Kumar, RajeshKAPOOR, NITIKA2021-02-012021-02-012019-07-23https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810160774Backyard poultry is one of the important activities being promoted in the state for the supplementation of household income by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, CSK HPKV Palampur. The backyard poultry has a potential of improving the socio-economic status of marginal, small farms and even landless households through the generation of supplementary income along with other farm activities. The present study was conducted in Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh to study socio- economic status of households and workout the economics of backyard poultry. Both primary data were collected from 60 backyard poultry owners of Chamba and Mehla block, selected by using two stage random sampling technique. Simple tabular method was used for the analysis of data and results have been presented by working averages, percentages, indices, etc. The average size of land holding was 0.22 ha in which 86 per cent area was under cultivation crops. The analysis of cropping pattern revealed that maize and wheat were the major crops grown by the respondents. The livestock inventory was about 5.79 animals which comprised cattle, bullocks, sheep and goat. Among the cereal crops, the productivity of maize was highest (about 23q/ha) followed by wheat. The total per farm value of farm inventories except land was worth Rs. 2,56,539 comprising buildings Rs. 1,91,916, livestock Rs. 57,548 and farm machinery and implements Rs. 7075. The size of backyard poultry unit was about 47 birds comprising 31 hens and 16 broilers. Under backyard poultry schemes, the respondents had purchased 76.67 chicks on subsidized rates while 3.52 waterers, 3.6 feeders and 60 kg of feed were supplied to the respondents free of cost. The average total initial investment on backyard poultry was around Rs. 23,898 out of which, investment on poultry shed was highest (89.62%) followed by cost of chicks (6.74%). The average annual use working capital in the backyard poultry was Rs. 41,048 in which poultry feed accounted for about 60 per cent followed by cost of family labour (31.27%). The total annual cost of managing the backyard poultry was estimated at Rs. 44,596/annum. The annual production of poultry unit comprised 4640 eggs, about 20 poultry birds sold for meat and 10.28q of poultry manure. The gross value of all these products was estimated at Rs. 59114 in which major share was from the sale of eggs (86%). Backyard poultry in the study area was found to be profitable activity as the net returns over total coat were to the tune of Rs. 14518/unit and 309/bird, respectively. Moreover, the Benefit cost ratio worked out 1:1.33, which indicated total investment of worth Rs.1 in backyard poultry will generate an income of Rs. 1.33. The major portion of total production of main products of poultry viz., eggs (86.26%) and bird meat (100%) was marketed. The share of income from backyard poultry was about 17 per cent of the total agricultural income. The major problems in backyard poultry were loss by predators, losses due to the insect pest and diseases, costly feed and damage to field crops by poultry birds.EnglishThesis