Performance of Vanaraja Birds under Different Climatic Parameters

Present study was conducted to study the effect of some climatic parameters on the performance of Vanaraja birds reared under intensive and backyard systems. Performance of Vanaraja (dual purpose) birds under the environmental conditions such as temperature, relative humidity and Temperature Humidity Index (THI) was studied in summer in Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir. 120 birds were equally distributed and reared for eight weeks in two groups: intensive (inside shed) and semi intensive (outside shed). Each group was having four replicates of 15 birds each. Based upon average daily dry and wet bulb temperatures, THI values for outside and inside the shed were calculated. The overall average temperature, relative humidity, THI, mortalities, water intake, weight gain, feed consumption, and feed conversion ratio by the birds in intensive (inside shed) and semi intensive (outside shed) systems up to eight weeks of age were; 37.02 and 37.63 oC, 62.18 and 66.61 %, 84.5 and 83.85, 2.4 and 1.7, 1300.3+6.77 and 1055.92± 7.32 ml, 173.27 ± 6.78 and 170.84 ± 5.21 g, 398.02 ± 5.66 and 327.90 ± 7.11 g, 2.24± 0.112.0 and 2 ± 0.12 respectively. THI values for outside and inside the shed suggested that the birds were in stress during the experiment. It was concluded that during the extremes of temperature and relative humidity the performance of the Vanaraja birds was less.