An assessment of commercial layer management practices in southern districts of Bhutan

Abstract

The study assessed the management practices of commercial poultry layer farms in southern districts of Bhutan. The data were collected through face-to-face interview using semi-structured questionnaire with 77 respondents identified purposively amongst poultry farmers from five southern districts. Majority of the respondents had farms at semi-commercial to commercial level. The results showed 87 % of farms are located proximate to human settlements and 97.4% of farms adopted open sided housing and deep litter system. There was no significant association between education level and lighting system adopted in the farms (p > 0.05). It was also observed that more than 75% of the respondents keep downtime of more than a month. Most farmers preferred Karma feeds for their birds. However, majority (79.2 %) were not aware of feeding regime and other management aspects including changing of litters, and requirement of ventilation in the sheds. The study recommends imparting adequate knowledge and hands-on skills amongst poultry farmers on modern commercial layer farming management practices to enhance domestic egg production in the country.