Improving Native

Chicken Production
Introduction

Chicken meat and egg production are the most progressive

animal enterprises in the Philippines today. The poultry industry,
in fact began as a backyard enterprises but has shifted to the
formation of very large integrated contact farming operations.

The growth of the poultry industry in the Philippines has

indeed been impressive but its problems including inefficient
management and the prevalence of many destructive poultry
diseases and parasites cannot be ignored.
Native Chicken

 is the common fowl found in backyards

of most rural households

 mixture of different breeds and

believed to have descended from the
domesticated red jungle fowl
Characteristics

I It is usually single combed and its shank color varies from
yellow, white, gray and black and the common plumage colors
and patterns of the native chickens are the following:

- reddish brown (Dulasapi & Mayahin)

- silver laced with bluish-green tint (Talisayin)
- Solid white (puti)
- alternate barring of black, white gray and
reddish brown (bulik)
- smokey-white to brownish-gray (Abuhin)
- brown to gray with white spots (lasak)
- solid black (itim)
Breeds
 Banaba (Batangas)

 Bolinao (Pangasinan)

 Camarines (Bicol)

 Darag (Iloilo/Panay)

 Paroakan (Palawan
Why raise native
chickens?
 Native chicken is an integral part of
farming in the Philippines as they are
the main source of eggs and meat for
backyard farmers.

 It always comprised close to 60% of the

total chicken population of the country.
 Well known for their adaptability to local
agroclimatic conditions, hardiness,
ability to utilize farm by products and
resistance to diseases.

 Good breeders, forages and efficient mothers

 Small built but active and highly sensitive.

Potentials
Under traditional management:

 Native hens lay about 40-60 eggs/year.

This is because they are allowed to
incubate their eggs and their natural
broodiness is allowed to set in.

 Can attain one kilogram body weight at

18-20 weeks
Under improved management:

 active hens can lay 130-200

eggs/year

 can reach one kilogram weight as

early as 12 weeks.
Improved Management Guides

 Selection

- select hens that are healthy

- use roosters that are aggressive,
healthy
Improved Management Guides

 Breeding
18-20 weeks of age - hen starts
laying, it can be allowed to sit on its
eggs to hatch.

20-24 weeks - native rooster is ready

for breeding
 breeding ratio – is 1:5 to 10 hens to
produce the satisfactory number of
fertile eggs for hatching.

Provide boxes or baskets, covered

with dried banana leaves, hay
or sack to serve as nets to layers, this will
minimize egg breakage and ensure egg
cleanliness and safety from predators
 Incubation
- collect eggs and store them in a
cool, dry place. Store hatching eggs for
a maximum of 10 days under normal
room temperature. Storage beyond this
period will gradually decrease the fertility
of the eggs
- incubate only sound eggs that are
40-50 grams each egg, with good ovoid
shape and sound shell quality.
-
 Types of incubation
- natural incubation – allowing hen to sit
on the eggs for hatching.

Set a batch of 10-12 eggs under one

hen. Small number of eggs from
different hens can be collected and just
under one broody hen. This will prevent
the onset of broodiness on the other
laying hens.
 Artificial incubation - setting of birds’
eggs in a device called incubator in
order to hatch.

Incubation period - 18-21 days

first candling - 7 days
second candling – 14 days
 Broodiness is the hen’s instinct to sit
on the egg for incubation and hatching.

Prevent the onset of broodiness

by collecting the eggs daily. This
will encourage the hen to lay
more .
 Brooding is a way of keeping the
chicks warm during the first four (4)
weeks of life.

Types of brooding:

1. Natural
2. Artificial
 Natural brooding – the hen provides the
needed heat to the chicks from her body.
The chicks are allowed to tag along the
hen to look for their food.

 Artificial brooding – is the process of

supplying artificial heat to the chicks from
the time they are taken out from the
incubators up to time their bodies can
control their heat requirements and they
are covered with feathers.
Basic requirements for
brooding day old chicks
 Sufficient heat

Provide sufficient artificial heat to

keep comfortably warm during the first
two weeks of life.
Sets of temperature of ideal brooding:

Age of Chicks Brooding Temperature

(weeks) (˚C)
0-1 32.2 – 35.0 (90-95 F)
1-2 29.4 – 32.2 (85-90 F)
2-4 26.7 – 29.4 (80.85 F)
Above 4 weeks Remove the supply of heat
 The chicks feel comfortable and evenly
distributed around the hoover when the
temperature is right.

 There is draft when the chicks wedge

behind the hoover.
 The behavior of the day-old chicks in
the brooder can be used as guideline for
the correct brooding temperature. When
the temperature is hot, the chicks will
pant, spread out their wings, eat less and
remain inactive, move away from the
source of heat and stay close to the
edges of the brooder. When temperature
is low, the chicks will crowd under the
heater, pile up and make known their
comfort loud chirping.
 It is too hot when the chicks open their
wings and move away from the heat
source.

 It is too cold when the chicks chirp and

pile up under the hoover.
 Adequate Light & Ventilation

 A well lighted brooder attracts and encourages

the chicks to start feeding

 Provide sufficient ventilation to supply plenty of

oxygen and facilitate the removal of carbon
dioxide and excess moisture. \when there is not
enough ventilation, the chicks will not only be
weak and in poor condition will also be more
predisposed to respiratory diseases.
 Ample space to avoid overcrowding

Provide the brooder with enough

space to avoid overcrowding which leads
to poorly developed chicks, high mortality
as well as harmful vices like toe picking,
feather picking or cannibalism.
 Correct feeding

 Provide the chicks with good quality feeds either

home grown or commercially sourced

 Feed the chicks intermittently rather than

continuously. Research studies have shown that
when using intermittent feeding chicks utilize
nutrients better.

 Do not allow feed troughs to go empty longer than

one to two hours.

 After 3-4 weeks of artificial brooding, gradually allow the

chicks to forage and train them to look for their own food
in the range.
 Growing (free range system)

- Under this system the chickens are

allowed to forage and look for their own
food.

- Provide an adequate area of range for the

birds to have free access to natural food.

- Provide the chickens with shelter made of

bamboo, scrap wood, wire mesh and net
for their protection against predators and
the effects of the elements of weather.
Housing (confine method)

Requirements:
1. Area - distance from the community
- topography of the area
- near to light & water source
- accessibility
2. Environmental factors

- construct house parallel to the

wind direction. This will expose to
the wind only the southern or the
northernmost portion of the house.

- discarded feed sacks when available,

can be utilized as wind and sun
breakers. Planting trees will also serve
as windbreaks.
3. Sanitary provisions
- Facilitate routinary cleaning of the
poultry house

- There should have a good water

drainage from the house site.
4. Economy of construction

- Use locally available cheap and light

materials such as bamboo, coconut
trunks, cogon, nipa and rattan.

- Space requirements:
Day old to 4 weeks 15 sq. in / chick
Four to 8 weeks 30 sq. in / chick
Housing Equipment
 Feeding troughs or feeders
- feeders can be placed inside or
along the front of the cages.
Consider the ease of cleaning and
avoidance of feed spillage

- Space requirements
Day old to 4 weeks 2.5 to 5cm. / bird
4 weeks to 8 weeks 5 to 6.5 cm / bird
 Waterers
- for chicks the waterer are usually 1
gallon plastic jars.

- use plastic waterers because it will

not rust therefore will last longer.

- backyard poultry raisers usually use

bamboo waterer. It is cheap but
there is a great tendency for slime
(lumot) to develop and oftentimes
they do not last very long. It needs
constant changing.
 Portable Catching Panels

- this is usually made of either bamboo,

wood or wire frames.

- this device comes in handy during

vaccination
Feeds & Feeding

Feeds - is a complete ration given to the

animals for their growth and
development.
Feeding - is a system of giving ration to
the animals.

System of feeding
 Dry feeding - giving the ration to the
animals without water

 Wet feeding - giving the ration mixed

with water
Nutritional Elements
needed by the animals
 Carbohydrates
 Protein
 Fats
 Vitamins
 Minerals
 Water
Kinds of Feeds:

1. Pre starter (booster)

2. Starter
3. Grower
4. Finisher
Kinds of feeds Age Daily Feed Rqrmt
Pre-starter 1-7 days 10 grams / hd
Pre starter 8-14 days 20 grams / hd
Pre starter 15-21 days 20 grams / hd
Pre starter 22-30 days 30 grams / hd
Starter 31-37 days 40 grams / hd
Starter 38-45 days 40 grams / hd
Pre starter 46-60 days 50 grams / hd
Grower 61-67 days 50 grams / hd
Grower 68–74 days 50 grams / hd.
Water Intake

AGE WATER REQUIREMENT

1-7 days 3.57 ml / day / hd
8-14 days 5.0 ml / day / hd
15-21 days 7.86 ml / day / hd
23-38 days 10.71 ml / day / hd
5 weeks 13.57 ml / day / hd
6 weekd 15.71 ml / day / hd
Thank You