Poultry farm is where domesticated birds are raised. Poultry include chickens, turkey, Quails, ducks, Quails and geese. These animals are raised for their feathers, meat and eggs. Chickens, turkey, ducks are the most common birds raised for both meat and eggs. Birds that are raised for eggs are called laying hens or layers. Some breeds of poultry are raised on hobby farms are raised for shows and competitions. Poultry farms need some basics like a bird shelter, food, water, bedding, and an energy source to control temperature and lighting. The poultry farmer must feed the birds, clean the shelter, check bird health, and maintain a water supply. Their waste material i.e. feces are used as a good source of manure which enhances the fertility of the soil. Along with that they also provide employment to many daily wage workers, so it also gives employment to people. To prevent birds from any kind of disease they need to be kept in a proper atmospheric environment.
It is important to understand the types of Poultry birds and its farming methods. Poultry birds mainly comprise 6 different types which includes Chicken, Ducks, Geese, Turkey, Quail and Guinea Fowl. There are various methods to carry it out such as (a) Layer Poultry Farming that includes various techniques such as Free Range Roaming, Battery Cage Method, Yarding Method, Organic Method and Furnished Cage Method, (b) Intensive Poultry Farming, (c) Broiler Poultry Farming Methods that includes various ways such as Free Range Methods, Organic Farming Methods and Indoor Raising Methods and (d) Free Range Farming Method. As compared to all the methods, Intensive Poultry Farming Method and Free Range Farming Method are used significantly all over the world and it is beneficial to farmers also.
Domestic poultry farming is when the poultry is used for the family that owns the farm. The meat and eggs of the poultry in a domestic farm are mostly used by the family, with only a small amount sold. Larger farms, called family farms or mid-sized farms, can allow for more poultry to be raised. These family farms usually have many acres of land and sell poultry meat and eggs. Commercial farms are where hundreds to thousands of birds are raised and sold for profit.
Most chicken diseases occur due to poor sanitation; this allows infections to spread rapidly. The three most common chicken diseases are Coccidiosis, Newcastle and Avian influenza. Coccidiosis is a parasitic infection that can affect the intestines of chickens. The most common symptom is yellowish droppings. Globally, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) is often considered the most significant poultry disease because of the number of domestic poultry the virus kills annually. One of the biggest challenges in the poultry farming industry is high feed cost. Good quality feed is essential as it determines the health and growth rate of the birds. They require balanced diet with proteins, vitamins and other minerals rich in nutrition. Most predators of poultry will kill and remove chicks, often without any signs of disturbance, especially if the attack occurs at night. Unprotected nests are easy targets for predators. Missing or damaged eggs may be caused by skunks, snakes, rats, opossums, raccoons, coyotes, foxes, blue jays, and crows. Common health and welfare issues associated with backyard poultry include worms, rodents, mites, egg binding, prolapse, cannibalism, nutritional deficiencies, and impacted crop and gizzard. poultry are susceptible to diseases, and an outbreak can quickly spread throughout the entire flock. This can result in significant financial losses and affect the reputation of the business.
