Twenty-one years after I started gamefowl breeding and 11 years from the day I developed the meat breed, Manok Pinoy, I still learn new lessons everyday.
For the third time in less than 6 months, we have made adjustments on our chick rearing and ranging practice after we encountered challenges.
Six months ago, when we started hatching about 1,000 chicks of Manok Pinoy every week, we brought the chicks straight to the ranging area right after they got out of the hatchery.
Everything worked out fine in the first few weeks, until the rains came and the crows attacked.
So, we tried a new system by hastily building brooder houses where we kept the chicks in batches of over 1,000 in pens with rice hulls as litter.
It proved to be a disaster as the overcrowding resulted in ammonia build up with virtually rendered ineffective our immunization and vaccination program.
Our farm veterinarian, Dr. Jeff Salvatierra, who was engaged when the almost inexplicable problem described the situation as a “failed vaccination” syndrome.
It happened because in spite of the vaccination program which we observed, the overcrowding and the ammonia build-up weakened the immunity of the chicks rendering the vaccines ineffective.
Two months ago, we started a new system on the recommendation of Dr. Salvatierra.
We kept the newly-hatched chicks in small batches in circular brooders for 15 days where they were given the initial vaccines of B1B1, Gumboro and IBD twice and then fowl pox before we moved them to an elevated brooder with sufficient aeration.
There, they were kept for 30 days where the other vaccines were administered – Mycoplasma, Coryza and NCD Lasota – before we moved them to the range at 45 days old.
We now have four batches in the range which were raised using the new system and everything looks fine.
The other day, I visited the chicks in the range and I was happy with the results of the adjustments we made.
This is the beauty and challenge of farming.
Everyday lessons are learned and all that a farmer needs to do is to have keen eyes and quick decision making.
#FarmIsBestClassroom!
#AgricultureIsCommonSense!
#SharpEyesQuickDecision!
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