TANAUAN, LEYTE – Free range chicken production has been gaining traction in the Philippines as consumers increasingly prefer healthier, chemical-free, and naturally raised poultry products. With the rising demand for organic and naturally grown products, government agencies such as ATI promote free range chicken production as both a source of income and a contributor to food security in the countryside.
Thirty-three farmers, mostly members of the Binongto-an Farmers Association in Tanauan, Leyte underwent a three-day Training on Free Range Chicken Production and Management (Farmer Level) on August 12–14, 2025 in Brgy. Binongto-an, Tanauan, Leyte.
The training, organized by the Agricultural Training Institute-Regional Training Center 8 (ATI-RTC 8), aimed to equip participants with essential knowledge and skills in free range chicken production technology. Topics covered during the training were chicken farming and technologies, nutrition and feeding management, animal health care, breeding and stock management, farm economics, and the effects of climate change on poultry production.
As part of the learning activities, the participants engaged in a benchmarking visit to Learning Site for Agriculture (LSA) – Caserio de San Joaquin in Alangalang, Leyte, where they observed actual feed preparation and mixing using locally available materials. The LSA cooperator also shared practical insights drawn from both successes and failures in poultry farm management.
Nelia Borela, one of the training participants, expressed that the training could help them in in many ways. “Having our own free-range chickens can help our families, since they provide food for our own consumption and an additional source of income through selling”.
“I personally learned a lot just by attending this training where I gained ideas on how to properly manage free range chicken”. added Francisco Morante Jr. He learned how to make a DIY Brooding Pen without using electricity and organic feed in the comfort of their own backyards.
By the end of the training, the farmer-organization members pledged to adopt cost-effective technologies to enhance egg and chicken production in their communities.
