Betong Chicken Raising in Southern Thailand A Preliminary

Chanjula, P. and K. Pattamarakha. 2002. Betong chicken raising in Southern Thailand: A
Preliminary Survey. J. ISSAAS. 8(2): 14-24.
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Betong Chicken Raising in Southern Thailand
A Preliminary Survey
P. Chanjula 1 and K. Pattamarakha 2
ABSTRACT
Raising betong chickens is not widely practiced by farmers in the three
southernmost provinces of Thailand. This study aimed to investigate the status of betong
chicken production, and associated problems, as a base-line survey to provide guidelines
and strategies for development planning in Patani, Yala and Narathiwat provinces in
southern Thailand. The findings revealed that most farmers raised animals for the
purposes of sale and consumption. They raised their chickens both in chicken houses and
free-range. They provided concentrate and house scraps or feedstuff as feed. Most used
vaccination with the support of the local livestock officer. When the animals were sick,
most farmers would contact the veterinary officer. The chick stage was more prone to
diseases than other growth stages. When animals died, most farmers simply buried them.
For selection practices, most selected the bigger females from the flock. For mating
method, most used natural mating. A lack of knowledge for disease prevention and
selection and mating, high cost of feed and equipment, and the outbreak of diseases were
mentioned as major problems.
Key Words : Bethong Chicken, Raising Practices, Southern Thailand.
* Address reprint requests to P. Chanjula. Phone: 66-73-333543, Fax: 66-73-333543, Email:
cpin_th@yahoo.com.
1 Department of Technology and Industries, Faculty of Science and Technology, Prince of
Songkla University, Pattani 94000, Thailand.
2 Department of Agricultural Development, Faculty of Natural Resources, Prince of
Songkla University, Songkhla 90112, Thailand.
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Chanjula, P. and K. Pattamarakha. 2002. Betong chicken raising in Southern Thailand: A
Preliminary Survey. J. ISSAAS. 8(2): 14-24.
INTRODUCTION
Chickens are small domestic animals raised all over the world, mainly for
consumption of their meat and eggs. Native poultry production is an alternative to
imported meat, thus reducing the need for imports. In southern Thailand there are several
varieties of native poultry such as Nake-nick chicken, Kawchang Chicken, Black skin
chicken and Thapaow Thong chicken.
The Betong chicken is a very popular species which is found in the lower zone of
southern Thailand. The name “Betong” is derived from the name of a district in Yala
province, and originated from the Langshans variety in China, Brought by Chinese
immigrants (Oboon and Vetchbutsakorn, 1994). The population of Betong chickens is
small, but the breed is common in some parts of the south, expecially in Yala province.
The nature body weight is 2.0 – 2.5 kg. For makes and 1.5–1.8 kg. For females. The
down of the chicks is whitish-yellow in color, and the feather are slow to appear. At four
weeks of age, the chicks still have relatively few primaries and secondaries, and these are
narrower and shorter than those of the other native varieties. Young chicks also show no
development of the tail feathers. When the Betong chicken reaches adulthood, only 4- 8
secondary wing feathers have developed, and the tail feathers are still short. The males
have reddish-yellow plumage and the females whitish-yellow. There is some white on the
web of the primaries and the rectories of the female. The skin color is similar to that of
other Thai native chickens, but the comb is a single type. The females are broody.
The Betong chicken has a much higher growth rate than other native chickens,
usually showing twice the weight over the first 8 weeks. After 16 weeks the Betong
chickens average 2.5 kg. Whereas native breeds average 2.1 kg. or less. It also has other
advantages, such as being able to stand the hot climate and being able to thrive on a low
quality of feed (Gongruttananum and Chotesangasa, 1996).
Chanjula (1998) found that during the Chinese festival demand for the Betong
chicken was high as the Chinese would use this kind of chicken for the ritual ancestor
ceremony. During this celebration, the price of the live Betong is between 100 – 252
baht per kg. but if the chicken is pre-prepared, the price goes up to 700 – 800 baht. Food
shops or restaurants use a lot of the Betong chicken each day; demand is greater than
supply and because of this many fear that if the supply does not increase the Betong
chicken will soon be extent. Preservation is obviously needed. This study aimed to
investigate the Betong chicken raising practices by farmers, marketing and future trends,
and associated problems of production.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Patani, Yala and Nara thiwat provinces in southern Thailand were selected as the
study area since there are many farmers who raise Betong chickens in this region. Simple
random sampling was assigned for sample selection and personal interviews were
employed as the method of data collection. Interviews started at the beginning of
February 2000 and lasted until the end of May 2000. Two hundred and thirty two farmers
were interviewed.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Characteristics of the interviewed farmers
Most of the respondents (77.2%) were male and married. The average age was
40.2 years. One – half (50.0%) had formal education between Grade 4 and Grade 7 and
about one – third at the Grade 10 level. Most were literate. Rubber plantations and
orchards were regarded as major occupations while Betong production was regarded as a
minor occupation. The average income from major and minor occupations were 36,000
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Chanjula, P. and K. Pattamarakha. 2002. Betong chicken raising in Southern Thailand: A
Preliminary Survey. J. ISSAAS. 8(2): 14-24.
and 8,000 baht per family per year respectively. About three – fourths of farmers had a
status of land tenure as owner. A few rented the land. The farm size was small,
averaging 12 rai (1 ha = 6.25 rai). About 30% of farmers used their land for animal
raising, especially cattle and Betong chickens.
Experience and reasons for raising Betong chicken
Most farmers (85.3%) had raised other species of poultry such as native breeds,
layers, broilers, etc, but mostly native species. A few started raising the Betong chicken
before 1977 and between 1977 – 1986 but most started in recent years. Major reasons for
raising were due to consumption, enjoyable to raise, for sale and conservation. Sources of
Betong to start raising were from friends, local merchants, public agencies, and relatives
(Table 1). The average number of hens, cocks and chicks was 5, 2 and 10, respectively,
per family. The average number of eggs from each hatching was about 12. After
hatching the average number of survivors was 10, of which an average of 8 would survive
to adulthood.
Housing and feeding practices
Most farmers had a chicken house for raising Betong chickens separate from their
dwelling (Table 2). They raised chickens in both chicken houses and free range. For
feeding practices, a few provided concentrate only but most preferred to use a
combination of concentrate and house scraps or feedstuff in order to reduce the cost of
production. A small pond was the usual source of water.
Health practices
Most farmers (>90%) did not experience Bethong mortality (Table 3). Major
causes of normality where experienced were disease and accidents. Betong chickens are
not well adapted to the rainy season. About two – thirds of farmers (66.4%) used
vaccination for prevention of disease. When the Betong chickens were ill they would
usually contact the veterinarian for help but some developed their own treatments if they
knew how to do so. A few sought assistance from a neighbor if they lived close together.
The chick stage was the most prone to diseases followed by the grower stage. When the
chickens died most farmers (88.8%) simply buried them.
Selection and breeding
Many methods were developed for selection. Simply selecting the biggest female
was the most popular method, as farmers had many to choose from. Those who did not
have many bought them from others or borrowed breeders from public agencies, friends
or relatives (Table 4). The 66 farmers who did not practice selection claimed that they
lacked knowledge for selection, that their chickens were too young, that they had only a
few chickens, or that they produced for home consumption. For breeding method, mating
naturally was prevalent although it was not recommended, possibly due to the fact that
farmers did not know how to breed selectively, but let the chickens mate naturally. Only
17.7% of farmers felt that they could prepare and mange the chickens properly for
breeding by themselves. Others requested the veterinarian or friends to take charge.
Time spent for raising for breeders varied from one to four years but most agreed three
years was a reasonable time for raising breeders (which should be 1 – 2 years according to
best practices). Some farmers were still unclear about this.
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Chanjula, P. and K. Pattamarakha. 2002. Betong chicken raising in Southern Thailand: A
Preliminary Survey. J. ISSAAS. 8(2): 14-24.
Marketing and opinions about future production
Most farmers (69.1%) sold the Bethong chicken at their farms (Table 5). If they
lived in a non-remote area they would travel to local markets. A few (about 10.9%)
joined together for selling as they had better bargaining strength. The farm sale price per
head of fattening and breeders were 120 and 200 baht respectively. When asked about
price most (70.9%) were satisfied or very satisfied. Those who did not sell their stock did
not do so because they used them for self-consumption, raised as a hobby, for
conservation, or had just begun raising. Concerning future trends, farmers’ perceptions
varied. More than one-half (59.9%) believed that the economy would be better in terms
of more production and better marketing but 15.5% noted that future production was
dependent on the national economy. Other (16.4%) claimed that there would be a
decrease in the number of farmers, that the cost of production would rise, and that there
would be a fluctuating market. So there are many different opinions, but most believe
that it will get better.
Support from public services and associated problems
Some farmers received a variety of services from public agencies, especially the
Department of Livestock Development. These services included vaccinations and other
drugs, feed, and training (Table 6), all offered to farmers without charge. A few problems
were not covered, but they did not affect many farmers. Major problems with raising
Betong chickens were a fluctuating market5, a lack of knowledge in production and
selection, and the high cost of feed, material and equipment.
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMEDATIONS
Farmers raised Betong chickens for consumption, sale and conservation, and also
because they simply enjoyed the practice. Most raised chickens in cages outside the
house, and fed them with concentrate and house scraps or feedstuff. Most used available
government-supplied vaccinations, and few had mortality problems. When the chicken
were ill some farmers contacted the veterinarian while others used self-treatment. Dead
chickens were buried. About one-half made use of selection by selecting the biggest
female while others borrowed from other farmers. A few made use of breeding correctly.
When chickens were mature farmers sold them from their homes and were generally
satisfied with the price. Betong production has the strengths of rapid growth, high
revenue and easy access to markets, but also some weaknesses such as being difficult to
raise due to a low tolerance for the rainy season and the high cost of breeders.
Based on this study, the following recommendation are made:
1. An increase in the number of Betong farmers has occurred in recent years,
however few have received any training in Betong production. A short training course
should be made available for those with no experience in raising Betong chickens.
2. Farmers received assistance from the government in vaccination and drugs, but
they lack knowledge in selection and breeding, and prevention of the outbreak of diseases,
thus the training should pay special attention to this.
3. The Betong chicken has rapid growth and good taste, thus can meet the market
demand, and farmers agree that they receive a reasonable and satisfactory price. Intense
promotion for large scale production should be undertaken to reduce market fluctuations.
4. Betong chickens do not adjust well to the rapid change of weather, especially
in the rainy season, making them more receptive to diseases. Farmers should be well
aware of this problem.
5. Breeders are still expensive, averaging 200 baht per head, thus making them
hard to afford for some farmers. If some growers switched to raising Betong as breeders
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Chanjula, P. and K. Pattamarakha. 2002. Betong chicken raising in Southern Thailand: A
Preliminary Survey. J. ISSAAS. 8(2): 14-24.
rather than for fattening, perhaps good quality and lower priced breeders would be more
easily available. Better coordination between those raising for fattening is necessary for
successful Betong production.
6. Farmer association development is important for farmers in bargaining for a
better price. In addition, these groups could help reduce production costs when farm
inputs are bought in bulk for economies of scale.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors wish to thank Mr. David Patterson, English Consultant at the Faculty
of Natural Resources, for this assistance in editing the manuscript.
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REFERENCES
Chanjula, P. 1998. Betong chicken: An interesting native chicken. Khon Kaen Agric J.
23(3): 111-
116.
Gongruttananun, N. and R. Chotesangasa. 1996. A study of growth and carcass yield of
Betong
chickens compared with those of native and crossbred Betong x Native chickens.
Kasetsart J.
(Nat. Sci.) 30 : 312 – 321.
Oboon, T. and O. Vetchbutsakorn. 1994. A study of comparison in Betong chicken,
Betong x Rhode
crossbred and Betong x Bar crossbred performance. Reserch project. NO. 36–
0406–040,
Yala Breeding Station, Dept. of Livestock Development.
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Chanjula, P. and K. Pattamarakha. 2002. Betong chicken raising in Southern Thailand: A
Preliminary Survey. J. ISSAAS. 8(2): 14-24.
Table 1. Experience and reasons for raising Betong
Attribute
Raising other species of poultry before Betong
chickens
Number
(n=232)
Percentage
No 34 14.7
Yes
Types of poultry raised
138 85.3
Native chicken 166 71.6
Naked – neck chicken 33 14.2
Layer 18 7.8
Broiler
Year started Betong production
10 4.3
Before 1977 3 1.3
1977 – 1986 2 0.9
1987 - 1996 73 31.5
1997 - 2000
Reasons for raising Betong chickens*
154 66.3
Consumption 169 72.8
Enjoyable to raise 126 54.3
Sale 94 40.5
Conservation
Sources of Betong to start enterprise
69 29.7
Friends 71 36.6
Merchants 71 30.6
Public agency 59 25.4
Relatives
* Quoted from more than one source.
36 15.5
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Chanjula, P. and K. Pattamarakha. 2002. Betong chicken raising in Southern Thailand: A
Preliminary Survey. J. ISSAAS. 8(2): 14-24.
Table 2. Housing and feeding practices
Attribute
Chicken housing
Number
(n=232)
Percentage
No chicken house 1.3 5.6
Chicken house separate from dwelling 195 84.1
Chicken house below dwelling
Raising methods
4 10.3
Raised in chicken house only 16 6.9
Raised in chicken house and free – range 170 73.3
Free – range
Feeding methods
46 19.8
Concentrate 19 8.2
Concentrate and house scraps 160 69.0
Concentrate and feedstuff
Sources of water
53 22.8
Rain water 53 22.8
Small pond 152 65.5
Pipe water 41 17.7
Natural creeks 31 13.4
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Chanjula, P. and K. Pattamarakha. 2002. Betong chicken raising in Southern Thailand: A
Preliminary Survey. J. ISSAAS. 8(2): 14-24.
Table 3. Health practices
Attribute
Chicken mortality
Number
(n=232)
Percentage
Never 220 94.8
Ever 12 5.2
Causes of mortality* 66 28.5
Disease outbreak 203 87.5
Hatch failure 82 35.5
Accident 42 18.1
Maternal failure to nurture 24 10.3
Lack of water
Use of vaccination
3 1.3
Never 78 33.6
Ever
Treatment of sick chickens*
154 66.4
Inform veterinarian 142 61.2
Self treatment 131 56.5
Assistance from neighbor
Stages receptive to animal diseases
48 20.7
Chick 131 56.5
Grower 66 28.4
Breeder 5 2.2
Indefinite
Treatment when chicken dies
30 12.9
Bury remains 206 88.8
Burn remains 15 6.5
Consume 11 4.7
*Quoted from more than one source.
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Chanjula, P. and K. Pattamarakha. 2002. Betong chicken raising in Southern Thailand: A
Preliminary Survey. J. ISSAAS. 8(2): 14-24.
Table 4. Selection and breeding
Attribute
Methods of selection*
Number
(n=232)
Percentage
Select largest female 136 58.6
Purchase 67 28.9
Borrow breeder from public agencies 39 16.8
Borrow breeder from friends or relatives
Reasons for not practicing selection (n=66)
34 14.7
Lack of knowledge 40 60.6
Chickens too young 12 18.2
Only a few chickens raised 8 12.1
Consumption only
Methods of breeding*
6 9.1
Mating naturally 201 86.6
Hand mating by farmers themselves 41 17.7
Request the veterinarian to mate 34 14.7
Hire someone for mating breeder
Time spent raising
4 1.7
1 year 26 11.2
2 years 36 15.4
3 years 94 40.5
4 years 42 18.1
Indefinite 34 14.7
*Quoted from more than one source.
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Chanjula, P. and K. Pattamarakha. 2002. Betong chicken raising in Southern Thailand: A
Preliminary Survey. J. ISSAAS. 8(2): 14-24.
Table 5. Marketing and opinions about production
Attribute
Selling methods
Number
(n=232)
Percentage
Sold at farm 38 69.1
Take to markets 11 20.0
Join with others to sell
Buyers*
6 10.9
Local merchants 47 85.4
Relatives and friends 23 41.8
Food shop
Price determiner
6 10.9
Buyers 18 32.7
Sellers 26 47.3
Bargaining
Price
11 20.0
Not fair 16 29.1
Fair
Satisfaction with price
39 70.9
Dissatisfied 21 38.2
Satisfied 22 40.0
Very satisfied
Reasons for not selling (n=177)
12 21.8
Home consumption 126 71.2
Raised as breeder 37 20.9
Just started raising 6 3.4
Hobby 5 2.7
Conservation 3 1.7
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Chanjula, P. and K. Pattamarakha. 2002. Betong chicken raising in Southern Thailand: A
Preliminary Survey. J. ISSAAS. 8(2): 14-24.
Table 5. (Con’t)
Attribute
Advantages of Betong production*
Number
(n=232)
Percentage
Rapid growth 91 39.2
High revenue 84 36.2
Good taste 59 25.4
Novelty value
Disadvantages of Betong production*
16 6.9
Not well adjusted to rainy season 34 14.7
Breeders expensive 24 10.3
Highly susceptible to disease 22 9.5
Low feed efficiency 19 8.2
Fluctuating market
Trends for future production
13 5.6
More production and better marketing 158 68.1
Dependent on economy of the country 36 15.5
Others 38 16.4
*Quoted from more than one source.
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Chanjula, P. and K. Pattamarakha. 2002. Betong chicken raising in Southern Thailand: A
Preliminary Survey. J. ISSAAS. 8(2): 14-24.
Table 6. Support from public services and associated problems
Attribute Number
(n=232)
Type of support received*
Vaccine
Drugs and medical equipment
Breeder
Training
Feed
Associated problems*
Fluctuating market
Lack of knowledge of production and selection
High cost of feed
Outbreak of disease
High cost of material and equipment
*Quoted from more than one source.
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Percentage
12