More views at the cattle farm of my uncle

"Food for every ones table and every homes"

Rizal Philippines
April 17, 2016

These are other views on the way and at the farm of my uncle in a town in Rizal:  We had to travel about 6 to 8 km of downhill (steep) drive and two river crossing.  One road goes to Sta Ines which was the route we used before in 4 x 4

                                           Concrete portion of the road

                                         Mountain tree line is still green despite El Nino

                                 The cattle farm cowboys, healthy horses well fed and massaged

                                     The cattle transporter, the TLC 4x4  F40 version

Restaurants owned by former cattle rancher/LGU candidate

"Food for every ones table and every homes"

Rizal Philippines
April 17, 2016

There are two notable restaurants both serving beef and bulalo and are owned by former cattle rancher:  They serve good food. One is along the Manila East Road, Run Bull and is always full.  The other is at Marcos Highway. near the Sierra Madre Hotel.  It is also full. most of the time

                                  What remains of the bulalo

                                            Sunflower to decorate the resto

                                             Plant decor at the table

                                       The owner is running for an LGU position, is eyeing VM and even
                                             M position for long term

Capon operations of the males at the cattle farm

"Food for every ones table and every homes"

Rizal Philippines
April 17, 2016

                        It takes 5 strong cow hands excluding the dog to neuter a young male cow
                                        (Excluding the dog)


A cattle herd needs only 1 male for every 25 females.   So the rest of the males have to be neutered.  The neutered males gain weight faster but have more fat contents, and this makes the herd more peaceful.  Testosterone rich  males would quarrel with other males. So some of the males were neutered by having blood vessels going to their testes cut from from the outside with a device.

The males resist being made bading and they fight cry or rush out of the pen revolting.  Who would not?

                                          Herd returning from grazing in the mountains

                                       The Brahman stocks are well fed and large

More food sources at the cattle farm

"Food for every ones table and every homes"

Rizal Philippines
April 16, 2016

These are the additional food sources at the cattle farm of my uncle:  pomelo, papaya, langka

         Pomelo

                                        Papaya

                                            Langka

                                                    Langka

These are on top of camote tops, tubers native chicken, and pigs

My uncle bought a USA catch and he shared this with all of us; may daughter pitied the deer

"Food for every ones table and every homes"

Rizal Philippines
April 17, 2016

                                       The deer meat being skinned by Larry; an expert butcher


In our visit to to the cattle farm of my uncle, one of the cow hands went on a hunting trip the night before until noon yesterday and they bagged a deer (reminds us of Habakuk) The deer after dressing weighed 14 kgs.  The hunter sold to my uncle the whole deer for P300 per kilo.  He bought this and will pay on Tuesday (P4,200). He told me that he was nakikisama because the hunter would not find a buyer at that place (near Sta Ines -  it s remote area:   no water electricity and the only way to get there is by horse, motorcycle and 4 x4.   There were two river crossing

My uncle shared the whole USA (deer) with his driver, a butcher who work for a councilor of the town, me,  and pamangkin who is over all in charge of his cattle farm.  This morning, he texted me that he shared the the leg and spare ribs with his brother in law

Some questions:

1.  May deer (usa) until now?

2.  Is the deer not an endangered species?

3.  Are the hunters and their guns licensed?

4. Should may uncle have bought the deer or not?

                                  His knives was sharp and was able to skin and divide the carcass into
                                           proper division in 5 minutes

                                    For spare ribs, Larry got 1/2 of this, the other half went to my uncle

                                    What can be done to the skin?  My daughters pitied the poor deer

Organic native chicken, pig, are the latest craze in food consumption

"Food for every ones table and every homes"

Rizal Philippines
April 16, 2016

Organic farming in Pavia Iloilo

I was told by a contractor whose family (father and father in law) are cattle raiser that the latest craze now especially in Iloilo (Pavia) is raising native organic chicken.  They are tastier, and are healthier.  They are not fed antibiotics, hormones or other strange molecules that are detrimental to health.  Health buffs and nutritionist endorse organic chicken

                                      Narive chicken

                                     Native pig

Cattle dogs in action

"Food for every ones table and every homes"

Rizal Philippines
April 16, 2016

                              The cattle dogs wait for the new batch of cattle arriving from ranging


There are stories about cattle dogs (just like cowboys) abroad.  But I never saw one in reality.  Until today. There were three such dogs in my uncles cattle farm in Tanay Rizal.  Earlier during the day, they just waited for scraps and that was OK for them.

The dogs helped load the cattle into the transporter.  They worked together with cowhands, barking in unison, occasional nipping the cattle at their legs. I heard too, that the there  deer that was shot  and heard that the dog was a hunter too.  Great dogs.

More notes on food security from a contractor whose parents are bakeros

"Food for every ones table and every homes"

Rizal Philippines
April 16, 2016

I conversed with a contractor from an island province in Mimaropa and we had interesting conversation at a buffet resto in Atrium of Megamall on food security and food production:

1.  Many farmers who are into citrus are converting to rice farming;

2. For citrus farming, you can raise sheep (where do you get them.  Can may uncle sell him sheep)

3.  He tried to learn about chicken and cattle raising but was never successful.  He makes more money on construction

4.  He discussed the new way of marketing tilapia which are in aquarium and delivered in tanks (done all ready in Bulacan and Pampanga)  It seems to very popular.  Like in seafood restaurants where you select your catch and have it cooked.   You  get fresh tilapia from aquarium tanks.

5.  He is trying to convince his children to engage in food production and food production.  Food security is now a major concern of the world, what with growing population and El Nino. For meat processing, you need mostly slicers.

6.  He lost two Bower goats which he bought for his father in law because he did not know the unique needs of the imported breed.

7.  For eggs, because of the high cost of feed, it is better to buy them from Batangas wholesale, cheap than have them in MIndoro.

8.  The Chinese farmers who dominate Mindoro poultry have their own feed mill and control corn supply from Occ. Min.

9.  He nearly married into the family of the mayor of Padre Garcia Bat. which is now the cattle trading capital of the Philippines.

You can start cattle fattening with little or no capital at all

"Food for every ones table and every homes"

Rizal Philippines
March 25. 2016

                              Hacienda Verde uses the miracle grass for its organic cattle fattening
                                 It says the crude protein content of the miracle grass is 16 to 18%
                                  which is rather high for fattening and milk production

After analyzing the incredible increase in the number of heads in the herd of my uncle, I concluded that any one who loves animals and who has vision can start and achieve what he did.  Capital and operating expenses are of no concern.  He can borrow a breeder under the BAI EBCLOP, or take care of the cattle of somebody else, get his share, and start on his own.  As for the feeding, he can do a free ranging grazing or govt or public land, find the miracle grass and use this for fattening.

Info for tropical forages

The miracle grass can grow on fertile land.  One of the best variety is the one that comes from Thailand.  It can be grown from seeds but cuttings with 2 or 3 nodes grow best.   Free grazing is not recommended.  The grass can be cut, when fresh and young to be eaten by cattle in shed, when between 2 to 3 feet in height.  The grass can grow in 60 days to same height for another cycle of cutting..  Weight gains can be as much as 1 kg per day, and for milk 11 kg per day.  CP (crude protein content, depending on fertilization of the soil ranges from 9.5 to 17.9%.  It has DM equivalent to that of  corn.

Your food security is your concern

"Food for every ones table and every homes"

Rizal Philippines
March 24, 2016

Survivalist

From NY times - self reliance

Food security is every body's concern.  In an event of a war, catastrophe, typhoon, earthquake, you must be able to survive the catastrophe for at least a week;  therefore you must be ready:

1.  Have a store of bottled water, candies, sugar, biscuits and canned goods.

2.  Plant camote for its tops, malunggay, and other vegies which can be source of your food and nutrition. Even if you live in urban jungle, you can plant in pots, empty cans and basin.

In an event of catastrophe, your credit card and cash cant do you a thing.  They are useless.  In most probability, the markets have been looted dry of goods.    Better still, if you can invest in livestock and vegie farms.

The ants are better than most of us in food security preparation.  Go to the survivalist site and learn more from them

"For the next several minutes, Douglas talked about emergency preparedness, sustainable living and financial security — what he called the three pillars of self-reliance. He detailed the importance of solar panels, gardens, water storage and food stockpiles. People shouldn’t just have 72-hour emergency kits for when the power grid goes down; they should learn how to live on their own. It’s a message that Douglas is trying to move from the fringe to the mainstream."

HIgh weight gains is possible using the wonder grass

"Food for every ones table and every homes"

Rizal Philippines
March 23, 2016

                                      Delivery of cattle from cattle dispersal program of BAI

Food security and livelihood need not be problem with the resources available to an ordinary farmer:

1.  Free food from wonder grass;
2.  Cattle on loan from BAI (all you to do is to repay with with two offsprings of not less than 150 kg. under the Cattle Dispersal Act RA 4096 of 1964.  Why is this not being widely utilized?

         Some are using taking advantage of this more than others?
         Some have problems with access or knowledge?

But high weight gain can be achieved as much as 0.85 kg per day using the wonder grass:

Table 8. Influence of Gliricidia and Leucaena on DM intake and weight gain of zebu steers fed on Napier grass

Experiment 1	Level of Supplementation (g/kg 0.75)
DMi (kg/day)	0	7.5	15	22.5	30
Napier (CP=76)	5.2	4.7	4.5	4.3	4.2
Gliricidia (CP = 210)	0	0.4	0.7	1.1	1.5
Total	5.2	5.1	5.2	5.4	5.7
Gain (kg/day)	0.31	0.36	0.43	0.37	0.48
Experiment 2
DMi (kg/day)
Napier (CP = 79)	5.2	5.3	5.3	5.3	5.1
Leucaena (CP = 220)	0	0.5	0.9	1.3	1.7
Total	5.2	5.8	6.2	6.6	6.8
Gain (kg/day)	0.54	0.71	0.72	0.79	0.85

Thus Jen Jen (Martial) or a typical farmer can be wealthy and prosperous just like my uncle, For as long as you love raising animals.  And help solve our food security, and poverty.  Farmers need not be poor

                                    These cattle came from a 30 day quarantine in Milagros Masbate of JADECO Farms
                                     BAI National Feed Resource Research and Development Center

                                 

                                   The cattle originated from Wellard Farm in Darwin Australia. AGIP acquired

                                          1367 heads of purebred Brahman, Red Dairy, pregrant heifers, and Waygu bulls under

                                          EBCLOP  (Expanded Breeder Cattle Lease Ownership Program)  The payment is outright

                                          of a cattle and will raise the cattle level up to 6275 heads with total value of P258 million to

                                           the livestock level

                                              From DA BAI - AGIP conducts cattle selection program

                                     

                                    High mineral and nutritive value

                                             Grow easily under all weather, all year round feed

                                 Higher nutritive value if cut and dried and mixed with molasses

Important inputs for cattle production

"Food for every ones table and every homes"

Rizal Philippines
March 23, 2016

                                    Wonder grass ideal for cattle fattening

The important inputs for the cattle growing:

1.  The stocks/breed
2.  Food
3.  Medicine

Cattle can be grown well in areas that are cool and has plenty of grass

For the stocks, my uncle buys from the farms with blood line. He even imports semen for AI and lets consultants from DA do the job. He has some of his breeders loaned from the Department of Agiculture Bureau of Animal Industry, which implements the cattle dispersal program under RA 4069 of 1964.  It provides for that the breeder borrowed shall be repaid by two calves preferably female of not less than 150 kg.  The said repayment shall be relent to other farmers and cascade down the line.   Each cattle loaned is priced between P20, to 45t.  The cattle loaned to my uncle is reportedly priced at P200,000. and originated from Welard farm in Australia.   He complains though, that they send pregnant cows and he lost one which was distressed by the long travel..  It is made available to farmers who has no cattle and where is sufficient feed supply

From Philstar - Cattle dispersal in Quezon

                                  Cattle raising is an opportunity areas because competition is low,
                                      and output is low, so there is room for growth


Feeds which posed to be a big expense is now solved with the wonder grass imported from Africa and Thailand.  It has high protein content, about 18% and ideal for cattle fattening.  He has a an area about 3000 sm planted to the miracle grass

The other is a waste product from the other livestock farm.   (Up to  15 weeks old waste product)

I told my uncle that there is 5 hectare farm available for consolidating his stock and has water source, has shade from mango and coconut trees, and has this miracle grass.  They can probably support a population of 1,000 cattle.

Imagine expense free feed for the cattle.

Corn is an important food for the cattle.  My uncle was unsuccessful in having corn grown at now site of Windmill farm.

From FAO, Characteristic, Chemical Composition, and Nutritive value of miracle grass

This can be a perennial food for cattle and can be fed or fresh to the cattle, with high DM (dry matter content) and high nutritive value.  Cattle can be held in corral, and not roam anymore so that they can be fattened faster. This wonder grass is widely used for cattle raising in Africa.  (Lessen dependence on corn, sorghum, alfalfa, and other grass type.

High weight gains can be achieved using the wonder grass:

Table 8. Influence of Gliricidia and Leucaena on DM intake and weight gain of zebu steers fed on Napier grass

Experiment 1	Level of Supplementation (g/kg 0.75)
DMi (kg/day)	0	7.5	15	22.5	30
Napier (CP=76)	5.2	4.7	4.5	4.3	4.2
Gliricidia (CP = 210)	0	0.4	0.7	1.1	1.5
Total	5.2	5.1	5.2	5.4	5.7
Gain (kg/day)	0.31	0.36	0.43	0.37	0.48
Experiment 2
DMi (kg/day)
Napier (CP = 79)	5.2	5.3	5.3	5.3	5.1
Leucaena (CP = 220)	0	0.5	0.9	1.3	1.7
Total	5.2	5.8	6.2	6.6	6.8
Gain (kg/day)	0.54	0.71	0.72	0.79	0.85

Mineral composition of Napier grass

Minerals	Ca	P	Mg	K	Cu	Zn	Mo	Co	Mn	Fe
	(g/kg DM)					(mg/kg DM)
Concentration	3.5	2.0	1.7	8.0	7.1	50.4	14.4	2.0	33	40.4
Critical level	3.0	2.5	2.0	0.7	10.0	30.0	6.0	0.1	35	30.0