Phenotypic characteristics and meat production performan of dong tao chicken in rations with different metabolizable energy to crude protein ratios

PHENOTYPIC CHARACTERISTICS AND MEAT PRODUCTION PERFORMANCES OF DONG TAO CHICKENS IN RATIONS WITH DIFFERENT METABOLIZABLE ENERGY TO CRUDE PROTEIN RATIOS BUI NGOC SON A Dissertation Pr

PHENOTYPIC CHARACTERISTICS AND MEAT PRODUCTION

PERFORMANCES OF DONG TAO CHICKENS IN RATIONS

WITH DIFFERENT METABOLIZABLE ENERGY

TO CRUDE PROTEIN RATIOS

BUI NGOC SON

A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate Studies and Applied Research

College of Agriculture LAGUNA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY

Siniloan (Host) Campus Siniloan, Laguna

In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in Agriculture Major in Animal Science

2019

Vietnam is an agricultural country with 70% population living in rural area More than 80% of the total agricultural households keep chickens (Vang, 2003; Burgos, 2008) In 2017, according to Agriculture Statistical Report, the chicken population in Vietnam was estimated at about 295.20 million heads The distribution ranges from 2.9 million in the Northwest to 40.6 million birds in the Red River Delta (TKCN, 2017) Local chickens make up more than 70% of the country’s total chicken population (Desvaux, 2008) They are mainly kept in the traditional extensive backyard/household production, representing about 94% of all poultry producers (Hong Hanh, 2007)

Chicken is the country’s second most important meat source after pork (Burgos et al., 2008) and plays an integral role in the smallholder farming systems They are used to meet the multiple social, economic and cultural needs of households (Epprecht, 2005; Burgos, 2008) Vietnamese native chicken breeds are specific for particular regions and they are assumed to shows specific

adaptation to climate, diseases are to local low input and low output production system The native chicken breeds have low performance but they are predominant in number and are being kept in extensive scavenging systems It is estimated that there are 12 local breeds and they make up more than 80% of the chicken population in the whole country (Vang, 2003)

The most popular local breeds are the Ri, Mia, Dong Tao and Ho which are being raised in the North and the Ta Vang (or Tau Vang) in the South These local breeds are of low productivity in comparison to foreign imported breeds but have characteristic yellow-orange feathering and dark skin color features that are favored by consumers in both rural and urban areas, particularly for traditional festivals, family gifts, marriages and for religious offerings (Hong Hanh et al., 2007)

A rare Vietnamese chicken breed called the Dong Tao, prized for its delicious meat, has one of the thickest legs usually not seen among birds of that size This chicken breed is endemic to the Dong Tao commune in Khoai Chau district Hung Yen province, about 30 kilometers from Hanoi

The Dong Tao chicken has an imposing figure, a healthy body and stout legs covered with reddish scales A newly-hatched chick takes eight months to one year to become a marketable bird of three to five kilograms A male adult Dong Tao chicken can weigh up to 6 kilograms and develop legs as thick as a human’s wrist The hens are generally white, while the cocks have colorful feather (Kaushik, 2015) An adult Dong Tao chicken can grow up to weigh three to six kilograms, with legs as thick as a human’s wrist The hens are generally white, while the cocks

have colorful feathers Dong Tao meat is considered far more delicious than regular chickens, explaining its high demand and incredibly steep price tag The bird is in high demand but also in short supply, which explains its high price (Sumitra, 2015)

Background of the Study

Like pig breeds, native chicken breeds are mainly kept in small households

in rural and remote areas and are based on scavenging or foraging and they play

a very important role in the livelihood of farmers by providing daily protein from eggs and meat and as a commodity in exchanging goods

Poultry keeping is an integral part of rural households’ livelihood strategies and has been so for thousands of years Poultry meat and eggs are major sources

of animal protein for the poor (Bugos, 2007)

In 2007, it was estimated that there were about 820 heads of Dong Tao chicken in Dong Tao commune, Khoai Chau district, Hung Yen in general, these chickens have phenotypic characteristics such as the feather are light yellowish or light brown feathers on the hens and dark plum color, black tails or dark green on the cocks The specific characteristics of Dong Tao chicken are the body big and firm, big legs and rough yellowish-red scales, pale yellow toes, light yellow scales when it is matured (VUSTA, 2010)

Apart from supplying meat and eggs, the local breeds also take part in cultural and social activities in Vietnam For example, Ho and Choi (fighting) chicken are being used for entertainment in religious celebrations, Ac and Tre chicken are used for medical purposes, Tre chickens are raised as pet birds and

Dong Tao chicken are used for entertainment in religious celebrations In the human livelihood, they supply daily food and protein and also bring extra income when necessary (Vang, 2003)

Dong Tao chickens were relatively high in carcass yield with average is 66.76% The average feed intake and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were 105 g/day/head and 4.6kg of feed per one kilo of live weight, respectively (Tham, 2016)

Similar to broilers, ingredients supplying dietary energy and protein represent most of the diet cost for native chicken Therefore, providing diets formulated to contain metabolizable energy and protein at optimum concentrations

to native chicken may increase profits by decreasing feed cost and/or increasing meat yield

Le Thi Tham (2016) reported that the requirement of Dong Tao chicken from

1 to 24 weeks of age for optimal feed conversion ratio (FCR) was 4.6 kilograms of feed per kilograms of gain’s weight

However, few studies have determined the interaction effects of dietary energy and crude protein on performance and dressing percentage, cut up part yield in Vietnam native chicken, especially in Dong Tao breed Moreover, the optimal processing age for Dong Tao chicken under various plans for nutrition to provide guidelines to optimize ration cost, performance, and carcass yield has not yet to be determined

The market demand of Dong Tao chicken meat production is increasing, which emphasizes the need for knowledge about responses to nutrients for feed formulations to allow possible meat production Therefore, comparing the

performance and carcass traits of Dong Tao chicken at 90 days ages to market weight with various nutrient profiles can provide substantial information to model nutrient input and carcass trait outcomes However, this information is limited in the Dong Tao chicken Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the performances of Dong Tao chickens in rations with different metabolizable energy

to crude protein ratios

Theoretical Framework of the Study

Poultry is an important source of cash income for village families and provides cheap source of protein for rural dwellers In Viet Nam almost 80% of rural households participate in poultry production through backyard and garden raising (Hong Hanh, 2007)

The non-intensive system of rearing chicken is popularly being used in traditional small households in Viet Nam Farmers pay little attention to their chickens and poultry production yield is low The farmers’ knowledge on the extensive system in poultry production is passed from generation to generation The few who received training in poultry husbandry could not apply it into their farms due to limited investment

The poultry industry plays an important role in farmers’ lives, contributing a large part of total household income In the rural areas, income from poultry production accounted for 32.5 percent of total husbandry income, which followed pig production, with 54.72 percent (Nho L.T, 2001) H has been mentioned that the production performance of a farm animal depends upon the combined effects

of its genetic or external factors it experienced (Bourdon, 1997; Bondoc, 2008)

The conservation of the genetic purity of a farm animal is very important especially

in the development of genetic improvement and utilization program of the commodity Thus, there is a need to characterize phenotypically the population of Dong Tao chickens in the Hung Yen province where the breed belongs Likewise,

it is also important to establish how diverse the breed is and determine the structure and the effective size of population

On the other hand, it is also important to determine the current practices of the raisers in the production, management and marketing of Dong Tao chicken in order to elucidate useful information that could provide hints on how these raisers could be assisted in order to optimize the performance of their stocks and the profitability of their farming operation

In addition, in the absence of a feeding standard for the Dong Tao chicken, there is also a need to determine an optional metabolizable energy to crude protein ratio that could improve the efficiency of the production performance of the chicken breed

Conceptual Framework of the Study

The research activity is composed of three independent studies Study 1 is

an among on the production, management and marketing practices employed by the Dong Tao chicken raisers in Hung Yen province, Vietnam Study 2 deals with the phenotypic characterization and diversity analysis on the current population of Dong Tao chickens in the area It also includes the determination of the structure and the effective size of the population of the Dong Tao chickens that are being kept by raisers in the province Study 3, on the other hand, is an experiment that

deals with the determination of the effects of different metabolizable energy to crude protein ratios on the meat production performance of Dong Tao chickens The research paradigms of the mentioned studies are presented in Figure 1

Profile of Dong Tao chicken

raisers in Dong Tao

Commune

Survey;

Data Analysis

Production, Management, and Marketing Practices

Dong Tao chicken population Census

Data Analysis

 Phenotypic characteristics and diversity;

 Population structure and effective population size

 Feed Conversion Ratio

 Average weekly gain

 Carcass percentage

 Cut up part yield percentage

 Gross profit margin Figure 1 Research Paradigm of the three activities in this research

Statement of the Problem

Study 1 Production, management and marketing practices of Dong Tao chicken raisers in Hung Yen province, Vietnam

1 What is the profile of Dong Tao chicken raisers in Dong Tao Commune, Khoai Chau district, Hung Yen province, Vietnam in term of:

g number of year experience in raising Dong Tao chicken;

h attendant to seminars/ training in relation to chicken raising; and

i number of Dong Tao chickens being kept?

2 What are the production and management practices employed by the Dong Tao chicken raisers in relation to housing management, feeding, breeding management and health and sanitation?

3 What are the marketing practices employed by the Dong Tao chicken raisers?

4 Are there significant relationships between the production, management and marketing practices and the demographic profile of Dong Tao chicken raisers?

Study 2 Phenotypic characteristics and phenotypic diversity and population structure analyses of Dong Tao chickens in Hung Yen province, Vietnam

1 What are the phenotypic characteristics of the Dong Tao chickens with respect to plumage color and comb type?

2 What are the morphometric traits of Dong Tao chickens in term of body weight, body length, wing span, feet diameter, shank length and chest perimeter?

3 What is the population structure of Dong Tao chicken in Dong Tao commune, Khoai Chau district, Hung Yen province, Vietnam?

4 What is the effective population size of Dong Tao chicken in Dong Tao commune, Khoai Chau district, Hung Yen province, Vietnam?

Study 3 Meat production performances of Dong Tao chicken in rations with different metabolizable energy to crude protein ratios

1 What are the effects of different metabolizable energy to crude protein ratios on the growth performance of Dong Tao chicken in terms of

a body weight;

b feed consumption;

c feed efficiency ratio;

d average daily gain;

e dressing percentage;

f cut up part yield; and

g gross profit margin of production?

2 Are there significant differences in the effects of the different metabolizable energy to crude protein ratios in the ration on the growth performance of the Dong Tao chickens?

3 Which among the experimental metabolizable energy to crude protein ration produced the best results on the growth performance of the Dong Tao chicken?

Hypothesis of the Study

The following null hypotheses were tested in this study:

1 The production, management and marketing practices employed by Dong Tao chicken raisers are not influenced by their demographic characteristics

2 The morphological characteristics of Dong Tao chicken are not

influenced by local of raisers in Dong Tao commune, Khoai Chau district,

Hung Yen province, Vietnam

3 There is no significant difference on the effects of the different

metabolizable energy to crude protein ratios on the growth

performances of the Dong Tao chickens

Significance of the Study

The results of this study on the general phenotypic characteristics and meat production performance of Dong Tao chicken in rations with different metabolizable energy to crude protein ratios could help and benefit the following:

Farmers The outcome of this study could provide additional information and knowledge to the farmer on how to choose the suitable formula for their condition

Agricultural technicians The finding of this study may provide scientific data

or information in producing and in choosing feeds for native chicken

Academicians People of the academe, specifically professors and students, will be benefited because the result that could be derived from this undertaking will open them up to new facts that will increase their vast collection

of knowledge and technologies in the raising of chicken for meat production

Other researchers The finding helps identify researchable areas in feed

formulation for chicken using local and native feedstuffs

Scope and Limitation of the Study

The respondent of the study was limited to the local farmers raising Dong Tao chicken in its homeland and Thainguyen province

The Study 1 was conducted to determine the production, management and marketing practices employed by Dong Tao chicken raisers in Dong Tao commune, Khoai Chau district, Hung Yen province, Vietnam from December, 2018

to March, 2019 Meanwhile, the Study 2 was focused on the phenotypic characteristics of Dong Tao chicken with regards to age, sex, plumage color, comb type, body weight, body length, wing span, feet diameter, shank length and chest perimeter

The Study 3 was, also conducted in Thai Nguyen province from December,

2018 to March, 2019 in order to determine the meat production performance, carcass characteristics in terms of dressing percentage, cut up part yield, feet percentage of Dong Tao chicken in ration with different metabolizable energy to crude protein ratios

Definition of term

The following terms used in this study were defined operationally in order

to provide clarity and common frame of reference

Population size refers to the total number of Dong Tao chickens being raised by the farmer- respondents in the Dong Tao commune, Khoai Chau district, Hung Yen province, Vietnam during the conduct of the study

Effective population size refers to the number of Dong Tao chickens in the population which is capable of reproduction It was calculated by the Fisherian’s formula with the number of cocks and hens in population The Fisherian’s equation is:

𝑁𝑒 =4 × 𝑁𝑚 × 𝑁𝑓

𝑁𝑚 + 𝑁𝑓Where:

Ne: effective population size

Nm: the number of breeding males (cocks)

Nf: the number of breeding females (hens)

Health management referred to all activities that maintain the improvement

of animal health other than basic feeding and provision of routing intervention veterinary (FAO, 2012)

Management practices in this study refers to the methods on how the Dong Tao chickens are being raised and produced by the local farmers in terms of housing, feeding, breeding and health management

Phenotypic characteristics, in this study, refer to the physical characteristics

or attributes of Dong Tao chicken such as:

 Plumage color: white, black, blue, red, wheaten

 Comb type: single, pea, rose, walnut, cushion, strawberry, duplex Morphometric traits of Dong Tao chicken referred to body weight, body length, wing span, feet diameter, shank length and chest perimeter of Dong Tao chickens with at least or older 3 months ages

Phenotypic diversity refers to the variability in the phenotypes that exist in the population of the Dong Tao chicken that was measured using the Shannon- Weiner Diversity Index

Average daily gain refers to the rate of weight gain of Dong Tao chicken per day over a specified period of time

Carcass weight refers to the weight of chicken’s carcass without head and the entrails

Feed conversion ratio refers to the unit quantity of feeds that was consumed

to effect a corresponding to increase in the live body weight of chicken

Gross profit margin: refers to the ratio of the income derived the total expenses in production after the variable costs were deducted from the total revenue

The formula in determining the gross profit margin is:

Gross Profit Margin(%) =Total Revenue − Variable cost production

where:

Variable costs of production includes: chicks cost, feed cost, medication, depreciation on facilities cost and electricity cost only

Revenue in this study referred to the total income derived from selling of Dong Tao chickens

Chapter 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

Various references were reviewed by the researcher to determine theories, concepts, principles, methodologies, and finding that are relevant and helpful to the conduct of the study

Related Literature

The poultry can be considered to be the second important domestic animal in Vietnam The poultry population of Vietnam was about 385.5 million poultry in 2017 including about 295.20 million chickens (TKCN, 2017)

Red River Delta, Mekong River Delta and North East regions are the agro ecological regions with the highest population of poultry in the country The poultry production in Vietnam is mainly in the hands of small holders, closed to habitant area However, poultry production in farms of medium to big size, in separated

area is increasing (Mulder, 2017)

The most popular local chicken breeds Ri, Mia, Dong Tao, and Ho are raised in the North, and Ta Vang (or Tau Vang) in the South These local breeds are of lower production potential than foreign imported breeds but have characteristic yellow-orange feathering and dark skin color features that are favored by consumers in both rural and urban areas, particularly for traditional festivals, family gifts and for religious offerings (Hong Hanh et al., 2007)

Characterization of animal genetic resources for food and agriculture (AnGR) involves three types of information: phenotypic, genetic and historical The weight given to each depends on the country (e.g whether it is developed or

developing) and the objective (e.g improvement, conservation or breed differentiation)

The term “phenotypic characterization of AnGR” generally refers to the process of identifying distinct breed populations and describing their external and production characteristics within a given production environment In addition to morphological characteristics, socio-cultural attributes, such as historical association with particular livestock-keeping communities in well-defined production environments, are used to delineate such animal groups, distinct breeds that are expected to share clearly defined heritable traits and definite areas

of distribution, may be identified in line with the broad definition of breed (FAO,2012)

FAO (2012) also recommended that the qualitative trait covers the external physical form, shape, color and appearance of animals These traits are recorded

as discrete or categorical variables Their discrete expression relates to the fact that they are determined by a small set of genes Relative to the quantitative traits discussed below, some of these traits may have less direct relevance to the production and service functions of AnGR However, they may relate to adaptive attributes For instance, color of the skin and hair coat, and size of ears and horns, are known to be relevant to the dissipation of excess body heat Length of tail or size of switch in cattle is important in areas where there are many biting flies Other traits may be relevant to the preferences or tastes of livestock keepers and consumers (e.g color of hair coat), and some are used for animal identification in situations where permanent identification of individual animals is otherwise

impractical In such contexts, qualitative traits are as important as quantitative traits, and hence they need to be included in phenotypic characterization studies

On the other hand the quantitative trait covers the size and dimensions of animals’ bodies or body parts, which are more directly correlated to production traits than qualitative traits are For instance, body weight and chest girth are directly related to body size and associated production traits Typically, these variables have a continuous expression This is because of the numerous genes that determine or influence their expression While qualitative traits, such as coat color, are based on a small number of loci and can be precisely recorded and predicted for defined animal populations, economically important quantitative traits require considerable recording of direct and indirect indicators in individual animals Furthermore, unlike many qualitative traits, most quantitative traits are dependent on the age of the animal and the type of production environment in which they are kept Consequently, it is imperative to sample only fully adult animals maintained in their typical production environments The data collected in

a single visit can only provide indicative information on economically important quantitative traits Repeated and more structured data collection is required for systematic characterization of such traits

Waldroup (2005) found out that lowering the CP content of broiler diets may reduce feed cost and allow for use of alternate feedstuffs Some researchers have found that reducing dietary CP does not affect growth performance (Moran and Stilborn, 1996) However, rate and efficiency of growth is lower, and carcass

composition becomes inferior in broilers fed diets in which CP has been lowered

by more than 3%, even when all known nutrient requirements are met

Brickett (2007) showed that dietary nutrient density is the most critical nutritional factor in commercial production, not only because it has a significant effect on growth performance, carcass quality, and health of poultry, but also because of economic inputs and outputs

Owens (2007) showed that meat quality differences exist among genotypes with different growth rates and reared in alternative production systems and may

be ways to add value to poultry carcasses

Maliwan (2018) found out that in Thai- Korat chickens (50% cross- bred), the minimum Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) and maximum protein efficiency ratio (PER) values were found when the diet contained 3000 kcal ME/kg from hatch to

21 days of age and 3175 kcal ME/kg from 22 to 42 days of age, respectively, using diets containing 7.5 and 6.6 g of protein/100 kcal ME, respectively In conclusion, the established that the metabolizable energy requirements of Thai-Korat chickens from hatch to 21 days and 22 to 42 days of age were 3000 and 3175 kcal/kg, respectively

Related Studies

Animal products are vital and important food source for the world’s 6 billion people The demand for animal products increases with improvements in living standards Developing countries are on the verge of moving toward more meat and livestock production and consumption

Padhi (2016) showed the importance of native breeds of poultry birds for rural economy in developing and underdeveloped countries mostly in Asia and Africa is very high They are part of balanced farming system that have vital roles

in the rural households as a source of high quality animal protein and emergency cash income and play a significant role in the socio-cultural life of the rural community and woman empowerment One of the most important positive characters of native chicken is their hardiness, which is ability to tolerate the harsh environmental condition and poor husbandry practices without much loss in production The native breed chickens are the reservoir of genomes and major genes for improvement of high yielding exotic germplasm for tropical adaptability and disease resistance The low production performance of native breeds of chickens may be improved through improvement in husbandry practices, better healthcare, and supplementary feeds during lean season and also through selection and crossbreeding Crossbreeding with exotic germplasm showed the improvement quickly; however, selection in native breeds can bring the improvement permanently Up gradation of the native breeds of chickens through different breeding technique helps to increase the productivity of the germplasm and also their conservation in their natural habitat as the rural people will be very happy to rear them for their adoptability to harsh environment

Hong Hanh (2007) found out that traditional smallholder production still dominates national poultry output, but poultry raised under the semi-industrial commercial and industrial system have been rapidly increasing their share of national output in recent years Most industrial-scale birds are raised in privately

owned facilities except for a small percentage being produced in state farms or companies, the latter mainly kept as breeding stock

Bugos (2008) concluded that poultry keeping is an integral part of rural households’ livelihood strategies and has been so for thousands of years Poultry meat and eggs are major sources of animal protein for the poor Vietnam has established Millennium Development Goals for health, education and economic progress, amongst many others Livestock, specifically poultry, aids in poverty alleviation, rural employment, increasing diet diversity and reducing gender inequalities, all of which target accomplishment of goals Characterization of poultry production systems in SE Asia helps government and the public to better understand this agricultural sector and in doing so, they can coalesce with industry participants to derive the most benefits out of this activity

Cabarles (2011) showed out that the role of traditional chickens in rural economy is remarkable It is the cheaper source of animal protein and extra income of families in rural areas The raisers favored this chicken because of its distinctive taste, adaptability to local conditions, and available resources The monthly income, and farmland size were perquisites for the production of grower chickens and flock size; household size was another requisite for production of chickens; those with long experience in raising chickens preferred to consume than

to sell their chickens; flock size and production of chicken and eggs greatly affected the percent contribution to household expenditure; and, selling more and consuming less chicken contributed more to household expenditure

Bett (2014) recommended that the modest variations in colors (plumage, earlobe and comb), comb types and orientation, head shape, feather patterns and shank and neck feathers, both among and within chicken breeds These variations

in the native chicken populations can be associated with geographical isolation and limited artificial selection pressure in situ Indigenous chickens anatomically have diverse plumage colors that aid for camouflage against predators Comparison within chicken breeds was conducted only on the native chicken and crosses Vietnamese breeds, the body weight and other measurements varied significantly within the chicken breed groups The mean values estimated for body weight and circumference in native chicken and crosses were significantly higher

in Sri Lanka than in similar chicken breeds in Pakistan and Bangladesh

Faruque (2010) found out that the phenotypic characterization of native chickens had distinct physical variations for both qualitative and quantitative traits under intensive management conditions

Ferguson (1998) suggested that reducing crude protein in the diets fed during the first 3 week may slightly increase feed gain and therefore may not be advisable During the period 22 to 43 days of age there were no significant differences in weight gain and body weight at 6 week of age when reducing crude protein, but feed intake and feed gain ratio increased

Tang (2007) found out that dietary ME and lysine had important effects on breast muscle growth and meat quality, however their effects were different Different concentrations of dietary metabolizable energy might be considered to improve meat quality

Dozier (2007) recommended that dietary average metabolizable energy and protein did not interact to influence growth and meat yield responses of chicken Increasing the average metabolizable energy content of the diet improves feed conversion but not breast meat yield

Kamran (2008) showed that weight gain of chicken was linearly decreased, whereas feed intake and feed conversion ratio were increased linearly as dietary protein and energy decreased during grower, finisher, and overall experimental periods Protein efficiency ratio and energy efficiency ratio were decreased with low-CP and low-ME diets during the grower, finisher, and overall experimental period However, carcass yield, breast meat yield, thigh yield, abdominal fat, and relative liver and heart weights were not affected by the treatments Feeding broiler chickens low-CP diets with constant ME:CP ratio has adversely affected the growth performance, but carcass parameters were unaffected without any increase in abdominal fat content The ME:CP ratio was maintained at 132, 143, and 155 in starter, grower, and finisher diets, respectively

Stadig (2016) showed that the body weight gains, feed conversion and carcass straits of chicken should not be affected by housing management (free range/ complete confinement) However, the chemical and physicochemical properties of breast and thigh muscle in chicken are significant with different type

of housing

Truong (2015) showed that starch is the chief dietary energy source for chicken-meat production, the majority of which is derived from the grain basis of diets for chickens The utilization of starch from maize is of a high order in terms

of starch digestibility coefficients Additional feed additives, including non-starch polysaccharide-degrading enzymes, other exogenous enzymes and reducing agents may have the capacity to influence starch utilization The foremost factor influencing starch utilization in chicken-meat production may be the interaction between starch and protein digestive dynamics

Chapter 3

METHODOLOGY

Enumerated below are the components of this section, It includes the research design, subject of the study, the population and samples of the study, sampling techniques, materials, special techniques and procedures, data processing and statistical procedure

Research Design

This study used the descriptive and experimental research designs The principal aims in employing the descriptive method of research in Studies 1 and 2 are to identify the production, management and marketing practices of the Dong Tao chicken raisers and to determine the phenotypic characteristics and diversity

of the population of Dong Tao chicken in Hung Yen province, Vietnam Likewise, the structure and the effective size of the Dong Tao chicken population as also determined because; it described and interpreted what is it concerns with conditions of relationships that’s exist; practices that prevail beliefs, processes that are going on; effects that are being felt, or trends that are developing (Calderon and Gonzales, 1993)

Experimental research following the Completely Randomized Design was used in Study 3 The experimental design was applied in this study in order to determine the performances of Dong Tao chickens fed with different metabolizable energy to crude protein ratios in the ration

The following treatments were employed and composed in term of their effects on the production performance of Dong Tao chickens up to 90 days of age

 Treatment 1

Growing stage (21 to 56 days)- 2800 Kcal ME/kg : 17% CP

Finishing stage (57 to 90 days)- 2900 Kcal ME/kg : 16% CP

 Treatment 2

Growing stage (21 to 56 days) - 2900 Kcal ME/kg : 19% CP

Finishing stage (57 to 90 days) - 3000 Kcal ME/kg : 18% CP

 Treatment 3

Growing stage (21 to 56 days) - 3000 Kcal ME/kg : 21% CP

Finishing stage (57 to 90 days) - 3100 Kcal ME/kg : 20% CP

Each of the treatments was replicated four times The experimental units were laid out the experimental cages as shown in Figure 2

where: T- treatment R- replication

Figure 2 Lay out of experimental units of the study

Subject of the Study

In Study 1, the population of the study is the Dong Tao chicken raisers located in Dong Tao commune, Khoai Chau district, Hung Yen Province, Vietnam They were identified by consulting the Office of Agricultural Extension of Khoai Chau district and Agricultural Extension Assistant of Dong Tao commune, Hung Yen Province, Vietnam and were served as respondents of the study for the

purpose of characterizing the phenotypes, identifying population structure of Dong Tao chicken and production, management and marketing practices being employed by local farmers

In Study 2, the phenotypic characteristics, population structure and phenotypic diversity of Dong Tao chicken were identified The Dong tao chicken being raised by the identified raisers in Study 1 composed the population of interest

In Study 3, 120 chicks were raised in rations with different metabolizable energy to crude protein ratios The effects of which were measured on the meat production performance of Dong Tao chicken in terms of body weight, feed conversion ratio, growth rate, dressing percentage, cut up part yield percentage and the gross profit margin of production

Sampling Technique

The non-probability sampling method particularly the purposive sampling technique were used in Study 1 to identify the raisers that were asked on production, management and marketing practices employed in raising Dong Tao chickens This was employed because in non-probability sampling, not all of the individuals in a population are given equal chance of being included in the sample Hence, the samples were selected based on subjectivity, the raisers who have less than 10 heads

of Dong Tao chicken or trader with non-livestock were not selected

Likewise, this method was also be used in Study 2, to characterize the phenotypic characteristics, population structure and phenotypic diversity of Dong Tao chicken

In Study 3 all of the 10 Dong Tao chickens from each of experimental units were considered in the collection of data to determine the effect of different metabolizable energy to crude protein ratios on the meat production performance

of Dong Tao chicken in term of weight gain, feed conversion ratio, growth rate, and the gross profit margin

For the determination of the dressing percentage and cut up part yield, 1 rooter and 1 hen from each treatment were randomly chosen and representative samples

Materials

The materials and equipment that were used in the study are as follows:

Study 1 The questionnaire was the research instrument used in the study

Phenotypic characterization, population structure of Dong Tao chicken

in homeland

5

Morphometric characteristics of Dong Tao chicken in villages 6

Study 2 Tape ruler was used to measure body length, wing span, feet diameter, shank length and breast perimeter While a digital weighing scale was used to

measure the body weight of chickens The plumage color and comb type were recoded as observer

Study 3 One hundred twenty (120) straight-run 1 day old of Dong Tao chicks were used as the experimental animals to be raised up to 90 days of age

For starter period (1th to 21th days), all chicks were fed with commercial feed and take the healthcare at the same time

For grower period (21th to 56th days), the chickens were separated randomly

to 12 experimental units and 10 head of chicks in each The chicken was fed with different grower rations with metabolizable energy to crude protein ratios

For finisher period (57th - 90th days), the chicken was fed with different finisher rations with metabolizable energy to crude protein ratios

Special Techniques and Procedure

In Study 1, the following steps were employed to determine the production, management and marketing practices of the Dong Tao chicken raisers

- Preparation and validation of the questionnaire;

- Consulting the local agriculture office for the list of exactly Dong Tao chicken raisers

- Conduct survey and interview;

- Analysis of the data gathered

In Study 2, the following research procedures were used to determine the phenotypic characteristics and population structure of Dong Tao chicken are as follows:

- Conduct survey and identify the Dong Tao chicken as to their phenotypes, age and sex;

- Weighing and measuring the sample chicken using the guide of FAO (2012);

- Recording of data in the Record Book;

- Analysis of the corrected

In Study 3, the following techniques and procedure were employed in the conduct of the experiment:

- Preparation and disinfection of the experimental poultry house and equipment

The brooding cages of the chicks were cleaned and disinfected with the use of IOD MAR disinfectant (Marphavet.Inc- Vietnam company) mix with water according to the recommended ratio on the package (200 ml/25 liters), put in a 25-liters sprayer and spray both of inside and outside cages

to minimize the microorganisms that may cause diseases

The chicken cages were covered with iron nets and plastic nets, these cages were disinfected at least 1 week before the chickens were transferred

Identify and selection: chicks were identified and selected through their body conformation (appearance), healthy and vigorous

- Brooding management

The newly-arrived chicks were put together at the same brooding cages which was fenced with bamboo sheets and prepared with 100-watt

lamp per 1 square meter Substrate and drinking water containing sugar and vitamin C was provided to chicks to lessen the stress due to long travel

In the first three days of the chicks after they arrived, the lighting was continuously provided because the chicks cannot efficiently regulate their body temperature

The chicks' behaviors were observed every 2 hours to determine if the temperature of brooding house is sufficient to the brooding stage Using

a digital thermometer to measure the temperature and humidity of the cages, making sure the cages was always around 30 degrees Celsius The next 3 days are 28-30 degrees Celsius Keep the temperature of chicken cage was around 270C up to 21th days

- Feeding management

Quarantine and acclimatization of the samples was done to be familiarized in the new housing condition All the chicks will be fed with commercial feed (Fuji- G.500) during starter period

The chickens were separated to 12 cages (10 heads/cage) after 3 weeks (21 days) and the treatments of growing period were applied to the chickens from day 21th to the end of day 56th The weight of chicken were measured from 1st day to the end of day 21th (week 3rd) and weekly from day 21th to the end of experimental period

The experimental Dong Tao chickens were fed 24 hours, from the start until the end of the experiment The experimental chickens were supplied with the specified ration for each treatment

Feeding chickens free all day and night, adding food for chicken in a day or night from 3 to 4 times The left over feeds were weighted at 7:00 am every morning and continued to serve for chickens all day The feed given

to chicken is the total feed minus the left over feed in each cage

When the chicken was 3 weeks of age, the medium size of feeder was changed into hanging through; the mouth is horizontal with the back of the chicken

- Water management:

Fresh drinking water was given liberally to the experimental birds every day Use a gallon drinking trough for chicken to drink, so that the gutter is flat with a brick that is 4 cm to 5 cm higher than the lining of the cage so that the chickens do not drown and soak the drinking water When the chicken was 3 weeks of age, the medium size of waterer was changed into hanging waterer

The water trough was cleaned daily in accordance with the veterinary regulations, daily changing the drinking water about 2 -3 times (morning, afternoon, evening) before adding feed for chickens

- Preparation and application of the experimental ration

The ingredients of rations was purchased from commercial feed company and mixed as the formula:

Table 1 Experimental Feed Formula

Treatment 1 Treatment 2 Treatment 3 Treatment 1 Treatment 2 Treatment 3

Volume (Kg)

Corn bran 6.588 10.636 14.638 21.835 25.883 29.931 Rice bran 72.834 60.565 48.296 59.441 47.172 34.903 Soybean 20.246 28.467 36.689 18.393 26.614 34.836 Salt 0.333 0.332 0.332 0.331 0.33 0.33

The formulas were built by researcher and the advises of partner in Animal Science Faculty member and tested to recheck the metabolizable energy and crude protein content in Institute of Life Science, Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry

Data Gathering Procedure

This study was conducted at Dong Tao commune, Khoai Chau district, Hung Yen Province and Poultry Practice Farm, Thainguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry, Thainguyen province, Vietnam The following data gathering procedure was conducted:

In Study 1, the production, management and marketing practices employed by Dong Tao chicken raisers were gathered with the use of questionnaire, supplemented with interview schedule The questionnaires distributed to the respondents to answer the questions followed instructed interview needed in the study The raisers gave the feedback of the questionnaire by marking (v) to answers

In Study 2, upon retrieval of questionnaire from the respondents the data gathered are the phenotypic characteristics, population structure and phenotypic diversity of Dong Tao chicken with the use of weighing scale, measurements and capturing images Recording of data was done immediately The sample chickens were captured, weighted by Bien Hoa –

10 kilograms clock scale, the body length, wing span, chest perimeter were measured with tape ruler, the feet diameter, shank length were determined with a vernier caliper

In Study 3, the data on performance of Dong Tao chicken in terms of weight gain, feed conversion ratio, growth rate, cut up part yield were gathered through direct observation Gross profit margin under different feeding was computed to determine which Metabolizable Energy to Crude Protein ratios was economical for Dong Tao chicken production

Body weight was gathered by weighing of experimental chickens

from the start to the end of the study (90 days) The weight is expressed in gram

Average Daily Gain was computed by dividing the total gain in weight

by the number of days of rearing

Feed Consumption was determined by weighing the amount of feeds

left in the feeders every day and subtracting it from the amount of feed given during the day To set the average feed consumption per day, the feed consumption was divided to the actual number of chicken per cage

Feed Conversion Ratio was computed by dividing the feed

consumed for the week by the gain in weight for that period FCR is the amount of feeds consumed in kilogram needed to produce a kilogram of body weight gain

Gross Profit Margin was computed by the percentage of each Dong

Tao chicken sold remaining after the firm has paid for its product

Dressing Percentage Pair of chickens (1 cock/1 hen) from

Treatment 1, 2 and 3 were slaughtered and dressed at the end of the study; the dressing percentage was determined by dividing the dressed weight by the live weight and multiplying the quotient by 100

Cut-up Parts yield after slaughtering was determined after the

removal of head and entrails The remaining parts like the leg, breast were separately weighed The cut up part yield was determined by dividing each cut up part meat by dressing percentage weight and multiplying the quotient

by 100

Data Processing and Statistical Analysis

The data gathered from the survey and from the experiments conducted were organized and analyzed as follows:

In Study 1, frequency count/percentage were the statistical tools used to analyze the profile of Dong Tao chicken raisers as to age, gender, civil status, educational attainment, family size, estimated family monthly income, and source of information in Dong Tao chicken raising

Study 1

Analyses Done Statistical

Tools Utilized

1 Describe the distribution of Dong Tao chicken

raisers according to their demographic profile,

production, management and marketing practices

Frequency counts; Percentage

2 Determine the significance of the relationship

between the demographic profile of the raisers with

their production, management and marketing

practices

Chi- square Test for Association

Study 2

Analyses Done Statistical Tools Utilized

1 Describe the distribution of the

Dong Tao chickens according to

their phenotypic characteristics and

diversity

Frequency counts;

Percentage Shannon- Weiner Diversity Index

2 Describe the Dong Tao chickens

according to their morphometric

characteristics

Mean;

Standard Deviation

3 Determine the population

structure and effective population

size of the Dong Tao chickens in

Hung Yen province, Vietnam

Frequency distribution;

Effective population size determination formula

Study 3

Analyses Done Statistical Tools Utilized

1 Describe the production

performance of the Dong Tao

chickens under the different

treatments

Mean;

Standard Deviation

2 Determine the significance of the

difference among the treatment

means in term of the performance

The Shannon- Weiner Diversity Index (H) was used to characterize species diversity which provides important information about the rarity and commonness of species in a community To calculate the Shannon- Weiner Diversity Index, the following formula was employed:

To calculate the index, divide the number of individuals of species #1 found in sample by the total number of individuals of all species This is Pi multiply the fraction by its natural log (P1 * ln P1); repeat this for all of different species The last species is species “S”; sum all the – (Pi * ln Pi) products to get the value H

The effective population size (Ne) of the Dong Tao chickens in Hung Yen province was determined by the following the formula:

𝑁𝑒 = 4𝑁𝑚𝑁𝑓

𝑁𝑚 + 𝑁𝑓Where: Nm is the number of active male breeders

Nf is the number of active female breeders

Chapter 4

PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS, AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

Study 1 Production, Management and Marketing practices of Dong Tao Chicken Raisers in Dong Tao Commune, Khoai Chau district, Hung Yen province, Vietnam

Locale of the Study

The data gathering activities were done at Dong Tao commune, Khoai Chau district, Hung Yen province in Vietnam from December 2018 to March 2019 The province is in the Red River Delta of northern Vietnam The main source for living

of the people in the commune is farming, small business and private employee

a Map of Vietnam showing the relative location of Hung Yen province

b Map showing the relative location of Khoai Chau district

c Map showing the location of Dong Tao commune, Khoai Chau district

(Maps source: https://www.google.com/maps)

Figure 3 Maps showing the location of study area

a

b

c

The distribution of the respondents according to origin is presented in Table

2 The 203 Dong Tao chicken raiser-respondents came from four villages: East Dong Tao, South Dong Tao, Dong Kim and Tan Tien Fifty two(25.62%) of the respondents came from East Dong Tao, forty nine (24.14%) of raisers came from Tan Tien while the same number of candidates with fifty one (25.12%) came from South Dong Tao and Dong Kim, respectively

Table 2 Distribution of respondents according to their location

Location (villages of Dong Tao Commune)

Respondents- Farmers Frequency Percentage

Dong Tao

Demographic Characteristic of the Respondents

Table 3 reveals the demographic characteristic of respondents in this research Majority of them are female (56.16%) with age that from 30 to 39 year (51.23%) and married (89.16%) More than half of the interviewed Dong Tao chicken raisers attained high school education at least, and are put majority in farming even through some have their own business and there are either employed

as private companies or in the government Majority of them are earning less than10 million VND a month and have 3 to 4 family member which is respected due to the government policy of a maximum of two children per family only

Table 3 Demographic characteristic of the respondents