The Productive Performance of Betong Chickens among Smallholder Farmers in Three Southern Border Provinces

Abstract

The three southern border provinces are primarily agricultural areas with a strong cultural heritage in livestock farming, particularly with Betong chickens. Rural villages commonly raise these chickens, resulting in a diversity of production, management, and utilization practices. The research method employs a mixed-method approach, which comprises two steps: 1) We conducted in-depth interviews with key informant entrepreneurs, and 2) We studied the conditions of Betong chicken farming by small-scale farmers in the production areas of Yala, Pattani, and Narathiwat provinces, involving a total of 9 individuals who are traditional and experienced farmers. The findings indicated that smallholder farmers maintained an average of 50–200 chickens per facility. They invest their own funds to construct cost-effective housing, purchase chicks, and provide feeding for them. The management style incorporated both male and female chickens, prioritizing traditional feeding methods like boiling rice bran, mixing it with local resources, and providing natural feed in two daily meals. Chickens reach market weight at around 24 weeks, with an average weight of 2.1 kilogram. The feed conversion ratio averages between 5.04 and 5.55, and the average slaughter weight was 1.69 kilogram. The average fat percentages for the head, neck, legs, breast, thighs, wings, back, and abdomen were 4.68, 6.57, 3.82, 14.57, 13.16, 12.51, 8.55, and 3.08 percent, respectively. To enhance their production, smallholder farmers should develop knowledge in breeding practices, feed management, and vaccination systems to improve growth rates  and reduce the raising period, making Betong chicken farming a viable commercial option for them in the future.