Chapter 2

METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the research design, subject of the study, sampling
technique, data gathering instrument and data gathering procedures used to
solve the chosen problem.
Research Design
This study aimed to determine the effect of amaranth leaves feed
supplement (ALFS) on the performance of native chicken. To determine the
effect, the researcher will be conducted an experiment using Complete
Randomized Design (CRD).
Each treatment replicated three times and each replication has ten chicks
as samples. Each treatment consisted of 12 cages where the treatments will be
randomly and independently distributed. The experimental layout is shown on
Figure 3.
The treatments will be used in this study include the following:
Treatments:
T1 control (crashed corn)
T2 960 Grams corn +40 grams ALFS
T3 920 Grams corn + 80 grams ALFS
T4 880 Grams corn +120 grams ALFS

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FIG. 3 Experimental Layout

T2R3

T4R2

T1R3

T4R3

T3R3

T4R1

T3R1

T1R1

T2R2

T1R2

T2R1

T3R2

Figure 3.Experimental layout of the study

Legend:
Treatment

T1- control (crashed corn)

T2- 960 Grams corn + 40 grams ALFS
T3- 920 Grams corn + 80 grams ALFS
T4- 880 Grams corn + 120 grams ALFS

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Subject of the study

The subject of this study was 120day old straight run native chicken that will
be fed with different levels of amaranth leaves feed supplement. The effect of
these feeds will be determined on the growth performance of native chicken in
terms of growth characteristics, feed efficiency, dressing percentage, and
mortality rate. Each treatment will be replicated in 3 times.
SAMPLING TECHNIQUES
All the experimental animals will be used in gathering data on growth
characteristic. Only one head of chicken per treatment will be randomly selected
to evaluate the dressing percentage.

Materials
The materials that will be used in the study are the following:
1. Native Chicken A 120 day old straight run native chicken will be used in
this study. It is an integral part of the farming systems of the Filipino
farmers as they are the main source of eggs and meat for backyard
farmers.
2. Amaranth leaf feed fresh leaves amaranth will be used in this study. The
protein also has a well-balanced amino acid profile and is high in lysine.

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3. Commercial feeds
3.1 Chick Booster - This is a commercial feed with high levels of energy,
vitamins and minerals, properly balanced amino acid and anti-coccidian. It
will be given to first day to 30 day old chicks.
4. Corn used for energy source in poultry diets.
5. Feeder Made of bamboo with 16 cm of length
6. Waterer A 250 ml capacity plastic jar used as container to drinking water
for native chicken
7. Incandescent light bulb A 60-watt bulb will be used as source of heat.
8. Weighing scale (g) It is use to weight the amaranth leaves and crashed
corn.
9. Weighing scale (Kg) it is use to weight the chicken.
10. Disinfectant 100 grams that will be dissolved in 12 litters of water and
applied to growing house to minimize the organisms that can cause
diseases.
11. Marker it is used to mark a chicken after weighing a chicken
Special Techniques and Procedures
1. Preparation and disinfection of the poultry house - A week before the
arrival of the chicks, the poultry house will be thoroughly cleaned with
detergent and water and disinfected w/ commercial disinfectant at the rate
of 100grams dissolved in 12 litters of water as recommended by the
manufacturer to minimize the presence of parasites and microorganism.
2. Collection of Amaranth leaves and preparation of amaranth leaf feed
supplement - The collected of fresh amaranth leaves will be chopped then
mixed with the crashed corn.
3. Procurement of native chicks - One hundred twenty day old native chicks
will be purchased from agricultural supplies. Straight run native chicken

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that resistance to disease than to other chicken were purchased and used
as experimental chicks.
4. Preparation and application of treatment - Amaranth leaves will be
manually chopped. The fresh leaves of amaranth will be preserved in the
form of feed supplement. The application of the amaranth leaf feed
supplement in native chicken seek to determine the effect of various levels
of amaranth leaf feed supplement on performance of native chicken. The
manually prepared diets treated with 0 grams, 40 grams, 80grams, 120
grams amaranth leaf feed supplement (ALFS) will be fed to the
experimental native chicken from brooding until the end of the study.
The treatments will be applied were as follows:
T1 control (crashed corn)
T2 960 Grams corn + 40 grams ALFS
T3 920 Grams corn + 80 grams ALFS
T4 880 Grams corn + 120 grams ALFS
5. Feeding Management - The day old chicks will be fed with chick booster
from one to 30 days. Then the crashed corn will be supplemented with the
amaranth leaf from 31 to until the final days.
6. Water Management - The fresh and clean drinking water will be made
available at all times to the experimental chicks and it will be supplied
through the use of 250ml plastic waterers.
7. Harvesting and Marketing - A native chicken will be harvested and will be
dressed, cleaned and sold.

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8. Data Gathering instrument - In this study, direct observation will be used in

gathering data. Weighing scale (kg) will be used to determine the weekly
weight of chicken.
9. Data Gathering Procedure - All of the experimental chicks will be used in
gathering the growth characteristics such as:
Initial weight of the chicks is gathered by individual weighing of the chicks using
the weighing scale at the end of the brooding period (1 st to 30th days). All the ten
chicks in each replication weighed. The unit measurement is in grams.
Weekly weight of the chicks will be gathered by individual weighing of the chicks
every week.
Final live weights of the chicks will be determined at the end of the growing
periods. All 10 chickens in each replication will be weighed using the weighing
scale.
The daily feed consumption of the experimental chicks will be monitored. This will
be done by weighing the left over in the feeder through daily basis by subtracting
it from the total amount of feeds given for that day.
Feed conversion efficiency of chicks in converting feed to meat will be expressed
as feed conversion ratio which will be computed by dividing feed consumption by
gain in weight of the experimental chicken.
The formula of FCR:
FCR = Total feeds consumed (kg)
Total Gain in body (kg)

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Final body weight will be measured when the native chicken reached the
marketable weight.
Dressing percentage is the ratio of dressed weight of chickens as expressed in
percent. The formula is given below:
DP% = Dressed weight (kg)

X 100
Live weight (kg)

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