Poultry Raising

Raising animals for food is one of the most profitable

livelihoods in the rural areas or in places with large vacant lots,
with trees and available water supply nearby. In fact, many
professionals today have turned entrepreneurs and went into
animal raising. Many have found this new business a challenge
and a lucrative one given the proper care and management.
You can start a business in your backyard. Raise a few chicks,
ducks, pigeons, and fish like tilapia and get the feel and the
know-how as you go along.
Poultry
• refers to all kinds of birds raised for food. In the Philippines,
chicken is the most popular type of poultry because they are
cooked in different dishes and a favorite of many Filipinos.
Poultry and fish is a popular livelihood for backyard and for
large production.
Benefits Derived in Animal Raising
1. It provides the family a continuous source of food for the
family meals.
2. It is a source of family income.
3. It can be a profitable hobby.
4. It can be a form of employment in itself.
5. It can contribute to the economic growth of the community.
6. It inculcates good character traits like industry,
perseverance, resourcefulness, and creativity.
7. As an entrepreneurial activity, it can be a beginning of big
business.
 Planning a Successful Backyard Poultry,
Duck, or Fishpond Project
For a backyard poultry, duck, or fishpond to be successful, it
needs careful planning just like any family project or any
entrepreneurial activity. Planning means thinking ahead of
what one expected to do to ensure that things are done
systematic manner and that goals or objectives are realized.
In relation to this the following questions need to be answers:
1. Is my backyard suited for the project?
2. How much money do I need for capital?
3. Are the materials and supplies needed available?
4. Do I have sufficient knowledge and skill in animal raising?
5. What possible problem will I encounter and how will I solve
them?
6. Are there experts in animal raising to whom I can ask for advice?
Factors To Consider in Planning The Raising of Poultry
1. Capital – This includes the money needed to put up the business. It
also includes the land, equipment, and other resources to put up
the business.
2. Technical know-how – This includes the knowledge, skills, and
experience in animal raising whether this is for small-scale of large-
scale production. It also includes knowledge about chicken – its
needs and characteristics, its housing, how to prevent diseases,
immunization, and feeds at different stages of growth.
 Every entrepreneur dealing in poultry raising should
know every detail of selecting, raising, and marketing
poultry to be able to succeed in the business.
3. Market – Conduct a survey to determine the demand for
live poultry, for eggs, and for meat. Know the need of the
market. Open and wet markets, groceries, supermarkets,
restaurants, hotels, and some outlets for distribution.
4. Location – An ideal poultry area is a place for breeding chickens
that is far from crowded houses, free from pollution, cool and
clean surroundings, and fresh air. The place should also be
accessible in securing feeds, poultry supplies, and stocks. These
are needed continuously to sustain the production and the
demand for poultry products.
5. Available feeds, poultry supplies, medicines, and stocks – These
are important for the ideal operation of the poultry. Availability of
these materials ensures the health and growth of the chickens as
well as the continuous supply of chickens the whole year round.
Pointers To Consider in Raising Chickens
1. Raise only high-quality chickens coming from reliable sources.
These are authorized dealers or distributors. Chickens which
are raised to provide eggs are called laying hens. Those raised
for their meat are called broilers or fryers. Breeds of broilers
include the Cornish, White Rock, New Hampshire, or Rhode
Island Red. Breeds for egg production include Leghorn, New
Hampshire and Rhode Island Red.
2. Feeds for poultry include green, edible leaves such as kangkong,
camote tops, other leafy vegetables, rice, corn, skins of banana and
papaya, and manufactured feeds which contain adequate amount of
protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals needed for growth,
health, and production are sold as follows:
a. Starting Mash – this is first food given to baby chicks which are
about a month old.
b. Growing Mash – this is the food given when baby chicks have
grown. Broilers which are grown for their meat are given this kind of
mash.
c. Laying Mash – this is given to laying hens which are
raised for their eggs.
3. Housing for poultry are of three types namely the brooder
house, the grower house, and the layer house.
a. Brooder House – this house has light that provides heat to
baby chicks. The reason is that the temperature-regulating
mechanism in their bodies have not been fully develop.
Baby chicks from one day to four weeks old are placed in
this house.
b. Grower House – this is the next house of the chicks coming
from the brooder house. They are raised here until they
grow for about two months or less, or until such time that
they can be sold for meat as in broilers or eggs as in layers.
c. Layer House – this is a special house for laying hens. This is
why the eggs are collected everyday. The house is divided
into cages. Each cage houses a layering hen. The purpose of
this is to avoid hens eating each other. This is called
cannibalism. It is also one way of finding out which of the
laying hens do not produce eggs. To every cage, there is a
fixture where the eggs are laid and later on collected.
Ideally, all poultry houses have these characteristics:

1. They are situated far from crowded houses and dense

population.
2. They are well constructed, well ventilated, and have
adequate space for the number of chickens raised.
3. They are properly cleaned and sanitized regularly.
4. They have elevated slat floor made of bamboo, wood, or
wire mesh and litter floors with rice hulls or wood shavings
for about 2-4 inches in thickness.
5. They have elevations which can be single, double, or multi-
decked depending on the number of chickens raised. An
elevation provides more space, better ventilation, and
facilities cleaning and sanitizing of the house.