Egg shortage during winter has been a recurring issue in the country. This winter, residents of Pema Gatshel are facing the shortage. Although there are many poultry farms in the district, the shortage persists every winter. To address the problem, some of the poultry farm owners are considering the construction of a proper concrete chicken coop equipped with proper heating on a trial basis.
Today, most of the poultry farms in Pema Gatshel are made up of wire mesh. During winter, poultry farm owners resort to using cloths and light bulbs to provide warmth in the coops.
However, they said this effort has not helped increase egg production.
“Till now, we have been resorting to solutions like covering the wire mesh with cloths and increasing the number of bulbs. But the measures didn’t help. So, I am thinking of constructing one concrete structure which can accommodate one to two thousand hens with a warm atmosphere,” said Sonam Dorji, a poultry farm owner.
“If we happen to construct a concrete structure, we have to seek technical support from the district administration. They have the expertise. So, I am also planning to construct on a trial basis in the future if possible,” said Phuntsho T Namgay, another poultry farm owner.
They added that the production drops by almost 30 per cent in winter compared to the summer season.
According to the district livestock sector, egg production has reduced due to the supply of other bird species during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Moreover, they said the farmers lack proper farm management during winter. So, the livestock sector is looking at conducting poultry farm management training for the farmers.
There are around ten poultry farms in Pema Gatshel.
According to the National Statistics Bureau’s Annual District Statistics 2023, Pema Gatshel produced more than 140,000 trays of eggs in 2022.
Thinley Dorji, Pema Gatshel
Edited by Tshering Zam
