Feed Additives Strengthens Immune System of Native Chickens

Feed Additives Strengthens

Immune System of Native Chickens 

By: James Earl E. Ogatis

Native Chickens are given with feed ration mixed with additives of garlic, onion and moringa at CPU-CARES Native Chicken Research Station in Leon, Iloilo. The research station serves as technology demonstration on native chicken commercialization here in Western Visayas. (CPU-CARES photo)

Iloilo City – Feed additives using garlic, onion and moringa proved to strengthen immune system of native chicken according to research conducted by Central Philippine University-College of Agriculture Resources and Environmental Sciences (CPU-CARES).

According to Dr. Jaime C. Cabarles, Jr. Dean of CPU-CARES research showed that incorporation of 2 grams/kg feed of garlic powder increased live weight gain and attributed to enhanced chicken immune system.

Cabarles said that the appearance and quality of rations with additives greatly affects the volume ingested by chickens thereby decreasing the feed consumption due to repulsive odor and taste of the diet.

He stressed that the use of virginiamycin antibiotics in feeds have higher feed conversion ratio with that of basal diet and Chickens receiving basal diet (22.88% CP) has insignificant difference with phytogenic fed-group.

He emphasized that failure in providing the chicks with optimum environmental conditions during brooding period to hardening stage may lead to poor growth performance, lower survival rate and ultimately, reduced in productivity.

It has been concluded that regardless of the breeds, chickens fed with commercial feed have significant (P< 0.05) difference on the weight gain and feed efficiency among other naturally based additives.

Synthetic feed premix has numerically comparable (P> 0.05) results with natural feed additives indicating enough nutrient supply for the requirements of the chicken and fermentation of the feeds improved its appearance and palatability; likewise, stocking density and environmental factors affects survival percentage.

Economic analysis also reveals that commercial feeds require more investment as compared to other rations wherein cheap cost of the raw materials for feed additives contributes to its lower production expense.

Meanwhile, Mr. Homer Deloso, research presenter said that quality meat of chicken was developed base on what they eat. 

Deloso said that the study aimed to determine the growth performance of hardened chicks of different genetic groups of native chicken in Western Visayas in terms of live weight gain, feed consumption, feed efficiency, survival rate and cost of production.

The research entitled “Growth Performance of Different Native Chicken Genetic Group Fed with Phytogenic Additive Enriched Supplemental Feeds” vested 47 agriculture related researches during the 3rd regional research symposium for students.  /MP