Growth Performance of Culled Broiler

Chicken in a Free-range Housing

 
 

Jan Kevin E. Pielago

 CHAPTER 1
THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction
The Philippine poultry sector performs a crucial function in
our pursuit of agricultural development – where farmers and
fishers can have the dignity of being self-sufficient even as all
Filipinos are allowed access to adequate food (Dar, 2021). He
added that as the country continues to manage the threat of
African Swine Fever (ASF) and recover its hog population. The
poultry subsector remains a major bright spot for spurring
agricultural growth this year, towards a target of 2%.
• The free-range system is the “gold standard” of raising hens
because it allows them to experience a natural environment and
refrains from using cages. Chickens are allowed a considerable
amount of space to roam, which some farms find impractical
and hard to manage. Free-range rearing affects chickens' health,
welfare, and production efficiency, and poultry products derived
from free-range systems have become increasingly popular
(Wang et al., 2015). Previous studies indicated that free-range
rearing can positively affect both farm animal welfare and meat
quality (Yamak et al., 2016).
 In this experimental study, the researcher will determine
the initial and final average body weight of a culled broiler
chicken. Physical characteristics will also be observed.
The researcher will select twenty (20) chicken samples.
The study area is located at Partido State University's
Salogon Campus. This research site has a good layout, a
pleasant temperature, is well ventilated, and is vegetated.
The chicken samples will have leg bands, be exposed to
the sunlight, consume organic feeds, and be weighed every
week for eight weeks, from February to March.
A. Objectives
• General Objective
• Generally, this study aim to evaluate the growth performance of culled
broiler chicken in a free-range housing.
• Specific Objectives
• Specifically, the researcher aim to:
• determine the average initial weight of culled broiler chicken in a free-range
housing
• determine the average body weight gain every week
• determine the average final weight of culled broiler chicken
• determine the physical characteristics of culled chicken in free-range housing
B. Scope and Delimitation of the Study

• The researcher will focus on the growth

performance of culled broiler in a free-range
housing using organic feed such as rice bran
and leaves. The study will be conducted at
Partido State University in Salogon, San Jose,
Camarines Sur. The total chicken samples is
twenty (20) culled broiler chickens. The
rearing period is eight (8) weeks.
C. Significance of the Study

• This aim to provide sufficient information about the growth

performance of culled chicken in a free-range housing. The results of
the study will be a great help to the following:
• Agribusiness Students. This study will help the students gain
knowledge about the growth performance of chickens in free-range
housing. This can encourage them to engage in poultry farming and
other agricultural activities and enterprises.
• Farmers. This will provide information to the farmers regarding the
growth performance and the effects of free-range on the physical
characteristics of a culled broiler chicken. This can give them ideas
about whether the free-range housing has a significant contribution to
the growth of the chickens or not.
• Department of Agriculture. This study can be used to raise widespread and
appropriate awareness about chickens raised in free-range housing. They can
provide support and programs for the farmers who are using free-range animals.
• Teachers. The results of the study can be shared by the teachers, who can
encourage their students to engage in this kind of farming.
• School. This will provide information that can be used by the school for
reference and future use.
• Community. This can provide information for the community. In this way, they
will be able to know the growth performance and physical characteristics of a
culled chicken using free-range housing. This can provide information about the
importance and health benefits of culled chickens that are reared in a free-range
environment.
D. Time and Place of the Study

• This experimental study will be implemented from

February to March 2023. The chicken samples will be
reared in eight weeks. The study site is within the Parsu-
Salogon Campus. The area is situated in Salogon,
Camarines Sur. It is a place where many grasses and
trees grow. The researcher will remove any debris and
will have a well-built free-range house to secure the
chicken samples.
• 

• 
 CHAPTER II
• This chapter
REVIEWreviews
OFthe pertinent LITERATURE
RELATED review of relatedAND
literature and studies and synthesis.
STUDIES
Growth Performance of a culled chicken using free-range housing
• The cage-free system allows hens to express their natural behavior while being easy to
maintain. Chickens are housed in an enclosed area with access to food, water, and the
freedom to roam inside. Halaba (2020), an employee partner of Animal Kingdom
Foundation stated that cage-free system is an alternative to battery cages. It is more
human alternative. A study from Switzerland showed a decrease in salmonella
contamination of eggs in Europe ever since they banned battery cages in 2012, which
supports the use of cage-free systems.There’s a bill in the US state of Michigan that
plans to ban battery cages by 2025. It’s not the first to do so, as California,
Massachusetts, Oregon, and Washington already require that egg-laying hens be reared
at the very least cage-free.
Related Studies
In 2009, Sekeroglo et al. found that the free-range housing system
significantly decreased the total feed intake and body weight of broilers.
The redness and yellowness in breast meat were affected by the housing
systems. The housing systems had no effect on fatty acids composition of
breast meat. The plasma triglyceride and VLDL levels of the conventional
reared birds were significantly higher than those reared the free-range. In
conclusion, longer growth period was necessary to the free-range reared
broilers.
 References:
• Wang et al. (2009). Effect of a free-range raising system on growth performance, carcass yield, and meat quality of slow-growing chicken.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579119404732#:~:text=There%20was%20no%20effect%20of,P%20%3C%200.05)%20significantly
%20declined.

• Sekeroglo` et al. (2019). Effects of housing systems on growth performance, blood plasma constituents and meat fatty acids in broiler chickens.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19634488/

• Dukha, A. (January, 2019). Cage-free poultry housing an alternative to battery cages . https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19634488/

• Lagua, E. (June, 2015). Growth Performance of Broiler Chicken (Gallus domesticus) Fed Commercial Ration Supplemented with Varying Levels of Azolla
(Azolla pinnata) Meal. https://en.engormix.com/poultry-industry/articles/growth-performance-broiler-chicken-t36472.html

• Cahiles, B. (January, 2022). BOI approves P 195.5-M for broiler chicken. https://www.manilatimes.net/2022/01/06/business/agribusiness/boi-approves-
p1955-m-broiler-chicken-project/1828293/amp

• DA Communications Group. (August, 2021). DA chief highlights poultry sector’s crucial role in agri growth. https://www.da.gov.ph/da-chief-highlights-
poultry-sectors-crucial-role-in-agri-growth/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CThe%20Philippine%20poultry%20sector%20performs,for%20the%20Philippine
%20Poultry%20and

• Mississippi State University Extension. (2023). Culling hens. http://extension.msstate.edu/content/culling-hens#:~:text=Culling%20hens%20refers%20to

%20the,Sight%20Culling

• Jin et al. (December, 2019). Influence of free-range days on growth performance, carcass traits, meat quality, lymphoid organ indices, and blood
biochemistry of Wannan Yellow chickens.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S003257911957969X

• Miao. (n.d.). Free-range Poultry Production - A Review.https://www.animbiosci.org/upload/pdf/18_21.pdf

 CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
Materials of the Study
• Nipa palm. The nipa palm is one of the most important economic Philippine crops.
It differs from most palm in the lack of an upright stem, trunkless, developing
inflorescences at one meter height. The leaves are commonly used for thatching
(Yusoff et al, 2017). In this study, the researcher will use nipa palm in building the
roof.
• Net. This refers to a material made of threads of rope, string, wire,
or plastic with spaces between them, allowing gas, liquid, or small objects to go
through, or an object made with this material ( Cambridge University Press,2023).
• Nails. A nail is a thin piece of metal with one pointed end and one flat end (Collins
Dictionary, 2023). In this study, there are two different nails sizes that will use
including a 4d nail measures 1.5 inches, a 6d nail is 2 inches long, and a 12d nail is
3.25 inches long.
• Lumber. It is a wood that has been prepared for building a house
or any other infrastructure. This will use in building a free-range
house.
• Rattan. It is thin stems of a palm that can be used in putting a
roof. It is flexible, strong and low-cost.
• Bamboos. Bamboos are typically fast-growing perennials, with
some species growing as much as 30 cm (1 foot) per day
(Britannica, n.d.). 
Tools and Equipment of the Study

• Hammer. A tool consisting of a piece of metal with a flat end that is fixed onto

the end of a long, thin, usually wooden handle, used for hitting things
(Cambridge University, 2023).
• Utility Knife. A sharp knife with a short blade that can be replaced or put
inside the handle if not being used
• Handsaw. It is tool that has a long or round blade with sharp points,
for cutting hard materials such as wood) that is operated by hand rather than
using electricity or a motor.
• Tape Measure. A strip of plastic or metal used for measuring that can be rolled
up when not being used.
Study Area

• This study will be conducted at Partido State

University- Salogon Campus situated in San Jose,
Camarines Sur. The study area is wide, well-ventilated,
and mainly covered in vegetation. Salogon is a barangay
in the municipality of San Jose, in the province of
Camarines SUR. Its population as determined by the
2020 Census was 3, 718. This represented 7.23% of the
total population of San Jose.
Research Design

• The researcher will employ One-group PreTest-Post

Test Design. The sample chickens are observed at two
time points, one before the treatment and one after the
treatment. The changes in the body weight of sample
chickens are presumed to be the results of treatment. The
researcher will have no control or comparison group that
will be employed.
 Data Gathering
• The researcher will follow several experimental procedures to determine the growth
performance of culled broiler chicken, chicken samples’ physical characteristics in a
free-range housing, and cost and return.
• Building a free-range housing. In this study, the researcher will purchase
materials that are needed in building a free-range housing. These include lumber, nails,
nipa palm, nets, and bamboos.
• Selection of chicken samples. The researcher will select twenty (20) culled broiler
chickens in Ocampo, Camarines Sur to be reared for fifty-six (56) days or eight (8)
weeks.
• Measuring the average initial weight. The researcher will measure the average
initial weight of the chicken samples. In this study, the average weight of the culled
broiler chicken will be weigh right before of releasing in the free-range housing.
• Leg Banding. It is necessary that the chicken samples have bands with specific number on them
to identify the bird samples efficiently.
• Feeding. The researcher will give an organic feed, the rice bran. Moreover, the chicken
samples are free to eat leaves, worms, and grasses.
• Predator Management. The researcher will build a quality free-range housing to achieve a
good predator management. Also, it is essential to keep the surrounding area clear of debris, brush
and tall grasses.
• Wing Clipping. To ensure the chicken samples are unable to achieve upward flight and to
prevent escape and exposure to dangerous situations.
• Daylight hours. The chicken samples will be allowed to have a minimum of six (6) hours of
daylight per day except for undesirable weather.
• Observation of physical characteristics. The researcher will conduct an observation,
particularly ones about the physical characteristics of the chicken samples. These include the
chicken’s feather, scale, and color.
• Measuring Average Body Weight. The researcher will measure the body weight of the
twenty (20) chicken samples and will determine its average body weight every week until the 8 th
week of rearing period.
 Statistical Tools
• The growth performance of culled broiler chicken will be analyzed by
actual weighing and recording of the weight of a chicken sample. The data
that will be gathered from each sample will be used to get the average
body weight.
• In this experimental study, mean will be utilized to determine the average
initial weight, average gain weight every week, and the average final
weight.
• The researcher will create employ growth weight chart to see and
understand the growth performance of culled broiler chicken in a free-
range housing with a rearing period of eight (8) weeks.
• Mean Formula:
• Mean = (sum of all values)/ (total number of values in the date set)
 
References:

• Yusoff et al. (2017). Nypa fruticans Wurmb. Vinegar’s Aqueous Extract Stimulates
Insulin Secretion and Exerts Hepatoprotective Effect on STZ-Induced Diabetic
Rats. doi:10.3390/nu9090925
• Cambridge Dictionary. (2023). Net.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/net
• Collins Dictionary. (2023). Nail.
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/nail
• Britannica (n.d.). Bamboo. https://www.britannica.com/plant/bamboo
• Cambridge Dictionary. (2023).
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/utility-knife
• Cambridge university.(2023).
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/handsaw?q=HAND+SAW
Thank you!