Poultry management practices at the Marcin's Farm / by Nenita E. Viaje.

Special Problem (BSA--Animal Husbandry) Don Severino Agricultural College

Includes bibliographical references.

College of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Natural Resources (CAFENR)

The study aimed to find out the poultry management practices employed at the Marcin's Egg Farm and its monthly egg output. This was conducted from September, 19761at the Marcin's Egg Farm in Trece Martires City. The salient findings of this study may be summarized as follows: The initial capital investment of P1,250,000.00 was increased to P5,500,000.00 as of 1972-1976 as the value of
stock, buildings, equipment and land.
The farm is engaged in egg production and feed milling could maintain 60,000 layers per year. The farm has provided a molt housing for the brooders and layers.
Strict hygiene and sanitation, as well as the provision of adequate floor space, feeds, water, heat and ventilation, and a programmed immunization, was followed in the project. This management is being practiced in the farm to raise a high percentage of healthy, vigorous birds at the end of the brooding period as well as throughout the cycle of production. Chick starter mash (20% crude protein) was fed to the chicks during the brooding stage, and to further boost their growth, vitamins were supplemented to the feeds. Feeds spread on newsprints to stimulate chicks feeding activity since feeding habits of the birds is not yet fully established during the first few days of life. Feeder minimum space per 100 birds was maintained by the farm such as: for a day-old to four-week old - 2.5 linear meters (100 in.), for four-week old to eight-week old - 5 linear meters (200 in.). Light was strictly regulated to provide adequate heat among chicks. This was found out by the owner as one of the contributing factors in maintaining the healthy condition of the chicks. This is so, since during the critical phase in the life cycle of the birds their body is dependent on the heat to escape chilling. The farm has established sound management practices during the growing period which enables it to produckWith a potential for highest possible rate of sustained egg production. This was maintained due to better genetic capacity of the birds it raised and also, to a great extent, to proper nutrition and disease control. The farm has also practiced the up-to-date transfer of layers from the growing to the laying house before the onset of lay, since transferring of birds to the laying house after it has started laying may disturb egg production. Culling, selection, debeaking, and other routinary jobs are made once whenever it is possible to limit repeated handling of birds. With these practices the farm produces a monthly output of 170,000 out of 60,000 layers. A bird on a hen-day basis is giving 19.62 eggs per month,19.5 eggs on-a hen-housed basis per month or 64.1 percent on yearly basis. Based on the above figures the Percentage egg level production was 65.4 per cent. The findings revealed that the surveyed Egg Farm could be one of the successful poultry farms in the future within the province if stafted management practices shall be continued.

Submitted to the University Library 03-10-1980 SP-200