Nutritional and livelihood security through backyard poultry model in tribal regions of Maharashtra, India

Backyard poultry production system is mostly found in rural, resource-poor areas that often suffer either from food/nutritional insecurity. Family or rural poultry farming provides households with income and access to nutritionally-rich food sources. In the present study, improved poultry birds of Giriraja, Vanaraja, Swarnadhara and Rhode Island Red (RIR) varieties, that are phenotypically similar to existing poultry population in the area, were distributed amongst 25 tribal households across five villages in Arvi and Karanja blocks of Wardha district, Maharashtra. Fifteen day old chicks were supplied to the households; they were trained on minimal management practices to be followed for brooding, maintenance, vaccination and feeding. Data were collected using designed questionnaire. The study revealed that an average net income of Rs.4000 per household was generated as an additional income during the year from backyard poultry farming.