With the increasing popularity of raising naturally-farmed free-range chickens, farmers from the provinces are now sourcing their chicks from suppliers in Manila and through their distributors in the provinces. To help raisers grow a better flock, Dr. Rey Itchon of Solraya Enterprises, supplier of Sunshine chickens from France, has some useful advice, especially for beginners.

Many farmers believe that the hybrid free-range chickens like Sunshine could be used for breeding. This is a mistake, according to Dr. Itchon. Because it is a hybrid, it is not intended for growing second generation chicks. The resulting chicks will not be uniform in size and some of them will be slow growing.

Dr. Itchon also advises that before ordering their chicks, the farmers should prepare their facility for brooding. The brooding area should be enclosed to prevent the entry of cats and rats that could eat the chicks. Each chick should have a space of one square foot. The brooder should also be well ventilated.

Upon arrival of the chicks in the farmer’s home, they should not be fed immediately. Instead, water with brown sugar should be provided for drinking. After an hour, they could be fed with chick booster. Growing mash or laying mash should not be given. Dr. Itchon particularly noted a no-no done by one recipient. He fed the chicks with rice. That should not be done because the chicks don’t have the capacity to digest this. Also, rice does not have enough nutrient to nourish the chicks.

The brooder should be provided with a source of heat. This is usually a light bulb. For 100 chicks a 100-watt bulb could provide enough heat. But it should be of the right height. If it is too high, the chicks will feel cold and they will tend to crowd each other which could result in some being crushed. If the light bulb is too low, the heat could be too much. See to it that the chicks are well spread out, feeling very comfortable. After 21 days, the chicks are fully-feathered and could be released on the range.

Provide the chicks with clean drinking water every day. Their drinking and feeding troughs should be cleaned daily to avoid build up of bacteria. A simple housing is only needed to keep them from the rains.

Dr. Itchon recommends that the chicks be vaccinated with B1B1 on the seventh day and B1 Lasota on the 14th day.