The Characteristic of Farming System for The
Walik
Chicken
in West Java, Indonesia
Maria Ulfah1,*, Sri Mulatsih2, & Neng Mega Nurapriani1
1 Faculty of Animal Science, Bogor Agricultural University,
Bogor 16680 Indonesia *e-mail: [email protected]
2Faculty of Economic & Management, Bogor Agricultural University,
Bogor 16680 Indonesia
1 Faculty of Animal Science, Bogor Agricultural University,
Bogor 16680 Indonesia
Abstract
The Walik chicken is one of rare indigenous chicken breeds found in Indonesia. The limited information on the management practices of the Walik chickens applied by the farmers in Indonesia cause the difficulity to predict their potency of conservation and utilization. Therefore, this study investigated the characteristics of the farmers, and the practice of the Walik chicken farming, and their potency of utilization. Thirty three (33) farms from Sumedang District, West Java were surveyed. Their main occupations of the farmers were labor in agricultural field (46.15%), private sector (30.77%), and house mother (23.08%). A mean flock size of Walik chicken per household was 4.15, varying from 2-7 chickens. Farmers applied non traditional (73%) by using commercial medicaments, and traditional (27%) health care and management to prevent and control diseases of the chickens. However, none of the farmers applied the vaccination program. Traditionally, most of the farmers (64%) selected the chicken breeds by their own traditional knowledge. Broken rice, rice hulls, and household by product were feedstuffs provided for the chickens. The mean of egg production, and hatchability of semi-intensive were 11 eggs/clutch/ hen (31 eggs/hen/year), and 92,71%, respectively. The Walik chicken farming is important for household income. Improvement in rearing management practices should be done to increase the productivity of the Walik chicken. Giving education for improved management system is also an alternative strategy to increase chicken productivities and household income.
Introducton
In Indonesa, Walk chcken breed that owns a frzzlng type of feather s consdered as endangered populaton, reason for whch we consder that a specal attenton should have been gven to save t. The unque characterstcs of frzzle causes the chckens are more tolerance to hgh temperature, however ths propertes are not utlzed yet n Indonesa snce there s lmted data on ther characterzaton and dentfcaton of ther characterstcs, farmng system appled, and ther utlzaton. The very small populaton of ths breed n a certan warm geographc areas of Indonesa, such as Sumedang Dstrct, causes the chckens are unfamous breed recognzed by the people.
The Strategc Prorty 5 of the Global Plan of Action (FAO, 2007) adopted by the Internatonal Techncal Conference on Anmal Genetc Resources for Food and Agrculture, acknowledges the contrbuton of lvestock keepers n ndgenous and local producton systems to the domestcaton, development, mantenance and conservaton of anmal genetc dversty. Moreover, Wegend and Romanov (2001) argued that the possesson of chcken trats n relaton to current and future value and socoecultural mportance s one of the crucal nputs for decsons on chcken conservaton and utlzaton. The lmted nformaton on the management practces of the Walik chckens appled by the farmers n Indonesa cause the dffculty to predct ther potency of conservaton and utlzaton. Therefore, ths study nvestgated the characterstcs of the farmers, and the practce of the Walik chcken farmng, and ther potency of utlzaton.
Materals and Methods
The purposve samplng method was choosen to select the study areas of the
research. The ntal survey to dentfy the ndvdual households kept the Walik
chckens was done by ntervewng to the head of vllages, and the oldest people n a socety who know well the people n the study areas as descrbed on the snow ball methods. Thrty three (33) farms from 3 sub-dstrcts (Padanaan, Palasah, UjungjayaPadanaan, Palasah, Ujungjaya dan Keboncau), Sumedang Dstrct, West Java were surveyed n June-August 2009. The data of farm characterstcs, household flock characterstcs, farmng system, and chckens performances and chckens utlzaton were recorded durng the research, and then analyzed descrptvely.
Results and Dscusson
Farmers Characteristics
68 years old). The range of ther ownershp was 98-5.110 m2. Ther man occupatons were labor n agrcultural feld (46.15%), prvate sector (30.77%), and house mother (23.08%).
The chckens farmng system appled by the farmers were extensve (7.69%), sem ntensve wth scavengng and backyard system (84.62%), and ntensve (7.69%), wheren the women were predomnantly (61.54%) as the keeper of the chcken under the scavengng, and backyard system. Women, who have to do a lot of the work nvolved n carng for the chckens, have good motherng nstncts and provde chcken meats and eggs that can be used for sold n the market. However,
Table 1. The Characterstcs of Farmers Surveyed
No Farmer Characterstcs
Elementary School 9 69.23 8 - 1
Junor Hgh School 1 7.69 - 1
-Senor hgh school 1 7.69 1 0
-4 Occupaton
Labor n agrcultural feld 6 46.15 6
-Household mother 3 23.08 3 -
-Prvate sector 4 30.77 2 1 1
Household consumpton 1 7.69 1 -
-Trade 12 92.31 10 1 1
due to the low nput management system, chcken productvtes appears stll very low.
Most of the farmers (45%) stated that the Walik chcken farmng s mportant for
ther ncome snce the man purpose of Walik chcken farmng s for tradng (92.31%)
as meat and egg producers, nstead of for household consumpton (7.69%). Some farmers sometmes had dffcultes n tradng snce most consumers often judge the Walik chcken as the unhealthy chckens due to the frzlng type of ther feather. However, others earn hgh prce n tradng snce some consumers also prefer the chckens as an exotc brds, and for cultural and relgon purposes. The data provded by local Lvestock Department Servces of Sumedang Dstrct, West Java (2009) does not break down the populaton for each type of chcken, but t s beleved that
Kampong s the most popular ndgenous chcken snce other ndgenous chckens are only occasonally found n certan areas and ther populaton s low.
Rearing Management, Flock Size adn Egg Production Potency
A mean flock sze of Walik chcken per household was 4.15, varyng from 2-7
chckens. Durng study, the Kampong chckens were also kept by the farmers, and
predomnant (133 head; 66.52%) to Walik chckens (60 head; 29.56%). The Kate
chckens were also kept by the farmers (10 head; 4.92%). For men, chcken farmng s only the second job therefore men usually had lmted work power whch allows only for part-tme actvtes therefore the chcken populaton, and productvtes were stll low. Women stated that lmted space and money for chcken farm nvesment are the reasons they do not ncrease ther chcken populaton. In another work, Muladno and Theme (2009) found that the reasons for not havng larger flocks of local chckens nclude among others are the lmted space n ther house’s yard, not enough money to nvest n a chcken farm and, and lmted work power whch allows only for part-tme actvtes.
Under sem extensve system, the chckens are housed n an open-fenced area, whch resembles a ranch and s usually bult n the backyard of the farmer’s house. In some cases, colony cages are provded to allow chckens to sleep at nght. In most cases, there are no cages avalable and the chcken sleep everywhere on the farm, such as ktchen, around farmer houses.
Farmers provde feed and drnk regularly 1 tme to 3 tmes a day. Broken
rce, rce hulls, and ktchen waste were feedstuffs provded for the Walik chckens
Most of farmers (64%) bought the chckens from local markets, whereas the64%) bought the chckens from local markets, whereas the rest (36%) got the chckens as a present from ther relatves. Tradtonally, most of the farmers (64%) select the chcken breeds by ther own tradtonal knowledge.tradtonal knowledge. Despte the absence of recordng, farmers often memorze the ancestry of ther chckens n great detal and over several generatons. Introducton of good natve chcken breedng practce (Deptan 2006) s therefore stll needed to mprove better undertandng of the farmers on chcken selecton.
The mean of egg producton, and hatchablty of sem-ntensve were 11 eggs/11 eggs/
clutch/hen (31 eggs/hen/year), and 92,71%, respectvely. Ths egg producton was
lower compared to another ndgnous chcken such as Kampong chcken (59 eggs/
hen/year) (Dwyanto & Prjono 1996). In general, under natural condton, the Walik
chcken brood for between 21-23 days, and chcks reman wth ther mothers for a perod of 2-3 months, after whch perod the hen wll start the next egg layng perod. Poor nutrton and the absence of dsease preventon or control measures contrbute
to ths low producton. Dwyanto et al. (1996) also reported that the productvty of
local chcken n sem ntensve and ntensve systems s better than n extensve sys-tem. However, Mansjoer (1989) found that the chcken mantaned under ntensve system were neffcent n ther feed consumpton and had hgher feed converson ratos than commercal chcken breeds. Improvement n rearng management
pract-ces should be done to ncrease the productvty of the Walik chcken.
Conclusons
The Walik chcken farmng s mportant for household ncome. The chckenschckens rearng system appled by the farmers were extensve, sem ntensve wth scavengng and backyard system, and ntensve, wheren the women were predomnantly as the keeper of the chcken under the scavengng, and backyard system. Improvement n rearng management practces should be done to ncrease the productvty of the
Walik chcken.
Acknowledgement
The authors thank the local government of Lvestock Department Servces of West Java for supportng the annual populaton data of local chckens n Indonesa. The authors also thank to the Walk chcken farmers for a very good cooperaton and helpng durng feld survey.
References
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Dwyanto, K., D. Zanuddn, T. Sartka, S. Rahayu, Djufr, C. Arfn and Choll. 1996. Model pengembangan peternakan rakyat terpadu berorentas agrbsns. Komodt ternak ayam Kampung. Laporan. Drjennak bekerja sama dengan Baltnak
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