Swine/Hog Raising Business Guide

Hog raising is a very popular enterprise in the Philippines such that there is a proliferation of backyard producers, which dominates the swine industry and a healthy viable commercial sector.

Despite the crises facing the swine industry, still many people are venturing in this enterprise. This manual hopes to bring appropriate technology to the interested farmers and would-be swine producers in order that they may realize profitable production and improve their quality of life.

Swine is believed to be the earliest animal to be domesticated, proven by paintings and carvings of pigs that date back to 25,000 years have been found. Swine is one of agriculture’s best sources of income and a very good source of protein.
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Broiler Poultry Production Guide

Chicken broiler and egg production are the most progressive animal enterprises in the Philippines today. The poultry industry in fact began as the backyard enterprise but has shifted to the formation of very large integrated contract farming operations.

The growth of poultry industry in the Philippines has been impressive but its problems include inefficient management and the prevalence of many destructive poultry diseases and parasites cannot be ignored.

This manual provides technology and management know-how for poultry raising which we hope present poultry raisers and prospective poultry producers may find useful in effectively managing their poultry farms and also help them realize substantial financial returns from their enterprise in this period or high production cost inputs. Read more

Duck Raising for Egg and Meat Production – II

Mating

Breeders must be selected at age eight weeks and again at age 4 to 5 months before they are placed in breeding pens. Vigorous breeding stock should be selected. To ensure better fertility, hatchability, and livability of offspring, eggs for breeding purposes must come from ducks of at least age seven months. Drakes should have the same age as the ducks, or even a month older. Drake should be raised separately from ducks and should be placed with the ducks only when they are ready for mating.

The duck-drake ratio for mating may be 6 drakes to 10 ducks. Heavier breeds must have a closer ration of males to females when mating, than light breeds. Pateros ducks are ready for laying at age 4 to 6 months. Pekin and Muscovy ducks start laying at age 6 to 7 months.

Hatching

Information and techniques used for incubating and hatching chicken eggs may also be used for ducks. It is however important to take the differences of the two species into account.

Trays must be designed to accommodate the duck egg’s larger size. Like Pekin eggs, the average duck egg usually takes 28 days to hatch. Muscovy duck eggs hatch in about 35 days after setting. Large commercial incubators or setters may be used for hatching a large number of duck eggs. Pekin duck eggs are kept in a setter for 25 days. After which, they are then transferred on the 25th day to a hatcher where they remain until they hatch on the 28th day. Eggs must be turned hourly while in the setter, but not in the hatcher.

Eggs must be stored at a temperature and humidity level that will minimize deterioration of the egg if they are stored for a while before being set. Eggs must be stored at approximately 13°C and 75% relative humidity.

Duck eggs can be hatched naturally by placing them under a broody duck or a broody chicken hen. The Muscovy breed has natural motherly instincts. The Muscovy duck hatches and breeds her own duckling with minimal or no help from caretakers. Muscovy ducks are capable of hatching twelve to fifteen eggs. The nest box must be located in a clean dry shelter and bedded with suitable litter. Feed and water should be available for the broody duck as well as for the ducklings when they hatch.

However, the Native or Pateros duck is a non-sitter, therefore her eggs are incubated using the native method of incubation known as the balutan.

The balutan or native hatchery is a simple one-room house usually built with bamboo, wood or hollow blocks with nipa or galvanized iron roofing. Other backyard farmers use the first floor of their house as the balutan or hatchery. This is called the kamalig or barn. It only has one door to prevent drafts, and some have windows that are opened only during the high temperature months. Its flooring is of hard earth or concrete and is covered with three inches of rice hull. Egg containers used are wooden boxes of 3 x 4 x 4 ft. measurement.

• 1. For commercial hatcheries however, basic procedures and conditions for hatching are as follows. 1. For new incubators not yet in operation, the incubator should be started one to two days before setting the eggs to stabilize temperature and humidity. Temperature should be set at 37-5°C and relative humidity at 55%. Ventilation should be set as recommended by the incubator manufacturer. Eggs must be turned automatically or by hand at least four times per day. Most automatic turning equipment are set to turn eggs hourly;

• 2. Eggs to be set should be selected carefully by inspecting and candling them at the time they are put in trays. Eggs that are cracked, double-yolked, misshapen, oversized, undersized or dirty must not be set. Eggs must be set within one to three days after they are laid, to obtain best results. There is an average loss of about 3% hatchability for eggs stored 7 days before setting, and about 10% loss for those stored 14 days. Eggs must be set small end down, except when using small incubators that have no trays;

• 3. On the day of the setting, eggs must be placed in the incubator, and left to allow the incubator to reach operating temperature. On the first day, regularly check to see if the incubator is working properly. After which, continue checking at least four times every day;

• 4. Eggs must be checked and candled seven days after setting. Infertile eggs (clear) and eggs that have dead germ (cloudy) should be removed;

• 5. Eggs (Pekin and breeds other than Muscovy) must be transferred to hatching trays twenty-five days after setting. If eggs are hatched in a separate machine, they should be moved to the hatcher. Eggs must be candled, and eggs with dead embryos removed. The temperature of the hatcher at the time of transfer must be 37.2°C and the humidity set at 65%. As the hatch progresses, and eggs begin to pip, increase the humidity to 80%.

Ventilation openings must be increased by 50%. As the hatch nears completion gradually lower the temperature and humidity so that by the end of the hatch the temperature is at 36.1°C, and the humidity is at 70%. Vents must be opened to their maximum setting by the end of the hatch. Ducklings must be removed from the hatcher when 90-95% of them are dry.

Duck Raising for Egg and Meat Production – I

Duck production is one of the most profitable livestock industries in the Philippines mainly because of its egg which can be marketed through different channels. Duck eggs, both in fresh and preserved forms, are sold and consumed daily throughout the country. Duck meat is also gaining ground in the market today.

Duck production in Asia accounts for more than 80% of total world production, as ducks have been traditionally raised alongside fish farming and rice production. 90% of total duck egg production in the country is used for balut-making. Off-sized and infertile eggs are used for processing of century eggs and salted eggs. Dead embryos are sold as penoy. Meat-type ducks are also raised for restaurants, while home consumption duck meat is derived from excess males and culled layers from egg-type ducks. Read more

Poultry Management During Hot Weather

Hot weather can have a severe impact on poultry performance. Production efficiency can be affected long before the temperature reaches a level at which survival becomes a concern.  Heat stress begins when the ambient temperature climbs above 80°F and is readily apparent above 85°F. When a bird begins to pant, physiological changes have already started within its body to dissipate excess heat. Even before the bird reaches this point, anything that you do to help birds remain comfortable will help maintain optimum growth rates, hatchability, egg size, egg shell quality, and egg production.
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Guide to Backyard Cattle Raising and Fattening

Cattle fattening has gained prominence as an important business project of the livestock industry in the Philippines. It gives the farmer year-round work and provides him with extra income. He can make use of cheap, plentiful farm by-products such as corn stovers, rice straw, copra meal, rice bran and sugarcane tops, which ordinarily go to waste. Most importantly, it helps meet the urgent demand for high-protein foods in the Filipino diet.

Backyard cattle fattening or on a large scale can be profitably undertaken. It consists of buying healthy stock, feeding and fattening them for 120 to 180 days, and selling them at anytime of the year. Read more

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