Law Summary
General Responsibilities
- The Animal Welfare Act of 1998 governs animal protection and welfare.
- Farms exceeding specific stock numbers must employ licensed attending veterinarians (PRC registration, PTR, TIN required).
- Responsible officers must implement good husbandry.
- Prohibits cruel treatment and neglect, such as causing unnecessary pain, improper slaughter, or keeping suffering chickens alive.
- Registration required for large farms with guidelines by the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI).
- Feeding trials must follow DA AO 40, series 1999.
Definition of Terms
- Defines key terms such as Attending Veterinarian, Breeder, Broiler, Chick, Chicken, Cockerel, Pullet, etc.
- Clarifies roles, animal stages, and husbandry terms used throughout the Code.
Housing
- Housing must ensure good ventilation, protect from drafts and injury, and minimize disease risk.
- Expert advice should be sought when altering buildings or equipment.
- Floors and surfaces must support chickens and prevent injury; adequate space for behaviors is mandatory.
- New welfare-enhancing systems should be adopted when available.
Space Allowances
- Specific space requirements per species, breed, and type must be observed and adapted to local climate.
- Stocking density depends on housing quality, temperature, humidity, ventilation, and lighting.
- Maximum densities apply only under good management; lower densities otherwise.
Equipment
- Equipment must avoid causing injury; sharp objects prohibited.
- Automatic feeders and waterers checked daily.
- Hatchery and environmental control equipment must have backups and alarms.
Lighting
- Newly hatched chicks need minimum 40 lux light for first 3 days; night inspections at 10 lux.
- Standby power required.
- Detailed lighting programs available in Appendix III.
Ventilation
- Constant proper ventilation to avoid noxious gases, heat, water vapor, dust.
- Use fans or alternatives to maintain approx. 80% humidity and 30°C temperature.
- Ammonia and other gases must remain below specified safe levels.
- Fossil fuel equipment used cautiously.
Temperature
- Supplementary heat required for chicks until thermoregulation develops.
- Adult chickens protected from drafts and heat; cool water and ventilation for heat stress.
- Housing must maintain 19°C to 33°C.
Protection
- Protection from predators, stray animals, disease carriers.
- Site selection must consider flood, typhoon, fire risks.
- Fire-resistant materials and firefighting equipment required.
- Sufficient exits for evacuation.
Feed
- Feed access required within 24-48 hours after hatching and every 24 hours thereafter.
- Diets must meet nutritional standards.
- Manual feeding necessary as backup.
- Adequate feeder space per bird as per breeder guidelines.
Water
- Potable water always available; chicks must not exceed 72 hours without water.
- Water supply stored for emergencies; annual testing mandatory.
- Adequate drinking points per bird to prevent competition.
Animal Health Consideration
- Disease freedom is fundamental.
- Compliance with DA AO 39 and DOH AO 111-B for veterinary drug prescriptions.
- Maintains veterinary-client relationship and drug orders.
- Health logs must be kept with detailed records.
Health
- Caretakers must monitor disease signs.
- Vaccination under veterinary supervision.
- Manage outbreaks of feather picking or cannibalism by environmental and managerial adjustments.
- Immediate removal and proper disposal of dead chickens.
- Use only approved veterinary drugs.
- Humane destruction of incurably ill or zoonotic chickens.
- House cleaning and disinfection mandatory before restocking.
- Report disease outbreaks promptly.
Inspections
- Minimum daily inspections; more frequent under hot weather or disease outbreaks.
- Check the functionality of feeders and waterers.
- Cage inspections to be easy and thorough.
- Parasite monitoring and treatment required.
Management Practices
- Artificial insemination by trained personnel under hygienic conditions.
- Beak trimming restricted by age and technique.
- Dubbing and spur trimming allowed under specific conditions.
- Use of blinkers limited and controlled.
- Castration, devoicing, flight restrictions prohibited.
- Forced molting unacceptable; controlled feeding allowed under supervision.
- Proper monitoring and adjustment of identification bands.
Hatchery Management
- Gentle handling and proper ventilation during chick processing.
- Avoid overcrowding in chick boxes.
- Skilled personnel to vaccinate chicks.
- Proper ventilation and loading of transport vans.
- Humane disposal of culls.
- Early brooding and health monitoring of hatchlings.
Transport of Day-Old Chicks (DOC)
- Use ventilated boxes or crates with limits on loading (80-100 chicks per box).
- Maximum stacking limits to ensure ventilation.
- Protection from weather; ventilation fans in vans mandatory.
- Recommended stocking density per chick during transport.
- Clearly labeled boxes with hatch and dispatch data and handling instructions.
- Brooding started immediately after delivery.
Transport of Growing and Adult Chickens from Farm to Farm
- Supervised herding preferably at night or early morning.
- Gentle handling; no upside-down holding by feet.
- Separation and treatment/culling of sick or injured birds.
- Properly designed crates ensuring no escape or injury.
- Proper ventilation and protection in transport vehicles.
- Maximum holding time in crates 24 hours unless food and water are provided.
- Contingency plans for delays.
- Joint responsibility of owner and driver for welfare during transport.
Transport of Chicken to Dressing Plants
- Fasting for six hours pre-loading; water available.
- Supervised herding and proper holding by legs during transfer.
- Crates designed as per transport guidelines.
- Protection from weather during transport.
- Maximum crate holding time 24 hours.
- Contingency plans for transport delays.
Sale of Chicken
- Immediate unloading upon arrival.
- Sale yard stocking not to exceed recommended densities by more than 50% for over 12 hours.
- Maximum holding time in sale yards 24 hours; water provided every 8 hours.
- Leg tying limited to 3 hours; no upside-down holding.
- Shading mandatory during display.
Poultry Slaughtering
- Use of dim or blue lights to reduce bird struggle during catching.
- Maximum recommended chicken number per crate.
- Gentle handling and adequate ventilation during transport and holding.
- Proper spacing of crates for air flow.
- Controlled stunning and immediate bleeding ensuring death before scalding.
Penal Provisions
- Violations penalized as provided by law.
Separability Clause
- Unconstitutional provisions invalidated without affecting the rest of the regulations.
Repealing Clause
- Conflicting prior orders and rules repealed or modified accordingly.
Effectivity
- Rules effective 15 days after publication in a newspaper of general circulation.