Summary

Unlike the broiler industry, there is no organized market network or a proper feeding system for indigenous chicken in Sri Lanka. It can be overcome by introducing slow growing (indigenous) chicken as an enterprise/industry. They can be reared under free range or semi intensive management practices with restricted concentrate feeding. This system is called label rouge in the world. In Sri Lanka also indigenous chicken can be reared according to label rouge system and market. Then the chicken meat will be more flavoured and firm but not tough. This meat will be a completely different brand of chicken meat. Hence, it was hypothesized that slow growing pasture raised chicken system will be a sustainable farming system in Sri Lanka compared to fast growing broiler system.

This research focuses on rearing indigenous chicken for a minimum period of 81 days (before sexual maturity) under semi intensive management by feeding 50% of their daily requirement using a cereal based non medicated formulated ration without including any animal origin ingredients. The birds will be reared outside in a silvo-pastoral system allowing them to free graze during the day time. The chicken in this system will be reared following good agricultural practises (GAP) and animal ethics and welfare. With an organized market channel for this special GAP village chicken meat, this system would enhance the rural farmer income. Ultimately this system will be a low input sustainable farming system without adverse environmental hazards.

Objectives

1. Analysis of the feed efficiency parameters, meat production and quality parameters and cost benefit of the slow growing pasture raised chicken system.

2. To introduce (model) a new slow growing chicken meat production enterprise to the small holder livestock farmers to cater the consumers who are concerned about quality and flavoursome chicken meat from chicken reared following GAP and respecting animal ethics and welfare.

Major Equipment Facilitated by Grant