BY ADRIAN P. NEMES III
Negros Occidental is intensifying its monitoring of the New Castle Disease after the death of several chickens in La Castellana town this week.
Provincial Veterinarian Renante Decena said that their District Field Unit in District V received information that about 500 chickens died of NCD in Sitio Minnesota, Brgy. Sag-ang, La Castellana.
But he said that further investigation conducted by district veterinarian Ma. Regina Gawan showed that only 72 chickens have died and not 500 as earlier reported.
To arrest the further infestation, PVO conducted lectures among affected raisers on what to do in case the situation worsened, Decena said.
Among the measures discussed included the isolation of the sick animals to avoid contamination of the rest of the flock, observing regular disinfection, providing vitamin supplementation to chickens that were not yet affected by NCD to boost their immune system, and to observe the NCD vaccination program for prevention of contamination and mortality.
Decena said the animal health extension services rendered by the PVO technical personnel together with the paravets provincewide is aimed at ensuring and boosting animal health and animal production in far-flung barangays.
He said the decentralization of veterinary services at the district level, through the PVO district field personnel and veterinarians will be aggressive in the campaign against animal disease surveillance and control.
LIVELIHOOD
Decena also reported the distribution of 250 kabir chicks, worth P12,500, to 25 rebel-returnees in Salvador Benedicto town recently.
He said the distribution was done during a consultation dialog in Brgy. Bato, Sagay City, facilitated by the 79th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army.
PVO has been a partner of the Philippine Army and other government agencies in giving livelihood assistance to former rebels.
The dispersed animals are of high-quality stocks, and seen to boost backyard free-range production in the province.
They are known to contain high quality protein and are budget-friendly to both existing and aspiring small-scale farmers, who cannot afford to buy commercial feeds as the distributed FRC stocks only require low-cost production inputs in terms of housing and feeds.*
