Chapter II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Native chicken producers try to maintain the type of diet for their chickens that

they would get if they were foraging for themselves. Native chickens weigh in at

one or two kilos (2 to 5 pounds).

The ZamPen native chicken is known for its tender meat, sweet flavor, ability

to grow faster than other native chickens in the Philippines, ability to do well in free

range conditions, uniform physical characteristics, predictable performance, and its

ability to produce more eggs, Perez, 2018.

A kind of native chicken that may give profitable insight to poultry growers is

the ZamPen native chicken whose name is a coined word of Zamboanga Peninsula.
 The Western Mindanao Agriculture and Aquatic Resources Research and

Development Consortium (WESMAARRDEC) in partnership with Western Mindanao

State University (WMS) pushed ZamPen native chicken production as a source of

livelihood in the Zamboanga Peninsula, another meaningful and productive farming

activity enriched with science and technology. These agencies aim to facilitate the

flow of technology not only to the farmers but also to the country’s micro, small, and

medium enterprises for them to benefit from the government’s R&D undertakings,

thereby enabling them to contribute more to economic development. Native chicken

production is considered to be the most competitive and sustainable sub sector of

the local poultry industry owing to its numerous advantages such as low capital

investment, simple management system, and the emergence of new markets,

among other advantages. Providing additional income for farmers and known as a

source of high quality meat, native chicken is considered an important component of

the country’s rural farming system (Argana, 2016).

Caring for Chicks

Caring for newly hatched chicks is a very important part of native chicken

farming. The most delicate period of a chicken’s life begins from the time it is

hatched up to one month of age. According to studies, this is the period when

many chicks get sick and die.

To encourage hens to resume egg laying, it is best to separate the chicks

from the hens immediately. Chicks are transferred to a brooder house, a place

where chicks are confined from the day of hatching until such time when they
can survive without added heat. This structure protects chicks from rain, strong

winds, changing weather conditions, and predators. A medium-sized brooder

house that has dimensions of 2 ft. x 3 ft. x 1 ft. can house 20-30 chicks from day

1 to about 3-4 weeks.

The following are some tips in caring for the chicks:

1. Use a 1-watt incandescent bulb or light per head to provide sufficient

heat.

2. Ensure availability of water and feeds that can be easily accessed by

the chicks. It is best for the chicks to feed and drink water immediately

upon arrival in the brooder house.

3. Use piles of old newspapers as floor cover or absorbent litter material

where feeds can be scattered until chicks are 3-5 days old. Each day,

remove the top layer of the pile to ensure that the feeds are new and the litter

material is clean.

4. After 3-5 days, there is no more need for floor cover. Instead, use a

shallow feeder like a bamboo pole split in half or other designs made of

wood, plastic, or galvanized iron.

5. Immunize the birds against pests from age 7-9 days. Ask a veterinarian

or technician about the proper ways of immunization.

Chicken Brooder House

Observe chicks’ behavior since this is a good indication of brooding

temperature. If it is too hot, chicks tend to stay away from the source of light. If it

is too cold, chicks tend to stay very close to the brooder. A good indicator that
you have achieved proper brooder temperature (adequately balanced between

hot and cold) is when chicks are equally distributed in the brooder house

(Santiago, April 2020).

Molasses can be a source of quick energy and an excellent source of

minerals for farm animals and even chickens. Molasses can also be a key ingredient

for cost effective management of feeds.

For many years, molasses has been an important part of livestock feeds. In

some cases it is used as a binder to hold feed components together

and in other cases it is used to increase palatability. It is also used in water during

cold months to encourage drinking by adding a good taste to it. Since molasses is

sweet, it appeals to animals that are desirous of sweet tastes to enjoy.

Molasses has more advantages than its taste and binding abilities, however.

In moderate amounts, it offers health benefits to the heart and enables the building

of muscle. Blackstrap molasses, which is the proper choice for chickens, is also high

in iron, magnesium, potassium, and calcium, all of which are important to a chicken's

health (Chicken Forum, 2014)

Antibiotic growth promoters (AGP) and Non-Antibiotic growth promoters

(NAGP) are two types of growth promoters used in poultry feed. Bacterial resistance

and residual effects from poultry's repeated antibiotic treatment are a result.

Research studies are constantly looking for AGP alternatives because of these

dangers. The inclusion of NAGP in poultry feeds may have a variety of positive

effects, such as accelerating the development of a balanced gut flora, stabilizing

digestion, and enhancing feed efficiency. Phytogenics are currently receiving a lot of

attention among NAGP, Yadav 2017.

Aloe vera (AV) (Aloe barbadensis Miller) is a well-known medicinal herb and it

has been used for commercial and therapeutic properties in many parts of the

world . AV gel contains compounds with proven antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal,

antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, immunomodulatory, and wound healing

properties . AV gel contains acemannan, which has been identified as the primary

polysaccharide . Polysaccharides can affect the humoral immune response and

cellular immunity . Studies showed that acemannan is able to activate of

macrophages to release inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1 (IL-1), IL-6,

and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) . AV gel has demonstrated antimicrobial

properties against a wide range of pathogenic bacteria such as Staphylococcus

aureus and Escherichia coli.

Another, Aloe vera, as an additive to broiler chicken feed, has great potentials

for improving growth performance, carcass characteristics, haemato-biochemical

parameters, intestinal health, immune system response and cost of production. It

can also be used in controlling coccidiosis. Advantages of Aloe vera added to broiler

feeds depend on several factors: form of use (powder, gel, extract (ethanolic or

aqueous), polysaccharide extracted from gel), dosage, genetics of broilers,

ingredients of diet, and farm management, Amit 2019.

Aloe vera is a well-known herb characterized by properties such as anti-

bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory,

wound-healing, anti-oxidant, and anti-diabetic effects. During the past years,

attention has shifted toward Aloe vera as a natural additive to broiler diets, and

studies have shown that Aloe vera can improve immune response and growth

performance in broilers. In addition, Aloe vera is an excellent alternative for antibiotic

growth promoters and anticoccidial drugs. Since Aloe vera can be used for broilers

in the form of gel, powder, ethanolic extract, aqueous extract, and a polysaccharide

contained in Aloe vera gel (i.e. acemannan), more studies are required to determine

the best form and to compare Aloe vera with other medicinal herbs. This paper

reviews effects of Aloe vera on intestinal microflora, growth performance, immune

response, and coccidiosis in broiler chickens, FAO, 2014.

Another study was conducted with an aim of studying the efficacy of water

supplements of Aloe vera and Azadirachta indica (neem) during pre-starter age (0-2

weeks) on gut health and histomorphometry in Vanaraja chicks. A total of 192 day

old Vanaraja chicks were randomly assigned to one of four herbal water treatments

throughout the experimental pre-starter stage (0-2 weeks) in a completely

randomized design. Each treatment was given four replicates consisting of 12 chicks

per replicate. Water treatments comprised T1: Control with regular antibiotic

supplement, T2: 3 ml Aloe juice per chick per day, T3: 3 ml neem extract per chick

per day, T4: 1.5 ml Aloe and 1.5 ml neem per chick per day. Gut culture was done

for Escherichia coli and Lactobacillus sps. and gut histomorphometry in 24 gut

samples at 14 days of age. This study revealed that supplementation of A. vera and

neem in water significantly (p<0.05) reduced and increased the number of gut E. coli

and Lactobacillus sps. Colonies, respectively, as compared to that of control groups;

Villi was significantly (p<0.05) taller and broader on 14 days of age across the
jejunum of chicks fed with neem supplementation as compared to that of control

chicks. Significantly lower crypt depth (p<0.05) was observed in the duodenum of

Aloe supplementation. Villus height: Crypt depth ratio of duodenum and jejunum was

significantly (p<0.05) increased neem and Aloe supplementation in chicks as

compared to their combination and control. Immediate post hatch supplementation

of Aloe juice and neem extract in chicks improved the development and health of

their gut, Suhatha, et.al 2017.

Over the past 50 years, there has been a rapid increase in the need for

poultry meat on a global scale to meet the rising demand from health, ecology,

safety and equity. However, there has been a significant rise in recent years in both

public demand and scientific interest for organic poultry farming, particularly when

using medicinal herbs due to the rising concern of antibiotic resistance in end users.

Ban on the use of antibiotics in the poultry industry has resulted in the demand of

herbs as alternatives to antibiotics. Various research efforts have illustrated the

nutritional value of Aloe vera in improving growth performance and immune status

and acting as an antibacterial and anticoccidial agent in poultry. Aloe vera has been

used as a supplement in the form of gel, alcoholic extract, powder, polysaccharide

and aqueous extract. Aloe vera contains more than 200 nutrients, bioactive

compounds, polysaccharides and saponins. In the current review, we have detailed

the effect of Aloe vera as an alternative to antibiotics on growth performance,

antimicrobial and antiparasitic activities and blood biochemical alternations in

poultry, Khan, et.al., 2022.

 The effect of dietary supplementation with Aloe vera (AV) powder and

synbiotic as growth promoter agents on performance, gut morphology, immune

responses, hematology and serum biochemistry in broilers. A total of 240-day-old

male broiler chicks (Ross 308) were randomly assigned to six treatments with four

replicates. Birds were offered either a corn-soybean meal basal diet (control) or the

basal diet supplemented with 200 mg/kg virginiamycin (VM), 1 g/kg synbiotic (Syn),

2.5 g/kg AV (AV1), 5.0 g/kg AV (AV2) or 7.5 g/kg AV (AV3). Chickens fed any of the

diets, except diet AV1, exhibited better feed conversion ratios at the 14–28 day

period and higher average daily gain and duodenal villus height/crypt depth ratio at

42 days than those fed the control diet. Synbiotic supplementation caused a marked

increase in the serum antibody titer against infectious bursal disease and infectious

bronchitis vaccines. Feeding diet AV3 significantly increased red blood cell count

and hemoglobin concentration, and decreased serum triglyceride level compared to

the control group. The results suggested that dietary inclusion of 5 and 7.5 g/kg AV,

similar with synbiotic supplementation, can be applied as effective alternatives to in-

feed antibiotics for broiler diets, Shokri, E. et.al, 2016.

 LITERATURE CITED

ARGANA, R. R. 2016. WESMAARDEC Pushes ZamPen Native Chicken

Production. Retrieved from: http://www.pcaarrd.dost.gov.ph/home/
portal/index.php/quick-informatio-dispatch/2835-wesmaarrdec-pushes zam
pen-native-chicken-production-thru-fiesta.

Amit, 2019. Use of Aloe Vera as Poultry Growth Promoter. Retrieved on May 30,
2023 from https://thepoultrypunch.com/2019/12/use-of-aloe-vera-as-poultry-
growth promoter/#
:~:text=Aloe%20vera%2C%20as%20an%20additive,response%20and%20co
st%20o f%20production.

Chicken Forum. 2014. The Benefits of Molasses. Retrieved from:

https://www.chickenforum.com/articles/the-benefits-of-molasses.137/

FAO, 2014. Review on Effects of Aloe Vera as a Feed Additive in Broiler Chicken
Diets. Retrieved on May 30, 2023 from https://agris.fao.org/agris-
search/search.do?recordID=US201700218851

Khan, et.al., 2022. Aloe vera: A Sustainable Green Alternative to Exclude Antibiotics
in Modern Poultry Production. Retrieved on May 30, 2023 from
https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/12/1/44.

Perez, E. 2018. FIESTA Mag Native Chicken. Retrieved on May 30, 2023 from
https://www.slideshare.net/zerep_cire/fiesta-mag-native-chicken-zam-pen

SANTIAGO, RENE C. 2020. Native Chicken Farming. Retrieved on May 30,

2023 from https://mb.com.ph/2020/04/04/native-chicken-farming/

Shokri, E. et.al, 2016. Evaluation of Aloe vera and synbiotic as antibiotic growth
promoter substitutions on performance, gut morphology, immune responses
and blood constitutes of broiler chickens. Retrieve on May 30, 2023 from
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/asj.12629
Suhatha, et.al 2017. Efficacy of early chick nutrition with Aloe vera and Azadirachta
indica on gut health and histomorphometry in chicks.

Yadav 2017. Aloe vera as a feed additive in broiler chicken production: A Review.
Retrieved on May 30, 2023 from
https://www.veterinarypaper.com/pdf/2017/vol2issue5/PartA/2-5-5- 288.pdf.