The ranging ability of sasso chickens grown under various types of agroecosystems

Summary

The ranging ability of Sasso chicken was estimated using the ranging score as an indicator. The chickens were allowed to range in three agro-ecosystems namely, rice-based, rambutan orchard and grassland. The ranging score was significantly higher in rambutan orchard with 52 m-hr followed by the ranging score in grassland with 48 m-hr. The ranging score was lowest in rice-based agroecosystem.
The differences in the ranging score among agroecosystem can be attributed mainly to the presence of trees as shade, the soil type, and the predominant weed species in each agroecosystem. It was found that the higher the ranging score, the more the chicken used their daytime for the ranging acts i.e. “kahig at tuka”.
As a result of ranging, there was a net decrease in weed biomass in all of the three agroecosystems. This was indicative of the chickens feeding on the weeds. The chickens showed preference for succulent and indeterminate grass species and rejection of paragrass and broad leaf weed species.