Relevant agencies in Tsirang are yet to ascertain the cause of an unknown disease or infection that killed hundreds of chickens recently affecting about 60 poultry owners in the dzongkhag. However, the poultry farmers suspect the Karma Feed’s product called Layer Mash to have caused the deaths. But the company has denied the allegations. A sample of the feed is being tested in Thimphu and the result is awaited.
According to the farmers, chickens suffer from acute diarrhoea, dizziness, loss of appetite, and limb paralysis before they die.
It is only recently Tshering Wangdi, a poultry owner in Patshaling Gewog bought about 1,300 pullets, but he has lost 900 of them already.
“I am certain that the feed caused the deaths because after I changed the feed, the fatality rate has decreased,” he said.
This has been reported in Sergithang, Tsirang-Toed, Gosarling, and Patshaling Gewogs. Poultry owners allege that the birds hardly eat the feed and cause health problems even if they do.
They have also conducted a comparative analysis of the feeds available in the market. Many of them stopped feeding Layer Mash and resorted to another feed imported from India.
According to a poultry farmer Kamal Pathak from Gosarling Gewog, his chickens feed on SAMRAT feed without any problem but they refuse to eat Layer Mash.
“So, we feel that the problem is with the Karma Feed,” he said.
Likewise, others said the feed doesn’t seem to have the required ratio of vitamins and chemicals.
Farmers also found that the feed this time is unusually mixed with animal feed as well. They allege that this has also caused a drastic drop in egg production.
“Until the 23rd of November, I used to collect around six cartons of eggs daily from my poultry farm but now I get hardly four trays. So it is a great loss for poultry farmers here,” said Sari Maya, another Poultry Farmer in Gosarling Gewog.
Following complaints from the poultry owners, Tsirang Poultry Cooperative complained to Karma Feeds Company in Phuentshogling and also notified the district administration, livestock sector in the district and its headquarter on Monday.
However, the company has denied the allegations. According to the company’s Director, Chencho Wangyel, they have been producing the feed as per the standards and requirements set by the relevant agencies.
“We have been producing the feeds as per the criteria and we haven’t missed out on any ingredients. Moreover, we keep feed samples from daily production for at least a month to submit to the department of livestock and BAFRA. We have the sample for this feed also,” the director said.
A sample of the feed has been sent to Thimphu for testing and the report is yet to be out. Also, a team of officials from the Department of Livestock from headquarters and regional offices will start an investigation on the issue from tomorrow.
For now, poultry farmers in the dzongkhag are looking for other poultry feeds available in the market as an interim measure.
Meanwhile, BBS also learned that poultry farmers in Sarpang and Bumthang are also facing similar problems.
Pema Tshewang, Tsirang
Edited by Chayku
