US chicken breed can improve RP native fowl

It’s simply called TPR.

It stands for triple production red, a composite strain of selected traditional single-combed red chicken (25 percent single-combed Rhode Island from the United States, 25 percent rose-combed Rhode Island from the United Kingdom, 25 percent rose-combed Rhode Island Red from the US, and 25 percent New Hampshire).

The exotic TPR is considered a promising breed to improve the native chicken in developing countries. They are raised both for meat and egg production and are generally preferred for backyard flocks.

A research on TPR has been conducted by the Department of Agriculture-Eastern Visayas Integrated Agriculture Research (DA-EVIARC) in Babatngon, Leyte.

Initial results of the research were presented by EVIARC Manager Rufino Ayaso III at the review of DA-Bureau of Agricultural Research-funded projects in central Philippines held last Feb. 18 at the DA-Regional Field Unit 7 office in Cebu City.

Now reviewing the BAR-supported projects is an external program and management review (EPMR) team headed by noted scientist, Dr. Feliciano Calora. Part the view team were Dr. Arturo Arganosa of PCARRD; Rene Belen of EPMR; Aurora Pecson, Jeng Lapitan, both of BAR and this writer.

In the research project, two batches of TPR hatching eggs were obtained from Ohio, USA. The native chicken eggs were sourced out from selected farmers in the locality.

Initial results showed that the TPR had a hatchability of 91.9 per cent as against the 78 per cent of native chicken.

As to egg performance, the TPR – native chicken cross had an average of 35 eggs per year or 12 more than the 23 of native chicken.

At one-day-old the TPR weighed 50 grams as against the 22.9 g of native chicken. At six months, the TPR weighed 2.5 kilograms as against the native chicken’s 1.07 kg.

The TPR – native chicken cross also grew faster than the native chicken. After six months, the cross weighed 1,362 g over the native’s 1,145 g.

Mortality of the TPR – native chicken cross was 25 per cent while that of the native chicken was 38 per cent. – Rudy A. Fernandez