COST BENEFIT APPROACH FOR OPTIMIZATION OF STOCKING DENSITY OF BROILER REARING IN A SMALL POULTRY HOUSE

The study was performed to determine the optimum stocking density of poultry bird in small broiler rearing poultry house using the stocking densities 20, 25.33. 50 and 100 birds poultry house' (equivalent to 2.5, 2.0, 1.5. 1.0 and 0.5 ft space bird'). Growth and survival of bird were recorded at regular intervals. Production data was collected after rearing of 45 days. Data was analyzed statistically by ANOVA and LSD for separation of means (p < 0.05). The growth of poultry birds gradually decreased with increasing stocking density and showed maximum growth 2.25 Kg at SDao Total production of bird tended to rise as a direct function of the stocking density till the Stocking density SDss, further rise in stocking density resulted in 33 to 41% decline. Critical appraisal of the cost benefit data clearly showed the four levels of response to density of bird. Low growth of profit from SD20 to SDs-low growth of profit density (LGPD), high growth of profit from >SDs to SDss-high growth of profit density (HGPD), reduced growth of profit from >SD, to SDreduced growth profit density (RGPD) and negative growth of profit or loss from >SD., to SDoo-negative growth of profit density (NGPD). Examination of cost benefit ratio for production of broiler exhibiting the total revenue and profit being maximum at the density of bird 33 (SDs) and exhibiting zero profit at the stocking density of 43. Therefore, it can be concluded that stocking density 33 bird poultry house' (1.5ft bird') is cost benefit density as well as optimum in small broiler rearing poultry house.