VETERINARY COLLEGE AND RESEARCH INSTITUTE, TIRUNELVELI

LIVESTOCK FARM COMPLEX

The Instructional Livestock Farm Complex (ILFC) at Veterinary College and Research Institute, Tirunelveli was established on 15.05.2012 as per the guidelines of Veterinary Council of India and thereafter renamed as per VCI new regulations as Livestock Farm Complex during 2017. The Livestock Farm Complex consists of several units to maintain different species and breeds of livestock and poultry for the purpose of teaching, research and extension. Apart from maintaining various units, fodder is cultivated in 15 acres of land viz., Hybrid Napier grass, Guinea grass, Multi cut fodder Sorghum (CoFS29), Desmanthus etc. and other tree fodders for feeding of farm animals. The farm supplies breeding animals, day old native chicken and Japanese quail chicks, seeds, sapling, and farm yard manure to the farming community at a subsidized rate.

Objectives

To train undergraduate B.V.S.c, & A.H students on Livestock Farm Practices.
To take up area specific research projects in Livestock and Poultry.
To establish and supply of various germ plasm of Livestock and Poultry.
To establish and supply of fodder seeds / slips to the farming community.

Infrastructure facilities

S.No.	Unit	Area (sq. ft.)
1	Administrative building	1,175
2	Cattle Unit (includes calf shed, calving shed and sick animal shed)	4,435
3	Pig Unit - 2 sheds	5,380
4	Goat Unit - 3 sheds	5,400
5	Sheep Unit- 5 sheds	9,400
6	Horse Stable 2 Nos	300
7	Poultry Hatchery Unit	1,200
8	Japanese Quail breeder house	1,000
9	Broiler house	3463
10	Layer house	1762
11	Desi chicken breeder house	3350
12	Diversified poultry house	798
13	Fancy birds house	120
14	Area utilized for cultivation	15 acres

Education

Apart from routine regular farm managemental activities, this farm complex is actively engaged in teaching of B.V.Sc and AH students and offering course on Livestock Farm Practices (0+2). In this course, Students are getting hands on training on familiarization of breeds, identification methods of animals, dentition and age determination, housing of animals, feeding practices, poultry farm and hatchery management and other routine health care management of farm animals.

Research

Research projects are being carried out in following thrust areas funded by Government of Tamil Nadu, TANUVAS etc.,

Research and development of native breeds of small ruminants.
Research and development of country chicken and Japanese quail.
Development of soil specific fodder for popularization.

Ongoing Research Projects

S.No.	Name of the projects	Funding Agency	Amount (Rs. Lakhs)
1	Resource centre for supply of indigenous / improved germplasm to small rural poultry farming (Self financing scheme)	TANUVAS	6.00
2	Resource centre for research, development and supply of Japanese quail (Self financing scheme)	TANUVAS	11.8
3	Establishment of a small ruminant Research centre for in situ Conservation of the native Germplasm of Chevaadu, Ramnad White and Katchaikatty black sheep Breeds at southern Tamil nadu	Government of Tamil Nadu	80.0

Research projects completed

S.No	Title	Funding agency	Total outlay (Rs. Lakhs)	Period
1	In Situ Conservation of Kilakarsal Sheep breed - Network Project (NWP) on Animal Genetic Resources (ANGR)	ICAR – NBAGR, Karnal	60.00	2006 - 2013
2	State Fodder Development scheme 2011 – 12 "Setting up fodder seed production unit in Government / University farms" – TANUVAS SRRC, Tirunelveli	Government of Tamil Nadu	61.60	2012-2014
3	TRCF project on “Characterization of Rajapalayam and Kanni breed of Hound dogs in Tamilnadu	TANUVAS corpus fund	2.08	2012 - 2014
4	Establishment of Kanni and Kodi adu goat units at VCRI, Tirunelveli for production and distribution of superior germ plasm for the upliftment of farming community	TN. Govt. (Part II Scheme)	49.0	2014-2016
5.	Establishment of poultry hatchery for supply of improved germplasm for small scale rural poultry farmers.	TN. Govt.(Part II Scheme)	35	2013

Extension

Farm advisory services.
Skill development Trainings programs are being offered to rural youth, farmers, farm women on layer, broiler, sheep ,goat and cattle farming .
Farm activities are explained to the farmers, school children during the exposure visit arranged by Department of agriculture, State bank of India, NABARD and Non Governmental Organizations.

SALIENT ACHIEVEMENTS

Establishment of Kanni and Kodi Adu goat unit for supply of superior breeding animals to the farmers.
Characterization of Rajapalayam and Kanni Hound Dogs of Tamil Nadu.
Conservation of Kilakarisal Sheep breed in its native tract.
Conservation of Ramanad white, Chevvadu and Katchaikatty breeds of sheep.
Establishment of hatchery for the supply of native chicken day old chicks to the needy farmers.
Supply of Japanese quail day old chicks to promote the Japanese quail farming in Southern Tamil Nadu.

Faculty

Dr. S.C. Edwin, Professor and Head
Dr. M. Murugan, Professor
Dr. K.S.Gnanalaksshmi, Associate Professor
Dr. R. Selvam, Assistant Professor
Dr. S.Ganesh Kumar, Assistant Professor
Dr. K.Nalini, Assistant Professor
Dr. G. Gomathi, Assistant Professor

The Professor and Head,
Livestock Farm complex,
Veterinary College and Research Institute, Tirunelveli - 627 358.
Phone: +91-462-2337309
E-mail: ilfcvcritni@tanuvas.org.in