MODULE III.

PART 3. POULTRY PRODUCTION AND MANAGEMENT

OBJECTIVES:
✓ To know the different Chicken Breeds
✓ Understand its characteristic and uses.
✓ To know the lay-out, floor space requirements and different types of poultry housing.
✓ Apply poultry production and management

Chapter 1. OVERVIEW OF THE POULTRY INDUSTRY

1.1 Popularity of poultry raising
The popularity of poultry raising could be attributed to the fact that poultry species are fast
multipliers, they are quick growers and are considered to be relatively more efficient converters of
feed to meat and eggs. Among the various species of poultry, chicken is the most popular. It is very
good source of meat and eggs (animal protein). In the Philippines, the second most popular poultry
species is duck (a very good source of eggs processed into balut, salted egg and century egg.).
Quail is the third most popular poultry species, which is noted for eggs.
1.2.1 Development and Prospects
The last 5 decades have brought tremendous development in the chicken (broiler and egg type)
industry. The continuous increase in human population and the rising demand for chicken meat and
eggs have caused the backyard growers to expand production/operation. From a mere backyard
endeavor intended to meet the protein requirement of the household, it became an opportunity for
business and livelihood among the entrepreneurs and backyard raisers.
1.3 Current problems of the poultry industry in the Philippines
1. High cost of population in relation to farm gate price,
2. High cost and unstable supply (availability) of good quality inputs
3. Marketing system
- inefficiency of market system
- lack of market information
- unstable prices
- poor grading standard for egg
4. Prevalence of disease – for native chicken, ducks
5. Climate – El Niño, too hot weather, resulting to poor growth/efficiency
6. Insufficient financing
7. Lack of government price support for poultry product

Chapter 2. SPECIES OF POULTRY

Common Name Scientific Name Egg Weight Incubation period

(g) (days)
Chickens Gallus gallus Linn 58 21
Ducks
Mallard
 Pekin (meat type) Anas platyrhynchos 80-83 28
Mallard (egg type) Anas platyrhynchos 60 28
Muscovy (mat type) Cairina moschata 70 35-37
Turkey Meleagris gallopavo 85 28
Quail Coturnix coturnix japonica 12 16-18
(Japanese Quail)
Pigeon Columba livia 17 18
Geese Cygnopsis cygnoides 200 30-31
Swan Olor columbianus 285 35
Ostrich Struthio australis 1400 42
Peafowl Pavo cristatus 95 28
Pheasant Phasianus colchicus 32 23-24
Guinea Fowl Numida meleagris 40 28

2.1 The Origin of Chicken

The exact ancestry of the present-day chickens is not known. It is believed that the present
breeds and varieties of chickens descended from a common origin: The Red Jungle Fowl (Sc. Name:
Gallus gallus), a native of Southeast Asia. Some investigators contend that there are three other
species of jungle fowls that contributed to the kinds of chicken we have today. These are Gallus
sonnerati (Grey Jungle Fowl), Gallus lafayeti (Ceylonese Jungle Fowl), and Gallus varius (Green
jungle Fowl) from Java

2.2 Classification of Chicken Breeds

a. Egg Type – The breed belonging to this classification is characterized by their

comparatively small size. They lay large white-shelled eggs, very active and nervous in
temperament. They are non-sitters. The earlier selection of geneticist for this class showed
record of early maturity that may not be necessarily be true with the modern breeds under this
class.
Examples:

Leghorn Minorcas
 Anconas Mikawa

b. Meat Type – To this type belong the breeds that are large, slow in movement, quiet
and gentle in disposition. Geneticists of the past described them as relatively slow
maturing which me not hold true anymore with the present meat breads. They are
generally lay brown-shelled eggs.
Examples:
Brahmas Chochin

Langshans Cornish
c. Dual Purpose type – Breeds of chicken in this classification are medium-sized, good
layers and the young are fast growers. They are not as nervous as the egg class but much more
active than the meat class.
Examples:
New Hampshire Rhode Island Red

Plymouth Rock Lancaster

Nagoya Cantonese

d. Fancy/Ornamental Type – The breeds under this class may be characterized as possessing
decided beauty of plumage or form of having a rare unusual appearance. Most of them are
raised chiefly as ornamentals or pets by hobbyists, regardless of their value as a source of
food.

Examples:
 Frizzle Bantams

Long tailed

e. Game Fowl – Fighting type of chicken were bred for gameness, pugnacity and stamina.
Since this sport is now legalized in the Philippines, it should revolutionize our original
vision that fighting cock breeds has no place for our study.

Chapter 3. SPECIALIZED FIELDS IN POULTRY PRODUCTION

3.1 BREEDING FARM

A poultry breeding farm in the real essence of the field is a system of researching or discovering
the best combination of genes of parent stocks that will be the source of commercial chicks for the
poultry producer. A poultry geneticist maybe working on a kind of parental combinations for the
production of an egg-type cross or he might be concentrating his efforts on the discovery of a good
broiler type chicken strain. A poultry breeding farm where the geneticists are concerned with new
discoveries are long range programs. It may take about a decade before specific genetic lines of parent
stocks are released for commercial utilization.
3.2 EGG FARM
Egg farming can really be split into two phases of operations. The first phase can be strictly for
raising pullets. The second phase is the keeping of layers present when they are in the stage of egg
production. In the present set-up being practiced by egg producers, they do both the raising of pullets
and the production of eggs.
3.3 BROILER FARM
Broiler farming is the most recent specialized field in the Philippines. This is the growing of
meat-type chicken essentially for meat production. Stocks used for this purpose are so called broiler-
type which are known for their fast growth, meaty conformation and good feed conversion. Broiler
chicks are grown for a period of only about 5 to 6 weeks. At this age, they are marketed and
slaughtered for meat.

Chapter 4. SYSTEM OF POULTRY HOUSING

4.1 DIFFERENT TYPES OF POULTRY HOUSES

Commercial

Backyard
Modern

Native

4.2 FLOOR SPACE REQUIREMENTS. At the beginning of the brooding period, the
chicks need very little space but as the chicks need very little space but as the chicks grow
older, they must be provided much wider area.
 Egg type chickens Meat type/broiler

1 day – 3 weeks 0.3 sq. ft/bird 1 day – 2 weeks 0.3 sq. ft/bird

3 – 8 weeks 0.5 sq. ft/bird 2 weeks – Mrkt. age 1.0 sq. ft/bird

8 – 12 weeks 1.0 sq. ft/bird

Chapter 5. PRODUCTION AND MANAGEMENT

5.1 BROODING MANAGEMENT – the management they received during the brooding
and rearing period will markedly affect the performance of the layers. Good management is
essential during these periods in order to be sure of transferring only the birds that will
perform profitability in the laying house.
Brooding starts as soon as the chicks are placed in the brooder area where heat is
supplied until the chicks have grown to the point where they no longer need additional heat to
keep them comfortable. This period lasts for approximately 4 weeks.
Temperature requirements. Although brooding involves many factors together to obtain
successful results, its major requirements is the provision of proper temperature.

Day old – 1 week 90-95 F (32.2 – 35 C)

1 – 2 weeks 85 – 90 F (29.4 -32.2 C)
2 – 3 weeks 80 – 85 F (26.7 – 29.4 C)

3 – 4 weeks 80 F (26.7 C and below)

Source of heat for brooders

a) Electricity
b) LPG (liquified petroleum gas)
c) Infra-red lamp
d) Kerosene lamp
e) Charcoal
Light Requirements
Light management is very important in the development of new layers. The correct
light to dark ratio in the rearing house will influence the production of larger eggs.
During the first few days of brooding, lighting the chicks throughout the night (24
hours light) is favorable for growth because there is more eating time if feed is available. The
light in the brooder will encourage the birds to keep close to source of heat, feed and water.

5.2 GROWING MANAGEMENT

A. Systems of Rearing

After the brooding stage, the chicks are transferred to the grower house or provided with a
much wider floor space. Grower houses are no longer provided with heaters. Generally, the
chicks are reared on wider floor space of any kind of the following house constructions.

1. Range system - This is a good system but because of more land area required, this system is
commonly practiced by native chicken growers and by duck raisers.

2. Semi-confinement system – this is a system of raising poultry where the birds are provided with
shed or housing and an area to graze or pasture. e. i. in native chicken, organic chicken production.

3. Complete Confinement – the modern trend in raising commercial strains of chicken.

a) Litter floor
b) Slat floor
c) Combination
d) Cages

Floor space requirement:

Litter floor - 2.0 – 2.5 sq. ft/bird
Slat floor – 1.4 – 2.0 sq. ft/bird
Cages - 0.75 – 1.0 sq. ft/bird

5.3 LAYER FLOCK MANAGEMENT

1. Housing

The design and construction of houses for layers should be such as to provide for:

- Top performance of the layers

- Optimum environment control
- Maximum labor efficiency
- Satisfactory waste disposal
- Minimum housing and care costs per dozen eggs produced
 Like the grower houses, layer houses can either be:

- Litter floor pens

- Slat floor pens
- Combination of litter and slatted floor (used only for breeding flocks)

2. Transferring the Pullets to the Layer House

Before the pullets actually start laying eggs, they must be transferred to the laying house.
They should not be allowed to lay eggs on the rearing floor to avoid the development of egg
eating habit. Also, if they have started laying, transferring birds from the rearing pen to laying
houses may affect the laying performance.

3. Daily Routine of Work in the Layer House

a. Feeding – layers must be fed a dietary composition referred to as layer ration, or breeder
ration. Commercial feed millers may have some variation of each of these kinds for their
purpose of selling. Layer ration will generally contain a protein level ranging from 15%
to as high as 18%. The protein level requirement of laying hens is the most controversial
subject of nutrition up to the present.

The amount of feed consumed by layers is influenced by a variety of factors:

1. Age, size and egg production rate of the particular layer

2. Energy content of the diet
3. Climate conditions
4. Health status of the hens

Generally, mature laying hens will consume about as low as 90 grams to as high as 140
grams a day. One-year consumption varies from 40 to 42 kilos per layer.

b. Provision of water – drinking water must be available to the layers all the time. The egg
is about 65 to 70% water. One hundred layers can consume about 7 gallons of water
during a normal day and will drink much more when the temperature of the environment
becomes higher.

Layers can take certain short period of starvation (without feed) when water is available
and keep a normal egg production rate. When they are deprived of drinking water for a
couple of hours, even when there is feed all the time, this will certainly be reflected in a
declined egg production rate.

c. Egg Collection – laying hens are expected to produce one egg every day. They are
capable of doing it but it is next to impossible to realize the one-egg-one-day for long
period of time. They are, therefore, expected to skip some days in egg production.
 Oviposition (the act of egg laying) takes place normally as early as 7:00 a.m. to as late as
4:00 p.m. Majority of hens lay their eggs between 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p. m. The concentration
of egg laying takes place before noon as a common observation.

Collecting eggs more often than once has the following advantages:

1. The eggs can be kept in the egg storage room where favorable environmental conditions
can be provided.
2. Eggs kept long in the nests or pens or cages are liable to be exposed to high temperature,
more dust and dirt, birds’ dung, trampled by hens, intentionally picked, or broken by
some layers and other possible agencies that can injure them.

• Eggs must be collected in wire basket to provide good air circulation.

d. Egg sorting – egg sizes and quality are major determinant of profitability.

e. Lighting program – laying birds must be provided with light during the entire laying
period. Light stimulates egg production since it affects the release of FSH from the
anterior pituitary to actuate the ovary to form the ova. The recommended light hours for is
14 – 16 hours per day.

4. Culling

One of the factors that influence the profitability of a layer flock operation is the rate of
egg production. The number of eggs on the other hand, depends on the presence or absence of
poor and non-productive layers.

As a general practice, culling can be executed at any time if it is necessary that some of
the birds must be removed due to whatever characteristic condition existing at a particular
time.

5. Flock Replacement Program

A replacement can be planned as what to follow. However, it can be subjected to any

modification or adjustment to suit existing conditions. It must be understood that in
commercial egg production farms, a constant egg supply throughout the year is most
desirable.

In a set-up of one-year laying program and a total replacement of all old hens, the number
of chicks to be raised can be determined. The raising of replacement pullets must be started
so as to coordinate or synchronize the time of maturity together with time of disposal of the
old birds to be replaced.

Programs of replacement can vary from a set of one flock every 3 months. It can be as often
as a monthly set up of replacement stocks depending on the program and availability of
facilities.
Chapter 6. BROILER PRODUCTION

Broiler are meat-type chickens that grow past and reach marketable size (1.6 – 2.0 kg
liveweight) at 33 – 42 days. The amount of feed consumed for every kilogram of body weight
gain (also called as feed conversion ration or feed efficiency) is 1.8 – 2.0. underweight and
overweight broilers are not preferred by consumers.

6.1 FACTORS TO CONSIDER IN BROILER RAISING

Market outlet

All the produce should be marketable with reasonable profit at proper time. There
should be an assured market before venturing into the business.

Why broilers should not be kept longer than 8 weeks?

1. Feed conversion becomes poorer as the broiler becomes older.

2. Broilers become oversized, not easily marketed or saleable, and price is low per unit
weight. Market demand is 1.0 – 1.5 kg.
3. There are some physiological changes relative to reproductive function. There is a
change in physical conformation due to sex difference.

• Regular supply of good broiler chicks

Profits in broiler raising can’t be obtained from one broiler or a group of broilers at
one time, but rather on a good number at one time, followed at close intervals regularly from
batch to batch and through the years.

In this connection, there must be an assured supply of good broiler chicks so that a define
program of growing and selling can be effective. You may have an assured market but if
chicks are not available on time the program of marketing will also be disturbed

• Constant supply of good broiler feeds, feed supplements and essential medicines

Feed is the biggest item in the operational cost. The quality of feeds is always
reflected in the growth of broilers. Chicks cannot wait availability of feeds. Feed must be
available all the time. The modern stock of broilers responds very well to feed supplements
and additives that influence fast growth. The birds also benefit much from medical treatment
in case of stress conditions that may be unexpectedly encountered.

• Capitalization

Broiler raising needs intensive capital; returns are quick but investments are high.

6.2 SYSTEMS OF BROILER OPERATION

All-in-all-out system – only broilers of one age are being raised and all of them are sold at
the same time. This is most desirable to affect a simple disease control measure, especially if
in one locality, community or area, there will be no other age groups of birds. This can only
be done if a strict rule, ordinance or regulation is agreed upon and respected by all people
concerned. Private producers could form an association and agree on a common price and
program of production.

The all-in-all-out system can be so exclusive of one farm and it can be effective if
there is no neighbor who is also raising broilers.

If an all-in-all-out program is followed, 5 – 6 batches can be raised in one year.

• Two stage operation. Two are groups of broilers are being kept in the farm.

If the principle, that no different ages of chicks are to be mixed in one house will be followed,
the two-stage operation certainly calls for separate brooder house and grower house.

There are advantages that can be mentioned in favor of this system.

i. More efficient utilization of the house

ii. More efficient utilization of brooder facilities;

during brooding (all-in-all-out system) -growing house is idle while during growing
period (all-in-all-out system) the brooder house or area and brooder facilities are idle.

iii. More broilers can be raised (double the all-in-all-out) during the year.
iv. More frequent intervals of selling broilers.

Disadvantages:

i. Two separate houses must be constructed

ii. Transferring the broiler from the brooder to the grower house can be stressful to the
chicks.
iii. More labor is required

• Multiple stage of broiler operation

This is similar to the two-stage broiler operation except that there should be more units to
facilitate as many stages or accommodate various ages of broilers. The turn-over of chicks
can be daily, every 2 days, weekly, bi-weekly, etc. provided that the management is carefully
observed to effect no mixing of ages in one particular house and strictly follow sanitary
measures to minimize possible contamination, this system can be successfully used. When
marketing contracts call for a frequent output of broilers, this system is always resorted to.

Contract growing of broilers

1. Integrator company (contractor)

2. Farmer (grower)
Contractor’s responsibility:

1. Supplies of chicks and feeds

2. Provide technical services and guidance in raising broilers
3. Pay fixed fee for raising the broilers – what is embodied in the contract, including
bonuses and incentives.
4. Gets back the grower broilers from the farmers
5. Do the scheduling of next batch

Farmer’s responsibility:

1. Provides the proper housing – appropriate for the size of flock to be raised.
2. Housing facilities should be acceptable to company’s standards.
3. Report of any unexpected eventuality.

Contract should contain 3 essential C’s

1. Complete
2. Clear
3. Concise

Classification of broiler raisers

a. Independent raiser
b. Contract grower

Broiler strains marketed in the Philippines

a. Anak 2000
b. Anak 180
c. Arbor acre
d. Cobb
e. Pilch
f. Starbro
g. Peterson
h. Ross
i. Avian
j. Hybro G

Important parameters in broiler production

a) Cost of day-old chicks : P13.00-22.00/chicks

b) Total amount of feed consumed : 3.0-3.5
c) Feed conversion ratio : 1.8-2.0
d) Mortality : 3-4%
e) Dressing percentage : 70%
f) Price of liveweight chicken : 55-70/kg
g) Number of batches per year : 6-7
h) Feeding system : ad libitum
i) Cost of feeds
Chick booster - P540.00/25 kg
Broiler starter - P870.00/50 kg
Broiler finisher -P 850.00/50 kg

j) Labor: Broiler ratio – 1:5,000 birds

*Assumption, subject to change

Chapter 7. DEFINITION OF TERMS

ACTIVITY:

• Lab. Ex. No. 4

(Anatomy of chicken) (draw and label)

• Lab. Ex. No. 5

(Poultry production) (Raising of Broiler chicken)