Broiler Poultry Farming Broiler segment in poultry is one of the fastest growing segments in recent times. It is the tender, young meat of male or female chicken. It’s weight ranges from 40 grams to 1.5 Kg and it can be maximum six weeks old. India produces 2.47 million metric tonnes of broiler making it the fifth largest broiler producer in the world. This growth is mainly due to the interposition of the corporate sector that threw emphasis on scientific rearing of broilers. Owing to the considerable growth, farmers have access to high quality chicks, professional guidance, medicines and vaccines, sophisticated equipment, etc. Layer Poultry Farming Layer poultry means raising birds specifically for egg-laying purposes. In other words, special hen species are reared for commercial egg production. They start laying eggs once they are 18 weeks old and go on laying eggs till they are 78 weeks of age. During this period they produce 1 Kg of eggs for every 2.25 Kg of food consumed. Globally India is the third largest producer of eggs in the world. As per statistics, the current egg production is far below the ICMR recommended 180 eggs per capita annually. Country Chicken Farming Country chicken or free range chicken is rearing poultry breeds indigenous to India. In other words, they are local breed of chicken found in a particular geographical location. India is the fifth largest chicken producer of which commercial poultry breeds are a major harvest. However country chicken also makes significant contribution. The main advantage of country chicken is that the birds are comparatively more resistant to infections and have a better survival rate. They adapt to new surroundings easily. They have a good egg production capacity and the input cost is negligible.