ENDLESS RAINS ADVERSELY AFFECT MANOK PINOY EGG PRODUCTION

By Manny Pinol

Almost endless rains and inclement weather have adversely affected the egg production of Manok Pinoy hens in the breeding yards.

For the month of August, the 500 hens in the breeding yards yielded only 4,464 eggs compared to 4,826 eggs last month, July.

In July, farm workers gathered an average of 160 eggs daily while for the month of August the daily egg production was down to an average of 141 daily.

The 160 daily egg production is equivalent to a daily egg laying rate of about 31% which meant that Manok Pinoy hens and pullets were producing an average of 116 eggs every year, which is way lower than the egg production of dual-purpose chicken breeds.

The 116 average daily egg production, however, is definitely better than the ordinary Philippine chicken raised by farmers in the countryside which produces only an average of 80 eggs a year.

Our target is to improve the egg production of Manok Pinoy to at least 160 eggs every year average production per hen to ensure the viability of the free-range and backyard chicken industry.

Today, the breeding yards which showed huge reduction in egg production will be checked to determine what other factors, aside from the almost endless rains, may have affected the egg production.