The egg, not the chicken

From the air, hundreds of rows of chicken houses dot Bantayan, an island off the northwest tip of the Cebu mainland. Bantayan is known as the egg capital of the Visayas, with more than 100 farms producing 1.5 million eggs daily.

One of the island’s biggest egg farms is Montemar Farms, which is located in barangay Tangkong.

"I grew up in the business so it was natural for me to put up my own farm after graduating from San Jose University in Cebu in 1974," said Antonio Montemar, who invested P15,000 to farm 500 birds on a two-hectare property that he already owned. Four months after, the farm’s 500 birds started to lay eggs, with production reaching 350 eggs a day.

Production quirks

Raising chickens for their eggs is not easy.

"There is a critical period for the chicks–from newly hatched to four months. During this period, the chicks demand a certain temperature in the coop and they are most susceptible to catching colds and other diseases," said Montemar, who has been able to keep his farm’s mortality rate at between 1% and 2%.

On the average, a chick which survives the critical period can produce 280 to 290 eggs per year for an average of four years. The highest production is achieved during the chick’s fourth to 12th month, after which production gradually drops.

Production also depends on the weather, with egg-laying shooting up to 85% of the average during the summer amounts. Production drops to 78% during the rainy months. "The island, which is rarely devastated by strong typhoons, is a good location for the business," said Montemar.

Since layers follow a strict biological clock, another factor which affects production is the regular administration of feeds.

Each bird consumes about 100 grams of feeds daily. Medicine and vaccination account for 10% to 15% of operating costs.

Every quarter, Montemar Farms buys between 7,000 and 10,000 chicks to replenish the ones that have been culled.

Growing

Today, Montemar Farms has a bird population of 50,000 that produce between 30,000 and 35,000 eggs daily. Aside from the original two-hectare property, the farm currently leases the adjacent five hectares. The farm has also increased its number of workers from two to 12, two of whom are experts in egg measurements (the basis for the pricing of eggs). Ninety percent of the farm’s production goes to Cebu while the remaining 10% goes to Negros.

"The good thing about this business is there is practically no wastage," said Montemar. "When the birds are too old, we sell them to be culled for P600 a dozen. We are able to collect some 30 sacks of manure every day, which we sell for P15 per sack."

By the end of the year, Montemar Farms plans to double its bird population. In preparation for more birds, more chicken coops are being built. Each coop measuring 1,872 square feet can house 1,500 birds. – AAAngel