In the early years of the development of the Manok Pinoy free-range chicken, I was faced with a serious problem of high mortality of chicks brought to the open range.
Coccidiosis manifested by bloodied manure, Avian Malaria and Respiratory Diseases were among the health issues which caused massive losses of chicks.
Our response then, as would any other tyro-chicken farmer, was to address these diseases by applying commercial medication.
Yes, we were able to arrest the diseases but they recurred every now and then to the point that raising them in the free-range became a very expensive exercise.
I did not give up, however, because for me the essence of raising “native” chicken is rearing them in the free-range where they could bathe in the dust under the sunlight and feed on green grass and insects.
That, in my view, is what makes “native” free-range chicken better tasting than the caged 27-day-old broilers.
As we moved along, we learned from the experiences of other farmers and the most valuable lessons I got were from fellow gamefowl breeders.
(Yes, I also breed gamefowl as hobby. In fact, it was because of my experience in gamefowl breeding that I was able to develop Manok Pinoy. I do not go to cockpit though.)
Here are the lessons we learned:
1. Always remember the golden rule: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
2. Always keep your yard clean. Wash the waterers with disinfectants periodically and clean the feeding troughs before giving them feeds.
3. Always have a keen eye and observe the movement of every chick in your yard. A sick chick could infect the whole yard if it is not confined.
4. The most important lesson is to remember that chicken, just like human beings, also have biological clocks. When they are used to being fed at 7 a.m., make sure that they will have their feeds consistently at around that time.
Any delay in the feeding could cause stress making them vulnerable to diseases.
Also, make sure that they never run out of water because this will really damage them irreparably.
Of course, periodic deworming is a must because intestinal worms could weaken their resistance again making them vulnerable to diseases.
I hope these tips help.
Happy Farming Weekend fellow farmers.
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