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Poultry production profile and expected future projection in Bangladesh

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 doi:10.1017/S0043933907001754

Small-Scale Family Poultry

Production
Poultry production profile and expected
future projection in Bangladesh
S.C. DAS1, S.D. CHOWDHURY2, M.A. KHATUN3, M. NISHIBORI1, N. ISOBE1
and Y. YOSHIMURA1
1
Graduate School of Biosphere Science, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima
739-8528, Japan; 2Department of Poultry Science, Bangladesh Agricultural
University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh; 3Department of Animal Science and
Biotechnology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Kyungpook National
University, South Korea
Corresponding author: sdchow06@yahoo.com

The aim of this paper is to review the current status of poultry production and its
future prospects in Bangladesh, covering both rural and commercial poultry
production. As an important sub-sector of livestock production, the poultry
industry in Bangladesh plays a crucial role in economic growth and
simultaneously creates numerous employment opportunities. The poultry
industry, as a fundamental part of animal production, is committed to supplying
the nation with a cheap source of good quality nutritious animal protein in terms of
meat and eggs. Two main systems of poultry production are common in Bangladesh
nowadays: commercial poultry production – where birds are kept in total
confinement, and traditional scavenging or semi-scavenging poultry production.
Approximately 20% of the protein consumed in Bangladesh originates from
poultry. With the exception the dip in production due to the recent Avian
Influenza outbreak, the growth of this industry in terms of standards of
commercialization, is very rapid. A gap still exists between the requirement and
supply of poultry meat and eggs within the recent frame-work of the informal
marketing system that is currently used. Among poultry species, the chicken
population is dominant over others, at almost 90%, followed by ducks (8%) and
a small number of quail, pigeons and geese. Free range ‘backyard’ and scavenging
poultry, that are traditionally reared by rural women and children, still play an
important role in generating family income, in addition to improving the family’s
diet with eggs and meat. Productive and reproductive performance of indigenous
birds is relatively very low (35-40 eggs and 1-1.5 kg meat per bird per year), but

This paper was first presented at the 5th International Poultry Show and Seminar, Dhaka,
Bangladesh, 1-3 March 2007

© World’s Poultry Science Association 2008

World's Poultry Science Journal, Vol. 64, March 2008
Received for publication May 1, 2007
Accepted for publication November 20, 2007 99
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 Poultry production in Bangladesh: S.C. Das et al.

genetic improvements by selective breeding, along with adequate nutrition and

proper management, looks promising and quite possible. Commercial poultry
production in Bangladesh, is conducted on an industrial scale and is growing
tremendously in spite of recent difficulties but is expected to make a significant
contribution to the economic development of the country. A national poultry policy
is expected to be approved by the government shortly, which, when implemented,
will improve the organization of production and marketing, allowing increased
stability and security of output throughout the year. In addition, efforts should
be taken to ensure safety standards of poultry meat and eggs for human
consumption. Experts from the government, research institutes, universities,
NGOs and other relevant sectors need to work in a collaborative manner in
order to allow sustainable production and fight challenges jointly when they
appear from time to time. Corresponding attention to research and development
will allow the poultry sector to flourish in Bangladesh. As government funding is
limited, industrialists need to come forward either to establish their respective
research facilities or to provide funds to universities and research institutes in
order to undertake research works of national and international importance.

Keywords: Bangladesh; rural poultry; commercial poultry; profile; genetic improvement;

future prospect

Introduction
In Bangladesh, the gap between supply and demand of poultry meat and eggs is evident
regarding availability in relation to the human population of the country, and current
production is inadequate. For example, each Bangladeshi person consumes 32 eggs/
annum in contrast to a minimum requirement of 104 eggs. The gap is economic in
the sense that people lack purchasing power due to low per capita income.
Statistics in Bangladesh reveal that there are about 160 million chickens and 36 million
ducks (Ahmmad, 2005). Despite rapid growth of commercial poultry farming, eggs and
meat are still produced at small holder farms under traditional scavenging system. The
traditional ‘backyard’ operations, universally known as ‘family poultry production’, has a
long historical background that makes it popular with the rural and certain urban
populations. Among the poultry species, chicken forms around 90% of the national
production followed by duck (8%) and a small number of pigeons, geese and quail.
Almost two decades ago, a variety of Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) was introduced
to Bangladesh as a curiosity for egg and meat production, but its production and
expansion, unfortunately, were limited in and around the capital city of Dhaka, within
a specific group of enthusiasts. Almost each rural family usually keeps 10-20 chicken,
duck or pigeon that are traditionally maintained by the female members of the family, and
fed on household wastes and crop residues (Saleque, 2001; Rahman, 2003).
Commercial poultry farming has recently emerged in different areas of the country to
satisfy market demands for poultry meat and eggs by the mostly urban and municipal
populations. Although commercial poultry farming has expanded rapidly, it is unable to
satisfy the nation’s needs. Notwithstanding, the producers, particularly smaller farmers,
are facing numerous problems in farm operations and management.
This paper constitutes an update of the information available regarding the current
status and profiles the future prospects of poultry production in Bangladesh. For ease of
discussion, details will be dealt with in two major sections: rural poultry or family poultry

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 Poultry production in Bangladesh: S.C. Das et al.

production and commercial poultry production. This is followed by a section dealing with
strategies and action plans for future development of the industry in Bangladesh. Finally,
some recommendations that could be considered by the relevant policy makers to achieve
the objectives of rural poultry development as well as concurrent development of fast-
growing commercial poultry sector are made.

Rural poultry production

The term “rural poultry” or “family poultry” in most developing countries is indicative
for the traditional, low-input husbandry of domestic poultry (e.g. chicken, duck, pigeon,
quail or guinea fowl) that are typically maintained by the rural poor (somewhat similar to
backyard chicken on a wider concept), a system having been adopted in Bangladesh for
many decades. Sonaiya (2007) defined rural poultry as involving ‘any genetic stock;
improved or unimproved that is raised extensively or semi-intensively in relatively small
numbers’ (usually less than 100 at time). There is a minimal investment, with most of the
inputs generated in the homestead; labour is not salaried but drawn from the family while
production is geared essentially towards home consumption and other uses. However, the
term “family poultry” is considered as a superior definition to rural poultry because it is
not location-bound, and admits small flocks of poultry raised extensively or semi-
intensively in semi-urban and urban areas, and was adopted by the International
Network for Family Poultry Development (INFPD) in 1997. Chicken rearing in
Bangladesh currently outranks all other rural poultry activities. Therefore, chicken
production in rural areas, their management, nutritional status and marketing systems
are emphasized and highlighted in comparison to other species.

ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF RURAL POULTRY KEEPING

Rural poultry production, particularly chickens (followed by duck production) plays a
significant role in the socioeconomic development of Bangladesh. Almost 90% of all
rural families keep a small number of indigenous chicken and duck under traditional free
range semi-scavenging systems. This traditional system is very popular to the villagers,
and has been employed for centuries and is likely to remain as such for at least the next
few decades. The main feature of this production system is the low-input/output
requirements, sometimes generating a quick return on investment. Farmers who
cannot afford to keep large animals because of the big investment required, can easily
maintain a few chickens or ducks within their homestead premises. The contribution of
scavenging fowls and ducks in terms of supplying meat and eggs is still believed to be
large in Bangladesh’s poultry production, which eventually can be considered as an
indispensable mechanism and vehicle to promote the rural economy.
Considered as a secondary business, poultry are generally maintained by rural women
and children that generate cash revenue but basically to supplying adequate eggs and
meat to their personal family’s diet. Chickens generally scavenge around the homestead
areas during the daytime, where they eat kitchen waste, leftover cereal grains like rice,
wheat, pulses, green grasses, insects and other available feedstuffs. These waste
feedstuffs are utilized by these birds to produce a good quality, cheap source of
animal protein.
A study report on the impact of Smallholder Livestock Development Project (SLDP) in
rural community at different rural areas of Bangladesh revealed that the overall socio-
economic conditions of the beneficiaries, their eggs and meat consumption capability,
empowerment of rural women in decision making issues and employment opportunities
were significantly increased after the intervention made by SLDP (Alam, 1997). It is for

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 Poultry production in Bangladesh: S.C. Das et al.

these reasons that free range rural poultry keeping was deemed most suitable in
Bangladesh, as one of the developing countries, to provide rural women, landless
poor or marginal farmers with animal protein and earnings for life.

GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF RURAL POULTRY

A household flock in Bangladesh is usually comprised from two or more varieties of
poultry species (i.e. chicken, ducks and/or pigeon). Occasionally farmers keep geese, but
quail are mainly kept as a hobby. Depending on the space available, there is wide
variation with regard to the number of birds per household. Table 1 shows the
distribution patterns of different species of poultry on the basis of farm size.
Customarily, small numbers of males are maintained in the flock for the sake of
fertilization and hatching. This is practical because some farmers erroneously believe
that mating is a pre-requisite for inducing hens to lay eggs. Accordingly, eggs sold in
rural markets are mostly fertile.

Table 1 Allotments of different poultry species as affected by farm size* (as per household).

Farm size Average number per household Total

(area in acres)
Chicken Duck Pigeon

Landless (0-0.5) 5.6 1.71 0.08 9.1

Small (0.51-2.0) 7.5 1.71 0.10 9.3
Medium (2.01-5.0) 8.6 2.74 0.72 12.1
Large (>5.0) 11.4 9.98 0.82 22.2
Average 8.28 4.04 0.43 13.18

* Summarized from Huque and Ukil (1994)

Broodiness, a trait that retards laying performance, is common in indigenous birds.

Native hens become broody after laying a small number of eggs in separate clutches.
However, indigenous ducks are known to have relatively better maternal instincts
compared to chickens (e.g. able to cover and heat the eggs properly since they have
abundant feathers and they brood more often). It is for this reason that farmers
sporadically put chicken eggs under the broody ducks and use them as hatcheries.
Depending upon the body size of the birds, about 8-12 eggs are set under the hen
placed on bamboo basket or wooden box where wood shavings or rice straw are used
as bedding material. The hatchability of eggs by natural incubation is poor, recorded as
70% and 56% for chicken and ducks respectively (Barua, 1992), which is to be expected
given the poor levels of fertilization due to a number of reasons, including stresses like
the hot climate.
After hatching, fowls usually take care of their own baby chicks and protect them from
predators or other adverse situations. Baby chicks, therefore, have the extra privileges
during early stage of their life compared to ducklings, and they can run around with their
mother for scavenging. In contrast, ducks leave the ducklings soon after hatch, and
farmers have to take care of them during their early days, including feeding, brooding
or housing. Chicken and duck houses in rural areas are generally constructed with
materials that are locally available, such as wooden planks, bamboo, mud or mud
bricks. Occasionally, small size pens for chicken or ducks (placed in a corner of the
larger animal’s stall) are constructed.
Farmers occasionally make mistakes, and set a large number of eggs under a broody
hen that ultimately results in poor hatchability. During natural incubation, adequate feed
supply and routine physical exercise of the broody hens are important to ensure good

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 Poultry production in Bangladesh: S.C. Das et al.

hatchability. In hot and humid days, birds in mud-made houses often suffer from bad
ventilation that affects their productive performances.

FEEDING PRACTICES
Feeding rural poultry is mainly based on the scavenging and byproducts. Most rural
families provide a small amount of feed twice a day; once in the morning when the birds
leave their night shelter and again in the evening when the birds return home. Generally,
these feeds include rice polishing, rice bran, broken rice/wheat, kitchen wastes like rice,
rice-gruel, vegetables, fish wastes etc. During the scavenging period, domestic fowl
consume various types of feed materials that are available around the farmer’s
homestead areas. Indigenous ducks, which usually scavenge in the nearby ponds,
river, lakes or any other low lying areas, mainly eat various types of aquatic insects
and weeds, shell or snails. Depending on seasonal variations, a variety of insects,
cockroaches, earthworms, beetles etc. are consumed by domestic birds. While
scavenging, domestic fowl and ducks consume considerable amounts of xanthophylls
and similar ingredients through their feed selection. As a consequence, this type of
feeding has an impact on the egg content (specially micro-ingredients) and the yolk
colour of the eggs produced by rural chicken or ducks are usually vivid, deep yellow,
which is much favoured by Bangladeshi consumers. Some Bangladeshi consumers have
a misconception that eggs with pale yolk are produced from diseased and unhealthy hens
and those eggs are neither tasty nor nutritious (Sikder et al., 1998).
Native chickens mostly rely on scavenging with minimum or no supplemental feeding.
There have been reports that the scavengeable feedstuffs consumed by native chicken
vary from 9-27 g/bird/day (Huque et al., 1992; Sonaiya et al., 2002), which is insufficient
to fulfil their nutrient requirements. Furthermore, such feedstuffs are generally low in
crude protein (8%) but high in crude fibre (9%), and probably imbalanced in terms of
calcium and phosphorus (Huque, 1999). As a consequence, nutrient deficiencies are a
common feature in scavenging birds, and may be one of the vital factors that cause low
productivity. Chowdhury et al. (2006) reported low productivity of Desi chickens that are
raised solely on scavenging feed resources.
To overcome such problems, birds should be provided with adequate amounts of
locally available feed ingredients as a supplement to satisfy nutrient requirements. If
scavenging poultry production is to become a sustainable enterprise in the future in rural
areas of developing countries, there is every possibility of feed shortages. To face this
challenge, women and unemployed youths in rural areas, who are usually resource-poor
and illiterate but possess keen perception in judicial utilization of scarce resources, could
be trained with basic knowledge of the collection, processing, storage and supply of
locally available unconventional ingredients for feeding the rural poultry.

PRODUCTIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF INDIGENOUS BIRDS

Several varieties of indigenous fowl with distinctive colour characteristics exist in
Bangladesh. Among them are the Hilly, Naked neck, Aseel, Yasine and Native dwarf
breeds, as well as a non-idiosyncratic typical type recorded so far. However, little is
known about their genetic make-up, general characteristics and productive performances.
In general, they thrive under harsh nutritional and environmental conditions, and are
strong enough to prevent themselves or their chicks from predators, well adapted to
changes in quality and quantity of nutrients and resistant to common resident diseases.
Some research has been carried out sporadically on the unselected non-descriptive type
fowl. These birds are characterized with poor productivity, yielding only 35-40 eggs and
1-1.5 kg meat per year (Sazzad et al., 1990; Barua and Howlider, 1990; Barua and
Yoshimura, 1997; Islam et al., 2003), whilst the more exotic layer strains produce almost

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 Poultry production in Bangladesh: S.C. Das et al.

300 eggs during their production period (52-60 weeks) and attain a body weight of 1.2-
1.5 kg at the point of lay, under proper nutrition and management conditions. Some
general and selective productive characteristics of indigenous chicken and ducks are
shown in Table 2.
The average egg mass of indigenous chickens is very low (35-37 g/egg), only two-
thirds of the egg weight of exotic strains. Recently, Hasan et al. (2006) found
significantly higher body weight in Naked neck birds in comparison with their normal
feathered counterparts under scavenging condition, when the birds were provided with
supplemental feed. A recent report shows that indigenous (Desi) chickens of Bangladesh
may be more productive with improved diets when reared in confinement as compared to
those who derived feed only from scavenging (Chowdhury et al., 2006).

Table 2 Productive performance of indigenous chickens and ducks of Bangladesh.

Characteristics Average performances of native birds

chickens* ducks**

Age at sexual maturity (days) 225 180-210

Mature body weight (g/bird) 1141 1500-1800
Eviscerated carcass (% of live weight) 55 -
Egg production (eggs/hen/year) 35-40 85-90
Feed conversion ratio (kg feed/kg body weight) 4.5 4.0-4.5
Average egg weight (g/egg) 37 65
Length of single clutch (wks) 2-3 -
Eggs per clutch 12-17 -
Fertility (%) - 60-70
Hatchability of fertile eggs (%) 75 75-95
Mortality rate during growing period (%) 9 6-9
Feed intake of mature birds (g/bird/day) - 150-200
Age at the onset of lay (days) - 125-160
Age at peak production (days) - 250-300
Length of total egg laying period (Months) - <3

* Sazzad et al. (1990); Barua (1992); Huque et al. (1992); Huque and Ukil (1994).
** Sarkar (2005); Islam et al. (2003).

Table 3 Growth of industrial poultry (layers and broilers) during the period of 2000-2005*.

Particulars Year

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Layers (in thousand)

Parent Stock 145 236 370 138 344 212
Day old chick per year 13050 21240 33300 12420 30960 19080
Day old chick per week 250 408 640 239 595 367
Broilers (in thousand)
Parent Stock 750 1062 1381 1952 2299 2292
Day old chick per year 90000 100359 116000 163968 164148 192528
Day old chick per week 1730 1929 2230 3153 3156 3702

* Reports of BPIA (2002), BRAC (2005) and DLS (2005)

The indigenous birds are often undervalued and criticised for their low productive
performance, but several reports indicate that a small changes in the traditional husbandry
practices of rural birds may increase tangible production potential. Sonaiya (1995)
explained that the productivity of scavenging chickens could be improved by

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 Poultry production in Bangladesh: S.C. Das et al.

management systems and quality and quantity of feed supply. Weaning of chicks i.e.
separation of chicks from broody hens at early stage, supplementation of balanced diet to
the broody for rapid regain of her body weight to start the next clutch quickly, creep
feeding of chicks in confinement during their juvenile are further examples of some
common interventions in contrast to traditional management systems, to increase the
overall production potentialities of Desi hens and reduce the chick mortality (Moreki et
al., 1997; Sarkar et al., 2005; Sarkar and Bell, 2006). These authors commented that the
low productivity of indigenous birds is not due to their inherent genetic characteristics
rather it results from the system of management. It was finally concluded by Sarkar and
Bell (2006) that the egg production of Desi chicken layers could more than double if
some changes are made in their husbandry practices. It is notable that very limited
research has been focused on the genetic improvement of indigenous birds by
selective breeding along with adequate nutrition and appropriate management.
Duck production is mostly observed in low-lying areas of the country. There are two
types of ducks: local varieties and improved breeds. Among the local varieties, the non-
descript types represents almost 90% of total duck populations. Other more distinguished
breeds include the Nageswari, Muscovy, Sylhet Mete, Desi Black and Desi White.
Productive performance of non-descript ducks is very low compared to imported
breeds (Table 2), although Desi Blacks and Whites are believed to be better
producers. Some improved breeds, although lacking in numbers, such as the Indian
Runner, Khaki Campbell, Jinding and Pekin are also found in some rural areas of the
country which have been either bought from government farms or distributed to farmers
by Non-government organizations (NGOs).

ESTABLISHMENT OF SEMI-SCAVENGING POULTRY REARING MODEL: ROLE

OF NGOS
As a part of poverty alleviation activities, a large number of renowned NGOs in
Bangladesh have concentrated their efforts on small-scale poultry production involving
poor rural women. The Department of Livestock Services (DLS), a government
organization responsible for the expansion of country’s livestock and poultry farming,
has provided a special programme, in conjunction with some leading NGOs, to increase
family poultry production. This has been executed through the so-called semi-scavenging
poultry rearing model, involving a few categories of smallholder farmers with the
objective of poverty alleviation. The leading NGOs involved in this program are the
Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC), Grameen Bank, Proshikkhan
Shikkha and Kaj (PROSHIKA) and Swanirvar Bangladesh. Two exotic breeds,
namely Rhode Island Red (male) and Fayoumi (female) are usually crossed in the
government poultry farms and their first offspring, locally called as Sonali (golden in
colour; Ambar et al., 1999), are used in the programme. Under this model, enthusiastic
farmers, particularly poor women who have keen interest in involving themselves in the
economic output from poultry keeping, are selected in rural areas and categorized as
either a Model Breeder, Pullet Rearer, Chick Rearer, Poultry Worker, Mini Hatchery,
Feed Seller, Egg Seller and, the final group, “Key Rearer”, who receive a small number
of Sonali crossbred egg type hens (Fattah, 1999). The egg laying performance of Sonali
is recorded as 156 eggs per hen per year under semi-scavenging systems of rearing
(Rahman et al., 1997).
Recently, Dhar et al. (2007) fed diets of varying nutrient concentrations to these
crossbred birds. They reported that the birds attained 1.18 kg body weight at 20
weeks under semi-scavenging system of rearing when metabolisable energy, protein,
calcium, total phosphorus, lysine and methionine contents in the supplemented diet
were 2950 kcal, 160, 11, 12.5, 5.4 and 3.4 g/kg, respectively.

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 Poultry production in Bangladesh: S.C. Das et al.

The outcome of the “Bangladesh Poultry Model”, as critically analyzed by Riise et al.
(2005a), was surprising with Sonali hens. According to their report, there was no
evidence that women achieved higher incomes through use of crossbred Sonali birds,
but the women, however, sustained a basic income from a small flock of local birds.
Replicability and applicability of the “Bangladesh Poultry Model” in other developing
countries faces many new challenges, and modalities of the model have created
controversy in the international arena (Sarkar et al., 2005). Therefore, it may be time
to rethink the long-term feasibility of such poultry model before applying it in developing
countries as a tool for poverty alleviation.

DISEASES OF RURAL POULTRY

Biosecurity, in its true sense, is neither possible nor workable with indigenous
scavenging chickens reared in rural areas. Of course, the indigenous scavenging
chickens in rural areas have good resistance to a few local diseases. In spite of this
fact, they are susceptible to some of the diseases like Newcastle Disease, Fowl Cholera,
Fowl Pox, for which vaccination with locally produced vaccines was found to be
effective. As the total confinement is not a viable option for rural smallholders, the
prevention and control of high pandemic Avian Influenza is a more important concern
for smallholders than the large-scale producers (Sonaiya, 2007). To protect the family
poultry from pandemic diseases like Avian Influenza or Newcastle disease, Branckaert
(2007) proposed a kind of mixed vaccination programs for family poultry. Improvement
of basic awareness of small-scale family poultry holders regarding pandemic diseases, by
providing adequate information through mass media may be important in developing
countries like Bangladesh.

MARKETING SYSTEMS
More than 95% of eggs and live poultry are sold by farmers either at their gates or at
the village market within their vicinity (Latif, 2001). Two-step transactions are usually
observed in the marketing channels; first is the assemblers who accumulate live birds and
eggs from local market and, the second is the retailers in urban or semi-urban areas, who
collect the products from assemblers and sell to the customers. In some parts of the
country, assemblers occasionally move from door to door for buying the eggs or live
birds. Traditionally, assemblers draw the attention of the farmers with loud shouts, and
then the small poultry holders, women or children who have products to sell respond
quickly.
Assemblers either sell the products to wholesalers or transport the accumulated
products to the retail market in urban or semi-urban areas. In addition to profit
margin, rural assemblers/middlemen, who spend their time and money for the
business, also bear the cost of transportation; sometimes incurring and encountering
physical losses during the collection and moving the birds or eggs (Hossain, 1999;
Chowdhury and Das, 2001). Selling live birds and eggs is also practiced by the
retailers, who also move from door to door in the urban and semi-urban areas and
draw attention of the consumers with shouts.
At the level of the village market, a small portion of eggs and birds are sold directly to
the resident consumers. Experience from other developing countries showed the
existence of middlemen in the chain of free-range local poultry market, where they
appear to benefit sometimes more than the smallholder poultry keepers (Kitalyi, 1998;
Mlozi et al., 2003; Gondwe et al., 2005). Emphasising the significance of indigenous
poultry marketing, Riise et al. (2005b) commented that the major challenges for
improving family poultry production at village level lies in the organizational aspects,
not in the technical. The meat and eggs that are produced in the farm must reach the

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 Poultry production in Bangladesh: S.C. Das et al.

consumers through good marketing channels. Unfortunately, rural poultry (live birds and
eggs) are not moving to the market in an organized way. Problems still exists in
assembling, storage, transportation, distribution and marketing, so some losses
inevitably occur and sometimes the quality of products suffer.

CONSERVATION OF GERM-PLASM OF INDIGENOUS CHICKEN

Indigenous chickens are an excellent genetic resource and their germ-plasm should be
preserved and conserved for future genetic improvement programmes. Farmers
traditionally keep the males and females in a same flock. Random mating (panmexia)
among the birds, therefore, is a common feature in rural poultry that results in the
observed wide genetic variability within the stocks. Horst (1988), however, reported
some useful genes common in tropical indigenous chickens which could be exploited
in breeding plans for the development of adaptable breeds suitable in particular to hot
climates either for meat or eggs. Indeed, any comprehensive genetic information about
such indigenous Bangladeshi chickens and poultry birds is scarce. In the protracted
direction for the evaluation of the genetic compositions of those indigenous chickens,
few studies have been carried out. Autosomal recessive dwarfism has been detected in
indigenous birds which are characterized with high productivity and low feed intake
compared to normal size birds (Yeasmin and Howlider, 1998). The naked neck gene, a
valuable trait that shows good performances in tropical countries under hot and humid
environments (Barua et al., 1998), is also found in Bangladeshi chicken. The genetic
diversity of Bangladesh native chickens, when compared with exotic breeds, was found
to be greater, and such a phenomenon provides opportunity for poultry breeders to
develop a relatively high producing breed of chicken adapted to the rural environment
of Bangladesh (Mollah et al., 2005). Recently, mitochondrial DNA sequences of native
chicken and genetic markers, namely microsatellites, have been used to study the genetic
relationships among the native chickens (Osman et al., 2006; Oka et al., 2007).
In developing countries, native chickens are frequently crossed with exotic stocks to
develop crossbreeds that may perform better and, in the meantime, be suitable for
scavenging or semi-scavenging systems. In addition to the Bangladesh government’s
efforts, a variety of livestock development programmes have been launched by NGOs
to develop a sustainable model of poultry production under the scheme of poverty
alleviation. Under certain programmes, NGOs offer crossbred chicken to the rural
farmers and so disseminate the genetics of cross-bred chickens to the rural poor.
Exotic breeds typically used for crossbreeding are the Rhode Island Red, Fayoumi or
White Leghorn, which were imported into Bangladesh many decades ago. The purity of
such imported breeds is doubtful and continuous inbreeding may now have caused them
to be less productive (Latif, 2001).
In Ethiopia, the experience of cross-breeding programmes by exchanging cockerels or
pullets or fertile eggs of exotic birds to village farmers has resulted in adverse alterations
in the genetic make up of indigenous birds (Tadelle et al., 2000). As rural poultry is the
prime supplier of eggs and meat in most developing countries, considerable attention
should be paid before changing such important natural resources. Banking their unique
and original genetic resources might be a valuable insurance for future development. The
Bangladeshi native poultry breeds provide an invaluable gene pool and the transitional
accumulation of acclimatizing gene groups they have been subjected to, although their
productivity is relatively low. However, considerable improvement by following
appropriate breeding policy is eagerly awaited. To authors’ knowledge, no attempt has
yet been taken in Bangladesh to conserve the genetics of indigenous chicken. To describe
the significance of family poultry, Branckaert (2007) commented that the indigenous fowl
still represents the source of unadulterated biodiversity for the survival and sustainability

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 Poultry production in Bangladesh: S.C. Das et al.

of the world’s poultry farming. The genetic diversity comprised in poultry, as one of the
main farm animal species, is an important resource in domestic animals systems. For
several reasons, within the different species used for food production, only a few breeds
are selected and are best suited for high-output systems. In this route, many breeds are
not represented in food-producing livestock systems. These breeds may face extinction
unless new uses and/or selective advantages for these breeds are found. This is an
ongoing existent threat for the genetic diversity within species. The issue is how to
maintain the utilisation and conservation of these genetic resources, and gain insight
into the applications of population, molecular and quantitative genetics that can be used
to take appropriate decisions in utilisation and conservation programmes.

Commercial poultry production

BACKGROUND AND CURRENT STATUS OF COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION
Although commercial poultry production in Bangladesh has used high yielding strains
of chicken, which gained momentum since 1980, the growth of this sector has reached
industrial proportions in the last decade. Table 3 shows the recent trends in the growth of
the commercial poultry sector during the period of 2000-2005. A significant
breakthrough in terms of supplying meat and eggs from the commercial sector
indicates the future enlarged and improved scope of this emerging industry. Rearing
poultry, which was, in past eras, known here to be the most neglected sector in
agriculture, was recently the focus of some courageous producers/investors who
embraced the challenges and invested huge inputs for the development of this
promising sector. The national commercial chicken production sector nowadays is
mainly based on the importation of parent stock (PS), though of limited extent
importation of broiler grand parent (GP) stock. The later is expected to be another
mile-stone in commercialization, since it would enable the production of PS with
minimal costs. It is expected that both day-old PS and commercial broiler chicks will
be available at cheaper rates as compared to previous years. If these expectations are
realised, poultry farming in Bangladesh will gain new impetus and consequently
commercial broiler and layer farms may expand rapidly.

HOUSING SYSTEMS OF COMMERCIAL POULTRY FARMS

Industrial poultry farms are mostly breeder farms that have been constructed with
modern equipment and are designed in consideration of the local climate and
environment, to achieve the maximum performance. These houses are mostly tunnel-
ventilated to combat heat stress during summer and may not be fully considered as
environment controlled house. Small-scale commercial broiler and layer farms are
traditionally open-sided houses with gable or ‘hipped’ roofs. During the summer
months, outdoor temperatures can increase up to 39oC with a high humidity in most
parts of the country. In such a situation, heat produced by birds coupled with the heat
generated from outside air and solar radiation affect feed consumption, growth rate, egg
production and increase mortality. Therefore, small farmers who keep their birds in open-
sided house should prepare a production schedule for minimizing heat stress. Exotic
broiler parent stocks reared in open-sided house under Bangladesh conditions, although
they might be able to achieve higher body weights, are not able to withstand such
environmental stresses (Chowdhury et al., 2003).

NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF COMMERCIAL POULTRY

Along with the growth and progressive development of the poultry industry,

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 Poultry production in Bangladesh: S.C. Das et al.

commercial poultry farming in Bangladesh is facing two main problems in feeding their
birds: first, the limited number of feed ingredients and second, the high cost of such
ingredients and consequently formulated feeds, the case that initiated importation. At the
start of commercial poultry in Bangladesh during the 1980’s, small farms used to utilize
locally available feed ingredients for feed formulation, but later the status of feed supply
changed and both farmers and feed millers became accustomed to being dependent
regularly on imported feedstuffs (Huque, 2001). The conventional feed ingredients
generally used in poultry diet are corn, wheat or wheat bran, rice polish, soybean
meal, fish meal, meat and bone meal, oyster shell, and some feed additives. Sesame
and mustard oil cakes, though formerly common ingredients, are no longer extensively
used. Among the grains, yellow corn is considered as unique because of its high energy
content and its abundance of xanthophylls. Although government has taken various steps
to increase the country’s corn production, its current harvest (356,000 tons) lags far
behind actual necessities (1,400,000 tons) and thus the poultry industry depends mostly
on imported corn. However, a recent report declared that some 10-15% of corn in the
USA will be converted into ethanol (Lyons, 2006) which may have an impact on corn
prices by doubling that paid in previous years (the current local price is Tk 16.00 per kg).
Being a common human-food item, persistent competition between human and animals
for wheat prevails at all times and therefore, it is less commonly used in poultry diets.
This condition, however, is further aggravated due to seasonal availability of feed
ingredients, fluctuation in prices and natural problems like drought and flood.
Scientists in Bangladesh need to make more effort in the utilization of agricultural
by-products and non-conventional feed ingredients and try to enhance and enrich
those using nutritional biotechnological tools.
Since feed cost is the prime input in commercial poultry production, representing 65-
70% of the total cost of poultry production, attention should be directed in the utilization
of low cost, good quality feed ingredients to reduce the feed cost. In recent years, poultry
nutritionists in Bangladesh have encouraged exploring the possibility of using some
locally grown non-conventional feed ingredients in the rations. As a consequence,
poultry nutritional research is being carried out to evaluate and incorporate some
cheaper non-conventional feed ingredients in diet formulations. Table 4 shows a list
of such common non-conventional poultry feed ingredients and their chemical
compositions. These ingredients could be used as sources of energy, protein, vitamins
or xanthophylls. Until now, feasibility of these ingredients in poultry diets has been
evaluated on the basis of their proximate compositions, calcium and phosphorus and in
some cases amino acid profile. Information regarding detailed chemical compositions like
vitamins or trace mineral constituents, presence or absence of anti-nutritional factors and
their quantification in raw or processed feeds and their safe inclusion levels have not yet
been extensively assessed.

IMPORTING FOR COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION

The importation of poultry essentials in term of GP, PS, feed ingredients, feed
additives, vaccines, medicines and small and large equipment has helped the industry
grow, although such imports involve a huge investment. Of course, a small part of the
requirements for poultry farming is produced locally. However, a substantial part of
imported items may be produced locally if the commercial banks and other financial
agencies provide financial support to interested people at a competitive interest rates.

ROLE OF POULTRY AND INVOLVEMENT OF YOUTH

To alleviate the shortage of poultry meat and eggs in the country, efforts have been
directed to increase production. Various government bodies and NGOs are training

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 Poultry production in Bangladesh: S.C. Das et al.

unemployed youths regularly. A good number of trained people have engaged themselves
in poultry production. A section of people in Bangladesh, particularly the younger
generation who had little or no chance to receive a university education, are now
becoming increasingly involved in small commercial farming to maintain their
livelihood. Those who are involved in activities other than poultry production need to
buy poultry meat and eggs by their own earnings, but the amount undoubtedly depends
on how much an individual is paid. Currently, more the 5 million people are engaged
directly or indirectly in poultry sector most of which can enjoy the benefits of purchasing
poultry meat and eggs at a subsidised rate from their respective farms. It is believed that
this figure will increase if the development in this sector is enhanced. Table 3 shows a
gradual increase in the production of parent stock and commercial stock in the country.
Efforts have also been directed to increase people’s buying power. Various poverty
reduction/alleviation programmes are now in operation by the Government and NGOs.
But the effectiveness of such programmes depends on the development of strong
monitoring systems.

RECENT OUTBREAKS OF AVIAN INFLUENZA

The poultry industry of Bangladesh has experienced Avian Influenza for the first time
in its short history, early in 2007, which affected the whole industry. The virus strain was
identified as H5N1. Infection was observed in Tangail, Jamalpur, Narayanganj, Gazipur,
Dhaka (Savar) and Nilphamari districts, as a pandemic, where more than 250,000 birds
were killed and disposed off soon after the outbreaks of the virus (Anonymous, 2007).
Regular monitoring of the situation and pragmatic measurements were taken by the
relevant sectors of government to prevent further spread of the disease.
Outbreaks of Avian Influenza undoubtedly causes devastating economic loses and may
push Bangladesh poultry industry to the brink of collapse, as it will hit the export
potentials of poultry products hardest. What is most urgent as the consequence is that
the government should consider the necessary efforts to compensate the owners of
poultry farms who have lost their birds because of the disease. The World Bank,
United Nations and Asian Development Bank have assured the government of
providing financial and technical assistance to combat the spread of the disease. Of
course, experts are concerned about the consequence of the outbreak of Avian
Influenza in Bangladesh since reports are sporadically coming one after another
following laps of a few months.

PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF COMMON DISEASES

The diseases most prevalent in commercial poultry farms are Newcastle disease, Fowl
Pox, Fowl Cholera, Infectious Bursal Disease (IBD), Mycoplasmosis, Salmonellosis,
Colibacillosis. A vaccination schedule to prevent the common diseases is normally
followed. Small farmers, while buying the day-old chicks, usually receive a proper
guideline on vaccination and medication from the breeder farms/hatchery to protect
their birds from diseases. Of course, excessive vaccination and medication during
raising commercial and breeding stocks are in practice, and there are reports of
vaccine failure, particularly for IBD and occasionally for Newcastle disease. IBD was
first identified in Bangladesh in 1992. Since then it has become a big threat to this
industry. The specific reason behind the ineffectiveness of vaccination still remains
unclear though examining their conformity with the prevailing variants has not been
extensively investigated.
In this respect, Chowdhury and Das (2001) commented that the vaccines widely
marketed in Bangladesh are of foreign origin, and antigenic specificity of such
vaccines against the viral strains prevalent in Bangladesh is doubtful. Emphasis needs

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 Poultry production in Bangladesh: S.C. Das et al.

to be given to the level of maternal antibodies required and the appropriate time of
vaccination. Stresses associated with transportation and handling of day-old chicks,
nutritional and environmental conditions particularly temperature, humidity and
vaccination during rearing period, immune status of parent stock, health condition of
the birds to be vaccinated, quality control of vaccines during storage and transportation
may be factors that contribute to the vaccine failure. However, maintaining strict hygienic
measures and biosecurity can reduce the overall infection load in the farm and shrinks
risks to least possible (Islam, 2003). ‘Biosecurity’ is now a common word familiar to
most farmers. But the measures taken at small holders production units is very weak
since most of the farms are within the vicinity of the farmers’ homestead.

Strategies and future action plans for the development of Bangladesh

poultry
ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONAL POULTRY DEVELOPMENT BOARD
Lack of a sound poultry policy, absence of long-term poultry research plans, lack of
coordination among the concerned government organizations and relevant scientists,
poultry producers, and uncontrolled poultry marketing systems are vital issues that
indicate urgency of establishment of a National Poultry Development Board in
Bangladesh. This Board could monitor constraints of poultry production; determine
research needs, workout plans and execute those in an organized way so as to ensure
overall development of poultry farming in Bangladesh (Chowdhury and Das, 2001). A
15-year plan on poultry research and development activities could be considered as one
of the Board’s tasks to accelerate the current trend of poultry development in the country.

IMPROVEMENT OF THE PRESENT POULTRY MARKETING SYSTEMS

As the poultry production in Bangladesh is increasing, improvements in present
marketing systems of poultry meat and eggs has become a demand from both
producers and consumers. It has already been stated that a disorganized marketing
system prevails in Bangladesh that affects poultry production and its profitability
particularly for small farmers. The large poultry farmers have their own transportation
facilities but most of them could not develop the cold-chain transportation system
necessary to maintain the quality of table eggs and dressed broilers. The small
farmers normally depend on middlemen to sell their products, and are often deprived
of fair price. They need to form a coordinated committee nationwide to lobby for them, to
ensure better price of their products. The responsibility of such committee would include
the collection of information on supply and demand situation of poultry eggs and meat in
big cities, including the capital city of Dhaka. Meat and Egg Coordination Committees
may also develop a common but special transportation system of their own so that they
could efficiently transport the products from their farms to a distant place with minimum
cost. A good marketing channel among the poultry producers, retailers, sellers regulated
by the relevant authority may help prevent undue exploitation of small farmers. Since
poultry meat and eggs are perishable products, special attention is needed in slaughter,
storage and transportation. Attempts should be considered to construct at least some cold
storage for meat and eggs in selected parts of the country.
Poultry meat and eggs from commercial broiler and layer operations are usually sold to
and consumed by urban or semi-urban people. Some consumers in rural areas have a
negative attitude to eggs or broiler meat from commercial strains. Efforts should be taken
by both private and governmental sectors to disseminate basic information on quality and
nutritional benefit of broiler meat or table eggs from commercial birds. Mass media, such

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 Poultry production in Bangladesh: S.C. Das et al.

as television, radio or newspapers could play an important role in making consumers’

attitude positive towards the poultry products of commercial birds.

IMPROVEMENT OF FACILITIES FOR THE DIAGNOSIS OF POULTRY DISEASES

The climatic conditions of Bangladesh, particularly high temperature and humidity are
major factors favouring the spread of disease producing bacteria, viruses and parasites.
Although commercial poultry farms have expanded tremendously and overall poultry
production of the country has been increased, the facilities for the diagnosis of poultry
diseases have not been expanded at the same rate. The government, with assistance from
Asian Development Bank, has built up some diagnostic laboratories in Bangladesh
(approximately 20). These laboratories need trained manpower to handle the workload
of disease diagnosis. NGOs or industrialists with modern and sophisticated equipments
and with an objective to provide authentic and reliable diagnostic facilities to the farmers
have established a handful of private diagnostic laboratories in some poultry production
zones. However, these endeavours are not enough to fulfil the ever-increasing demands
of disease diagnosis. Therefore, more diagnostic centres with adequate manpower should
be established in areas where poultry farms are located at high concentrations.

COORDINATING THE ACTIVITIES OF NGO’S FOR THEIR BETTER

PERFORMANCE IN POULTRY SECTOR
Almost all the NGOs constitute project plans designed for the development of poultry
sector with an intension for poverty alleviation. Such plans are implemented at farmers’
doorsteps in their own way. Formulation of an appropriate and unique poultry
development policy by the relevant NGOs in consultation with expertise from
government departments, universities and research institutes seems a worthy request
for the developing poultry industry.

FORMULATION OF A NATIONAL POULTRY POLICY

Although a national poultry policy to strengthen poultry production in the country has
long been needed, it is still not a reality. In 2001, the government formed a committee,
with Professor Dr. S. M. Bulbul as its convener, to formulate a national poultry policy.
The committee worked for a long time and, on the basis of opinions received from
different quarters, formulated a poultry policy which was finalised in 2005. This is still
waiting for approval from government.
When the Advisor in charge of Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock was asked about
the fate of the formulated policy in a discussion meeting held in May 2007, the Advisor
said that they were interested in formulating new guidelines for the industry rather than
considering or approving the already formulated policy. This statement from government
has caused scientists and the industry much frustration.

Some recommendations that could be considered for the development

of poultry industry in Bangladesh
1. Despite the slow growth rate and low laying performance, indigenous birds are still
considered as the fundamental resources of so many invaluable genetic and non-
genetic economic traits. In-depth studies are needed for identification, selection,
accumulation and conservation of such novel genetic resources that are sporadically
distributed in the country for their development.
2. Necessary initiatives are to be taken on urgent basis for preventing the erosion of
those valuable genetic resources. Suitable and sustainable high-producing lines for

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chicken could be developed from the native stock by selective breeding backed
with the appropriate nutritional and management practices. Regional research
institutes for indigenous poultry particularly in the Asia and Africa where
majority of the indigenous poultry are located could be established. To achieve
such an aim, funding agencies, however, need to come forward.
3. Irregular production and supply of chicks may be one of the constraints for why the
rural poultry is not yet emerged as smallholder enterprises. Therefore, when a
suitable breeding stock is developed from the native birds, a promising approach
should initiate by the relevant sectors of the Government and NGOs to form a
“Rural Poultry Network” involving some enthusiastic farmers at the village level
who would maintain the breeding stock and would ensure the regular flow of fertile
eggs to rural farmers.
4. The government should teach and train rural poultry farmers, women in particular,
on basic techniques of brooding and rearing of chicks, proper nutrition and feed
requirements in different phases of life as well as disease prevention and
management etc, to reduce the losses and maximize the returns under this
system of poultry production which in turn might have its impact on the
national economy.
5. Although the reasons of recent outbreak of Avian Influenza in Bangladesh is still
unknown, concerned authorities should be more attentive to the quarantine of the
imported chicks, regular inspection of all imported feed ingredients and other
possible sources of infection.
6. Smallholder farmers should come forward to form a “market group” to ensure a fair
price of their products by minimizing role of middlemen in the existing marketing
channels.
7. Biotechnological applications for poultry feeds and nutrition should be considered
to augment environment-friendly poultry production. In addition, efforts should be
taken to ensure safety standards of poultry meat and eggs for human consumption.
8. With regard to prevent ‘vaccine failure’ it is important to check the antigenic
specificity of a particular vaccine to a particular antigen in an authentic and
reputed poultry diagnostic laboratory/centre before the implementation of
vaccination programme.
9. The government should allow tax holiday on imported feed materials in the interest
of flourishing the developing poultry industry.
10. Initiatives should be taken on urgent basis for the approval of the national poultry
policy that has already been formulated. This should be implemented to organise
production and marketing to ensure a steady and secure supply of poultry products
to the population throughout the year.

Conclusions
There is no denying of the fact that poultry production should be encouraged both at
smallholder and industrial levels. It seems that the situation for poultry production will
remain problematic, with new challenges appearing regularly. Rural poultry production
should be backed by proper inputs until and unless meat and egg-type strains with native
genetics are developed or industrial production is in a position to meet the requirements
for meat and eggs within the country.
Any plan for poverty alleviation or reduction through poultry rearing must be prepared,
implemented, monitored and modified, if necessary, in the light of national poultry
policy. Quality control systems for live poultry and poultry products need to be well

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 Poultry production in Bangladesh: S.C. Das et al.

developed with due emphasis on safety standards before broadening the horizon of export
markets. Experts from government, research institutes, universities, NGOs and other
relevant sectors should work in a collaborative manner in order to allow sustainable
production and fight challenges jointly when they would appear from time to time. As
local funding is limited, industrialists need to be found who are willing to fund
universities and research institutes in order to undertake poultry studies of national
and international importance.

Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank Dr Piet Simons, Secretary, World’s Poultry Science
Association for his interest on this article and to Dr Ahmed Abdel-Ghany, Professor
of Poultry Breeding and Genetics, Animal Production Department, College of
Agriculture, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt for his kind comments on an
initial draft. Mr. S.C. Ghosh, Director General of the Department of Livestock
Services, Bangladesh deserves special thanks for a useful discussion.

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 Table 4 Chemical composition of non-conventional feed ingredients and their inclusion levels in poultry diet.

Ingredients DM ME CP EE CF Ca Total P Ash Inclusion References

g/kg kcal/kg g/kg g/kg g/kg g/kg g/kg g/kg levels (g/kg)

Khesari (Lathyrus sativus) 907.8 2963 283.4 12.0 49.6 - - 18.0 200.0G Chowdhury et al. (2005)
150.0L
Duck weed (Lemna minor) 885 2887 280 36 115 6.0 7.2 338 150.0L Dhar et al. (2007)
Azolla (Azolla pinnata) 905.8 1814 285.4 16.1 123.8 14.3 3.1 169.2 200.0L Khatun et al. (1999)
Ipil-ipil leaf 953 1876 258 53 99 10.2 2.4 104 - Dhar et al. (2007)
(Leucaena leucocephala)
Silk worm pupae (Bombyx mori) 947.0 2281 554.0 193.0 37.0 - - 69.0 - Chowdhury (2003)
Snail meat (Pila globosa) 892.1 2131 539.0 28.0 18.0 85.0 6.5 188.0 80.0B Ali and Lesson (1995)
Papaya skin (Carica papaya) 910.0 2127 252.0 21.0 67.0 - - 10.0 12.0B Kamaruzzaman et al. (2005)
Carrot meal (Daucus carota) 895.0 2510 188.3 35.0 80.0 - - 35.0 80.0L Sikder et al. (1998)
Marigold flower (Tagetes spp.) 883.0 3322 125.0 67.0 200.0 5.0 5.0 67.0 40.0L Chowdhury et al. (2007)
Orange skin (Citrus spp.) 874.0 1353 56.0 37.0 200.0 4.5 3.0 30.0 40.0L Chowdhury et al. (2007)
Broiler offal 850.0 2910 583.5 180.0 30.0 24.5 178.0 55.0 80.0B Hossain et al. (2003)
Broken rice 874.0 3154 98.0 20.0 10.0 1.3 2.3 20.0 - Chowdhury (2003)
Sweet potato meal 944.0 3522 27.0 16.0 34.0 - - 28.0 - Chowdhury (2003)
Cassava 969.0 3186 55.0 73.0 119.0 - - 88 - Chowdhury (2003)
Potato peelings 907.0 2395 111.0 3.0 45.0 1.1 4.0 91.0 - Chowdhury (2003)
Rain tree pod 951.0 2596 77.0 11.0 87.0 - - 39.0 - Chowdhury (2003)
Kabli bran 962.0 1126 56.0 3.0 484.0 - - 38.0 - Chowdhury (2003)
Anchor bran 956.0 1729 99.0 7.0 338.0 - - 46.0 - Chowdhury (2003)
Hatchery waste 966.0 2453 411.0 134.0 9.0 23.6 6.6 430.0 - Chowdhury (2003)

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Earth worm 975.0 1928 388.0 54.0 18.0 - - 368.0 - Chowdhury (2003)
Spent tea leaf 882 2101 243 21 213 2.1 4.3 42 - Dhar et al. (2007)
Egg shell - - - - - 226.2 - - - Dhar et al. (2007)
Oyster shell - - - - - 287.4 - - - Dhar et al. (2007)

G = Grower; L = Layer; B = Broiler

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