Broodiness behavior is usually seen in avian species. This behavior is dominant in wild birds and indigenous poultry compared to modern egg-laying strains. Eggs laid by indigenous chickens are usually hatched by the broody hens. Due to broodiness behavior, the broody hen sits on a clutch of eggs and incubates them to get offspring. Small-scale farmers generally depend on the broody hen to procure chicks. Like an artificial egg incubator, the broody hen controls temperature, humidity, aeration, and turning by herself. The hatchability of broody hen reported seems similar to an artificial egg incubator. The broody hen might be acknowledged as a natural incubator for operational efficiency and effectiveness. Although broodiness is associated with reduced egg production, it contributes a significant role in enhancing the rural poultry population by supplying chicks. Moreover, the loss of egg production due to broodiness can be minimized through management interventions. The importance of broodiness, broody behavior, regulation of broodiness, performances of broody hens, and their management have been discussed in this study.

Broiler farming plays a vital role in fulfilling global protein requirements. Although broiler farming is considered profitable, profitability might be affected by factors such as genetics, feed quality, and management practices. In the current study, the productivity and profitability of commercial broiler farming were studied under various farming conditions, such as farm size, location of the farm, and mortality of the broilers. Data were collected through farmers' interviews and farm record books and processed and analyzed to determine the productivity and profitability of broiler farming. Productivity and profitability did not differ significantly across farm sizes and locations. The results of the study reported mortality as a factor affecting productivity and profitability in broiler farming. It was manifest that mortality adversely affected the productivity and profitability of broiler farming. A significant positive relationship was recorded between mortality and feed conversion ratio. Moreover, mortality was negatively correlated with the gross margin of broiler farming, meaning that the low gross margin was due to the high mortality at broiler farms. The farms were more profitable when the mortality was <5%, compared to >10%. It is recommended to reduce the mortality percentage of broiler chickens as minimum as possible, preferably <5%. Good quality chicks, better management, and the prevention of diseases might play an important role in keeping the mortality rate at a minimum level in broiler farming.

| Family poultry production greatly depends on clutch size, the number of eggs per clutch, and the incubation success. After laying a clutch of eggs, the broody hen sits on the eggs and incubates them to get chicks. The study was carried out to know the natural incubation and broody hen management practices in the selected areas of Barishal district, Bangladesh. We randomly selected 150 farmers (50 broody hens/Upazila) practicing natural incubation from three Upazilas in the Barishal district. The results show that mainly females (93.3%) were engaged in family poultry production and they used indigenous hens to incubate eggs. An average egg number per clutch was 12.6 and farmers set 12.3 eggs per broody hen for incubation purposes. The hatching egg weight was 37.3 g with egg hatchability of 87.9%. We found a significantly low body weight of broody hens after egg incubation. A high percentage of farmers (42%) preferred the spring season compared to the summer and rainy seasons to incubate eggs. For the selection of broody hens, 66.7% of farmers preferred hens aged 1-2 years. We did not find noticeable significant differences in parameters among the three Upazilas. Although egg hatchability by broody hens was high, major farmers (82.7%) did not practice creep feeding which is important for a high chick growth rate and quick return of hens to start egg-laying again after the incubation period. The chick viability rate after one month was also low (63.7%) which might be due to faulty management practices. In these circumstances, proper training of farmers, management of poultry accordingly with a balanced diet, and creep feeding to chicks may improve overall poultry production in rural areas.

Background: Poultry and livestock are a leading sub-sector of agriculture, playing an important role to fulfill the protein requirements of the human diet and contributing to the national economy in Bangladesh. This sub-sector is often vulnerable due to frequent outbreaks of diseases in animals and unrest situations worldwide that hamper earning a profit up to the expected mark. Due to pandemic COVID-19, the Bangladesh government was bound to announce a countrywide lockdown and periodical restriction of movement in March 2020 to minimize the spread of the infection. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on poultry and livestock health. Methods: This study was conducted at Keshabpur, Jashore before 3 months of lockdown, during lockdown and periodical restriction of movement in Bangladesh. Data on livestock and poultry were collected from the upazila livestock office register book. The impact of Covid-19 was calculated by comparing the number of animals brought to the veterinary hospital for treatment before, during, and after lockdown. Results: The effect of COVID-19 was most severe in the poultry and livestock sub-sector from April to May 2020, as animals were not being advised or treated at the upazila livestock office and veterinary hospital. In poultry, Newcastle disease, parasitic infestation, duck plague, and pigeon pox were mostly recorded, whereas deficiency diseases, non-specific diarrhea, non-specific fever, and endoparasitism were frequently recorded in livestock. We do not know exactly how many poultry and livestock died due to failure of management and treatment during the period of lockdown, but certainly, COVID-19 hampered the health of animals and farmers were affected due to the outbreak of the pandemic COVID-19. Conclusion: It might be concluded that the pandemic situation significantly hampered poultry and livestock health in Bangladesh.