Naturally occurring feed resources available to free-range 'Darag' chickens in Region 6 [Western Visayas, Philippines]
2008
Anon.
Smallholder farmers traditionally raise the Philippine 'Darag' native chickens under free-range management system. Hence, it is on the resources in the range that the growth performance of these birds depends. To identify feed resources in the range in Region 6 [Western Visayas] and establish the feed preferences of native chickens, Lopez, Jr (WVSU) [Western Visayas State University, Philippines] conducted an inventory of the naturally occurring feed resources present/available in rice-, orchard-, coconut-, and sugarcane-based farming systems during the wet and dry seasons. The feedstuffs present in the different farming systems were identified through the quadrat sampling method, while the feed materials taken in by the native chickens were determined in the feed materials taken in by the native chickens were determined in the ingesta by excising the crop (neck area). This study was conducted from April 2005 to June 2006. The different grasses/feed stuffs and insects recovered from the crop of 18-week old slaughter chickens during the wet and dry seasons were identified. It was inferred that these were most likely preferred feedstuffs by free-range chickens in the different farming systems. The effects of these feedstuffs to the birds are discussed extensively in the succeeding paper. Nonetheless, the study provides significant information on naturally occurring feed resources that Darag chickens prefer to feed on. Such information can thus make raisers aware and aid them in making these feed stuffs available to the birds.
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