How to do Poultry Farming?  
Poultry farming is a rapidly developing business which can be adopted by any one for earning an additional income. It can be done as a part time as well as full time enterprise. To be successful in poultry farming it is essential to know the finer points and learning them. A slight carelessness may result in heavy losses. Now question comes in mind how to become successful poultry farmers?
Before adopting poultry farming as an enterprise following points to be considered:

1. Since it’s a type of livestock farming, the growth is slow as compared to many other enterprises. Hence never expected huge and handsome profits from this venture it means that a poultry farmer can earn the profit to a certain extents/limits.
2. Poultry farming needs your 24 yours attention. You can’t shut down this business at your will as can be practiced in other business. Hence, you must have got sufficient time to take timely and proper care of your birds.
3. Never compare this enterprise with any other enterprise. It has its own character and nature.
4. Poultry farming is a continuous cycle. Your concerted efforts are needed at every step. Never dishearten in adverse conditions.
5. Poultry business is quite fluctuating. Never get overjoyed when rates are higher and depressed in the worst period.
6. Must have firm belief in your self and have the ability to take the decision promptly. Must have cool temperament.
7. Visit as many as poultry farms possible and discuss with poultry farmers about this venture. Search more for negative points than the positive points.

Now judge yourself regarding above mentioned points. If your opinion is positive in favor of poultry farming, explore the following in details:

1. Easy and economic availability of the inputs such as chicks, feed, medicines, vaccines equipments etc.
2. Marketing facilities and prospects.
3. Sufficient availability of wholesome water
4. Technical expertise or technical know how.

If the following facilities re available in your area, you can start a poultry farm.
How to start a poultry farm?
To be successful in a business or enterprise proper knowledge and technical know how is required. The State Agriculture Universities, Central Institutes and State Animal Husbandry Departments organize training programmes on poultry farming from time to time. These trainings give sufficient exposure to trainees about poultry farming. Besides training, one must visit nearby poultry farms to have first hand information and practical exposure of poultry farming.
Now plan your poultry farm, decide about the type of poultry farming-layer/broiler, size of farm system of housing-cage/deep litter, type of equipments etc. Now make your project report on the baiss of above information. Take the help of poultry consultant in planning and preparing the project report of your poultry farm. Plan your farm according to resources available at hand.
As per your project requirement arrange the finance. Finance can be of your own or it can be borrowed from bank as loan. All the nationalization banks offer loan for poultry farming. For obtaining loan from the banks one has to complete al the formalities and has to follow the guidelines of financing bank.
Execution of project: It is the most important component of poultry farming which includes construction of poultry house, making availability of inputs, rearing of poultry birds, marketing etc. This can be divided into two:

• Project Execution Phase I: In this phase the construction of basic infrastructures and availability of inputs are assured. It is the most critical phase in poultry farming. Designing and construction should be done under the supervision of poultry expert. The environmental requirements of poultry birds should be considered while designing and constructing the poultry house.  A scientifically constructed good poultry housing add comfort to poultry birds and helpful in increasing productivity of birds. On the other hand a poorly constructed house all the time creates problems to poultry birds and with the result there is every possibility of loss to poultry farmers. All the equipments also should be of good quality.
• Project Execution Phase II: During this phase actual rearing of poultry birds takes place with. With the help of your poultry consultants decide about the breed/variety of poultry birds, type of feed and its formulation, management strategy, disease control programme, marketing strategy and other poultry operations. Record every thing in writing to avoid the error. All the necessary preparation is made well in advance. Follow the instructions/ guidelines strictly as given by the poultry consultant from time to time. Keep your close eye on each and every operation on poultry farm. If any thing adverse is observed, immediately consult the poultry consultant for feasible solution. Remove/correct the defects at once.

There is a very narrow gap between profit and loss. Hence their utmost duty is to keep the cost of production at a minimum level i.e. less input more output. All the poultry operations must cost effective and strict vigil should be kept on these to have economic production. Never spend the money unnecessarily and lavishly. Always search for most economic and effective solution for the problems. Never hesitate to consult your poultry advisor whatever the problem, whether it is small or big.
If poultry farming is done skillfully with full efficiency, a satisfactory profit can be earned from this venture and this business can further be extended.

Why poultry farming?
Poultry are efficient converter of food into egg and meat and feed items unsuitable for human consumption and bye products can be used successfully as feed for poultry. Egg contains 12.0% protein, 11.3% fat and 1% carbohydrate white broiler meat contains 18.2% protein and 6. 2% fat of higher biological value.
Poultry farming can be done on small as well as large scale. When it is done as small scale venture, the investment is also minimal. Hence it is an important enterprise foe self employment.

1. Due to small generation interval the returns from this venture is quite quick compared to other livestock species. In layer farm income starts giving after 6 months while in meat production it starts after 2 months.
2. Beside the use of poultry as food its manure is a boon to agriculture farming. Forty layer birds produce one ton of poultry manure in 18 months on deep litters which sufficient for 1 acre of land. Poultry manure is a rich source of organic matter nitrogen; phosphorus average poultry manure contains 2.6% nitrogen, 2.0% phosphorus and 1.5 % potash and trace elements.
3. The biggest advantage with the poultry is that it can be done as family business where all the members whether male or female, adult or children, old or young can contribute substantially for successfully running of this enterprise. Thus it provides sufficient job opportunities for all the members of family.
4. Poultry farming can be done in the back yard and due to this reason it is playing an important role in the social and economic uplifting of  weaker section of the society.

Progress of poultry industry in India: In India till 1960 poultry farming is usually confined to Back yard poultry farming due to low production of Indian breeds, lack of technical knowledge, poor consumption of eggs and meat uneconomic rates and certain misnomers regarding poultry farming were the main hurdles responsible for the poor growth of this sector.
During the past three decades poultry Industry has experienced tremendous growth rate due to changed thinking, technical progress and better health management of poultry birds.  At present poultry farming is a scientific and organized industry and playing an important role in creating job opportunities. At present the whole country is covered with poultry units. Govt. private sectors both are playing important role in the development of this sector.
For the first time in 1957, three thousand (3000) chicks of improved breeds were brought under USID programme. Five thousand (5000) fertile eggs of improved breed i.e. white leghorn, New Hampshire and white Cornish were also brought. Three leading private companies of America had established their farms in Delhi, Pune and Karnal.
These companies proved the good source of quality chicks. The industries related to poultry farming also experienced rapid growth. Various companies engaged in manufacturing of the inputs such as equipments, feed, medicines and vaccines have played significant role in supplying these inputs. Due emphasis has been given Five Years Plan in India. For fulfilling the goal of poultry development and exploiting the potential of improved breeds of poultry, Central Poultry Breeding Farms were established at Delhi, Shimla, Bhubneshwar and Mumbai. Thousands of chicks were supplied to farmers through these farms. Organized breeding programmes were also run by these farms. HH 260 and IBL 80 are the results of these programmes.
Central Avian Research Institute, Izat Nagar also developed the improved breeds of layers and broilers. Due emphasis was also given on the development of Indigenous breeds of poultry with the help of imported breeds of poultry. Now with these efforts, sufficient quantity of hybrid chicks of broilers and layer are also available in India with sufficient availability of balanced feed, vaccines, medicines and other inputs. Per capita consumption of poultry meat and egg is low as compare to developed countries. Hence, there are ample opportunities in this sector.
Problems in poultry industry and challenges: Poultry development is chiefly confined in cities or near by cities. At present rural areas are still lacking in basic infra structure for poultry development and adequate know-how is also not available in the rural areas.  In spite of the extensive development in this field, the efficient experts are in shortage. With the result farmers have to depend upon chick suppliers, feed and medicine dealers and such other persons for their technical needs which may result in lesser profits and some time losses also.
A large number of companies have come in the field of production of poultry feed, vaccines, medicines and equipments etc. With the results, it is difficult to select quality product because most of the companies are interested in their own profits and ignoring the interest of the farmers.
Due to lack of proper distribution and marketing facilities, farmers have to suffer loss in spite of high production while consumers have to pay higher cost of the poultry produce.
The cost of various poultry inputs are increasing day by day with no proportionate increase in poultry products and with the result there is drop in profits.
In present context, it is necessary that the maximum production be done at minimum inputs. Hence, high quality technologies be developed in this field and subsequently be transferred to farmers. A strict quality control measures should be applied at each stage of poultry production.  An effective and efficient marketing system should be developed for marketing the poultry products to ensure proper and satisfactory price for their produce.
In rural areas the poultry production is practiced as backyard venture. Hence, suitable breed and techniques should be developed so that the poultry farming can be done at very low cost with better efficiency.

Objectives: The basic objectives of poultry farming in Uttarakhand may be as follows:

• To generate self employment in unemployed youth, school drop out and retired personnel.
• To alter economic and nutritional status of the rural people of Uttarakhand through poultry farming.
• To increase the production potential of agriculture land by using poultry manure.
• To find out suitable poultry strains for dual broiler and layer farming at differant attituoles of the state.

Poultry occupies a very important place in all domesticated animals. A large chunk of income from livestock industry is contributed by poultry industry. Hence, its importance is increasing day by day in developed and developing countries. Poultry includes a group of birds comprising chickens, ducks, turkeys, quails, guinea fowl; geese etc. out of these chickens occupy an important place.
Domestication of poultry is practiced from ancient time but it is very difficult to say at what time they are first domesticated in the world. Its first authentic records are available in Asian sub-continent. Domestication of poultry is not new in India. They were present 2500 B.C. in Indus Valley Civilization. From India, poultry birds traveled to different parts of the world. In ancient time poultry birds were reared for different purposes such as for its fighting ability. In old civilization, the cocks are known for their morning alarm and the selection is also done for these traits. Their fighting ability is more responsible for their spread than there nutritive value of the chickens. The selection and breeding of chickens was done for their fighting ability by Greek people while it was for the benefit of farmers by Roman people. In ancient time some breeds of chickens are comparable with modern breeds of poultry with regards to egg production. It is assumed that the evolution of modern day chickens have taken from the following four breeds of wild bird belonging to genus Gallus:

1. Gallus gallus (Red jungle fowl)
   
2. Gallus lafayettei (Ceylone jungle fowl)
   
3. Gallus sonneratii (Grey jungle fowl)
   
4. Gallus varius ((Java jungle fowl)
   

Some of the scientists are of the opinion that the modern poultry have its origin from Red jungle fowl while Asian breeds have their origin from more than one breed of jungle fowl.
Breeding and selection of poultry in ancient time were done primarily on the basis of region and the requirements of people living in that region and the breeds were known by the name of the regions such as Rohde Island Red, New Hampshire etc. Previously the poultry birds were known for its fighting abilities but now days they are more important due to highly nutritive eggs and poultry meat and the breeding and selection of poultry is being done for these traits.