RAY, M. N.Pyrtuh, Riwanki2019-07-312019-07-312016-07http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810118102The poultry rearing is the most dynamic venture in animal husbandry playing a vital role for socio-economic development of the country. It also plays a significant role in supplementing family income, employment generation, enhances nutrition and alleviates poverty. Thus the study had been conceptualized with the overall objective to study on “Progressive Poultry Rearing Ventures in Selected Districts of Meghalaya”. The study was carried out in two purposively selected districts of Meghalaya viz. East Khasi Hills district and South West Khasi Hills district. Mawphlang block from East Khasi Hills district and Mawkyrwat block from South West Khasi Hills district were purposively selected considering their poultry population. Six villages from each of the two selected blocks were randomly selected and ten poultry farmers were again randomly selected to make the sample size 120. Data on socio-personal and psychological profile of poultry farmers, the factors and areas influencing poultry rearing in the districts, the changes occurred in poultry rearing in recent years, the progressive economic and social contribution of poultry rearing to the family and society respectively and the poultry farmers’ contribution to the local markets were gathered by the researcher through personal interview method. The study revealed that majority of the respondents were of middle age (64 per cent), married (95 per cent), males (52 per cent) and having a nuclear type (95 per cent) of family. Majority of the respondents had medium sized family with a highly significant difference between the two blocks (‘t’ value= 2.019*, p<0.05). A large number of the respondents could read and write (40 per cent), were daily wage earners (56 per cent) in occupation with an average annual income of Rs 80, 483.33 from all sources (82 per cent) and an average of Rs 6883.33 as annual income from poultry (92 per cent). Majority (95 per cent) of the respondents had medium flock size with a highly significant difference between the two blocks (t= 2.18*, p<0.05). Majority of the respondents had medium length of experience (69 per cent) in poultry rearing with medium level of training (93 per cent). All the respondents utilized their income from poultry for day-to-day household upkeep. They had also utilized their income from poultry in the fields of education (54.78 per cent), health care (49.80 per cent), sustaining of poultry production (34.03 per cent) and in agricultural activities (2.49 per cent) in a mutually exclusive manner. Majority of the respondents had medium level of social participation (92 per cent), extension contact (84 per cent) and mass media exposure (58 per cent). Majority of the respondents had neutral attitude (78 per cent) towards poultry rearing with medium level of economic motivation (68 per cent). In respect of changes in poultry rearing, there was a reduction in the number of respondents who were found to practice free range system whereas there was an increase in the number of respondents who practiced backyard and intensive system of rearing. In case of floor material, there was an increase in the number of respondents who used concrete. There was an increase in the number of respondents who used GI sheet as roofing material as well as a combination of concrete and wire net as side wall construction. Similarly the number of respondents using plastic-make as feeding trough and commercial feed also increased. The number of respondents who adopted improved variety of chicken also increased. In respect of source of chicks, there was an increase in the number of respondents who procured chicks through private dealers and Government schemes. The number of respondents who vaccinated, de-wormed, provided treatment, buried the dead birds and kept records also showed a markedly upward trend. Majority of the respondents (64 per cent) fell under the medium category of perception in respect of factors and areas that influenced poultry rearing and agreed that ‘finance’ (86.00%), ‘diseases’ (81.00%), ‘Government policies of helping farmers’ (42.00%), ‘knowledge on scientific practices’ (38.00%) and ‘training on poultry rearing’ (59.00%) had ‘very much’ influenced on poultry rearing. Majority of the respondents (76 per cent) had medium level of perception with respect to the economic and social contribution of poultry rearing to their family and society respectively. There was highly significant difference between the two blocks in economic and social contribution of poultry rearing to their family and society respectively. (‘t’ value= 3.12**, p<0.01). Further majority of the respondents felt that poultry rearing had ‘very much’ contributed to their family in terms of ‘Increase in family income’. Similarly, majority of the respondents (74 per cent) fell in medium category with respect to their perceived contribution of poultry rearing to the local markets and perceived that the item ‘Enhances employment opportunities’ (86.00%) had ‘very much’ contribution to the local markets. In relational analysis, educational status (‘r’=0.20*) and extension contact (‘r’= 0.23*) had positive and significant (p<0.05) correlation with the factors and areas affecting poultry rearing. Further, annual income from all sources (‘r’=0.35**), mass media exposure (‘r’=0.36**) and economic motivation (‘r’=0.38**) had positive and highly significant (p<0.01) correlation with the factors and areas affecting poultry rearing. In regression analysis, experience in poultry rearing and economic motivation had a positive and significant (p<0.05) influence on the factors and areas affecting poultry rearing.ennullThesis