IMPROVED MANAGEMENT OF THE NATIVE CHICKEN The Philippine native chicken is the common barnyard fowl which is a mixture

xture of different breeds. They are small, active, sensitive and capable of great flight when frightened. The hens are fairly good sitters and mothers. Given a little of locally available feeds, the native hen will lay about 40-60 eggs in a year. However, when properly managed and fed with the right quality and amount of feeds, the native hen could produce 130-200 eggs in a year. Unlike the native cocks raised for cock fighting which are fed with the best feed and sheltered comfortably the native hens are no properly housed nor given good nests. At best, bamboo baskets covered with dry grass or dried banana leaves, placed under the houses serve as nests and the tress that grow on the premises serve as perches. PLUMAGE PATTERNS AND COLOR OF NATIVE CHICKEN Dalusapi and Mayahin These chickens have reddish-brown plumage resembling the Philippine labuyo or the Red Jungle Fowl: The shanks of the Dalusapi are yellow or white while that of the Mayalin are grey or black. Talisayan The Talisayan has bluish-green plumage. The shanks are either yellow, white, black or grey. Bulik The plumage of this type has alternating barrings of black, white, grey and sometimes, reddishbrown. The shanks are either yellow, grey or white. Puti This type has a solid white to almost brownish-grey type. Its shanks can be yellow, grey or white. Abuhin This is the smokey-white to almost brownish-grey type. Its shanks can be yellow, grey or white. Lasak This chicken has brown to grey plumage with white spots. Itim The plumage of this type is solid black with either black or yellow shanks. HOUSING FACILITIES For native chickens in pens made of bamboo or wire mesh. To prevent older birds from picking younger chicks, avoid putting them in the same house or pens. For feed and water troughs use bamboo poles split into half. For layers confined in a pen, provide boxes or baskets to serve as nest. Place these nests on the darkest side of the house preferably away from the morning sun. UPGRADING THE NATIVE CHICKEN To produce offsprings that are fast growing with optimum body weight, cross native hens with any of the commercial broiler roosters available in the area. This cross produces broilers that could weigh 1.4 kilos in 12 weeks as compared to chicks reach only a kilo in 16 weeks. For better egg production, cross native hens with Single Comb White Leghorn roosters. Such cross-breeding produces hens that could lay 130-200 eggs per year weighing about 50 grams per egg as compared to 40-60 eggs per year of native chicken weighing about 40 grams each. Oh! Just look how heavy my eggs are. It really pays to cross native hens with improved breeds of roosters. Select hens which are healthy and have demonstrated good laying ability. Select hens which are healthy and have demonstrated good laying ability. Use roosters which come from breed of fast growers or high egg producers. Roosters should be 6 months or older when they begin mating. To produce satisfactory number of fertile eggs for hatching, keep just one rooster in a flock of 5-10 hens. Too many of us, will resort to fighting and molesting of the females. Three to 4 days after a normal rooster is introduced, fertile eggs are expected to be laid. For hatching purposes, incubate only the normal sized eggs with good shape and shell quality. Keep the eggs in a cool place. However, storage should not exceed 12 days. o Be sure to select the eggs with normal shape and without cracks. o o

BROODINESS AND INCUBATION A physiological trait that contributes directly to low egg production is the chickenss natural broodiness. Broodiness is the instinct to sit on the egg for incubation and hatching. Since broodiness is essential for incubation, regulate the eggs for hatching: Set about 10-12 eggs under the hen. (The number of eggs she can cover depends upon her size). o For small number of eggs, one or more broody hens will do the job nicely. If you want to hatch more eggs, incubate the eggs artificially. o It will sit on 10 those chicken are bigger. Confine the broody hens individually for 15 days in cages located in a well-lighted and wellventilated area. Submerge the body of the native hen in a pail of water for 15 minutes before releasing it again in the flock. o And lastly, encourage the hens to eat more. Give high nutrient feeds to them to reactivate their reproductive systems and their ability to lay eggs. o

BROODER In order to encourage the hen to resume laying eggs at the earliest possible time, the newly-hatched chicks should be separated from the hen. To keep the chicks warm, brooders may be used instead of brood hens. The following can serve as brooders. A kerosene lamp with wire around it to keep chicks from crowding next to the hot glass. It should have a solid, level base. A 25-watt electric bulb is sufficient for 30 newly-hatched chicks. During the warm months especially during the day after the first week artificial source of heat is necessary, remove the brooder. The behavior of the chicks in the brooder can be used as an indicator for correcting brooder temperature. The chicks feel comfortable and evenly distributed around the hover when the temperature is right. It is too cold when the chicks chirp and pile up under the hover. It is too hot when the chicks open their wings and move away from the source of heat. o Watch for chicks comfort. Correct brooder temperature by attaching curtains like empty feed bag, cloth or old newspaper to the wire-mesh or slatted wall. Roll this up down to maintain proper temperature and to avoid draft.

CHICK WATERERS As water, use a tin can inverted over the bottom of a larger can. Provide the chicks with a continuous supply of fresh, clean water every day. Because chicks drown easily, openings in waterers must not be too large to prevent chicks from falling into the water. CHICK FEEDERS As feeders, use at least 5 years of newspaper or cardboard spread on the floor. However, remove the topmost layer every day. After 3-5 days remove these brooder mats. FEEDING SYSTEM Proper nutrition is essential in keeping birds healthy and productive. Give a mixture of 40% ground corn, 30% rice bran and 30 % copra meal. Eggs production is higher when birds are fed with farm-mixed formulation than when given single feedstuff like grated coconut, palay or corn. Feed waste can be minimized by using the right size and design of feeder. Each feeder should have a guard or lip to prevent feed wastage. Keep lip at level of chicks backs. Feeding troughs should not be filled more than 1/3 full to prevent unnecessary feed spillage. When feed ingredients are not available, give commercial chick starter mash to day old chicks until they are 6 weeks old. After 6 weeks, give commercial grower mash until the chicks reach sexual maturity at 20 weeks. When the birds start laying eggs, give commercial layer mash. o

VACCINATION PROGRAM It vaccination services are available in the community, chickens should be vaccinated. You can administer here at the wing web, the fowl pox vaccine. New Castle Disease or Avian Pest and Fowl Pox are two common viral disease can be prevented by following a vaccination program. Vaccine/Schedule 1st vaccination 2nd vaccination 3rd vaccination 4th Avian Pest Vaccine Fox Pox Vaccine

7-11 day old, use eye drop or At 2-8 weeks of age; by wing nose drop method web prick method At 4 weeks of age; by About 16 weeks of age or intramuscular injection Immediately before the onset of Egg-laying; by prick method. At 4 months of age by intramuscular Every 3-4 months by intramuscular injection