Poultry is the class of domesticated fowl (birds) farmed for their meat, eggs or feathers.
These most typically are members of the orders Galliformes (such as chickens and turkeys), and Anseriformes (waterfowl such as ducks and geese).
The word poultry is often used to refer to the meat of these birds. In a more general sense, it may refer to the meat of other birds, such as pigeons or doves, or game birds like quails or pheasants.
It may also refer exclusively to the most common domesticated bird across the globe, the chicken, with origins as far back as the old French word for a young chicken, poulet.
Chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus), also referred to as fowl, are descended from the red jungle fowl of Asia.
Problems of the chicken industry
High cost of feed ingredients (imported)
Inefficient management
Insufficient housing and facilities
Disease outbreaks
Marketing and processing of products
Capital
Climate
Threat of avian influenza
Farming heritage chicken breeds of the Philippines
The birds were finally domesticated around 4000 years ago, when four species of jungle fowl were selectively-bred over time.
Of these, the Red Jungle Fowl (Gallus gallus) became the forerunner of the Domestic Chicken (Gallus domesticus), which has now split into some 350 recognized breeds
Farming heritage chicken breeds of the Philippines
The Philippines, a Southeast Asian archipelago of 7641 islands, is one of the countries where Labuyo or wild Red Jungle Fowl still thrive.
Centuries of crossing these spirited wild birds with imported breeds has created several major breeds, with many more in the process of being genetically purified and internationally recognized.
Farming heritage chicken breeds of the Philippines
Though over half of the country’s chickens hail from imported lineages selected for their superior growth and egg-laying capabilities, the Philippine Statistics Authority estimated in April 2019 that native chickens still account for 44% or 82.84 million of the 184.88 million chickens in the country.
The Native chicken in the Philippines believed to have descended from the domesticated red jungle fowl (Gallus bankiva), (Arboleda 1980). Phenotypically, the Philippine native chicken resembles their wild ancestral type.
The Native chicken in the Philippines believed to have descended from the domesticated red jungle fowl (Gallus bankiva), (Arboleda 1980). Phenotypically, the Philippine native chicken resembles their wild ancestral type.
The Native chicken: It is usually single-combed and its shank is yellow to gray.
The male has a shiny red plumage with light brown hackle and black tail feather.
The female has a flat brownish plumage color.
When sexing chicks, look for larger bodies and uniform wing feathers, because these are signs that the chick is male.
With older chicks and chickens, identify male birds by their facial comb skin and their jagged, sharp saddle feathers.
Laser spectroscopy readings can identify the sex of a ch
2. Banaba
• Origin: Batangas province,
Calabarzon
• Characteristics: The
banaba is one of the
recognized native chicken
breeds in the Philippines
predominantly raised in
Quezon and Batangas
provinces. The hen has
black plumage color, yellow
laced hackle, and grey
shanks.
3. Bolinao
• Origin:Pangasinan
province, Ilocos Region
• Characteristics: The
adult male has red
plumage with black
breasts and tail
feathers. The hackle
feathers are bright
orange.
4. Camarines
• Origin: Bicol region
• Characteristics: The adult ‘Camarines’
chickens have plumage with white and
orange patterns with hackles having an
orange tinge. The adult male has white
earlobes and single comb. The legs have
alternating patches of black and white scales
and the toes are white and well-formed. The
beak is white with streaks of brown.
5. Darag
Origin: Islands of Panay,
Visayas
Characteristics: The female,
also called Darag, is typically
yellowish-brown. The comb is
single, the earlobe is whitish
and the shank is gray for both
male and female.
6. Joloano
• Origin: Mindanao
• Characteristics: Roosters
sport deep orange plumage
with a predominantly black
tail, occasionally speckled
white. A plain head features
a pea comb for both cocks
and hens. Hens are
predominantly a dull buff
brown with pale yellow legs.
7. Paraokan or Parawakan
• Origin:Palawan in Mimaropa region.
• Characteristics: It has long legs, a
larger body and head than other
local breed and an elongated neck.
Paraokan farmed mainly for their use
in local sports, especially cock fights,
rather than as a food source. They
are usually black, but can also have
reddish feather.
