CHSE Odisha Small Poultry Farmer (AGP) key terms

A chicken breed kept for both egg and meat production, such as Rhode Island Red or Kadaknath, offering small farmers a balanced income without specialising in one product.

A breed or hybrid selected mainly for high egg numbers, usually lighter in body weight and maturing early, for example Leghorn or commercial layer hybrids.

A chicken strain bred for fast growth and heavy breast muscle, marketed at six to eight weeks, requiring high-energy feed and tight management.

Choosing parent birds with desirable traits such as egg number, growth rate or disease tolerance and using them for the next generation to improve flock performance over time.

Mating of closely related birds, which fixes traits but reduces vigour, hatchability and immunity; avoided in small flocks by replacing the male periodically.

Removal of unproductive, sick, deformed or poor-performing birds from the flock to save feed, control disease and improve the genetic quality of stock.

The age at which a pullet starts laying eggs, typically 18 to 22 weeks in improved breeds; delayed by poor feeding, low light or disease.

Housing where birds are kept on a floor covered with absorbent litter such as paddy husk or sawdust, turned periodically to keep it dry and composted.

Floor area allowed per bird. Small-flock guidance is roughly 0.3 to 0.4 square metres per adult bird in deep litter, with more space in hot humid weather.

Movement of fresh air through the shed to remove ammonia, moisture and heat. Open-sided sheds with ridge ventilation and mesh side walls suit Odisha's climate.

Keeping floor litter dry, loose and free of caked patches by adding fresh material, stirring and removing wet spots, which prevents ammonia build-up and foot problems.

Care of young chicks during their first four to six weeks, supplying warmth, clean water, starter feed and protection until they can regulate body temperature.

Equipment or space that provides artificial heat for chicks, using a bulb, gas canopy or charcoal stove, with a chick guard ring to keep chicks near the heat source.

Heat level at chick level, starting near 33 to 35 degrees Celsius in the first week and reduced by about 3 degrees each week, judged also by chick behaviour.

Feed mixture supplying the required energy, protein, minerals and vitamins in correct proportion for the bird's age and purpose, usually as starter, grower and layer mash.

The nitrogen-based measure of protein content in a feed ingredient or ration, typically 20 to 22 percent for chick starter and 16 to 18 percent for layers.

Kilograms of feed consumed per kilogram of meat or per dozen eggs produced; a lower ratio means more efficient feed use and better profit.

A minor ingredient added to feed for a purpose beyond nutrition, such as a vitamin premix, mineral mixture, toxin binder or approved growth promoter, used strictly as labelled.

A highly contagious viral disease of poultry causing respiratory distress, nervous signs and high mortality; controlled by vaccination and strict biosecurity.

Planned timing of vaccines by age, such as Marek's at day one, Ranikhet at day seven and later boosters, adapted to local disease risk and hatchery practice.

Practices that keep disease organisms out of the flock, including footbaths, restricted visitors, clean water, rodent control, all-in all-out batches and safe disposal of dead birds.

The required interval between the last dose of a medicine or feed additive and slaughter or egg collection, so that residues do not enter meat or eggs.

Market-related traits of an egg such as shell cleanliness and strength, yolk colour, albumen thickness, freshness and absence of cracks, affecting price and keeping quality.

Processing or packaging a primary product to raise its sale price, for example grading and cartoning eggs, or making pickled, smoked or dressed chicken.

The route a product takes from farm to consumer, such as direct sale, local trader, cooperative collection centre or retail shop, each with different prices and risks.

Written or digital entry of daily events such as feed used, eggs collected, mortality, vaccination and sales, used to calculate cost, income and flock performance.

Total expenditure on chicks, feed, labour, medicine, housing and overheads divided by output, giving the cost per egg or per kilogram of live weight.

Gross returns divided by total costs over a production cycle; a ratio above one indicates profit and helps compare enterprises or plan expansion.

Combining poultry with crops, fish or livestock so that resources are reused, for example poultry manure fertilising a pond or vegetable plot and reducing feed and fertiliser costs.

Droppings mixed with litter, rich in nitrogen and useful as organic fertiliser or fish pond input after proper composting to kill pathogens and weed seeds.

Controlled aerobic decomposition of litter, manure and dead birds in a pit or heap, producing a safe fertiliser and reducing odour and fly nuisance.

Safe handling of dead birds by deep burial, incineration or composting, never by dumping in water bodies or open ground, to prevent disease spread.

Meeting the five freedoms: freedom from hunger and thirst, discomfort, pain or injury, fear and distress, plus freedom to express normal behaviour such as dust bathing.

Partial removal of the beak tip in young birds to reduce feather pecking and cannibalism; a welfare-sensitive practice requiring trained handling and pain control.

Clothing and gear such as boots, gloves, mask and apron worn while handling birds, litter or chemicals to protect the worker from injury, dust and infection.

A disease that can pass from birds to people, such as salmonellosis or avian influenza, prevented by hand washing, protective clothing and safe handling of meat and eggs.

A village group of women or small farmers who pool savings, share training and take up poultry jointly, improving access to credit, inputs and better market prices.

Government-supported programme supplying improved dual-purpose chicks, feed and training to rural households, aimed at nutrition, supplementary income and women's empowerment.

Support provided by government or non-government workers through visits, demonstrations, training and farmer interest groups to spread improved poultry practices to small producers.