A SURVEY OF POULTRY FARMS IN SINGAPORE - ON EGG PRODUCTION

Abstract

This exercise seeks to provide some information on the nature of poultry farming for egg production in Singapore. Most of the information used was part of the data collected during a sample survey of the pig and poultry farms. It was the aim to collect farm information which would be representative for these two most important local farming industries, taking into consideration the vast differences in the size of farms under operation, However, due to the short time period available, only the important areas where pig and poultry were reared extensively were surveyed using a sample of a total of 100 farms, out of which 32 were layer farms, that is, farms keeping poultry for laying eggs and, on two of these layer forms, survey on table bird farming was also carried out, This exercise deals mainly on how the farm activities wore carried out and discusses some of the economic features concerning the production. Poultry farms can be divided into two types – those specializing in meat production and those specializing in egg production, egg production may again be divided into those producing fertilized eggs for breeding purpose and those producing unfertilized eggs for table or consumption purpose. Egg producing farms included in the survey were practising the intensive form of battery cage system of farming. The farms in Singapore are almost without exception still family enterprises with the bulk of the required labour coming from the services of unpaid part-time family workers, Only about 20 percent of the farms surveyed employed any full time workers, Most of the farmers operated on leased land and were fortunate having to pay only a comparatively low rent. The capital requirements for the farms varied widely depending on the size of the farm and the extent of automation. However, the larger farms were more capital intensive. On the whole, farmers indicated that they would be willing to improve their methods whenever they can manage, especially after a good profit has been reaped. The farmer also had to incur other variable costs of production, the main components being the costs of foodstuff and chicks. These costs, however, are mainly dependent on the size of operation, The price of chicks varied widely with respect to source,(that is, locally hatched or imported), breed and whether sexed or unsexed, Imported day-old chicks were very expensive and only five large forms imported their chicks. Feedstuff forms an important part of costs. The rate of consumption was different for the various breeds of poultry. At the time of the survey, the farmers considered the price of feedstuff to be high, while the price of eggs was low, and thus, were unable to make profit. An important factor that determines the success of poultry farmers is the mortality rate of the birds which have not laid any or have laid an insufficient number of eggs to provide the farmers with enough returns. The occurrence of contagious diseases on farms concerned the farmers greatly and they have to put great effort and extra attention to care the ailing birds in attempting to save the flock, The farmers indicated that the cost of drugs used depends very much on the health conditions of the birds. Both the mortality rate and drug cost were considered to be very highly variable depending on a large number of factors. The productivity of a laying hen is one of the determinants of the profitability of rearing the hen. Hens that persistently show a tendency to lay too few eggs thus failing to cover the cost of rearing have to be discarded during the culling process to be sold as "old" or "exhausted" hens at about fifty cents per kati. Generally, certain breeds of birds were found to be good layers and such breeds, mainly Leghorn and New Hampshire, were favoured by the farmers. The marketing of farm produce was observed to be largely in the hands of a sort of middleman or dealers who collected the produce from the farms and undertook the disposition goods. Only six out of the 32 farms marketed their eggs themselves. Such dependence on the dealers and extension in the distribution process would not prove to be beneficial to the farmers especially when the farmers have become price takers to the dealers' offers. Very few farmers surveyed possessed high educational qualifications and the majority of them have to depend solely on their experiences to run the farms. Farm records, even the simple accounts, were kept by only a few, and this has been a hindrance to agricultural studies. The social status of farming in Singapore may have been low in one's opinion and many educated persons deter from such profession. However it may be due to misleading conceptions on the part of the educated to refrain from such jobs as the management of a proper farm using the combination of scientific theories and experiences can be rewarding in terms of high profits to the individual, and in terms of greater contribution towards the nation's economy.