Empowered female livestock keeper

Saraswati (31 years) is married to Shankar (40 years) and they have two sons; Debashish (16) and Subhashish (11) and a daughter Mausami (18) who is married. Saraswati’s house is one kilometer walk from the main road and is connected by a kutchha road. The house they live in is a pucca house which is still under construction. They have taken a loan from a private company for building this house. The walls and roof of the house are in place but the doors, iron grills on the windows are yet to be put. She has a kitchen garden and a big open yard in front of the house. There are coconut, taal (local fruit), areca nut, guava and Shirish trees growing around the yard. Her kitchen garden has lady fingers and arabi growing along with local green vegetables.

The family owns 2 ½ bighas of land on which paddy is grown. Their rice requirements are met through the paddy produced and surplus is sold. They also have a share in the fish pond along with two other brothers of Shankar. The family does not face food shortages and is able to manage basic food for the family. Shankar runs potato retailing business and earns about Rs 1400/- a month. Elder son Debashish is apprenticing with a blacksmith and earns a stipend of Rs 30/- every day.

Saraswati is responsible for all livestock being raised. This includes a cow, goat and Kuroiler. She decides which animal to buy and which to sell. Her husband does not interfere but helps her by bringing feed, medicines etc from the market. Here again Saraswati has access to the market and even sells her Kuroiler there whenever she wants to get a better rate for her bird. She does not need her husband’s permission to go out but only informs him. All decisions regarding loan, marriage of daughter are jointly taken. Saraswati has switched over to Kuroiler for the past 10 years. She is more interested in the Kuroiler eggs and prefers keeping hens. Most of the eggs are consumed at home. On completion of egg laying cycle she sells the hen. Cockerels are sold at 5 months of age. Sale is made both from the house as well as the market. The income from sale of the Kuroiler and eggs is hers and she handles it the way she wants to. Income generated from sale of milk also belongs to her to decide what she wants to do with the money. She has a saving account in the bank and likes to save money there. At times of need she even gives it to her husband and experiences a sense of satisfaction on being able to help her husband.

The Kuroiler money is used for buying household assets in form of utensils, furniture etc. These she considers as hers. She is also very clear that all the household items that she brought in as dowry belong to her, while the house belongs to both of them. Saraswati buys Kuroiler chicks at 3 weeks of age from the Mother Unit and gets them vaccinated at 21 days and 4 months of age. She is not aware of the names of vaccinations given. Her Kuroiler are housed in fairly large shed made of wood, bamboo, mud and thatched roof. She keeps the shed clean by sweeping and washing it regularly. The Kuroiler scavenge all day long and are put into the shed in the evening. Paddy husk, maize and kitchen leftovers are given as feed supplements.

Last year a Ranikhet Disease (RKD) outbreak resulted in 70% mortality in her flock. She was very upset to lose the birds that were ready to be sold. She now consults the Mother Unit person whenever her birds fall ill. Self Help Group (SHG) members discuss poultry keeping amongst them and feed supplier also advises her on poultry diseases. She is shy to take the birds to the veterinary hospital as in her opinion Kuroiler is a very small animal to be taken to hospital and only larger animals deserve to go there.

Saraswati is a member of Self Help Group (SHG) and can avail Rs 10,000/- loan from there. Her SHG also recommended Kuroiler keeping as a source of supplementary income. Saraswati prefers raising Kuroiler to cow or goat keeping. She sees it as a source of eggs and meat for the family. Now more eggs are being consumed at home. Moreover very little labour is involved in Kuroiler keeping and returns come in sooner than cows and goats. She has the option of selling Kuroiler whenever she wants to and it serves as her pocket money. Saraswati feels that since she owns 10 Kuroiler, a cow and a goat and also has money in the bank her status in the family has risen. Her husband consults her for all decisions to be taken and she too has become more assertive than before. She does not approve of dowry system and would not take any when her sons get married.

Since they are an above subsistence family, food is not the issue with them. Kuroiler is used for asset building in forms of saving, utensils, furniture etc. She has high self esteem and is confident of being able to repay loan and have a fully constructed house in place along with 20 Kuroiler flock by next year.  

Contributed by - Coordination Team

<<Back to stories related to Good Practices