QuestionsQuestions (DA ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 12, S. 2002, APRIL 1, 2002)
It is issued pursuant to Republic Act No. 8485, the Animal Welfare Act of 1998.
Freedom from thirst, hunger and malnutrition; freedom from physical discomfort and pain; freedom from injury and disease; freedom to conform to essential behavior patterns; and freedom from fear and distress.
Farms with a minimum stocking density of at least 40,000 broilers, or 30,000 layers, or 2,000 breeders must have an attending veterinarian.
The veterinarian must be currently registered with the PRC, have a current Professional Tax Receipt (PTR), and a TIN.
A responsible officer/person must be designated for implementing good husbandry practices.
Examples include: (1) cruel treatment of any chicken; (2) neglecting to supply proper and sufficient food, water and shelter; (3) willfully or wantonly causing unreasonable or unnecessary pain/suffering/distress (e.g., hanging upside down long periods, crossing wings); and (4) slaughtering, mutilating, or carrying the chicken to cause unnecessary pain/suffering; also prohibited are keeping alive cruel/inhumane chickens.
Farms with 20,000 broilers and 5,000 layers and above, and breeder farms of any volume must be registered with the BAI; the BAI issues the registration guidelines.
Each farm must keep a log book recording the health program, dates of treatment/vaccination/deworming, observations and recommendations, and it must include farm identity and the attending veterinarian’s details (name/address and PRC license, PTR, TIN).
No less than once a day; inspections may need to be more frequent during hot weather or outbreaks, and dead or injured chickens must be immediately removed.
Proper ventilation must be provided at all times to avoid discomfort from noxious gases, heat, water vapor and dust. Ammonia must not exceed 20 ppm at bird level, hydrogen sulfide must be below 5 ppm, carbon dioxide below 0.3%, and carbon monoxide below the stated limit (0.3% as written in the text).
Humidity is ideally 80% and ideal house temperature is 30°C; as extreme weather may occur, facilities should maintain temperatures between 19–33°C at all times.
Newly hatched chicks must have access to feed 24 to 48 hours after hatching; they must not go without water for more than 72 hours from hatching. Upon introduction of water, water guards must be in place to prevent bathing/drowning.
Day-old chicks must be provided enough light, with a minimum light intensity of 40 lux initially, and during night inspection a light intensity of 10 lux may be used to reduce agitation and excitement.
Beak trimming must be done only by a competent and trained technician within three (3) weeks of age, and the operator must not remove more than half of the upper beak and one-third of the lower beak; subsequent trimming is allowed only to prevent cannibalism.
Castration or surgical caponizing; devoicing; any form of flight restriction such as dewinging/pinioning/notching/tendon severing; forced molting (while controlled feeding on healthy birds under close supervision is allowed); and other “unwarranted” mutilations as specified.
DOC should be packed in properly ventilated boxes/crates without overcrowding, with 80–100 DOC per box depending on size and conditions; protect from direct sunlight/cold drafts; vans must have ventilating fans (minimum of 4) turned on before loading; deliveries/transfer preferably during cooler night; and each box/crate must meet stocking density (not less than 25 sq cm per bird).
Use dim/blue lights during catching to reduce struggling; avoid rough handling; ensure proper ventilation and crate loading limits; set stunning machine to avoid prolonged struggling/injury; and chickens must be immediately bled after stunning such that they are no longer alive by the time they reach the scalding machine.
It takes effect fifteen (15) days after publication in a newspaper of general circulation.