The Complete Guide to Free Range Chicken Farming in the Philippines

Poultry Farming Guides

Several articles on this website, as well as our Native Chicken Farming in the Philippines guide cover native chicken farming in the Philippines which is, in general, carried out under free range or semi-free range conditions.

The Complete Guide to Free Range Chicken Farming in the Philippines

This article takes a closer look at free range chicken farming in the Philippines which can be done with a variety of poultry breeds including native Philippines chickens, non-native breeds, as well as hybrid breeds.

So let’s jump into some of the things you have to keep in mind if you want to successfully do free range chicken farming in the Philippines.

Site Selection for Free Range Chicken Farming in the Philippines

The very first and most important thing to keep in mind is that whether or not you choose a good site for your free range chicken farming venture in the Philippines will have a large impact on the chance of its success.

Many of the requirements are in line with what we have written about in our Native Chicken Farming in the Philippines guide.

For example, the farming site should be flat and should not be in a tough terrain. Also, the site should be shaded with trees as this serves as a windbreaker and also helps protect the poultry from predators.

Separately, the site should be grassy to allow for enough pasture for free range chicken forage. There should be easy access to clean water and electricity as you will need them when maintaining your free range chicken farm in the Philippines.

Finally, the site should be far from roads and train tracks with high traffic to protect the birds from theft and possible spread of diseases.

Ensuring the Chickens Have a Ranging Area

Under a free range model of farming in the Philippines (and around the world), the birds need a ranging area around the house where they can be exposed to sunlight and also forage for their own food in the pasture.

As a rule of thumb, allow for at least one square foot per bird. That said, the larger area you have for the chickens, the better. To protect the birds, the pasture range should be properly fenced off with barbed wire, chicken wire, and a net. Other types of fencing materials such as wooden boards or iron sheets can be used as well.

Besides fencing the area off, make sure that there is proper water distribution throughout the ranging area and pasture area.

Also, if possible, ensure that the pasture area is situated among trees. And, that it is free of chemical agents and chemical fertilizers so as to provide the chickens with a healthier pasture where they can source clean food.

Chicken Housing for Free Range Farming in the Philippines

Just as properly selecting a site and providing enough space for the chickens, providing suitable housing is an important step in setting up your chicken farming enterprise.

Ideally, just like with the outside pasture, you should aim for one square foot per hen as your stock density. However, if you have limited space, two hens per square feet are acceptable as well.

The chicken house should have in-and-out openings on both sides to give the chickens easier access to the outside pasture.

Preferably, it should be elevated, and it must also be well ventilated.

For more details about what makes an ideal chicken house for free range chicken farming in the Philippines, check out our ebook about farming native chicken in the country.

And, if you want to get detailed step-by-step plans for a variety of chicken houses that you can build yourself, check out Building a Chicken Coop, a great ebook full of practical advice by Bill Keene.

Building a Chicken Coop House in the Philippines

Building a Herbal Garden to Support Your Free Range Farming Venture

A herbal garden will be essential in your chicken farming venture – especially if you are planning to undertake organic farming.

The garden will be a great supplement in maintaining the health of your flock. Some of the most common herbs that you will find useful in your free range chicking farming venture in the Philippines include the following:

  • Garlic: It can serve as a natural antibiotic that you can give the chickens by either putting it in the feed or in the water they drink.
  • Chilli: Can be useful for its antiviral and antibiotic effects.
  • Oregano: You can give your free range chickens this if they are suffering from respiratory conditions.
  • Ginger: Similarly to garlic, it can serve as a natural antibiotic.
  • Lemongrass: You can its juice for detoxification.
  • Guava: The leaves of guava plants can be used as an antibiotic.
  • Ipil-Ipil: Can be useful as an anti-parasitic and a de-wormer.

Of course, beside their medicinal value, the herbs can also be used for natural flavoring of chicken feed.

Equipment for Free Range Chicken Farming

Besides just fencing off a range and building a house for the chickens, you will also need to purchase a variety of equipment to support the chicken.

Among other items, you will have to buy drinkers, feeders, brooding equipment, heaters and heating bulbs, and chicken plucker machines.

Bedding / Litter for Free Range Chicken Farming in the Philippines

Bedding (also referred to as litter in its unused state) is material used for the comfort of the hens as well as for hygienical reasons. It is especially important during the brooding stage.

Generally, the bedding (or litter) should be changed on a regular basis with the frequency depending on how heavily it gets contaminated. Usually, it should be changed anywhere between two to three weeks.

One thing to make sure is that the bedding you use in your free range chicken house provides for proper ventilation. Some of the materials that can be used as litter include sawdust, rice straw, and rice hull.Usually, this can be after a duration of two to three weeks.

On a side note, after the bedding has been used, it can be used as a healthy organic manure.

Cleaning & Disinfecting Your Free Range Chicken Farm

Proper cleaning of the house, drinkers, and other equipment is crucial to the biosecurity of a free range chicken farming venture in the Philippines. It will protect your birds from infections and other diseases, and provide for an ideal environment to grow the chickens in.

Some of the steps you can do to ensure the cleanliness of your chicken farm include:

  • Having a foot bath that is at least 4 inches deep where visitors can dip and disinfect their feet before entering the farm
  • Using cleaning materials such as a dustpan, broom, brush, pale, and web broom to clean the farming equipment as well as the range and chicken house regularly
  • Using detergents and disinfecting materials like chlorine and powder soap in addition to the above

Free Range Chickens’ Feeding Requirements

For free range chickens in the Philippines, you will need a feed formulation that roughly consists of:

  • 70% cereal
  • 26% protein (mainly from plants)
  • 4% minerals and vitamins

You can either use commercial feeds or formulate your own free range chicken feeds where you directly control the quality of the ingredients contained in the feeds.

The feed you provide the chickens will also be naturally supplemented by the chickens’ foraging in their pasture.

To learn more about providing chicken with the right feed, get our Native Chicken Farming in the Philippines guide.

Providing Your Chicken with Clean Drinking Water

Just like with humans, clean drinking water is essential for the health of your chicken flock – and subsequently for the success of your free range chicken farm in the Philippines, and everywhere else in the world for that matter.

As one would expect, chickens are unforgiving when deprived of adequate drinking water – and in that state, they rarely hit their peak production capability.

Vaccination of Free Range Chicken in the Philippines

While it may not sound so at first, vaccination is acceptable under free range chicken farming in the Philippines.

In fact, for the best possible health of your chickens and performance of your farm, make sure that your flock has been vaccinated in a timely fashion against all of the possible diseases.

That is because any single disease puts stress on the chicken affected, and in turn, the chicken’s production will be negatively impacted.

To learn more about vaccination and biosecurity of chickens, check our chicken farming guide. And, of course, also consult with your local veterinary officer to find out what vaccines might be mandatory in your area.

Besides vaccines, you can also look at various other preventive medicines for your free range chickens to boost their survivability to the maximum possible extent.

Ensuring You Have Enough Manpower for Your Free Range Chicken Farm

When planning your free range chicken farm in the Philippines, make sure that you either have the time to take care of your farm all by yourself, or that you factor the costs of hiring extra help into your calculations.

The cost of the help will vary quite a lot depending on the region of the Philippines.

Learn More with Our Native Chicken Farming Guide

While the above should provide you with all of the basics necessary for you to start a free range chicken farm, if you are serious about the venture, we recommend you to get our Native Chicken Farming in the Philippines guide which covers all of the topic above in furher details, as well as many other topics.

You can buy it for $9.99 through Gumroad by clicking here.

Native Chicken Farming in the Philippines

Poultry Farming Guides