Darag

Darag is a native chicken of the Philippines, especially associated with Panay and the Western Visayas. It is a small to medium village chicken, with roosters often showing red and black plumage and hens commonly appearing in brownish or partridge tones. Darag is valued locally for meat flavor, adaptability, and its place in free-range household poultry systems, rather than for the uniformity expected from industrial breeds.

Darag chickens are usually managed in low-input or semi-ranging systems, but they still benefit from secure night housing, chick protection, and feed support during poor forage periods. Breeding programs in the Philippines often focus on conserving native identity while improving growth, survival, and market consistency. Buyers should ask whether birds are true Darag lines or crosses with commercial stock, because crossing can increase size while reducing the local traits that make the breed important.