ALTERNATIVE HUSBANDRY PRACTICES OF INDIGENOUS CHICKEN PRODUCTION IN BANGLADESH

Data like poultry species reared, husbandry practices, prospects and challenges, were collected from a total of 175 farmers during November to December 2015, through direct interviewing method, to explore knowledge to initiate an alternative husbandry practices for Indigenous chicken production. Flock size of chicken, duck and pigeon per family were bigger in Chapai Nawabganj than Sylhet. Majority of the chicken keeper supplied water and feed in Sylhet though most of them did not supply water in Chapai Nawabganj. Feed ingredients like, rice polish, broken rice, wheat bran and kitchen waste were used at both sites. Most of the families did not vaccinate and similarly they did not use anthelmintics regularly at both regions. Prospects, like high demand and price of Indigenous chicken meat, easy rearing system, did not need investment and women were empowered and challenges like, predators killed baby chicks, vaccination workers were not available and chicken damaged cultivated crops, were documented. So, an alternative husbandry practices which could ensure keeping birds safe from predators, assures regular vaccination and de-worming with a little amount of feed supplementation and supplying safe water would be worthwhile to keep Indigenous chicken rearing with lucrative fashion at rural villages in Bangladesh.