Chicken egg production in the Philippines is a minor industry compared to the broiler production

sector that takes center stage in the Philippine chicken trade. But the chicken layer sector had the
most growth between 2001 and 2002 because of the increase of chicken layers in the country.
In 2002 alone, chicken egg production contributed 3% of the total value of agriculture in the
Philippines.
With the current socio-economic problems in the country, the chicken egg is one of the cheapest
food products that are vastly available in the market. The chicken egg is also considered as one
of the most complete food sources with high nutritional value.
Chicken egg production in the Philippines mainly serves the domestic market.

MANAGEMENT OF THE LAYER FARM
The success of the egg-production business greatly depends on successful management of the
layer farm. Each factor discussed below contributes to the success of your egg production
business.
Housing and bedding
Poultry housing and equipment can be as simple as a shed roof with chicken wire fencing, nests,
water fountains and hand-filled feeders to an environmentally controlled fully automated cage
layer house. Make sure that the birds are given adequate floor space. A maximum of three birds
per square meter is recommended. Provide birds with up to 100% (depending on severity of
conditions) more floor space than is recommended for temperate climates.
In the laying house, supply at least 1 nest per 4 females or at least provide one 10 x 10 nest for
every 5 hens in your flock. Place nests 24 above the floor and away from the roosts. Keep the
nesting material clean and dry.
Lighting, heating and ventilation
Heat stress is one of the major risk factors that one must consider in layer farm management. The
ideal temperature for laying hens is between 18 degrees and 29 degrees Celsius.
Air movement around birds at floor level has a beneficial cooling effect. In shade houses, take
full advantage of natural breezes using paddles or circulating fans in periods of still weather and
particularly during the heat of the day. In controlled environment houses, use inlets with
moveable louvers which can direct moving air directly on to the birds at floor level.
In shade houses, natural daylight must be supplemented with artificial lighting in order to obtain
desirable lighting patterns which are necessary to adequately control sexual maturity. A constant
or decreasing lighting pattern during rearing is essential to prevent too early sexual maturity. An
increasing or constant light pattern is necessary after 22-24 weeks of age.
Brooding equipment
Poultry housing should provide clean, dry, comfortable quarters for birds throughout the year.
To brood chicks, you need adequate heat and space. The house and equipment should be clean
and in good repair.
Set up and warm the brooding area before the chicks arrive. Chicks will need a warm, draft-free
location with proper ventilation and access to clean water, appropriate feed and protection.
The normal brooding period, when heat is required, is from the time chicks hatch until they are
about six weeks old. Chicks may be brooded many places on the farm. The main requirements
are adequate space, a reliable source of heat and proper ventilation.
A brooder house measuring 10 by 12 feet will take care of 120 chicks to eight weeks of age. The
chick guard ring is 12 inches high arranged in a circle 6 feet in diameter around the brooder
stove. The feeders are placed in a spoke like arrangement radiating outward from underneath the
outer portion of the brooder canopy. This provides chicks access to feed and allows them to
move freely in and out from the heat source.
Feeding equipment
The mechanics of feeding are nearly as important as the feed itself. Supply enough feeder space
so that all the birds can eat at the same time. When space is limited, some birds dont get enough
to eat. Keep feed available for the birds constantly. Meal feeding (giving a limited amount of
feed several times each day) can reduce productivity if not managed carefully.
Place feeders so the trough is at the level of the birds backs. This practice reduces feed spillage,
which encourages rodents, wastes feed, and costs money.
Watering equipment
The distribution of waterers should be such as to minimize the distance any bird has to move in
order to drink; ideally, both feed and water should be distributed so that no bird has to move
more than 1 1/2 meters to get its requirements.
Whenever possible, use a water supply such as well which provides cool water. Bury or insulate
water pipes to maintain the original coolness. Additionally, supply troughs in which breeders
may dip their combs and wattles so that evaporation of water cools the blood supply in the
combs and wattles. In extremely hot weather, do not place drugs or other substances in the water
which might decrease its palatability.
Miscellaneous equipment
For large scale farms, a feed mill is usually used to automate the distribution of feeds. Feeds are
distributed using an auger system. Egg transporting mechanisms are also used to minimize the
occurrence of human egg handling. These automatic egg collectors are also used to place the
eggs into plastic trays that will carry the eggs into the processing and sorting facility via a large
overhead belt.
Dead bird disposal
Disposal of dead birds on the farm continues to be a challenge from the standpoints of cost,
environmental safety, biosecurity and practicality. While we, hopefully, have to deal with only a
relatively small amount each day, disposal or preservation must also occur daily in order to meet
the above challenges.
Burial has been the method of choice for years because of its low cost and convenience. A deep
pit with inside framing and a tight-fitting cover can be constructed, or an open trench prepared
by a backhoe can be progressively filled.
Incineration is probably the most biologically safe method of disposal. It creates only a small
amount of benign waste that can be easily disposed of and does not attract pests. It is also a
serviceable option where a high water table or soil type precludes excavation.
Biosecurity
As a bird owner, keeping your birds healthy is a top priority. Your birds can become sick or die
from exposure to just a few unseen bacteria, viruses, or parasites. In a single day, these germs
can multiply and infect all your birds. However, by practicing biosecurity, you can keep your
birds healthy.
Restrict access to your property and your birds. Consider fencing off the area where your birds
are to form a barrier between clean and dirty areas. The clean area is the immediate area
surrounding your birds, and the dirty or buffer area must be considered to be infected with
germs, even if the birds appear healthy and disease free. Allow only people who take care of
your birds to come into contact with them.
Scrubbing your shoes with a long handled scrub brush and disinfectant will remove droppings,
mud, or debris. Clothes should be washed in a washing machine with laundry detergent. Wash
your hands thoroughly with soap, water, and a disinfectant before entering your bird area.
Keep cages, food, and water clean on a daily basis. Clean and disinfect equipment that comes in
contact with your birds or their droppings. That includes tools such as feed scoops, shovels,
rakes, and brooms. All manure must be removed before disinfectant can work, so clean surfaces
with soap and water first. Properly dispose of dead birds by burial or incineration or take them to
a landfill.
FLOCK CARE AND MANAGEMENT
Chick quality
Healthy flocks start from healthy stocks. So from the start, choose only healthy chicks for the
farm. Do not acquire chicks that have wet vents and dull eyes. Characteristics of healthy chicks
are dry, fluffy feathers, bright eyes and alert and active appearance.
Brooding
Sufficient heat should be provided to keep day-old chicks warm during the day or night. Abrupt
changes in brooder temperature should be avoided during the first two weeks.
Provide adequate space for chicks as they grow. Overcrowding is one of the factors affecting
poor growth. Also provide a good light source, as a well-lighted brooder encourages chicks to
start feeding. Also prove good ventilation for chicks to avoid future respiratory diseases. Egg-
type chicks should be transferred from the brooding house to the grower pens at six to eight
weeks old. They are then transferred to the laying house when they reach the age 16 to 18 weeks
old or three weeks before they lay eggs.
Make sure to provide anti-stress drugs, vitamins and minerals to the birds two to five days before
and after their transfer. Also make sure the bird houses are thoroughly cleaned before the birds
are transferred.
Commercial layer strains in use today yield high numbers of productive pullets when reared
under recommended breeder guidelines to be at target body weights at the desired time of
reaching sexual maturity. The only selection in most instances is to remove deformed, unhealthy,
and grossly underdeveloped birds when the move is made from the growing to the laying house.
In the FFA (Future Farmers of America) judging contest there is a class of pullets evaluated on
their production potential using the following guidelines.
The head should be moderately long and well-filled in forward to the eyes to avoid a crow-
headed appearance. The face should be clean-cut, smooth and free from wrinkles. The comb
should be large and bright red in color. The eyes should be large, bright, and prominent.
The pullet should be fully feathered with plumage of good quality. Shanks should show a good
healthy color, but place no emphasis on color intensity with birds of this age. Feet and toes
should be completely normal and the bird should be well balanced on her legs.
The body should be deep, broad, and well developed, with a heart girth of ample circumference.
The keel should be of good length and the back should be relatively long, broad, and flat.
Sexual maturity should be expressed by size and development of the comb and wattles. Early
sexual maturity should not be encouraged and size of development should be preferable to sexual
maturity.
Layer hens may start laying eggs at age 20 to 22 weeks. They will reach maximum egg
production at age 30 weeks to 36 weeks. Egg production of pullets older than 36 weeks may
decline then level off. It is also during the first year that layer hens undergo the process of
molting. Poor layers will molt early, and late molters are generally the good layers. Layer may
produce 10% to 20% less eggs during the second year of production. However, they will also
produce larger eggs.
Nutrition and formulating feed for the layer flock
Nutrition and feed are very important factors in ensuring the good performance of hens. Make
sure you provide the flock with proper feeds and nutrients to get quality eggs during harvest.
Feed requirement
Feed newly hatched chicks a starter diet until they are about six weeks old. Starter diets are
formulated to give proper nutrition to fast growing baby chickens. These feeds usually contain
between 18% and 20% protein.
It is not necessary to feed meat bird starter to young layer chickens. Diets formulated for
starting meat chickens are higher in protein (22% to maximize growth, which is not necessary or
desirable for egg laying chickens and is higher in cost. Once the birds reach about six weeks of
age, substitute a grower feed for the starter. Grower feeds are about 15% or 16% protein and are
formulated to sustain good growth to maturity.
After about 14 weeks of age, you can substitute the grower feed with developer feeds if they are
available. These feeds are lower in protein than grower feeds (14% to 15%) and are formulated
to prepare young chickens for egg production. Remember, these two feed types are virtually
interchangeable; either one can be fed to chickens between six weeks of age and the beginning of
egg production.
Once your chickens begin laying eggs, you can choose between layer and breeder feeds. Your
choice of feed at this stage depends on how the eggs will be used.
Layer feeds are formulated for chickens that are laying table eggs (those used for food). Layer
feeds contain about 16% protein and extra calcium so the chickens will lay eggs with strong
shells. Start feeding layer feeds at about 20 weeks of age or when the first egg is laid, whichever
occurs first.
Breeder feeds are formulated for chickens that are producing eggs for hatching. These feeds
basically are layer feeds containing slightly more protein and fortified with extra vitamins for
proper chick development and hatching. However, use of breeder feeds is somewhat
questionable for the small flock producer, since the increased cost may not be justified by the
potentially slight increase in hatchability.
Nutrient requirements
What we feed our chickens is very important. Chickens use feed for two main purposes: as an
energy source to maintain body temperature and to carry on activities such as breathing, walking,
eating and digesting the feed and as building material for the development of bone, flesh,
feathers and eggs. The feed that chickens eat is made up of water, carbohydrates, fats, proteins,
minerals and vitamins. Each nutrient serves a special need.
Carbohydrates make up the biggest share of the poultry diet. In the form of starches or simple
sugars, that are needed for body maintenance and energy. Important sources of carbohydrates in
poultry feeds are corn, milo and various other grains.
Proteins are complex compounds made up of amino acids. Feed proteins are broken down into
amino acids by digestion and converted into boy proteins. Body proteins are used in the
construction of body tissue. Tissues that mainly consist of protein are muscles, nerves, cartilage,
skin, feathers and beak. The albumin (white) of the egg is also high in protein.
The mineral portion of the feed is inorganic matter. Minerals, especially calcium and
phosphorus, help build bones and make them strong and rigid. Laying hens also require minerals
for eggshell formation.
Grains are low in minerals, so supplements are necessary. Calcium, phosphorus and salt are
needed in the greatest amounts. Bone meal and defluorinated and dicalcium phosphates supply
additional calcium and phosphorus. Ground limestone and oyster shell are good calcium sources.
Trace levels of iodine, iron, manganese and zinc are also included in mineral supplements.
Vitamins occur in feeds in small amounts, but they are absolutely necessary for growth,
reproduction and the maintenance of health. They occur in feedstuffs in varying quantities and in
different combinations Vitamin A is necessary for the health and proper functioning of the skin
and lining of the digestive, reproductive and respiratory tracts. Vitamin D plays an important role
in bone formation and the metabolism of calcium and phosphorus. The B vitamins are involved
in energy metabolism and in many other metabolic functions.
to be continued
In 2002 alone, chicken egg production contributed 3% of the total value of agriculture in the
Philippines.
With the current socio-economic problems in the country, the chicken egg is one of the cheapest
food products that are vastly available in the market. The chicken egg is also considered as one
of the most complete food sources with high nutritional value. Chicken egg production in the
Philippines mainly serves the domestic market.
Feed compositions
The correct formulation of feed depends upon local conditions. It requires knowledge of the
relationship between energy content of the feed and the amount of feed consumed daily. With
correct formulation the latter will contain the correct daily allowance of protein, vitamins and
minerals. Some vitamin supplementation can be done via the water and a continuous level of
vitamin supplementation is virtually essential during all period of heat stress.
Water is the single most important nutrient that chickens consume. Therefore, it is necessary to
provide adequate amounts of clean, fresh water daily during growth and egg production. Birds
will drink between two and three times as much water by weight as they eat in feed. Their
consumption of water increases in warm weather.
Sanitation and waste management
Maintain only a very shallow layer of litter on concrete floors. This will maximize any cooling
effect which the concrete floor may have on the birds through absorption of body heat. Dry,
dusty litter can cause severe irritation and damage to the eyes of chickens. Avoid dustiness by
sprinkling water generously on litter at regular intervals. This spraying can, during extremely
hot, dry spells, be advantageously extended to the birds themselves and the feed.
Vaccinations and control of common pests and diseases Many bird diseases can be difficult to
diagnose. The list below includes some of the things to look for that signal something might be
wrong with your birds. Early detection of signs is very important to prevent the spread of
disease.
Watch out for the following signs of disease:
Sudden increase in bird deaths in your flock
Sneezing, gasping for air, coughing, and nasal discharge
Watery and green diarrhea
Lack of energy and poor appetite
Drop in egg production or soft- or thin-shelled misshapen eggs
Swelling around the eyes, neck, and head
Purple discoloration of the wattles, combs, and legs (Al)
Tremors, drooping wings, circling, twisting of the head and neck, or lack of movement.
Proper handling of vaccines should be practiced. The quality of a vaccine cannot be guaranteed if
the product is mishandled or improperly used after it leaves the manufacturing plant. All
vaccines are labeled with instructions for use and dates of expiration.
Suggestions are listed below for an effective vaccination plan for your flock:
1. Rotate vaccine stock. An outdated product may have deteriorated.
2. Each vaccine is designed for a specific route of administration. Use only the recommended
route.
3. Do not vaccinate sick birds (except in outbreaks of laryngotracheitis or fowl pox).
4. Protect vaccines from heat and direct sunlight.
5. When using the drinking-water method of vaccination, be sure the water is free of sanitizers
and chlorine. Live-virus vaccines are readily destroyed by these chemicals.
6. After vaccinating, burn or disinfect all opened containers to other poultry.
7. Hatcheries and poultry suppliers are usually the best sources for vaccines. Be sure to carefully
follow label directions when vaccinating.

To be continued