Soaring mercury takes a toll on poultry units

Farmers are forced to invest more to contain the mortality rate of birds

A farmer sparying water inside his poultry shed through sprinklers to protect fowls from the summer heat at Velpucharla in Pedavegi mandal in West Godavari district. - Photo: A.V.G. Prasad

The poultry industry in East and West Godavari district has come under a threat with the day temperature remaining high this summer.

The mortality rate of the birds is reported to be alarming because of the rising mercury coupled with severe heat wave conditions in the last two weeks.

According to Veterinary Assistant Director Satyanarayana, the toll due to the heat wave was pegged at close to 300 birds per every lakh on an average, delivering a deadly blow on the farmers.

The birds are increasingly falling prey to the prevailing heat conditions in the twin Godavari district as they did not have sweat glands to let out heat from their body, he said.

This would necessitate using artificial methods to keep the shed temperatures under control, Mr. Satyanarayana explained.

More than 2 crore layer fowls are grown in both the districts which usually cater to the egg markets in Kolkata.

Precautionary measures

The poultry farmers are facing a hard time to save their birds from the heat. They are installing sprinklers over rooftops of sheds, foggers inside and covering the windows with curtains and dippers.

“I am trying to minimise the mortality rate by taking all these precautions which helped bring down shed temperature by 5-6 degrees Celsius,” said Valavala Sriram of Bhadhradri Poultry Farm at Devarapalli in West Godavari district.

“With the day temperature hovering between 40 degrees and 45 degrees Celsius from the beginning of June, it is wrecking havoc with farmers, The recent viral attack also caused an extensive damage to the industry” he said.

Additional expenses

Chalasani Jaganmohan Rao, a poultry famer from Velpucharla under Pedavegi mandal, was forced to keep a generator ready to run the motor so as to keep the sheds cool by sprinkling water throughout the day.

“We are facing power cuts most part of the day and I am left with no option other than investing Rs 1 lakh on a generator to save my birds,” he said, adding that with all this addtional expenditure the cost of egg production had also gone up.

“I am spending Rs.100 daily on diesel. But, I have to save the birds,” said the farmer.

“Besides high mortality rate in the region, the poultry industry has witnessed a sharp decline in the egg production by 20 to 30 per cent due to the heat wave conditions,” Mr. Satyanarayana said.