Growth performance of Pratapdhan chicks supplemented with fresh Azolla in backyard system under the arid condition of Rajasthan

The objective of this study was to assess the effect of supplementation of fresh Azolla (Azolla pinnata) intervention on body weight gain in Pratapdhan chicks kept under the backyard system in arid conditions of western Rajasthan. The study was undertaken with 60 beneficiaries of Scheduled caste (SC) farmers, for this purpose; they were equally divided into three experimental groups with 20 Pratapdhan chicks each. The experiment group (T0) treated as a farmer practice; only kitchen waste feed was offered to chicks while the T1 birds were given T0 + 1kg mash grains / 20 birds/day was provided. The T2 group birds were fed along with T1 + fresh Azolla pinnata offered @200g kg-1fed to the chicks up to 20 weeks of their age. Based on the results of the study, it could be concluded that 20% of Azolla could be included in the feeding practice of chicks in backyard poultry systems. Conducting farmer’s participatory trials is an effective approach to creating awareness and acceptance towards the Azolla technology. This is a valuable green feed supplement for poultry birds, especially under the backyard production system.

Keywords: Arid ecosystem, Azolla feeding, body weight gain, Pratapdhan