack of technical and technological solutions for small-scale production, providing for the use of automation of production processes, which leads to a decrease in productivity and an increase in poultry mortality. The combination of these factors increases the cost of finished products, making small-scale production uncompetitive. To solve this problem, a project has been developed and a prototype of a technological module for fattening broiler chickens has been manufactured. The production capacity of the module is 2,800 broiler chickens per year. The module uses a cellular method of keeping poultry on a mesh flooring. As a result of the conducted studies, the feed conversion rate was 1.66, the cost of water was 3.4 liters, electricity was 3.22 kWh and labor was 0.051 people per kilogram of live weight. The obtained indicators are comparable with those of large poultry farms, which allows us to conclude that it is advisable to use technological modules at small poultry enterprises.

RESEARCH TRENDS IN ANIMAL GENETIC RESOURCES IN AFRICA

Under the EU-funded iLiNOVA project, a study was undertaken to assess research trends in animal genetic resources (AGR) in Africa with emphasis on the implementation of the FAO's Global Plan of Action (GPA). Specific objectives included determining trends, drivers and direction of research on AGR with respect to funding. participation of local communities and institutional collaborations related to AGR studies in Africa. Methodology involved generating data from publications of FAO Journal of Animal Genetic Resources from Africa. From these Journal issues, all research on AGR conducted in Africa were assessed and the following variables were extracted: livestock breed of focus, strategic priority area of the GPA, country and region of Africa where the study was conducted, involvement of local communities, institutions involved, funding source, etc. Data analysis used nonparametric statistics. Results showed that overall, there was a preponderance of studies involving cattle, followed by chickens, goats and sheep. Spread of papers across Strategic Priority Areas (SPA) of the GPA showed that characterization (SPA ) recorded 64% while SPAs # 2, 3 and 4 recorded much lower patronage. Cross-tabulation of results of livestock across regions in Africa showed that studies in Eastern Africa were dominated by cattle, poultry and small ruminants (in that order). in contrast to West Africa where studies on small ruminants dominated, followed by poultry and cattle. AGR studies from East Africa recorded high proportion of funded research compared to West and Southern Africa. Funding across livestock species showed favourable disposition for small ruminants and poultry. These findings could contribute to R&D efforts in Africa in connection with the implementation of the GPA by considering region-and country-specific research trends tor AGRs in Africa.

Evaluation of the Most Potent of Three Vaccines in Controlling Newcastle Disease in Pullets using different Vaccination Regimen

Newcastle disease continues to pose serious public health and economic challenges to both small holder and commercial poultry worldwide. The aim of this study was to evaluate the most potent vaccine used in the control of Newcastle disease in pullets using different vaccination regimens. Two hundred- and twenty-five-day-old Isa brown pullets were purchased from a reputable hatchery at Ibadan, Nigeria. The chicks were divided into five groups of 45 chicks each. Groups A, B and C were divided into subgroups 1, 2 and 3 consisting of 15 chicks each. Group D was the negative control group which was neither vaccinated nor challenged while group E was the positive control group which was not vaccinated but challenged with Newcastle disease virus (Kudu 113, genotype XVII). The vaccines (La Sota, VG/GA and La Sota clone) were reconstituted as follows: each 1, 000 dose vial of vaccine was reconstituted with 5 ml of water; 0.1 ml of the dissolved vaccine was diluted in 300 ml of clean drinking water and administered to the birds via the oral route. Blood sampling was carried out using standard procedure and ELISA was carried out according to manufacturer’s instruction. There was presence of high maternally derived ND antibodies in the experimental chicks (12,627±1,806 - 17,722±1,607). The La Sota clone vaccine produced more antibodies (3,508±975) which was significantly different (p< 0.05) compared to VG/GA (737±439.77) vaccines. La Sota clone was able to confer 100% protection (p< 0.05) against Newcastle disease with no morbidity and mortality (0%). Vaccination at week 2 was the most effective (p< 0.05) for La Sota and La Sota clone strains but least for VG/GA strain of Newcastle disease vaccines.

ANALYSIS OF THE STATE OF THE POULTRY INDUSTRY AND HIDDEN OPPORTUNITIES

Today, both producers and consumers of fodders are aware that achieving high productivity of animals and poultry, as well as optimal quality of final products, is impossible without the use of complete and nutritionally balanced feed. Requirements for the quality of compound feeds continuously grow and change, as new, more productive animal breeds and poultry crosses appear. It is proved that the COVID-19 pandemic, the full-scale war in Ukraine, climate variability and the global economic crisis are seriously undermining efforts to fight hunger and improve food security and nutrition. In the countries of Europe and Central Asia, the number of people who face problems in accessing adequate nutrition, including quality and safe products, has increased by 25.5 million people. According to FAO estimates, by 2050 we will have to increase the production of food and animal protein, including by 60%, to provide food for the world's 9.3 billion people. It has been established that poultry products are the most common and available source of animal protein to meet the needs of the world's population. The dynamics of changes in the feed production volume in 2018-2023 according to the data of the annual Agri-Food Outlook are presented. The top 10 leading countries in the feed production in 2022 are listed. They consume 64% of the world's compound feed, and half of the world's compound feed consumption is concentrated in four countries (China, USA, Brazil and India). A comparative analysis of the structure of compound feed production by types of agricultural animals and poultry for 2021-2023 shows that there is a growth trend for almost all types. The production of compound feed for pigs has been negatively affected by ASF all over the world. The greatest growth is observed in the field of compound feed for pets. It has been proven that a third of consumers prefer poultry products due to their availability and quality. In Ukraine, the industry is developing rapidly even in the conditions of a full-scale war, personnel shortages, power outages, inflation and disruption of logistics chains. The volume of global poultry production from 2012 to 2023 is shown. It is constantly increasing, caused by the increase in demand for affordable and relatively cheap animal protein. As a result of the analysis of the dynamics of poultry meat production by country in 2022-2023, it was established that the USA remains the leader in the production of poultry meat in the world for many years. Brazil and China remain in second and third place. Brazil has the largest growth during the reporting period. High competition in the field of breeding of laying hens and broilers stimulates the development of niche industries, such as guinea fowl breeding. Guinea fowls are raised for meat, eggs and fluff. This can be a very profitable business, especially for small poultry farms, due to the speed of payback of small investments and the unpretentiousness of the bird

Study on the Evaluation of the Profitability, Efficiency and Investment Trends of Different Poultry Farming Systems

Over the past 20 years, the Indian poultry sector has transformed into a dynamic entity with more structured operations. Following all these practices almost at every level, poultry industry is now achieving new heights day by day. The entire livestock sector's contribution to India's GDP is greatly aided by the poultry industry in the country. India's poultry sector ranks second and third in the world in terms of meat and egg output, respectively, with 3.4 million tonnes of meat and 65 million tons of eggs produced (FAO). Significant advancements in the industry have resulted from management initiatives. Most of India's organized structure has contributed to the effective use of resources and the right implementation of policies, which have improved firm financial positions and produced the intended results. The data was collected from stakeholders with the help of pretested interview schedule. Separate interview schedule was prepared for broiler farmers (100 samples), breeder farmers (10 samples) and processing cum distribution centers (20 samples). A combination of tools viz. average, percentage, cost and return analysis. To get better understanding of the study, the sample farmers were classified into different supply chains based on their mode of working and business stages performed. Feeding management practices were followed aptly by most of the farmers. Almost all farmers were following suitable health management practice by vaccinating their birds. Based on number of birds reared poultry farms were classified as small, medium and large poultry farms. Small farms were in only in Supply Chain II and III. Fixed investment they did was `583010 and `46733 out of which nearly 85 per cent building charge. In medium sized poultry farms category, poultry farms from Supply Chain II, III and IV were present. Fixed investment they made was `12,22,096, `15,94,147 and `13,27,778 respectively of which more than 90 per cent was spent on farm buildings construction purpose. In large poultry farms, Supply Chain IV farmers had made quite huge fixed investment. For all the farms, of the total investment, 90 per cent was in buildings and 10 per cent was in equipments.

Effects of livestock ownership typology on household food security in rural Lesotho

This study examines how various livestock ownership typologies affect household food security in rural Lesotho, a developing nation marked with poverty and food insecurity. Despite the significance of livestock to food security, little study has been done in this area. The study divides households into four typologies of livestock ownership, ranging from none to varied animal herds, using data from 2,014 rural households. The study uses analysis of variance (ANOVA) and a mixed effect ordered probit model to examine the connections between these typologies and food security. In comparison to typology I (no livestock ownership), the results show that ownership typologies III (moderate small ruminants and poultry) and IV (big mixed poultry, small, and large animals) have a beneficial impact on household food security. The study advances our understanding of how different livestock species and herd sizes affect food security. It emphasizes the importance of nuanced and context-specific approaches when employing livestock to improve household food security, advising development and intervention programs to take into account the delicate interplay between livestock ownership and food security among the target population. Thus, intervention programs must carefully consider the complex and context-specific relationship between livestock ownership and food security.

Knowledge and practices related to antibiotics among poultry producers and veterinarians in two Indian states

BackgroundAntibiotics are frequently utilized in livestock, particularly poultry, for therapy and growth promotion, resulting in antimicrobial resistance. Multidrug-resistant bacteria are frequent in poultry samples from India. The purpose of this study was to better understand main antibiotic consumption patterns in poultry value chains, as well as antibiotic knowledge and practices among the stakeholders. MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted in Assam and Karnataka, India. The poultry farmers were interviewed on antibiotic usage, antibiotic knowledge, feeding practices, and preventive measures on the farm. Poultry farmers reported their veterinarians, and we also interviewed them on knowledge and practices related to antimicrobial use in poultry and antimicrobial resistance. Item response theory (IRT) was used to assess the association between the answers and demographic factors. ResultsThis survey interviewed 62 poultry farmers and 11 veterinarians. Small poultry farms with fewer than 4000 birds were owned by 51.6% of farmers. Most poultry farmers had heard about antibiotics, and 62.9% thought they cured all diseases. If one chicken is sick, 72.6% said others should be given antibiotics to prevent the disease. All veterinarians utilized tetracyclines, aminoglycosides, and cephalexin on the poultry farms. Over half (54.5%) stated antibiotics prevent diseases, and 72.7% said they treat and prevent diseases. Some (45.5%) said antibiotics boost growth. IRT analysis showed that 8 questions assessed a knowledge scale well. Univariable analysis showed that Assam farmers and women were likely to have have more knowledge. ConclusionThe poultry farmers were mostly unaware of the relation between antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance. Despite being aware, the veterinarians agreed with use antibiotics as a prophylactic measure. It is vital that these stakeholders understand the repercussions of such widespread antibiotic use. In order to increase knowledge, frequent trainings and antimicrobial stewardship programmes with effective communication and incentives for behaviour change should be conducted.

Detection and Molecular Characterization of Salmonella Enterica Serovar Enteritidis in Household Chicken Eggs: A Case Study From Erzurum, Türkiye

Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (S. Enteritidis) is the most predominant serovar in poultry and eggs, and it poses a significant threat to public health worldwide as it is a leading cause of salmonellosis in humans, which is transmitted through the consumption of contaminated poultry products like eggs. The objective of this study was to evaluate the presence of S. Enteritidis in household chicken eggs collected from Erzurum Province, Türkiye. A total of 168 household chicken eggs were collected from 168 small family poultry farms. Salmonella spp. was not isolated from any of the examined egg internal contents; however, successful isolation and identification of Salmonella spp. were achieved in 4 of the shell samples. Further characterization of the identified Salmonella spp. isolates was performed at the serovar level using 16S rDNA sequence analysis, and all 4 isolates were identified as S. Enteritidis. In conclusion, this study highlights the inherent risk of S. Enteritidis contamination in household chicken eggs and emphasizes the vital significance of implementing stringent food safety measures to safeguard consumer well-being and ensure the protection of public health.

Assessing Poultry Knowledge and Identifying the Needs of Small Flock Poultry on Tennessee Farms: A County-Based Survey

Assessing Poultry Knowledge and Identifying the Needs of Small Flock Poultry on Tennessee Farms: A County-Based Survey

ЖИВОТНОВОДСТВО УЗБЕКИСТАНА И ПЕРСПЕКТИВЫ ЕГО РАЗВИТИЯ ПУТЕМ ОПТИМИЗАЦИИ РАЦИОНОВ КОРМЛЕНИЯ С ПОМОЩЬЮ ЭЛЕКТРОННЫХ ТАБЛИЦ

The Republic of Uzbekistan livestock and poultry farming state’s general overview in recent years and the main problems of its development is given. The full fledged detailed feeding role and its importance through the modern technologies for rations’ preparation, taking into account the of nutrients, breeding work with farm animals and poultry actual content through the simple and affordable rations by computer technology and digital technologies using creation are shown. To organize farm animals and poultry’s full fledged detailed feeding on private and small farms, a simple program is offered using of which is available for any farmer. At rations compiling within the Microsoft Excel program framework on one sheet by data on nutrition and the amount of feed entering, you can create a rations for any type of farm animals and poultry, taking into account their production and physiological state. At additional data input, the program will also allow to analyze this rations according to such indicators as energy, protein, fat, carbohydrate and mineral content, and as well as their ratio. The compilation of scientifically based rations by simple and accessible computer programs will allow to obtain maximum amount of livestock and poultry products in the Republic of Uzbekistan at their quality improving. By this program using the farmer enters normative or factual data on his nutritional value for farm feed, species’ feeding standards, production and physiological condition of farm animals and poultry. If desired, in this program, it can be analyzed the rations compiling, its disadvantages and advantages identifying, and it can also enter data on feed prices into the program in order to the compiled rations’ cost estimating. This simple ration preparation will allow to improve small farm livestock and poultry feeding, that will have a positive impact on genetic potential manifestation and farm animals and poultry production to increase.

Dependence of the uniformity of feed mixing in the feed mixing device of the granulation line on the number of paddle shaft revolutions and mixing time

Today, 87 percent of the number of cattle, as well as 90 percent of the number of sheep and goats in Uzbekistan are cared for by farmers. 85-90 percent of the number of livestock in our Republic belongs to peasant farms, and the preparation of feed for the livestock kept in these peasant farms should be implemented using best practices and modern technologies in developed countries, increasing the competitiveness and economic efficiency of the livestock sector is important. Based on the aforementioned information, a small-sized granulation line and a feed mixing device were created that are comparable to large-sized devices in terms of work quality and meet small livestock and poultry farms in terms of size, productivity, and energy consumption. The homogeneity of the feed mixing ratio in relation to the device’s paddle shaft rotation count and mixing duration was investigated through experimentation. The results of the trials showed that when the feed mixer paddle rotor was turning at a speed of 50 revolutions per minute and the mixing period was set for five minutes, the optimal mixing quality of ground wheat grain, ground maize grain, ground rice, and wheat bran for the manufacturing of granular feed was reached.

Analysis Of Sociological Aspects: Employment Opportunities and Financial Benefits for Small Poultry Keeping Entrepreneurs in The Mid-Terai Region of Nepal

Analysis Of Sociological Aspects: Employment Opportunities and Financial Benefits for Small Poultry Keeping Entrepreneurs in The Mid-Terai Region of Nepal

Factors affecting highly pathogenic avian influenza vaccination practices at poultry farms in Tra Vinh, Vietnam.

The increased number of cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) as a zoonosis has raised concerns in terms of poultry and human health. Farmers' preventive practices are an effective way of reducing zoonosis. However, this practice may have been affected by many factors, including production behaviors, awareness, and farmers' perceptions of farmers toward zoonosis. This study was conducted on 166 poultry farms in Tra Vinh Province with 14,894 poultry heads to determine the socioeconomic profiles and production characteristics of poultry farms and analyze the effect of these factors on HPAI vaccination practices. Respondents were selected from lists provided by government officers. Descriptive statistics were used to describe all variables, and factors affecting HPAI vaccination practices were analyzed using binary regression analysis. The results showed that most farmers raised poultry with other livestock using the free-range method, which is a semi-intensive system. The primary objectives of poultry farming are meat sales and augmenting household consumption, with farmers primarily raising chicks produced on their farms. The implementation of the vaccine was less than 50% on the surveyed farms, with a small number of farmers administering an HPAI booster dose. However, only 6% of the farmers confirmed that their livestock had been exposed to HPAI. In addition, HPAI vaccination and booster dose practices significantly increased when farmers had 4-6 family members and received HPAI prevention training. Moreover, increased poultry numbers have led to increased vaccination rates and the implementation of booster doses for poultry. The study also reported that the vaccination rate decreased when poultry was used for household consumption. Sociodemographic characteristics and production behaviors can affect the implementation of HPAI vaccination on small poultry farms.

The Composition of Zoophilic Fly Species in Eastern Ukraine

Zoophilic Diptera plays a leading role in the epizootic foci formation of many infectious and parasitic diseases and directly affects the quality of livestock products. The current study aimed to analyze the number and species composition of parasitic Diptera in industrial, farm, and homestead agrobiocenoses of large and small cattle, pig, and poultry farms in Eastern Ukraine. The research involved entomological collection during the peak activity daylight hours in early May, July, and early September 2021-2022 per farm. A total of 360 entomological collections were made, and 4310 zoophilous flies were examined. In livestock farms of five districts of the Kharkiv region of Ukraine, 28 species of zoophilic flies were registered, among which Musca domestica, Muscina stabulans, Stomoxys calcitrans, Lucilia sericata, Protophormia terraenovae, and Drosophila species were dominant species. The analysis revealed that cattle biocenoses hosted 27 fly species, pigs had 8 species, and poultry and small cattle each had 7 species. The study indicated an increase in the population of Musca autumnalis, the main species in the pastures, near livestock premises during the summer. Stomoxys calcitrans was also recorded in livestock agrobiocenoses. The species Musca domestica, Musca autumnalis, and Stomoxys calcitrans account for 78.8% to 88.3% of the entire complex of zoophilous flies. The two species of Ortellia caesarion (shiny dung beetle) and Ortellia cornicina (green dung beetle), known for their role as manure mineralizers and deemed non-threatening to animals, were completely absent during the research period. The findings indicated the species of Eristalis tenax in agrobiocenoses in 2021. Therefore, it can be concluded that zoophilic flies are physical irritants to animals and potential carriers of many infectious diseases, especially diseases caused by unicellular organisms.

Provision of veterinary services in livestock holdings in the Russian Federation

Being the primary link in the disease notification system, specialists of the veterinary service in livestock holdings ensure continuous monitoring and control of animal health. This analysis includes assessment of the actual availability of veterinary services in the absolute majority of animal holdings in 85 Subjects of the Russian Federation. In total, the study covered 6,226,368 holdings for major livestock species, such as cattle and small ruminants, pigs, poultry, horses and fur animals. Small-scale holdings have been shown to account for the largest proportion (99.7%) of the total number of livestock farms, while the proportion of holdings where animal health control is daily organized has varied from 0.03% in fur farms to 3% in poultry farms. The significant role of animal owners in small-scale holdings within the implementation of epizootological surveillance has been determined. It was revealed that the main populations of pigs, poultry and fur animals are concentrated in large-scale livestock farms. The study results indicate a relatively favorable situation in pig and poultry holdings, where only single cases of lack of veterinary service were reported. On the contrary there are multiple cases of lack of veterinary care in the farms for rearing cattle, small ruminants, fur animals. The paper highlights the mechanisms for the implementation of tasks assigned to the state veterinary service in terms of the organization of planned preventive and diagnostic veterinary measures in large pig breeding establishments. Proposals were made to introduce a legally fixed obligation for animal owners in large-scale livestock holdings to establish and maintain the production veterinary service, as well as a proposal to establish divisions of the state veterinary service in large-scale livestock establishments.

An Analysis of the Challenges Faced by Small Scale Backyard Chicken Farmers of Dhemaji District of Assam

Aims: The present study was conducted to know the challenges faced by the small scale backyard chicken farmers of Dhemaji district of Assam.
 Study Design: The data obtained on various challenges faced by the farmers under the study were tabulated and analyzed statistically by using Garrett’s Ranking Technique.
 Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Dhemaji, Assam Agricultural University, Simen Chapori, Dhemaji, Assam during the year, 2020-21.
 Methodology: For the purpose, a questionnaire was prepared for surveying and data were collected about various challenges in backyard chicken rearing faced by the farmers of the district. The farmers were asked to identify the challenges he or she and the fellow farmers of their villages faced with respect to rearing of local chickens in their locality and to rank the challenges from 1 to 20 according to the seriousness of the challenges faced by them.
 Results: Lack of suitable germplasm was found to be the major challenge of poultry farmers with mean score of 74.89 and ranked first among the constraints in backyard chicken rearing. Higher incidence of diseases (68.95), unavailability of feed and feed ingredients (66.55) and mortality of young chicks (63.00) were ranked second, third and fourth major challenges, respectively. On the other hand, non availability of vaccine, higher cost of feeds and feed ingredients, lack of extension training or service, high cost of farm equipments were ranked fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth, respectively, as challenges in backyard chicken rearing. Lack of organized marketing facilities, lack of knowledge on scientific poultry farming, high cost of chicks, presence of middle man, higher mortality during brooding period, inability to diagnose sick birds, inadequate veterinary facilities, seasonal price fluctuations, high cost of medicaments, lack of credit facilities, social problems like damaging of the standing crops by the birds and complaint by neighbours, loss of birds due to predators or thieves were some other constraints of lower importance as indicated by the respondents for the backyard chicken farmers surveyed during the study.
 Conclusion: From the study, it can be concluded that the small scale backyard poultry farmers of Dhemaji district of Assam have a lot many challenges in chicken rearing in village conditions, the major being the lack of suitable germplasm and higher incidence of diseases. To address such problems there should be proper initiatives from government level as well as in farmers’ collaborative approach to introduce some newly developed improved chicken breeds and awareness about proper disease prevention and bio-security measures and creation of other facilities.

Studying a gender responsive vaccine system: retrospective analysis of best methods

This methodological paper introduces four projects, all of which aimed to increase women’s engagement in and benefit from the livestock vaccine value chains of small ruminants and poultry by improving women’s empowerment and supporting women’s access to animal health services. All four projects used a mix of qualitative and quantitative research methods to understand the livestock vaccine system. Despite these shared aims, selected value chains, and research methods, the projects took different approaches to understanding the technical barriers for women’s engagement and benefit, women’s empowerment in the areas where they work, the policy landscape and implications, and gender norms of the societies where they work. The goal of this paper is to introduce the four projects, describe each project’s distinct research approach, and compare across projects how various qualitative and quantitative research methods contributed to understanding four elements which we identified as necessary for a fully functioning, gender responsive vaccine system: technical aspects (acumen/flow/effectiveness), women’s empowerment, policy environment, and gender norms.