Taiwan Technical Mission expands Palau poultry program with new facilities

By: Eoghan Olkeriil Ngirudelsang

KOROR, Palau – The Taiwan Technical Mission (TTM) in Palau has expanded its poultry program, adding a comprehensive facility in Nekken, Aimeliik, dedicated to chicken and duck raising, egg production, and incubation. The facility, highlighted in a recent video posted on TTM’s social media, underscores Palau’s efforts to bolster local food security.

Equipped with a large incubator and six smaller units, the facility can incubate up to 3,500 eggs at once, hatching both chicken and duck eggs to produce chicks and ducklings. After a 21-day incubation for chicks and 28 days for ducklings, the young birds are moved to specialized housing for further growth and egg production. The facility supports two types of chickens: the Hyline and Taiwan native breeds. Egg production, peaking between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., is enhanced by 16 hours of light exposure, with each hen laying an egg every 25–30 hours.

The chickens are raised in elevated, layered cages, keeping the environment clean and making it easier to collect manure, which is used for organic fertilizer. TTM supplies farmers with three-week-old chicks every five days to support local production efforts.

The facility also features a breeding house for the Taiwan native chicken, selected for its high heat tolerance, disease resistance, and rapid growth, reaching a weight of 4.5 to 5 pounds in about three months.

In addition to chickens, the facility supports the breeding of Peking ducks, known for their size and growth rate, with each duck reaching 8–10 pounds in three months. The duck area includes specialized pools to cater to their natural habitat needs.

This poultry project, alongside other initiatives like the slaughterhouse funded by the Taiwanese government and opened in 2018, continues to support Palau’s poultry and livestock industry, a crucial element in addressing the nation’s food security concerns.