Economic Efficiency of Maintaining Chickens Gene Pool of Different Productivity Types: A Comparative Analysis

Research was conducted using data on the breeding and keeping of domestically selected poultry, chickens of various productivity types, which are stored as a gene pool at the experimental farm “Preservation of the National Gene Pool of Agricultural Poultry” of the State Research Station for Poultry Farming of the Institute of Animal Husbandry of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences. The studies used statistical and economic-mathematical analysis methods. The values of the Departmental Standards for Technological Design of Poultry Farms (VNT-APK-04.05, 2005) were used as normative data for the breeding and keeping of poultry. The purpose of the work is to conduct a comparative assessment of the economic indicators of maintaining the gene pool of chickens of different productivity types and to formulate recommendations for improving the efficiency of its use. Analysis of current scientific and production data shows that feed costs are a determining factor in the cost of poultry production, regardless of the productivity type of chickens. They account for more than 60% of total costs and in some cases can reach as much as 90%. This is confirmed by both domestic and foreign studies. Optimizing feeding and introducing modern technologies can significantly reduce production costs and increase the competitiveness of the industry. Costs of raising replacement young stock and maintaining parent flocks of chickens of various productivity types have a clearly defined structure: feed accounts for the largest share, followed by labor costs, and then energy and heating costs. Veterinary drugs are also a significant component. The introduction of alternative energy sources and the improvement of technological processes can have a positive impact on reducing production costs. The economic efficiency of breeding production – hatching eggs and day-old chicks – varies depending on the productivity of the chickens. The production of hatching eggs is more profitable (76.7% for egg-laying chickens, 70.3% for egg-meat chickens, and 37.2% for meat-egg chickens) compared to the production of day-old chicks (30.53%, 25.92%, –1.69%, respectively). This should be taken into account when choosing a development strategy for poultry farms. The presented calculations can serve as a basis for assessing the economic feasibility of breeding and preserving the gene pool of Ukrainian-bred chickens, as well as for planning subsidies, determining the cost of breeding resources, and forecasting the development of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises in the poultry industry. In the context of the recovery of the agricultural sector, the use of domestic genetic resources will help reduce dependence on imports and strengthen the country's food security.