About:

Avian Research Station was established in 2014 at Thiruvazhamkunnu campus of Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University. The campus is situated in the naturally blessed valley of Western Ghats of Kerala in Palakkad district. This is a pioneer institute in Kerala dedicated entirely for research in avian species with special emphasis to domesticated birds. Financial assistance for civil constructions of this station was given by RIDF-NABARD and RKVY and the operational expenses are given by Kerala state plan and non-plan funds. The station is still in its development stage utilizing fund from these agencies.

The farmers from middle and north Kerala are the major beneficiaries of this station. Farmers training center conducted various training programmes benefitted to farmers in all 14 districts of Kerala and the farmers counselling center given face to face and over the phone technical advice to farmers based on their needs. Feed mill unit supplies feed to state poultry farms in Kerala and to private poultry farmers.

Avian Research Station was established with the following objectives.

• To supply quality farm inputs like day old chicks, feed, technical advice to poultry farmers
• To improve human resource through quality training programmes
• To empower rural youth and women.
• To maintain and to improve poultry germplasm
• To conduct research based on the need of farmers and poultry industry

Funding

The station is funded by KVASU state plan, non-plan fund and RKVY fund

General Functioning

Avian Research station undertakes various activities for accomplishing the objectives. It undertakes the production and supply of chicks of different varieties to farmers. It also undertakes the supply of various farm products like poultry egg, poultry feed to farmers and public for ensuring the welfare of farmers and general public.
 

Details of livestock/ facilities available

The station is established with the following units

I- Poultry farms

• Cross bred chicken unit - Cross bred chicken unit consists of two brooder cum grower shed, one breeder shed and one experimental shed. Brooder cum grower and layer sheds each having 3500 sq.ft. area with an eco-friendly rainwater harvesting type roofing system. Nearly 3000 breeder chicken are housed in this farm. Parents stock of Rhode Island Red, New Hampshire, Australorp, Kadaknath, Naked Neck, Gramasree, Aseel, Ankleshwarr, Nicobari, Athulya (white leghorn) and guinea fowls are reared in these sheds. Deep litter system with automatic drinkers (nipple drinkers and bell type drinkers) and semi-automatic feeders are used. There are facilities for both cage and deep litter brooding.

II- Meat type Duck Production Unit

• It is the largest elevated duck house in India consists of two duck sheds each having 4500 sq. ft. area with slatted floor. Automatic pekino drinkers are used for giving drinking water to ducks. Each pen is having accessibility to pond. Presently 950 breeder ducks are housed in a shed. Meat type exotic parent stock (White Pekin and Vigova ducks) and native germplasms (Kuttanadan- Chara and Chemballi) are maintained here. An efficient waste management system consists of a slurry pit with sedimentation tank and a biogas unit having 50m3 capacity are functioning here.

III- Japanese quail unit

• Japanese quail unit is having a 3500 sq. ft. shed suitable for cage system of rearing. Roofing is done with ecofriendly roofing sheets having a rain water harvesting type roofing system. California type cages with nipple drinkers and feeding troughs are used for rearing quails. Eggs laid are rolled down to front side of the cage and can be collected without causing any stress to the birds. Brooding of quail chicks is done in brooding cages. Currently 2500 quail breeders are housed. Six quail varieties are currently in this station.

IV- Feed Mill

• The feed mill unit of ARS was installed using NABARD rural infrastructure development fund. The plant is equipped with state of the art machinery capable of producing 4 ton of mash fees per hour. The farm is serving to various government and private farms all over the station with a total monthly output of 120 ton. Several farmers relay on the feed mill for good quality poultry feed. The major products of the feed mill are chicken, quail and duck starter, grower and breeder feed. The feed mill is also equipped with a full-fledged laboratory with facilities for proximate estimator. Further the quality assurance is also provided to all farmers.
• The feed mill has the capacity to produce 4 tone feed per hour. It is one of the largest feed mills of Govt. of Kerala producing poultry feed. The service of feed mill extends to Govt. farms and private farms of Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikkod and other districts of Kerala. All types of poultry mash feed are produced in this feed mill. Quality of the feed is ensured by physical and chemical evaluation by chemist and nutrition experts. Modern analytical equipment are used for quality assurance in this station. This station currently supplies feed from kannur district to Trivandrum district of Kerala. The feedmill is equipped with a feed milling and mixing unit and Qualiuty Analysis Laboratory. This laboratory provides facility for estimating the proximate principles of raw materials and finished products

V- Hatchery Unit

• It has a present capacity to hatch 20,000 eggs weekly. It aims at meeting the needs of farmers from Palakkad, Malappuram and nearby districts. The incubators installed are completely automatic. The temperature and humidity along with turning are automated. There is a cold room facility to store hatching eggs obtained from the Avian Research station. Eggs of cross bred chicken like Gramasree and Gramalakshmi along with native chicks like kadakknath, Ankleswar and Aseel are also available. Quail and duck hatching eggs are also incubated and the chicks are supplied to farmers.

VI- Sales Unit

• Sales of table eggs, hatching eggs and day old chicks are done at the sales counter situated farm gate. Attached bird display shed of 1000 sq.ft is used for keeping grown up and adult birds for sales.
   

Academic activities

This station is utilized to give hands own training to Students of KVASU, trainees and VHSE students.

Extension activities

• Farmers Training Centre - The Farmers’ Training Centre can accommodate 100 inmates at a time. The centre gives priority to conduct training programmes for those who are willing to gain agricultural skills. Also it aims at providing training session to teachers, veterinary doctors and research scholars.
• Farmers Counselling Centre - The Farmers Counselling Centre of Avian Research station is established to provide consultancy service and counselling to farmers of various sectors of poultry. It also provide services like consultancies for poultry farmers and also undertakes disease diagnosis through post-mortems of deceased birds
• Mobile Poultry Unit - In order to provide services to farmers in remote areas, ARS Thiruvazhamkunnu has established a mobile poultry unit which provides consultancy services to farmers at their farms as and when needed.

Publications

Brochures for farmers on Vaccination, Poultry farming etc

Services offered

• Consultancy Services - ARS, Thiruvazhamkunnu provides counselling service to farmers from various parts of the state. It also provide services like consultancies for poultry farmers and also undertakes disease diagnosis through post-mortems of deceased birds.
• Sale of various farm inputs - Avian Research Station is established with the objective of supplying various poultry farm inputs like chicks, poultry feed, etc. for farmers of northern Kerala. The price of various breeds of chicken and different varieties of poultry feed are shown below
• Timing of various services is 09.00 AM – 12.00 PM and 02.00 PM – 04.00 PM

Name, Designation and passport size photo of faculty

Dr. G. Girish Varma

Special Officer

ARS

Dr. Prasoon S.

Assistant Professor and

Officer in-charge, ARS

Contact us

Avian Research Station

Thiruvazhamkunnu PO, Palakkad, 678601
Mobile No: 9446229673
E-Mail ID: girish@kvasu.ac.in

RTI: 

Dr. G. Girish Varma
Dean, Public Information Officer
College of Avian Sciences and Management
Thiruvazhamkunnu PO, Palakkad 678601
Mobile No: 9446229673
E-Mail ID: girish@kvasu.ac.in

On Going Projects

 Completed Projects

 A few good photos, preferably ‘in action’