Goat Raising

Goats can be reared in the pastureland, but rearing them in cages has more advantages such as:

1. Cage-reared goats are less exposed to parasites.
2. They are better fed, and so the mother goat gives more milk.
3. Less field space is necessary for growing fodder and grass. For every six (6) females and one male goat, one-fourth (1/4) hectare of land would be enough.
4. The caged goats are easier tended and controlled.

However, more capital is necessary, and needs a worker to gather fodder to feed the goats and clean the cages. As preparation for the pasture, plant such grasses and plants that the goats will need, like paragrass,napier,madre de cacao (kakawate), alibangbang and ipil-ipil. Apply as fertilizer for these plants the dried goat manure so as to make them flourish.

Cage

1. Wooden house, bamboo floor, with roof and open sides.
2. The floor is about 1.5 meters high from the ground so as to facilitate cleaning the manure.
3. At the sides of the house, provide food and drinking water.
4. Provide space outside to allow roaming around.
5. The nursing mothers and the weaning kids should have a separate house. One side must have a divider to separate the small ones from the mother at night.
6. Six (6) male goats are housed together.

Food

1. The aforementioned plants are feed for goats.
2. Don't give too much for each meal, of fresh forage.
3. Goats don't like dirty grass or acidic (spoiled) food.
4. They like variety of grasses for each meal.

Breeding

1. When the goats are about 6-8 months old, select good breeder and milker females and aggressive males.
2. A female goat may be mated at age 10-12 months. A male goat is ready to mate at age12 months. At the start, let him mate only a few, but as it grows older, the male goat can mate as many as 25 at age one and a half years.
3. A female goat's fertile period lasts 2-3 days. The signs are:
* it begins to bleat (me-e-eh) and wags its tail.
* it urinates often.
* the genital is inflamed and secretes mucous
* the goat rides on other goats.
4. Mating should be once in the morning and once in the afternoon, and repeat next morning to be sure that there was fertilization.
5. Then separate the mated females. These will be pregnant in three (3) weeks if they won't manifest flirting.

Parturition (Delivery)

1. The goat's gestation period is 145-155 days. Thus, the day of mating should be recorded.
2. When the time of delivery is near, the mother goat bleats (cries me-e-eh), discharges mucous from the genital, is cranky and scratches her bed.
3. At delivery, her mucous discharge is yellowish.
4. When the kid is coming out of its mother, help the delivery by pulling out the kid, but make sure that the hands of the helper are clean. Apply alcohol on the hands to avoid infection. Normally, the head comes out first. The kids are often two, rarely three.
5. Wipe the nose of the newly born kid to enable it to breathe freely.
6. Apply iodine at the end of the umbilical cord, and put a knot or tie it.
7. When the kids are four (4) days old, remove the newly growing horns to keep them from hurting one another. Only a veterinarian or one with experience should undertake this.
8. Others are: putting of mark on the ear one week after birth; cut off the nails once a month, and castration from one to four months old.

Milking

1. Milk the mother goat five (5) days after delivery. Continue milking up to 3-5 months until the kids are weaned, or 60 days before another delivery.
2. Milk the goat in the early morning before the kids suck.
3. If the mother goat has abundant milk, she can be milked again toward afternoon.
4. Give the mother goat 200 to 300 gm concentrate daily to increase her milk.

Weaning

If the goat is raised to milk, do not totally wean the kid from the mother when this is 3-5 days old. Separate the kid from the mother at night. If milk production is only secondary, separate the kid totally when this is 3 months old.

Make sure the kids are fed and given water while they are separated from the mother.
In this way, the kids will quickly learn to eat and drink even while still young.

Care

1. Allow the goats to exercise themselves 3-4 hours outside their cage.
2. Give them regular vaccination against disease.
3. Separate the sick and call for a veterinarian.

The common sicknesses of the goat are pneumonia and parasites.

Pneumonia:

Usually affects the goat with the onset and toward the end of the rainy season. Don't allow them to be exposed to rain or draft. Signs of pneumonia are difficult and fast breathing. Give the goat liquamycin, Tylan 200 or Combiotic injection.

Parasites:

Give the goat tetrazole or thixbenzole every six months.

Source: Greenfields Jan & Feb 1990 & PCARRD Farmers Dec 1986, photo courtesy of jpbutler.com

How to make Vinegar from Coconut Water

Materials: 

 3 liters coconut water 

1/4 tsp. yeast

 2-1/4 cups white sugar 

1 liter mother vinegar (starter) 

 

Procedure: 

 1. Collect coconut water and strain through a clean cheesecloth. 

 2 . Dissolve the sugar in coconut water. 

 3. Pasteurize the mixture for 20 minutes at 65 C. 

 4. Cool and transfer the mixture into sterilized gallons or containers. 

 5. Add yeast. Cover tightly and allow to ferment for 4-7 days. 

 6. Slowly decant the alcoholic mixture and heat further for 20 minutes at 65 C. 

 7. Add the starter and set aside undisturbed for a month or until maximum acidity is attained. 

Source: ITDI (DOST, photo from inforum.at

How to make Salted (Red) Eggs

In my college days, and during the time when my budget was tight; Red (Salted) Eggs, mushed in chopped tomatoes, and onions was more than enough viand for me during breakfasts. Nowadays, I enjoy having salted eggs once in a while. Why do they make it red? And how do we make salted eggs? 

  SALTING EGGS IN BRINE 

  Materials: Eggs (chicken or duck), Salt 

  Utensils: Wide-mouthed glass jar, Measuring cups, Cheesecloth

Procedure: 

 1. Boil 12 cups of water and 3 cups of salt. Cool. 

 2. Carefully place 12 chicken or duck eggs in wide-mouthed glass jar. 

3. Pour the salt solution in the jar. Weigh down eggs with plate or cup to keep them from floating or use a sealed plastic bag filled with the salt solution. 

 4. Cover mouth of jar with perforated paper or cheesecloth. Keep in a cool, dry place. 

 5. Try one egg after 12 days by cooking below boiling point for 15 minutes. Soak again if eggs is not salty enough. Test for saltiness by cooking one egg after a few days until desired level of saltiness is attained. Duck eggs may need to be soaked longer. 

 6. Cook salt eggs below boiling point for 15 minutes. 

SALTING EGGS IN CLAY 

Materials: Eggs (chicken or duck), Clay, Salt 

Utensils: Measuring cups, Palayok 

  Procedure: 

 1. Mix 12 cups of clay and 4 cups of salt, adding water gradually until well blended. 

 2. Apply generous portion of this mixture at the base of a clay pot or "palayok." 

 3. Coat each egg with the mixture. 

 4. Arrange in layers and allow 2.5-5.0 cm. in between to prevent breakage. 

 5. Cover with extra mixture and store. 

 6. Try one egg after 15 days by cooking below boiling point for 15 minutes. If not salty enough, extend storing period. 

 7. When ready, cook eggs below boiling point for 15 minutes. 

 8. Color eggs, if desired. 

  Source: Technical Information and Documentation Division ITDI (DOST), photo from valdyas.org.

How to make Sardines

Sardines in Tomato Sauce 

Ingredients 

dressed fish (bangus, tunsoy, galunggong) 

170-180 grams sauce 

60 grams composed of: tomato sauce 

37.8 grams tomato paste 

12.6 grams corn or vegetable oil 

9.0 mL hot pepper extract* 

0.7 mL salt 1-2 grams 

Mix the sauce ingredients and heat to 82 degrees C with constant stirring then add the fish. 

Utensils weighing scale, salinometer, chopping board, thermometer, knife, double boiler, colander, stove, pressure cooker 

Packaging Materials 8-oz sterilized bottles with new caps 

Procedure 

1. Scale fish and remove the head, fins, tail, belly flaps and internal organs. 

2. Wash fish thoroughly to remove blood and other foreign matters. 

3. Cut the fish transversely to fit the size of the container. Scrape off remaining blood vessels and black pigments.

4. Soak fish in 20% salt solution (1 part salt to 4 parts water) for 30 minutes. Drain. 

5. Fill the cut fish into cans or glass jars. 

6. Fill with the heated sauce to 1/6-inch headspace from the top of the container. 

7. Exhaust to an internal temperature of 82oC and seal. 

8. Process sealed cans and jars for one hour at 121 degrees C (15 psig) or for 1½ hour at 116 degrees C (10 psig). 

9. Cool cans under running water. Allow the glass jars to cool atmospherically. 

10. Wash cans and jars, dry, label and store.

 * Prepare by boiling red hot peppers (siling labuyo) of known weight in water (1 part pepper to 3 parts water) until soft. Pass the softened hot peppers through a strainer to remove skins and seeds. Restore the water that evaporated. 

Spanish Sardines 

Ingredients 

Per 8 oz glass jar or 307 x 201.25 can dressed fish (tamban, tunsoy, silinyasi, tawilis) 

170 grams monosodium glutamate or vetsin, 

0.2 gram whole black peppercorn, 

6 pcs siling labuyo, 

1-2 pcs bayleaf or laurel, 

1 pc carrots, sliced transversely, 

3 pcs sweet pickles, sliced transversely,  pcs 

  Utensils 

weighing scale 

salinometer 

chopping board

thermometer 

knife 

double boiler colander 

stove 

pressure cooker 

Packaging materials 8 -oz sterilized bottles with new caps 

Procedure 

1. Wash the fish thoroughly. Remove the head, fins, internal organs and blood. 

2. Cut the fish transversely to fit the size of the container and scrape off remaining blood. 

3. Soak fish in 20% salt solution (1 part salt to 4 parts water) for 30 minutes. Drain. 

4. Fill the cut fish into cans or glass jars. Fill-in weight for 307 x 201.25 can and 8-oz. glass jar is 170 grams. 

5. Add other ingredients and enough vegetable oil into each can leaving 1/6- to ¼-inch headspace. 

6. Exhaust to an internal temperature of 82 degrees C and seal. 

7. Process in a pressure cooker or a retort for one (1) hour at 121 degrees C (15 psig) or 1 ½ hour at 116 degrees C (10 psig). 

8. Cool cans under running water. Allow the glass jars to cool atmospherically. 

9. Wash glass jars and cans to remove adhering oil and dry. 10. Code, label and store at room temperature. 

  Source: dost.gov.ph, photo from dapitan.com

Mango Farming

The Philippines is known for its excellent fruit products. The carabao mango, better known as Manila Super Mango, makes the country competitive in the world market. The major importers of mango are Japan, Singapore, and Hongkong. The Manila Super Mango is one of the world's best varieties. Other popular varieties are Pico and Katchamita. Our mango industry supports some 2.5 million farmers and farm family members. Tagged as "sure export winner", there is a projected export increase at 13% annually. It is exported in its fresh or processed form. Mango is known for its versatility as all stages of fruit development is suitable for processing. The unripe or immature fruits can be processed into hot or sweet pickles while the ripe ones can be prepared as slices in syrup or in brine, mango juice, concentrate and puree, jam, chutneys, pulp fruit bar, mango wafer, mango powder, dehydrated mango slices, mango milk powder, and vermicelli.

Leading areas producing mangoes are Western Visayas (Region VI), Central Luzon and Ilocos Region. 

VARIETIES 

CARABAO OR MANILA SUPER MANGO - originated from India, Burma and Malaya. It is best serve as fresh fruit. It has a perfect blend of sweetness and sourness, succulent, and has a pleasant aroma. Fleshy and yellow when ripe, very tender, melting in the mouth and less fibrous. 

PICO - originated from India, Burma and Malaya. Smaller than the carabao variety. Kidney shaped with round apex and base, which is more, flattened. Light yellow orange when ripe, thick and tough. Has fibrous orange to yellow orange flesh. Sweeter than the carabao variety but not melting. 

KATCHAMITA - originated from India and commonly known as India Mango. Skin is green and flesh is yellowish. 

CULTURAL PRACTICES 

A. Land Preparation For backyard planting, prepare the land simply by digging a hole wide and deep enough to accommodate the ball of soil that goes with the planting material. This is recommended particularly in fertile, deep and friable soil. On poor soil, dig big, deep holes with a diameter of 30-50 cm. Set aside the top soil to be used to re-fill the hole after planting or transplanting. For orchard planting in flat or slightly rolling terrain, plow the field as deep as possible and harrow the field twice until fine tilt is attained before the onset of the rainy season. To accommodate other cultural activities and to ensure straight alignment of trees, layout the field using the desired planting system such as, square, quincunx, or triangular system. 

B. Planting 1. Carefully remove the plant material from its container and set it in the hole. 2. Fill the extra space with topsoil or compost. Preferably do this activity at the onset of rain. 3. Re-plant dead and missing hills one week after planting. 

C. Intercropping Use leguminous plant as intercrop to add fertility to the soil and to keep down the weeds. Fertilize your intercrop to prevent it from competing with the major crop. 

D. Weed Control Hands pull the weeds and continue cultivating the area. Hand pulling is recommended when the plants are still small and the weeds are too close to the plants. For bearing trees, spray herbicides such as round up or gramoxine to provide better weed control. 

E. Irrigation Irrigate the young and newly established trees, whenever necessary, during the first season (dry) of its growth. For matured trees, water or irrigate the plants during flowering and fruiting. Mango trees need water during the flowering and the fruiting stages, which coincide with the dry season. Water increases the number of fruits per panicle and, also, minimizes fruit drop. Irrigation can be coupled with moisture conservation practices such as mulching, maintaining good vegetation between rows, and shallow cultivation. 

F. Mulching Mulch the base of the tree with dried grass or weeds, or other suitable mulching materials to restrict weed growth, maintain relatively low temperature and prevent excessive loss of soil moisture. Dense mulches are effective means of reducing weed infestation. 

G. Fertilization Necessary to stimulate early growth and rapid development of young fruit bearing trees. For one-year-old trees, apply 200-300 grams complete fertilizer in two equal doses per tree. For older trees, mix 300-500 grams complete fertilizer and 200-300 grams of urea per tree. Split the recommended dosage in two, apply at the start and before the end of the rainy season. For bearing trees, apply 1.5-2.5 kilogram complete fertilizer per tree. The usual method of applying fertilizer to young and bearing trees is to dig 10-15 holes or use the ring method of fertilizer application by digging a canal around the base of the tree, approximately 3-5 inches deep following the tree canopy. The fertilizer is then placed into the hole and covered with soil. 

H. Flower Induction SMUDGING - Make smokey fire below the tree canopy and allow smoke to pass through the foliage for several days. To produce heavy smoke, place green grasses on top of combustible materials such as dry leaves and coconut husks. It is done continuously for several days. Discontinue when no flowers appear two weeks. Repeat this process one-month to two months after. 

 CHEMICAL INDUCTION - The more reliable method of inducing off-season flowering is by spraying with potassium nitrate. Besides being effective, potassium nitrate is cheaper and forces mangoes to flower more uniformly. Application rate is 10 grams per liter of water. Spray toward the leaves evenly from the top downward to the bottom of the canopy. 

I. Bagging/Wrapping Mango fruits are as big as chicken's egg 55-60 days after induction. Wrap the fruits with sturdy materials to resist rain and strong winds. The wrapping bag should be big enough to allow room for fruit development. Its bottom portion should be closed to prevent mango and seed borers from laying its eggs at the apex of the fruit. 

J. Pruning Usually done after harvest to prepare the tree for the next bearing season. Pruning helps increase fruit production, improve quality of fruits, attain desired size and shaped of crown, eliminate undesirable branches and achieve dwarfing effect to enable the trees to be resistant to lodging. 

PEST AND DISEASES AND THE WAYS TO CONTROL PESTS 

 1. Mango Hopper Damage: Sucks the plant sap that results in withering and drying of tender shoots, inflorescence and very young fruits. Leaves sweet sticky fluids in plant parts that promotes development of fungus called sooty mold. Control: Spray the recommended chemicals starting from fruit formation to fruit development. 

 2. Mango Tip Borers Damage: Shoots wilt and terminal parts die. Affected panicles break and flowers shed off. Control: Prune dead branches to discourage pests boring into the tree canopy. Pruning and burning parts prevent its spread. 

 3. Twig Cutters Damage: Very destructive during the dry season thus reducing the number of flowers formed. It is characterized by the presence of dead twigs and leaves in the canopy. Control: Pruning and burning of infected parts to prevent its spread. 

 4. Oriental Fruit fly Damage: Laying of eggs on the fruit skin provides easy entry for rots and maggots, which feed on the flesh. The mango seed borer eats not only the flesh but also the seed of the fruit. Control: Bagging or wrapping the fruit when its size is as big as chicken's egg. Harvesting of fruits when matured green to prevent infestation. 

 5. Mealy Bugs Damage: Attacks newly flushed leaves, flowers and fruits by sucking vital plant sap. Affected parts turn yellow, dry up and eventually fall. Control: Removing of infested fruits, flowers, or leaves from the tree. 

DISEASES 

 1. Anthracnose Symptoms: Shot holes appear on mature leaves. The most serious fungal disease of mango which causes major damage during flowering up to fruit setting and again after, harvest. Upon ripening of fruit, circular brown to black spots appears resulting to fruit rot. Control: Spray the recommended chemicals from floral bud formation to fruit development. Dip ripe fruits in hot water.

 2. Scab Symptoms: Grayish-brown spots on the fruits with crack at the center and becomes corky. Control: Use the same control measures as in anthracnose. 

 3. Diplodia Stem-end Rot Symptoms: Grayish violet to light brown lesion at the stem-end of the fruit that later turns black. Control: Wash fruits with copper fungicide suspension. 

HARVESTING, HANDLING, STORING AND GRADING 

 Do not harvest mangoes before 120 days from induction. If mangoes are for export, maturity index is needed. Fruits are either picked by hand or by means of a net attached to the end of a bamboo pole with a loop or knife at the end. Sort out immature, undersize, damaged and diseased fruits during grading. Fruits are graded according to variety, size, weight or diameter. Bamboo baskets lined with newspapers are used for packing mangoes intended for local markets. For export, the mangoes are placed either in wooden crates or carton boxes. If necessary, mangoes should be stored at 9-10 degrees Centigrade. Ripe mangoes at this temperature can be stored for 18-21 days while freshly matured fruits for 23-26 days. 

Source: http://www.da.gov.ph/