Opportunities of Free-Range Laying Hens Farming and Economic Advantages (A Case Study in Indonesia)

The free-range system of laying hens farming has been unpopular in Indonesia, where farmers generally have applied a conventional cage housing system. The free-range system places greater emphasis on animal health and welfare, a healthy environment, and better quality egg products. The purpose of this study is to describe the opportunities and economic value of laying hens with a free-range system by calculating the income and revenue cost ratio (R/C ratio) on a household scale farm with 250 laying hens. This study was conducted at ARVITA laying hens farm in Moncongloe District, Maros Regency, South Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. The research showed that the free-range farm system had maintained several advantages such as low production costs, a simple maintenance management system, improving animal health and welfare with a mortality rate of 4.8 % during the laying period. Next, the average eggs production rate was 61.5%, with farmer income being IDR 6,641,250 per laying period or IDR 442,750 per month on average; and the R/C ratio value was 1.077. Based on the approaching model applied, the development of free-range laying hens in Indonesia has the opportunity to be developed with its considerable advantages.