Duck Raising

Remote coastal areas often lack the supply of poultry meat and eggs essential to good nutrition and health. If it is available, the price is more expensive compared to urban centers. One alternative is duck (itik or bibi) raising. Duck raising does not need much labor and care. This allows mothers, children or other members of the family to engage in a profitable food-based enterprise. Ducks are efficient producers of animal protein for the family and provide extra income. Ducks require simple shelter, are resistant to common poultry diseases and can thrive on feeds locally available. It is an economical, useful and multipurpose water fowl appropriate to coastal areas. They grow best along watered areas. The presence of mangroves, seagrasses and coral reefs in most coastal areas are rich natural sources of food. Ducks are voracious eaters and efficient scavengers. In many coastal areas where malarial disease is prevalent (because of the presence of mosquito larvae that thrive in brackishwater), duck raising can minimize-if not control-its incidence by feeding on mosquito larvae (worm-like). However, a few crops in coastal areas can also be destroyed by ducks.

Duck (itik or bibi) 

Breeds 

The traditional multipurpose breed is white or black; the most commonly raised in most rural areas, it can lay 100-120 eggs per year. The improved Pateros breed can lay 120-200 eggs per year. The egg-type Khaki Campbell breed can lay 200-250 eggs per year. Newly-introduced hybrid-egg types, like CV-2000, can lay 250 eggs and up. The recommended breeds for coastal areas are Muscovy and Pateros (mixed colors). 

Different production methods 

 There are four commonly used production systems in the Philippines. 

Scavenging system This is most widely used in coastal and inland areas. A flock of 3 and below are allowed to range free over the village and return to the homeyard in the evening. 

Herding system Growing or laying ducks is allowed into wet lands, irrigation areas or harvested paddy fields scavenging for food during the day. They are herded into enclosures during the evening and night. If the natural feed supply is exhausted, they are transferred to other feeding sites. 

Landing system This is common in South Kalimantan (Borneo), Indonesia, where vast tracts of swamplands are available. The ducks arc provided with floating houses with fences on rafts. They feed on aquatic animals and plants given to them or by scavenging. 

Confinement or intensive system This is practiced by commercial growers with large flocks of more than 100 birds. They are kept in pen systems with shelters and are fed with available, commercial feeds. 

Proposed design of duck shelter in coastal areas. 

Management and care 

 A household may start with 15 birds of 13 female (ducks) and 2 males (drakes), as its source of food and income. Most houses within tidal fluctuations have their own open porch for drying fish, etc. One can build the ducks' shelter under the porch or under the house. A one-half meter clearance from the highest tide level area should be allowed below the flooring of the ducks' house. A three-feet clearance from the family house floor to the ducks' house floor is enough. This can be done by using bamboo slats that are closely nailed to the flooring. Bamboo fences may also be provided. Place rice straw or other grass materials on the floor as litter. Provide nests for laying or brooding. One can use bamboo, discarded tires or other containers as feeders. Also, provide ladders. Ducks in coastal areas usually perform well because of the presence of aquatic and marine animals, like fish, snails, larvae, etc., and water plants, such as algae and grasses which they can feed on. Supplemental feeding may be done with kitchen leftovers, trash fish, rice bran, corn, cassava and other grains that can be bought for extra feeding, if necessary. Allow at least two to three ducks to brood their eggs as replacement stocks. The rest of the eggs may be used for family consumption and/or sale. Peak laying of ducks is 18 months after six to seven months. Dispose or sell all the flock after the 1 8-month period, if there is a replacement available. If the village has a history of recurring common fowl, diseases like Avian Pest, Fowl Pox and Fowl Cholera, request the services of the Municipal Livestock Technician for vaccination of the birds. 

Economics of production—duck raising 

 Raising ducks may be a profitable project, especially in a rice-growing area with sufficient supply of water. Based on the experience of Mr. Antero Villareal of Barangay Plaridel, Llanera, Nueva Ecija, who started with only 200 ducklings in his 500-sq-m backyard and P7,000 as seed capital, a net profit of P17,850 from sales of fresh duck eggs was realized after five months. In 1987, he again bought 2,500 female ducklings at P8.50 each from Pampanga. He earned a net profit of P 150,000 from the eggs laid by 900 ducks in 1989 and used the money to buy the 20,000 sq m ricefield he is cultivating. Today, he owns a balut factory and his 800 ducks provide most of his freshegg requirements: 600 for sale daily; 2,000 for salted eggs; 12,000 for balut production every three days; and 3,000 for hatching every week. His market extends up to the Munoz-San Jose City area (Greenfields, June 1993). Source: IIRR

Black Pepper Farming

Pamienta or "paminta" or Black Pepper - (Piper Nigrum Linn) is a viny perrenial plant producing berry-like and aromatic pungent fruits which belongs to Family Piperaceae. Leaves are thick, green with ovate shape. Flowers are white and minute which produce fruits borne on short, hanging spikes 4 t0 12 cm. long. Berry-like fruits are green when unripe and become red at maturity. Dried ripe berries become black and wrinkled constituting black pepper. Black pepper yield both black and white pepper. Black pepper is made by drying ripe or unripe fruits under the sun; white pepper by soaking, treating and removing outer skin of berry before drying. Peppercorn is marketed whole or ground. Black pepper is used as a seasoning in food preparation to enhance food acceptability. Essential oils cleoresions extracted from black pepper are used in the preparation of piperazine elixir, a drug formulation for removal of round-worms in intestinal tract of human beings. Varieties of black pepper are classified according to their respective source of origin, most common are Batangas, Laguna, Quezon, Davao, Zamboanga or Basilan black pepper. 

 SOIL AND CLIMATE 

 Black pepper grows in almost all types of soil. However, it thrives well in loose, well-drained soil. It is best suited under humid climate with rainfall of 100 to 250 cm and in an elevation of 350 meters above sea level. 

 CULTURE 

 Seedbedding Propagation of black pepper cuttings is prepared in seedbeds like vegetable crops. Till soil with garden hoe and reduce soil to very fine tilt. As soil is pulverized, add fine river sand to make bed more porous. Incorporate compost to make it more fertile. Drench seedbed with Captan spray solution at a concentration of 5 level tablespoonfuls Captan per gallon of water. Apply solution at the rate of one petroleum canful per 5 square meters of bed. Propagation Black pepper is propagated by sowing seed, marcotting and by stem cutting. Of the three methods, stem cutting is generally employed using both terminal stem and lateral branches. Select planting materials from high yielding hermaphrodite mother plant. Divide stem into cuttings each with 3-5 internodes and cuttings are rooted in sandy seedbed under shade. Insert cutting at 45degree angle 15 centimeters apart each way. When cutting has developed 4-7 new leaves, then it is ready for transplanting in the field. In marcotting method, secure black pepper branches on 1/2 inch wide bamboo pegs and cut each of them at fourth node from top of cacao or mabolo leaf filled with clean garden soil or moist sphagnum moss. If plastic sheet is available, cut into, convenient pieces and use for enclosing soil or moss and tie both ends with string or vegetable tying material. In 3-4 weeks, each marcot can be separated from mother plant and set in the field. Land Preparation For backyard planting select well-drained area and divide into equal areas of 2 x 2 square meter lots. To each corner of these lots, dig holes 60 cm sq about 40 cm deep, separate topsoil from subsoil. At center of hole, plant "kakawate" post 4 cm in diameter and 2 meters long for pepper vines to climb on as they grow. Fill up holes with 50-50 mixture of compost and topsoil. For large scale planting whether in cultivated or newly opened land, choose rolling area to have good drainage For newly opened area, other crops may be planted first for at least 3 years to free it from decaying tree stumps which may be sources of diseases. After 3 years, prepare land as backyard planting. 

 TRANSPLANTING 

 Transplant black pepper at the start of rainy season, 800 cm apart from the post with seedlings opposite each other. Around 3,200 seedlings are needed per hectare. It starts to bear fruits three years after planting. Open space can be utilized for planting short-lived catch crops such as snapbeans, ginger, hot and sweet pepper at a distance of one meter away from black pepper rows. 

 MANAGEMENT 

 Black pepper needs weeding, mulching and pruning. When seedling reaches one or two feet high, nip off the top growing vine to induce more branching. Prune old and unproductive branches and crowding laterals. Farmers engaged in black pepper farming do not usually use extensive commercial fertilizers, but to ensure abundant harvest, apply the following rates: 

 Plant -----------------Age--------- Rate 

 6 months old --------100 grams of 14-14-14 

1 year ---------------220 grams of 14-14-14 

2 years-------------- 500-700 grams of 14-14-14 

 *Add compost to each hill every 2 to 3 months. 

 CONTROL OF PESTS AND DISEASES 

 Common pests are leafhoppers, root grubs, and African snails. Control leafhoppers by spraying with either Sevin or Malathion at the rate of one level tablespoonful per gallon of water. Drench hill with Aldrin spray at a concentration of on tablespoonful per gallon of water to control grubs. Collect snails and use them as fertilizer or poison with baits obtained at BPI. Black pepper, when properly planted, is not prone to any seriouse diseases outbreak. 

 HARVESTING 

 Peppercorn (berry-like fruit) matures in 5 to 6 months. The whole spike is ready for picking when: - peppercorn in a spike turns cherry-red - peppercorn turns from dark green to shiny yellowish green - peppercorn has brownish cotyledon when pinched. Harvest during sunny days. Open basket or sack used as container is tied to the waist of harvester. He twirls the spike with one hand while he holds the peduncle with the other hand. 

 DRYING 

 There are two ways of drying black pepper to yield two types of black pepper: the black peppercorn and the white pepper. Black peppercorn is black pepper dried under the sun or solar radiation to 12 % moisture content. Spread peppercorn on mat and remove spike, then peppercorn is winnowed, cleaned and stored in sacks. To produce white pepper, remove ripe berries from spikes, place in bags and soak in running water 1 to 2 weeks to soften skin. Remove skin by hands or by treading on berries with the feet. Wash and dry immediately smooth, white kernels. 

Source: http://www.da.gov.ph, photo courtesy of www.ucmp.berkeley.edu