AN ALTERNATIVE METHOD OF RAISING CHICKENS

(First Person Account by Lorenzo P. Locara)

For the past five years, I had gradually shifted to alternative methods of raising my chickens, mostly black meat Chinese, native grades and some game fowls. As a trained agriculturist, I first adopted what was taught in school in the seventies and this relied mostly on commercial feeds and medicines.

Up to the late 1990s, I fed commercial feeds to my small flock and maintained health and vigor using commercial antibiotics, vitamin-minerals and other additives sold in the market. But when I anchored a local farm-oriented radio program starting in 2003, I was flooded with SMS inquiries especially from small farmers on how to lower the cost of production of raising chickens and other farm animals.

It was in early 2004 that I finally realized that there needs to be a paradigm shift from the purely commercial approach to the more practical and low cost. It was at that point when I was exposed to a lecture by technicians of the Department of Agriculture on what they termed as “Natural Farming System” as developed by Dr. Teruo Higa, a Japanese natural farmer who developed techniques in harnessing probiotics or good bacteria in many aspects of life and farming. I later improved my knowledge with more research especially on the internet.

Then I coupled probiotics with herbs as a source of vitamins and medicines. From the internet again, I researched on the many local herbs that can help farmers be weaned from commercial products. Through the help of friends, I was able to gather herbs that helped me get away from the store bought veterinaries.

I live in a subdivision just outside Iloilo City and use an idle lot as my laboratory for the last six years or so. At any given time, I have about 40 to 60 chickens in an 80 sq. meter lot. Most part of the year, the area is wet and muddy because the soil is clay loam, ideal breeding place of disease-causing bacteria and viruses. Chickens on free range add to the problem since they move about all the time, and with their waste, the place is a virtual powder keg of epidemics like Newcastle Disease, coccidiosis, and chronic respiratory disease among others.

For the last four or five years, I did not immunize with for NCD or for other diseases. While I stock injectable antibiotics, I use them only when necessary. With balanced rations and extensive use of probiotics and herbs, I have raised healthy stocks without antibiotics and sparing use of store bought vitamins. Here’s how:

Making the Indigenous Microorganism: Basic Method

1. Cook rice or broken rice (binlud), cool and spread thinly about 1 inch thick in a tray. Cover with newspaper, tie well and place in a cool place, preferably in a bamboo clump or mahogany grove. Allow to ferment for 4 to 7 days to grow/ culture the beneficial microorganisms in the environment, probably lactobacilli, yeasts, molds and fungi;

2. Once fermented, measure volume, transfer to a wide-mouth jar, preferably glass or food grade plastic. Add equal amount or volume of brown sugar or molasses. Mix thoroughly and let stay for 3 days before using.

3. Use in poultry and animals daily. IMO will be effective for about 2 months after which you can use it as soil or plant spray especially when added to herbal mixture;

Planting a mix of Medicinal and Nutritional Herbs and, Forage Plants:

For the last four years, I have maintained a small garden for herbs and plants. These are both for the kitchen and for the chickens. Since my home lot is just 120 sq. meters inclusive of our small house, we only have about 10 sq. meters of space for planting the various herbs. Our fence line is planted to five or six malunggay (Moringa oleifera) trees, a guava shrub for leaves, lagundi (vitex negundo), labog (hibiscus saffdarifa), and tsaang gubat. Right under our window is a mix of herbs like peppermint, java mint, super mint, gotu kola, tarragon, and balbas pusa (orthosiphon spp.)

The thick vegetation and the large amount of organic matter in the vacant lot have encouraged earthworms to populate the area. I have also sown many types of legumes both viny and erect like cadios, centrosema, rhinzonii, and, even munggo seasonally. A few volunteer sorghum plants have also grown from the spilled grain mix that I fed to my game fowls. They have become self-seeding especially when Chinese chickens forage on them and spilled some grains. I also regularly cut the sorghum at the base to encourage the ratoon. Sorghum has about the same energy value as corn and rice but has higher crude protein value.

Starch rich herbaceous plants like gabi is a good source of food for African Giant Snails (taklong). The gabi and other soft herbs have encouraged the snails to populate and it is easy to harvest them using a simple trapping method. The snails are a rich source of protein especially when crushed and chopped. Snail shell is also a ready source of calcium for the chickens. Once exposed to snails, both native and Chinese chickens readily feed on the freshly crushed snails.

Feeding Program:

I rely on both commercial and alternative feeds for my chickens. I feed the chicks initially with commercial chick booster then changing to starter and grower mashes as scheduled. These complete rations give them a good head start and the balance of protein(and amino acids), carbohydrates, fats and vitamins enable them to grow fast. After three months however, I feed half the amount or just about 20 to 30 grams per bird so that they will be forced to find half of the feed they require.

The vacant lot which is now populated with a mix of sorghum, legumes and grasses has become a rich forage area for the chickens on free range. Grass leaves and grains supply additional carbohydrates while leaves, young pods and seeds of legumes like mungo, centrosema, cadios, rhinzonii and flemingia supply additional protein. When available, snails crushed immediately or cooked and chopped also provide excellent protein for the chickens.

Daily Use of IMO and Herbs:

Indigenous Microorganisms, a form of probiotics and herbs form the core of my immune system boosting program. The daily water ration is prepared by mixing one-half (1/2) teaspoon of the IMO in one liter of clean water. Equal amounts of malunggay, gotu kola, lagundi and mint (any mint) is pounded and 2 tablespoons of the mixed juice is added to 1 liter of water previously mixed with the IMO. This is the sole water source of the chickens especially the chicks in the brooders.

IMO and herbs are also added to the feeds especially mash which is given wet. Prior to adding water, one-half cup of herbs (same as above) are first chopped finely mixed in the mash together with the IMO at the rate of 1 tbs. per half kilo of mash. Once water is added, the mixture is homogenized by stirring vigorously and given to the chickens. This method ensures that the chickens get their share of the probiotics and herbs.

Treatment of common Diseases using Herbs:

By boosting the immune system, I have minimized disease infestation and my cost for antibiotics and even vitamin-mineral preparations have been reduced dramatically. Probiotics enter the body of the animal and populate the gut and other areas to exclude bad bacteria from the area. Herbs like malunggay provide anti-oxidants, vitamins like B-complex, pro-vitamins like betacarotene and minerals like iron, potassium and the like. Gotu kola contain phytochemicals that strengthen the immune system and act directly as antiseptic against harmful bacteria. Lagundi is antitussive and is effective against CRD. Besides, lagundi is known in Europe as a source of phyto-progesterone and is also called Chaste tree and may stimulate early maturity of pullets. Mint provides menthol and is palatable to chickens. It also stimulates appetite.

My shift to a more natural way of raising chickens has provided me with an insight on how probiotics can help livestock and poultry raising. Farmers who learned the method either through radio and through my articles in the local paper have also shifted to this method and attest to its benefits. Yes, Dr. Higa was right when he developed the approach that he called the Natural Farming System.!