Production Environment and Management of Native Chickens (Gallus gallus) in Itogon, Benguet Maribel

Abstract

The study was conducted to determine the production environment and management of native chickens in Itogon, Benguet from February 6, 2016 to June 9, 2016. Generally, the study was conducted to determine the production environment and management of native chickens in Itogon, Benguet. Specifically, the study was conducted to determine the socio-economic profile of the respondents; aspects of production such as management environment; flock management of native chicken in terms of production and market; problem encountered of respondents; and generate information on the geographical distribution of native chickens in Itogon, Benguet. Most of the respondents had ages ranging from 41 to 50 with a percentage of 29.17.The youngest respondent was 19 years old while the oldest was 85 years old. The mean age of the respondents is 46.54 with standard deviation of 13.46. Among the respondents interviewed in Itogon, Benguet, most (62.24%) have 1 to 5 family size. The mean number of their family size was 5.44 with standard deviation of 2.16. The highest number of family size recorded in this study was 15 and the lowest was 2. In addition, most of the respondents in Itogon, Benguet have been raising native chickens for 1 to 5 years (62.24%). The mean of raising native chicken was 5.44 with standard deviation of 2.16. Moreover, majority of the respondents in Itogon, Benguet were males (59.90 %) and has reached high school level with a percentage of 61.46. Crop cultivation was the major source of livelihood for the respondents with a percentage of 41.67 and they mainly raise their native chickens because of low inputs. Resistance to diseases (25.40%) was the main adaptability trait of native chickens in Itogon, Benguet. In terms of animal holdings, all respondents in Itogon, Benguet answered that they are practicing peasant agriculture. Majority of the respondents does not raise native chicken for market so they do not have breeding centre, experimental station, multiplication centre and commercial production unit; rather they raise it mainly for home consumption. Most of the chicken growers were raising 16 to 30 heads of chicken with a percentage of 47.66 in Itogon, Benguet and the highest number of hen ranged from 0 to 10 with a percentage of 88.54. The highest number of pullets ranged from 0 to 10 native chicken pullets with 91.41%. The highest number of cocks raised by the respondents in Itogon, Benguet was 0 to 10 native chicken cocks with a percentage of 93.75% while the highest number of chicks raised by the respondents in Itogon, Benguet was 0 to 10 native chicks with a percentage of 58.59. All the respondents in Itogon, Benguet have revealed that the type of mating practice they do is uncontrolled, non-seasonal and natural mating and most of the respondents in Itogon, Benguet also claimed that their hen started to lay at the age of 7 to 8 months with 56.51%. Majority of the respondents in Itogon, Benguet claimed that their hens lay their eggs two times a year (64.32%) and most hens (71.88%) laid 11 to 15 eggs. Climatological data on temperature, rainfall, relative humidity and wind speed were collected for the period of three months (February 2016 to April 2016) from the PAGASA Agromet Station, Benguet State University. Temperature has the highest mean of 24.630C. Rainfall has its mean of 3.11 mm followed by wind speed with the mean of 1.8m/s. The relative humidity has a mean value of 82.67%. 100% of the respondents in Itogon, Benguet observed peste as the main disease affecting their native chickens. Most of the respondents also claimed that their native chickens are not provided with cages (53.65%). In addition, all respondents in Itogon, Benguet do not vaccinate their chicken when they are sick. In terms of nutrition, all respondents in Itogon, Benguet claimed that access to water and feed by the chickens is normally not restricted. In addition, most of the respondents in Itogon, Benguet do not give vitamins to their chickens (74.48%) and commercial feeds (88.80 %) to their native chickens. The common feeds used by respondents in Itogon, Benguet to feed their chickens are the indigenous feeds such as kitchen refuse (32.21%), farm products (31.96%), rotten fruits and vegetable (30.79 %), rice bran (2.60%) and root crops (2.43%). Respondents in Itogon, Benguet practiced mixed market/subsistence oriented kind of market orientation. They do not have products targeted at niche markets and sell their chickens in the neighborhood. Mature hen and rooster were sold at Php 200.00 with 37.5% Native chickens were commonly sold at per head basis and 20.42% out of 384 respondents claimed that they sell their native chickens. In terms of the uses of native chickens, respondents in Itogon, Benguet said that they use their chickens primarily for home consumption. In Itogon, Benguet, the most number of native chickens belongs to the Paraokan strain. It would be a good practice to provide native chickens with proper housing even these are raised in the free range during the day to protect them from predators and adverse weather condition. It is also suggested that native chickens be fed with optimum amount of nutrients to attain proper nutrition and increase productivity. Proper health management should also be implemented to prevent disease outbreak that would adversely affect production.