Q. M. E. Huque

An oesophagial crop study was carried out in family poultry to determine the nutritional status in their feed. The crude protein, crude fibre, ether extract, ash, nitrogen-free extracts, calcium and phosphorus contents were determined in the feed collected from crop and gizzard. The significantly highest crude protein and crude fibre contents were found in Botyaghata during summer. In all locations, highest crude protein contents (P<0.05) were observed in summer, in comparison with the two other seasons. The crude fibre content was found to be about double the standard requirement in all locations. The calcium (Ca) content of the feed of laying hens in different locations was found close to the standard requirement for laying hens. However, the phosphorus (P) was deficient. This results in an imbalanced Ca/P ratio in the feed. The most common feed items found in the crop and gizzard were whole rice grain, boiled rice and vegetable materials. The feed obtained through scavenging was deficient in crude protein, and the crude fibre was found to be double the standard requirement. The Ca/P ratio in the feed was not found balanced.

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The family poultry in Bangladesh is characterized by small-scale operation. Family poultry population has been estimated about 80 percent of the total poultry population (1997-98) in Bangladesh. Poultry rearing is one of the most income generating activities for rural women, landless poor and marginal farmers. It provides the population with cash income, generates employment opportunities and, at the same time, increases the production of valuable animal protein.

Bangladesh has large potential for increasing meat and egg production through family poultry. The success depends essentially on the improvements of indigenous practices in extensive family poultry production systems. The potential for increasing poultry production is closely linked to an appropriate use of the locally available feed resources. The nutritional status of scavenging laying hens (domestic fowl) is not known. Balanced ration, which meets the nutritional requirement, is a prerequisite for an efficient production. Any adaptation or improvement programme using exotic/improved chickens required higher nutrient supplies than those intended for the local chickens (Sazzad, 1986).

Thus, before taking any comprehensive programme for the improvement of family poultry production systems, it is essential to know the existing nutritional status of the feed obtained by the scavenging hens in a day. It is also relevant to know whether the scavenged feed contained sufficient nutrients or not to support the egg production of laying hens. The present study was undertaken to determine the major nutritional status in the feed found in crop and gizzard of laying hens under scavenging system of rearing.

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On the basis of the countryÔs topography and ecology, five locations were selected from different ecological zones like plane, low, high, hilly and saline land area of the country. The areas were Savar Thana of Dhaka district, Sadar Thana of Sylhet district, Birgonj Thana of Dinajpur district, Hathazari Thana of Chittagong district and Botyaghata Thana of Khulna district. To determine the nutritional status of laying hens under scavenging conditions, oesophagial crop study was conducted in three seasons. The number of sacrificed laying hens was 107, 98, 100, 95 and 100 at Savar, Sadar, Birgonj, Hathazari and Botyaghata Thanas, respectively. Birds were collected directly from farm household during the scavenging time and the birds were weighed and sacrificed on the spot by bleeding at the cervical region. The birds were collected at 9:30, 11:30, 13:30 and 15:30 hours of the day.

The sacrificed birds were carried to the Thana (lowest administrative unit) veterinary hospital/laboratory, and were opened for internal organs and the feed in the crop and gizzard of the scavenging hens were collected for further analysis. The feed collected from the gizzard and crop were weighed and the feed items were identified through eye observation and kept in the deep freezer. After freezing, the feed samples were brought to the Bangladesh Livestock Research InstituteÔs laboratory. The feed samples were ground and mixed properly for analysis.

The proximate components of the feed were determined according to A.O.A.C. (1960). The ground samples were weighed out and digested with di-acid mixture (H2 SO4 : HCIO4 = 2 : 1) for total content of calcium and phosphorus. When digestion was complete the content was transferred to a 50 ml volumetric flask and made up to the mark using de-ionated water. The phosphorus in the digest was determined by developing the yellow colour by adding ammonium molybdate, ammonium vanadate (Burtons solution) and measuring the colour with the help of spectrophotometer at 440 mu (Chapman and Pratt, 1961). Total Ca content in the digest was determined directly by using atomic absorption spectrophotometer.

The feed samples were collected in one complete year by dividing the year into three periods based on climatic conditions of the country. The three periods were October²January, February-May and June-September that were considered as winter, summer and rainy season, respectively. The data were analyzed using General Linear Models Procedure of SAS Programme (SAS/STAT UserÔs Guide, 1988). The test of significance was made according to Kramar (1956).

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The chemical composition of the feed samples collected from crop and gizzard of hens are presented in Table 1. The significantly highest value of crude protein (CP) content in the scavenged feed of laying hens was found in Botyaghata during the summer. In each location, it was observed that the CP content of the feeds was higher (P<0.05) during the summer. The higher CP content might be due to the availability of pulses and insects during the summer than in the other two seasons of the year. This result was in agreement with the findings of Savory et al. (1978) who found that the diet of scavenging chicks contained about 56 percent of invertebrate food at first week of age during summer period. The level of invertebrate feed declined later to a somewhat lower level. The significantly lowest value of CP content was observed in Hathazari during the rainy season. It was observed that CP content of feed sample during the rainy season was lower than in any other period of the year. The lower availability of CP in Hathanzari (7.31 percent) and Sadar (7.75 percent) might be due to location-specific. This can be explained by the fact that Sadar location is a ÍhaorÔ (water logged) area and Hathazari is a hilly area. In the rainy season, the birds cannot scavenge properly due to heavy rainfall, which might be the reason for lower CP in these locations.

Table 1: Chemical composition of collected feed samples of hen in respect to season and location.

The crude fibre (CF) content in Botyaghata (10.30 percent) during the summer was higher (P<0.05) than in all other locations and in all seasons. It was observed that the overall crude fibre content was higher in Botyaghata in all seasons of the year. Botyaghata is the extensive rice producing area among the five locations, and rice is the main crop of this area. It is assumed that the hens of this area get more whole rice, which might be the cause of higher CF content in their scavenged feed. In all seasons, the overall CF content of the scavenged feed of hens throughout the year was higher than that of the standard poultry ration.

There was no significant difference in the ether extract (EE) content of the feed of laying hens of Hathazari, Botyaghata and Savar locations in all seasons. The EE content in Birgonj was lower (P<0.05) during the summer than the rainy season. In all seasons, the EE content was significantly higher in Hathazari than in Sadar.

The ash content in the feed in Botyaghata was higher (P<0.05) than in Hathazari and Savar locations in all seasons, but it was not significant (P>0.05) between Botyaghata and Sadar locations. The ash content of Hathazari location was significantly (P<0.05) lower than Sylhet location. It was observed that the overall ash content of the feed samples was higher than the standard requirement for laying hens.

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The nitrogen-free extracts (NFE) were lower (P<0.05) in Botayaghata than in Savar and Hathazari locations. This was due to the higher crude fibre content in Botyaghata.

The calcium (Ca) content in Botyaghata location during the summer and the rainy season was higher (P<0.05) than in Savar and throughout the year. When a particular location was considered it was found that Ca content in different seasons of the year was not significantly different. It was also observed that there was not much difference in Ca content of the feed of scavenging laying hens among the locations, and it was very close to the standard requirement for laying hens. The phosphorus (P) content in Savar location was higher (P<0.05) than in all other locations and in all seasons. It was found that the P content in the feed of scavenging laying hens was lower than the standard requirement for laying hens. Thus, the Ca/P ratio was not found balanced in the scavenged feed

Available feed items found in the crop and the gizzard of sacrificed birds are shown in Table 2. Practically the common feed ingredients and wastes picked up by the hens were those available at the homestead of the farmers. The availability of feed ingredients and wastes depends on crop pattern and climatic condition. The most common items found in the crop and gizzard of the hens were rice polish, whole rice grain, broken rice, boiled rice. Whole wheat, pulses, insects, etc. were found in a particular season of the year depending on the crop pattern and rainfall.

Table 2: List of feed items found in the crop and gizzard of family poultry

The results revealed that the feeds scavenged by laying hens are deficient in protein and phosphorus. Huque and Ukil (1992) reported that the feeds consumed by family poultry was also deficient in energy under scavenging conditions. This has negative effects on production. Huque and Ukil (1993) found that supplementation of laying family duck under scavenging conditions increased egg production about double. On the other hand, Huque and Ukil (1992) reported that supplementation of laying family hens increased egg production, but this was not economically cost-effective with the existing prices of feedstuffs. Chick separation and non-broodiness have also a positive impact on egg production cycle of family poultry (Huque et al., 1990).

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From the results, it may be concluded that nutrients obtained from scavenging around the homestead were not enough to express the production potential of family poultry when the local germ plasm (breed) available in the country is considered. The seasons affect directly crop production pattern and availability of feedstuffs, and thus egg production of family poultry in Bangladesh. The nutritional status of family poultry needs to be improved through the use of locally available feed resources for higher production. Hence, the income of poor farmers can substantially be enhanced.

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A.O.A.C. (1960): Association of Agricultural Chemists. Official methods of analysis, 10th ED. Washington D.C.

Chapman, H.D. and Pratt, P.F. (1961): Methods of analysis for soils, plants and waters. University of California, Division of Agricultural Sciences.

Huque, Q.M.E.and Ukil, M.A. (1992): The effect of supplementary feeding on egg production of local laying hens. The Bangladesh Veterinarian 9 (1-2): 14-19.

Huque, Q.M.E. and Ukil, M.A. (1993): Supplementary feeding of laying ducks under scavenging condition. Bangladesh Journal of Livestock Research 1 (1): 57-62.

Huque, Q.M.E.,Ebadul, M.H. and Rigor, E.M. (1990): The effect of chick separation on productivity of the hen and chick. Asian-Australian Journal of Animal Sciences 3 (2): 121-123.

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Savory, C.J., Wood-Gush, D.A.M. and Duncan, I.J.H. (1978): Applied Animal Ethology 4: 13-27.

Sazzad, M.H. (1986): Reproductive performance of Desi chickens under scavenging and intensive system of rearing Proceedings of First Annual Livestock Research Workshop, Livestock Research Institute, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

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