Mini incubator for small women farmers holdings in A&N Islands

The total poultry population in A&N Islands is 12, 83,746, out of which majority ( 61.03%) is desi(rural) birds. This signifies the dependency and reliability of rural farmers on desi poultry for eggs and chicken meat. The innate nature of rural poultry farming is free range condition with production of chicks through natural hatching under brooding hen.This practice limits production of chicks due to less hatchability.Team of Animal science division, ICAR-CIARI, Port Blair successfully exploited the technology of mini incubator cum hatcher to gear up the desichicken production in the island ecosystem. A total of seven numbers of community based mini incubators (240 eggs capacity) have been established for hatching of desieggs at KVK of South Andaman and North and Middle Andaman andin the farmers’ field involving women farmer as a token of woman empowerment at Wandoor, Indiranagar, Nayagaon, Memeyo and Nimbudera of South and N&M Andaman.Through capacity building programmes the farmers were trained to use mini incubator and have started producing ducklings and chickens which were further used by the other farmers of neighbouring villages. Use of this technology increases the hatchability percent to 78.8% from 60%. 15 farmers have established their own mini incubator and started selling desi chickson commercial scale and emerged as successful entrepreneurs. Thus mini incubator technology has been proved as viable and sustainable venture to improve the socio economic status of island farm women and a very good example of doubling farmers’ income.

Benefit:The purchase cost of the day old desi chick has been reduced by 50%

Source : Contact person with Name, Designation e-mail and phone no: Dr.T.Sujatha, Sr.Scientist, E-mail : Sujatha.t@icar.gov.in Mob : +919531818976