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Poultry-Fish Culture
The droppings of chicks rich in nitrogen and phosphorus would fertilise fishponds.
Poultry housing, when constructed above the water level using bamboo poles would
fertilise fishponds directly. This system utilizes poultry droppings for fish culture.
Production levels of 4500-5000 kg/fish/ha could be obtained by recycling pond manure
into fishponds. Broiler production provides good and immediate returns to farmers.
Procurement of quality chicks, housing, brooding, feeding and disease management
are important for this type of system. In fish poultry integration, birds housed
under intensive system are considered best. Birds are kept in confinement with no
access to outside. Deep litter is well suited for this type of farming. About 6-8
cm thick layer prepared from chopped straw, dry leaves, saw dust or groundnut shell
is sufficient.
Rhode island or Leghorn birds are preferred in poultry-fish system for their better
growth and egg laying capacity. The number of chicks used for this system is about
2500/ha however; the stocking density of chicks may be increased in the event of
increase in the stocking density of fish fingerlings. Egg-type birds are fed with
starter 0-8 weeks, grower 8-20 weeks and brooder feed 20 weeks onwards, while broilers
are fed 0-4 weeks with starter and 4-6 weeks with finisher feed. The deep poultry
litter is applied to pond in daily doses at 30-35 kg/ha. One adult chicken produces
about 25 kg of compost poultry-manure in a year; 1000 birds can provide sufficient
manure for 1 ha water body.
Chicken-fish integrated system
Fertilization with poultry manure results in a production of 3000-4000 kg fish,
90,000-100,000 eggs and over 2,500 kg meat/ year. A fish production of 10 tonne/ha
could be obtained by culturing tilapia, common carp and murrels with a stocking
density of 20,000 fingerlings/ha and chick density of 4,000/ha. No chemical fertilisers
or supplemental feeds have to be given at any stage. By stocking 5,000 giant fresh-water
prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii and 1,500 silver carp in one-hectare area, one
can harvest 600 kg of prawns and an equal amount of fish in a four-month culture
period.
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