About :

Origin

University Poultry and Duck Farm (UPDF), Mannuthy is one of the oldest farms in Kerala which is established in the year 1950 under erstwhile Cochin State. Although the mandate of the farm is to provide facilities for research and practical training to under graduate, post-graduate and PhD students, extension activities like farmers’ training are also provided from this farm. Since inception, this farm has been one of the important sources of many poultry species. The farm supplies around 30 breeds and varieties of chicken including fancy, two breeds of common duck namely Kuttanad and White Pekin, Muscovy duck, two varieties of Chinese geese namely White and Grey, two varieties of turkeys namely Broad breasted bronze and Beltsville small white, two varieties of guinea fowl namely Grey pearl and White and Japanese quail. Since 1980, Gramalakshmi a backyard crossbred has been produced and supplied to the needy backyard farmers. The synthetic breed Gramasree was released in the year 2005 which has become most favoured backyard variety of Kerala. Most of the above mentioned germplasms are supplied directly and also through the Regional Poultry Farms of Animal Husbandry department of government of Kerala. UPDF is one of the highest income generating station under the KVASU with an annual revenue collection of around two crore rupees.

Mandate:

• Provide facilities for research and practical training to PhD, MVSc, BVSc & A.H., and Diploma in Poultry Production students and On Job Training to VHSE students
• Provide parent stock and commercial chicks at reasonable rate to farmers and Animal husbandry department farms
• Provide table eggs and hatching eggs to needy farmers and government firms and also embryonated eggs to the research institutes
• Provide training, consultation and counselling to farmers and new entrepreneurs
• Conservation of germplasm of indigenous breeds of chicken and ducks

Funding:

The main source of funding is from non-plan and plan fund of the university. The other minor source of fund is through Revolving fund project of the university.

General functioning:

The farm maintains parent stock of different breeds of poultry. Day old chicks are produced and supplied to poultry famers and government institutions.

Staff Structure

Office staffs

Farm staffs

Livestock details

Commercial chicken breeds and varieties

• Gramasree

• Gramalakshmi (cross-bred)

• Rhode Island Red

• New Hampshire

• White Plymouth Rock

• Red Cornish

• Australorp

• White Leghorn

• Nacked neck

• Aseel

• Kadaknath

• Thalassery

• Nicobari

• Red frizzled
   

Fancy chicken breeds and varieties

• Mille Fleur Belgian d’Uccle bantam

• Silver Laced Japanese bantam

• Black Laced Japanese bantam

• Black Japanese bantam

• Black Cochin bantam

• Italian bantam

• Golden bantam

• Old English Game bantam

• Golden Sebright bantam

• Egyptian Fayoumi

• Onagadori

• White Crested Black Polish Cap

• White Polish Cap

• Golden Sebright Polish Cap

• Silver Sebright Polish Cap

• White Silky
   

Duck breeds

• Kuttanad

• White Pekin

• Muscovy Duck

Goose breeds and varieties

• White Chinese

• Grey Chinese

Turkey varieties

• Broad Breasted Bronze

• Beltsville Small White

Guineafowl varieties

• Grey Pearl

• White

Japanese quail

Projects (EAPs, State Plan)

On-going Projects:

Completed Projects:

Accomplishments

Development of backyard cross-bred Gramalakshmi in the year 1980 and Gramasree in the year 2005.

Research activities

• With state plan project (continuing) entitled “Selection for eighth week body weight in Kuttanad ducks to produce a broiler duck line”, we are able to produce a meat line of Kuttanad duck with the improvement in body weight from 1100gm to 1600gm at 5 generations of selection since 2012.

• A MVSc study in 2013 on performance of Austra White crosses using 3 different White Leghorn strains as female parents under the state plan project 2012-13 entitled “Study on production performance of four types of Gramalakshmi birds using four strains of White Leghorn and propagation of the best performer” revealed that the Austra White crossbred (Gramalakshmi) produced from the Australorp male parent with the IWP and IWN strains of White Leghorn as female parents performed significantly (P<0.05) higher in egg production, early sexual maturity, better feed efficiency and egg weight compared to F strain of White Leghorn maintained at UPDF.

• In 2014, using a MVSc project entitled “Standardization of ration for Gramasree cockerel for meat purpose”, starter ration for Gramasree cockerel was standardized with 20% crude protein and 3100 Kcal/kg of feed metabolizable energy to get more growth and better feed efficiency

• In 2015, a MVSc project entitled “Optimum age for introduction of finisher ration in Gramasree cockerels” revealed that optimum age for introduction of finisher ration in Gramasree cockerel is 9th week and the best age of marketing of Gramasree cockerels for meat is at 12 weeks of age.

• In 2017, another MVSc project entitled “Standardisaton of finisher ration for Gramasree cockerels for meat purpose” revealed that 19 per cent crude protein and 3000 kcal/kg metabolizable energy finisher diet is best for Gramasree cockerels for meat.

• In 2018, MVSc project entitled “Comparison of production performance of Kuttanad, White Pekin ducks and their crosses for meat purpose” revealed that the offsprings of cross between Pekin male and Kuttanad female and vice-versa have significantly (P<0.01) higher weight gain compared to Kuttanad ducks without any change in feed efficiency. The sensory evaluation of cooked meat at 12 weeks of age revealed that offsprings of Pekin male x Kuttanad female had higher mean flavor score, mean juiciness score and overall mean acceptability score compared to other groups.

Academic activities

• Theory and practical classes for PhD, MVSc, BVSc&AH and Diploma in Poultry Production students of College of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, Mannuthy

• Guidance for MVSc and PhD students

• Conduct of internship programme to BVSc&AH students of Mannuthy and Pookode campus and BSc PPBM students of College of Avian Sciences and Management, Thiiruvazhamkunnu and Pookode campuses

• Conduct of entrepreneurial training (ETR 321) to BVSc&AH students for empowering them to become better entrepreneurs.

• On-job training is conducted every year to the VHSE students for 2 weeks duration

• Organized Kerala Veterinary Science Congress-2016 with the participation of about 220 delegates

• Published Journal of Indian Veterinary Association (JIVA) for three years from 2016 to 2018

Extension activities

• Poultry farmers are given counseling on poultry farming

• On-farm training on layer management, broiler management and quail production.

• Around 5 lakhs day-old chicks are produced and distributed to farmers and government farms as commercial chicks and parent stocks and about 5 lakhs egg are sold for table purpose.

Publications

• “Effect of switching from starter to finisher ration at different ages on growth performance of Gramasree cockerels” published in JIVA 14(1): 24-29.

• “Effect of Oxo methane nano particles against coccidial oocysts” published in JIVA 15(1): 50-51.

• “Production performance and economics of rearing different varieties of fancy chicken” published in proceedings of Kerala Veterinary Science Congress-2014, pp. 326-330.

• “Performance of Gramasree male chicks reared as spring chicken at different dietary protein and energy levels” published in proceedings of Kerala Veterinary Science Congress-2014, pp.314-318.

• “Influence of varying levels of protein and energy on edible meat yield and carcass characteristics of Gramasree cockerels” published in proceedings of Kerala Veterinary Science Congress-2015, pp. 164-167.

• “Effect of egg weight and shape index on reproduction traits of different types of Japanese quail (Conturnix coturnix japonica)” published in proceedings of Kerala Veterinary Science Congress-2015, pp. 185-191.

• “Comparison of reproductive performance of different varieties of fancy chicken with the White Leghorn birds” published in proceedings of Kerala Veterinary Science Congress-2016, pp.394-395.

• “Production performance of Kuttanad duck (Anas platyrhynchos) under cage system of rearing” published in proceedings of Kerala Veterinary Science Congress-2017, pp. 210-213.

Services offered

(How to avail service, fee for services, timing)

• Day-old chicks will be supplied on every Thursday (on booking) and Friday (open sale). For further sale details please contact : 0487-2371178

Dr. Binoj Chacko Associate Professor & Head	Dr.Shamna T P Assistant Professor

Contact Us:

University Poultry and Duck Farm,
Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University,
Mannuthy, Thrissur.
Ph: 0487-2371178.,
Email ID: poultfarm@kvasu.ac.in

RTI: Name, address and contact details of the person responsible

Dr. Binoj Chacko
Associate Professor & Head
University Poultry and Duck Farm,
CVAS, Mannuthy, Thrissur 680 651