Raising Organic Chicken

1. • Hi there, Farmer of the Future! Before
proceeding, please make sure that you have
completed the first module - Introduction to
Organic Agriculture. If you have completed the
first module, then...
• Welcome to the fifth module - Raising Organic
Chickens! Here, you'll learn how to raise
organic chickens for broiler and layer
operations. Watch this short introduction video
to learn more:

3. • Ready? Answer the Pre-Test to gain access to
all the lessons and activities in the course.
Complete all unit tests and the post-test.
Once you finish the course, you can take the
other modules in this qualification; OR proceed
to the nearest TESDA accredited assessment
center to undergo the National Assessment and
attain a Certificate of Competency or National
Certificate II.
Let's get you started! #MagAgriSaTOP #
AgriOnTOP #FarmingIsFun

4. UNIT 1: Introduction to
Organic Chicken
Production

6. • At the end of this unit, the learner should be able to:
• identify the external parts of a chicken;
• classify chickens based on origin, breed, and utilization;
• describe the life cycle of a chicken;
• recognize qualities of healthy chicks and pullets;
• describe the types of poultry houses;
• explain the requirements for a chicken’s housing;
• describe the features of an ideal broiler or layer house

7. Lesson 1: Selecting Healthy
Stocks

8. • All poultry production begins with the
selection and purchasing of chicks, also
referred to as stocks. This one-time decision
during a production cycle, can ultimately
decide the fate of your operations. You must
begin with a healthy batch of chicks.

9. • In this lesson, you will learn how to select
healthy stocks. You will begin with the
familiarization of the external parts of a
chicken as this provides basis for
distinguishing breeds of chicken, and the
identification of physical characteristics of a
healthy chicken. You will also learn about
the different classifications of chickens based
on origin, breeds and variety, and utilization.

10. • In this lesson, you will memorize the stages in
the life cycle of a chicken as well as the
important changes that occur during each stage.
Hopefully, this will guide you in the proper
care of chicks during the selection stage.
• Finally, you will learn about the qualities of
a healthy stock.

11. Topic 1: External Parts of a
Chicken

12. Topic 2: Classifications of
Poultry Chicken
• There is a variety of chicken that you will see
in the farm and in the market today. There are
some ways to classify chicken based on
location, breed and variety, as well as
utilization.

14. • There is a variety of chicken that you will see
in the farm and in the market today. There are
some ways to classify chicken based on
location, breed and variety, as well as
utilization.

19. Topic 3: Life Cycle of a
Chicken
• Which came first? The chicken or the egg? Well,
let’s leave it to the people who study
evolutionary biology. For the meantime, let’s
study how the egg becomes a chicken and how the
hens give birth to fertilized eggs in what we
call the Life Cycle of a Chicken.
•

21. Chicken
• When a pullet lays her first egg, she becomes a hen.
Depending on the breed, a hen will reach its peak laying rate at
a certain point. Most breeds peak at 8 months. The laying rate
will then begin to decline. Hence, most farms cull and replace
their layers after 1 to 2 years.
• Meanwhile, the cockerels will mature at 4 to 5 months but will
only be called roosters when they become 1-year-olds. While
transitioning, the cockerels will practice crowing and begin to
act like roosters.

22. Egg
• All healthy and sexually-mature hens lay eggs. The formation of
the egg begins with the release of the ovum from ovary.

23. Embryo
• The hen will then sit on the eggs to warm them for proper
embryo development. In some cases, eggs are taken into an
incubator for a more controlled setup.
• It takes 21 days for the embryo to develop into a chick. At this
stage, the organs begin to form including the scales, beak, and
feathers. The chick will absorb the yolk sac for nutrition until it
hatches.

24. Hatchling
• The hatchling is then taken under the hen’s wing or transferred into a
brooder equipment for safety and proper temperature settings. During this
stage, it is crucial to provide proper nutrients for healthy development.
• The chicks will begin to grow real feathers on the second week. On the
5th or 6th week, the chicks will be fully-feathered and somehow capable of
regulating body temperature.
• The chicks will continue to grow and acquire feathers. If the brooding
facility is big enough for the growing chicks, that can serve as shelter until
they reach adolescence. If it is a small brooding equipment, then the
chickens must be transferred into a grower house.
• Organic chickens are raised in a free-range system so they have to be at
least 30 days old before they are allowed access to outdoor spaces (PNS
for Free Range Chicken, 2019). Organic poultry farmers gradually expose
chicks to the outdoor environment so they can adapt to it eventually. This
technique is called hardening.

25. Adolescent
• At 3 to 4 months, the chicks will go through adolescence and develop
sexual maturity. Most broilers will not reach this age. Additionally, only a
few male chicks will be kept for reproductive purposes.
• The adolescent females are called pullets while the males are referred to
as cockerels.
• Signs of Sexual Maturity in Pullets
• comb and wattles increase in size
• more docile
• instinctively looks for nest
• enlarged cloaca
• Pullets can be transferred to the layer house before they lay their first
eggs. Roosters are not kept in layer houses.

26. Lesson 1: Selecting
Healthy Stocks

27. Topic 4: Qualities of a
Healthy Stock
• When starting organic chicken production in
your farm, you must first identify the product
you intend to produce from your chickens. Do
you intend to supply fresh organic farm eggs to
the groceries, sari-sari stores, and public
markets? Or do you want to sell meat?

28. Considerations in Choosing Stocks
for Layer Production
• If you want to start egg production, you can
begin with a day-old chick or a pullet. With
pullets, you can start your egg production
right away. However, day old chicks are
cheaper, and you can ensure that they are
raised organically. A pullet can cost about
P400 while a day-old chick can be bought at
P15. With day old chicks, however, you will
have to spend more on feed.
• It all boils down to your resources – capital,
time, and labor.

29. Considerations in Choosing Stocks
for Broiler Production
• With broilers, you don’t really have much of a
choice. You begin with day old chicks and raise
them until the minimum slaughter age. Most
commercial broilers are slaughtered at 4-6
weeks of age. The standards for organic
agriculture does not mention slaughter age for
organic chickens. However, standards for free-
range chicken indicate slaughter age of 52 days
for free-range broilers, and 90 days for native
chickens.

30. Qualities of a
Healthy Chick

32. Qualities of a Healthy Pullet

33. Some Tips in Buying Livestock
• 1. Get to know your supplier. Make sure they
also comply with organic standards.
• 2. Consider the breed. Prioritize native breeds
and those that are suitable for free-range
system.
• 3. Consider the location of the hatchery or
breeder farm. Transportation can induce stress
and discomfort which may affect the growth of
chicks in the long run.
• 4. Adhere to recommended flock size and
stocking density.

34. Lesson 2: Setting Up a Poultry
House

35. Introduction
• Housing protects chickens from:
• inclement weathers
• predators and larger animals
• disease outbreaks, and more

36. • Housing is largely linked to the system of
rearing. The system of rearing determines the
following:
• size of poultry houses
• structures that must be built
• the access/limits to pasture areas
• There are three systems of rearing in poultry
production. However, only two can be employed
in organic farming.

38. Advantages Disadvantages
•cheaper housing
•unlimited foraging, less cost for formulated feeds
•less stressful for chickens, normal behavior patterns
•chickens are less likely to become overweight
•decreased pest population
•roaming chickens deposit manure directly to the soil
•requires a large area
•stricter standards for organic free-range
•increased risk of predators
•prone to parasite infestation
•leaner broilers
•not advisable for integrated diversified organic farms,
chickens will eat crops
In free range system, chickens are given unhindered access to outdoor areas covered in vegetation. Housing is provided for shelter at night. She
Free range system is not a system of rearing per se, but a poultry production system. It follows national standards and is subject to certificat

39. This system is very similar to free range
because it provides housing for poultry and
allows access to pasture areas. The difference
is that the pasture area is limited and
protected by a fence or chicken wiring.

41. Confinement
• This system of rearing entails the complete
entrapment of animals in cages or pens. It is
commonly seen in commercial farms.
• Confinement is prohibited in the rearing of
organic farm animals because it restricts the
access to outdoor areas and does not allow for
the sufficient free movement of animals.

42. Examples:

44. Lesson 2: Setting Up
a Poultry House

46. Topic 2: Requirements for Poultry
Housing
• Housing provides security and comfort to
chickens. Without proper housing, your chickens
are at risk of predators, heat stress,
parasites, and diseases. We’ve established that
organic farming requires humane treatment and
special provisions for livestock. Unlike
commercial ones, organic poultry farms require
bigger spaces for layers and broilers. It also
requires daily access to forage/pasture. The
minimum requirements for fixed-building houses
for organic chickens are:

50. Lesson 2: Setting Up a Poultry
House
Done: View
• Topic 3: Design Considerations for Poultry
Housing
• There are factors to be considered in setting
up a chicken house – and it does not just boil
down to whether you’re raising a layer or a
broiler or both. These factors take into
account the environmental and behavioral needs
of your chicken.

51. • The comfort and security of the chicken must
also match the practical nature of farms. When
designing the poultry house, consider the
following:

53. Lesson 1: Feeding the
Chickens

54. Introduction
• Animal nutrition matters to the farm owner just
as much as it matters to the animals. If your
chickens are healthy, your farm becomes more
productive and profitable. Your chickens are
less likely to get sick and are more likely to
produce healthy manure for your crops.
• Animal nutrition has the biggest impact in the
production of eggs and the live weight of
broilers. What you feed your chickens and how
you feed them will affect their behavior and
their quality.

55. The Digestive System of a
Chicken
• Chickens have a simple modified digestive
system.
• Food comes in through the beak --> travels
through the esophagus --> and is stored in the
crop. Enzymatic digestion starts in the
proventriculus. The food will then go to the
gizzard for mechanical digestion. The small
intestines absorb most of the nutrients.
Digestion will end in the colon which is part
of the large intestine. Waste is then flushed
out through the cloaca.
•

57. • In this lesson, you will learn about feeds,
feed proportions, and the systems of feeding
for poultry according to national standards.

58. Lesson 1: Feeding the Chickens
• Topic 1: Types and Sources of Feed