The Department of Poultry Science was established in 1970–71 in response to the growing educational, research, and extension needs of the rapidly expanding poultry industry in Tamil Nadu. Prior to its establishment, poultry-related teaching, research, and extension activities were undertaken by the Department of Animal Husbandry, Madras Veterinary College (MVC), during the early 1950s and subsequently by the Department of Animal Hygiene, MVC, during the early 1960s.During this period, intensive poultry farming gained momentum in Chennai and gradually expanded to other districts of Tamil Nadu. Recognizing the need for specialized human resources, systematic research, and effective technology transfer to support the emerging poultry sector, the Government of Tamil Nadu established a dedicated Department of Poultry Science in 1970.Dr. K. Kumaraswamy, the Founder Professor and Head, played a pivotal role in establishing the Department and laying the foundation for its programmes in poultry education, research, and extension. The M.V.Sc. programme in Poultry Science was introduced in 1972–73, making the Department one of the earliest in the country to offer a postgraduate degree programme in Poultry Science. The Ph.D. programme was subsequently introduced in 1977, followed by the introduction of undergraduate courses in 1980.Since its inception, the Department has remained actively engaged in teaching, research, and extension, making significant contributions to the development, modernization, and sustainability of the poultry sector in Tamil Nadu and India. At present, the Department works in close collaboration with the Poultry Research Station, Madhavaram, TANUVAS, to meet the academic, practical training, and research requirements of undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral students.
The Department is committed to excellence in teaching, research, extension, and technology transfer with the aim of developing skilled human resources, enhancing poultry productivity and genetic resources, and promoting sustainable, climate-resilient, and precision poultry production systems.
To emerge as a globally recognized Centre of Excellence in Poultry Science, advancing education, research, innovation, genetic improvement, and technology transfer for sustainable, climate-resilient, and precision poultry production.
Under the present VCI curriculum (MSVE, 2016), the Department offers Units 6 and 7 in theory and Units 5 and 6 in practicals of the Livestock Production Management course to first-year B.V.Sc. & A.H. students
At present, the Department offers 11 M.V.Sc. courses and 7 Ph.D. courses in the discipline of Poultry Science. Since its inception, the Department has produced 138 postgraduate students and 53 doctoral scholars
The Department has successfully completed research and development projects supported by national and international agencies, including:
Under the completed projects, the following infrastructure and facilities were established at the Poultry Research Station, Madhavaram:
Experiential Learning Programme
The Department is implementing the Experiential Learning Programme (ELP) for B.V.Sc. & A.H. students – Module III: Broiler and Layer Production, comprising Broiler Production in an Environmentally Controlled House and Post-Harvest Technology, with financial support from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). The programme was sanctioned with a budget of ₹50.00 lakh and was subsequently converted into a Revolving Fund Scheme in 2019, with a recurring provision of ₹5.00 lakh as seed money.To date, 28 ELP programmes have been conducted, benefiting 141 B.V.Sc. & A.H. students, who have received hands-on training in commercial broiler production under environmentally controlled housing conditions. The infrastructure and production facilities established under the programme have also been utilized for M.V.Sc. and Ph.D. research, thereby integrating undergraduate experiential learning with postgraduate research. The programme has consequently contributed to strengthening practical, industry-oriented training, research capacity, and competency in modern commercial poultry production.
Facilities Created under the Programme (Civil Structures)
Environmentally Controlled House Equipment and Control Systems
Post-Harvest Technology Unit
The Department of Poultry Science has been conducting poultry training programmes since 1979 for the benefit of the farming community. These programmes are aimed at disseminating scientific knowledge, strengthening farmers’ technical skills, and improving poultry production practices.
Major Training and Capacity-Building Programmes
Collectively, these programmes have contributed substantially to the capacity building of poultry entrepreneurs and farming communities through the dissemination of scientific poultry production technologies.
The Department provides farm advisory services through:
| Equipment | Year of Purchase |
|---|---|
| UV Spectrophotometer | 2011 |
| Trinocular Microscope with Camera | 2012 |
| Vertical Deep Freezer – 2 | 2013 |
| Stainless-Steel Cabinet | 2017 |
| Agarose Gel Electrophoresis Unit | 2019 |
| Refrigerated Microcentrifuge | 2019 |
| Thermal Cycler | 2019 |
| Gel Documentation System | 2020 |
The Department has the following facilities for experimental and instructional activities:
The Department maintains a library containing approximately 150 textbooks and 190 theses for reference by students and faculty.
Students and faculty of the Department actively participate in the vaccination of poultry in coordination with the Avian and Exotic Pet Unit, Madras Veterinary College.
| Name of the Faculty | Designation | Mobile# | |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. ASHOK | Professor and Head | hodpscmvc@tanuvas.org.in, ashokvet13@gmail.com | 9841559725 |
| K. PREMAVALLI | Professor | drpremavalli@gmail.com | 9790753594 |
The Professor and Head, Department of Poultry Science, Madras Veterinary College, Chennai – 600 007. E-mail: hodpscmvc@tanuvas.org.in
