§1What this business is
A family buys 100 day-old chicks of an improved indigenous variety such as Vanaraja, Giriraja, Girirani or Krishna-J. The chicks are brooded for the first week, then reared for 55–60 days in a mud-wall shed with a bamboo and thatch roof and let out to forage in the day. They are fed concentrate feed, vaccinated and dewormed. At about 1 kg live weight the whole batch is sold in the local market, where desi birds fetch a higher price, and the next batch comes in (All In All Out). The NABARD model is meant for landless families, small and marginal farmers and women in Self Help Groups.
Capacity: 100 birds per batch, 6 batches a year; about 90 birds sold per batch after 8–10% mortality, each about 1 kg at 60 days.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
A landless or small farm family, or a Self Help Group member, who wants extra income from the backyard.
Who it is not for
Someone looking for a full-time income from a single 100-bird unit.
Advantages
- Starts with only ₹14,000 and a shed of local material
- Desi birds sell at a higher price in the local market
- Improved desi strains resist disease and bear harsh weather better than hybrids
- Uses family labour, including members who cannot do field work
Drawbacks
- Small income — about ₹19,500 a year from one unit
- 8–10% of birds die even in the model
- Birds foraging outside can be taken by predators
- Improved desi chicks are not always available nearby
Skills you need
- Brooding day-old chicks in the first week
- Timely vaccination and deworming
- Mixing feed from locally available ingredients
- Keeping the shed dry and clean
Why difficulty 1/5: Very small outlay, hardy birds and simple housing; the main need is regular care and vaccination.
§3Market
Who buys
- Local households and village markets
- Chicken shops and traders who want desi birds
- Local eateries
How it sells
- Sale of live birds at the weekly market
- Direct sale from the house
Good to know
- The model assumes ₹150 per kg live weight for a 1 kg bird.
- The report says backyard poultry produces 30 to 35% of India's eggs and that local birds fetch higher prices.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Shed of 100 sq ft — mud wall, bamboo and thatched roof | 1 | ₹5,000 |
| Equipment (feeders, waterers, brooding heat source) | — | ₹1,500 |
From: NABARD model bankable project — Indigenous Poultry Farming
- Day-old chicks of an improved indigenous variety100 per batch at ₹25 a chick
- Concentrate feed2.50 kg per bird at ₹25 per kg
- Vaccines and medicines₹15 per bird
- Paddy or wheat straw for litter1–2 inches on the floor
From: NABARD model bankable project — Indigenous Poultry Farming
§5Licences & registration
- No licence is normally needed for a backyard unit of this size
- Follow the State Animal Husbandry Department's vaccination and disease-reporting rules
- A bank or Self Help Group account for the loan
Start it in your state
Pick your state: today’s cost, central + state subsidy, raw material, land and help, on one page.
§6Schemes & subsidies
A loan of this size fits Mudra's Shishu category (up to ₹50,000), which covers poultry. The report also mentions backyard poultry support under the National Livestock Mission — ask the State Animal Husbandry Department what is on offer now.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: Capital cost ₹6,500 (shed of 100 sq ft with mud wall, bamboo and thatched roof ₹5,000; equipment ₹1,500) + recurring cost ₹7,500 (first batch of 100 day-old chicks ₹2,500; feed ₹5,000) = ₹14,000.
Working capital: The first batch of chicks (₹2,500) and feed (₹5,000) is part of the project cost. Each batch needs chicks at ₹25 each, 2.50 kg of feed per bird at ₹25 per kg and ₹15 per bird for vaccine and medicine. Margin 10% (₹1,400), bank loan ₹12,600 at an assumed 12%, repaid in 5 years.
Year not printed in the model project — chick, feed and bird prices have changed; check current local rates.
§8Export potential
Confirm the HS code in the DGFT ITC(HS) lookup before you export
- Birds are sold live in the local market; there is no export in this model.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Disease outbreak such as Ranikhet killing a batch
- Predators and theft
- Feed price rise cutting the small margin
- Irregular supply of day-old chicks
§1030 / 60 / 90-day plan
A general plan that applies to any business. A plan for this business will be added after research.
- Days 1–30: Visit a working desi (improved indigenous) backyard poultry farming unit, ask 10 buyers about price and quantity, and get quotations from 3 suppliers.
- Days 31–60: Udyam and the licences you need (No licence is normally needed for a backyard unit of this size, Follow the State Animal Husbandry Department's vaccination and disease-reporting rules), a project report (DPR), and the scheme or loan file.
- Days 61–90: Space and machines, trial production, and first deliveries to 10 customers.
§11Who to connect with
§12Watch
There is no episode on this business yet. Shows are coming soon on the Podcast page.
Want to start Desi (Improved Indigenous) Backyard Poultry Farming?
DPR, loan file or registration — ask us on WhatsApp.
¶Sources
Data review: 6 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Report it. For information only — not legal or financial advice.