FEEDING NATIVE CHICKENS THE NATURAL WAY (2): Carbohydrates Sources (Continuation)

Native or indigenous chickens are source of income and a main staple for the farm family and the main cost of producing them is feeding and the source of feeds. Farmers' experience and researches by agencies, both private and government, indicate that poultry can be fed an adequately nutritious diet by small farmers and their family using readily available sources and can be planted right at the farm or family lot.

Cassava:

Cassava (Manihot esculenta) is a root crop that originated in South America during the early Spanish era when seafarers brought with them stems of this plant for planting. It has now become another staple food and cooked into favorite snack items especially for low end vendors in Iloilo City. It is also important as a source of feeds for livestock and poultry.

Cassava contains about 3,100 kilo-calories per kilogram (kcal/kg.) of dried root or flour (corn contains about 3,400 kcal/kg) but has a low protein content of about 2.5% ((http://betuco.be/manioc) and is deficient in amino acids methionine, lysine and possibly tryptophan. A common small scale crop by farmers nationwide, cassava is usually planted not only for food but also as a source of animal feed especially during scarcity of feeds during summer or dry months. It is an excellent source of carbohydrates and can replace up to 50% of the total corn requirement.

However cassava leaves and stems contain high levels of protein. Local and international studies indicate that cassava leaves contain as much as 20% crude protein and is suitable for feeding to poultry especially when processed or cooked. Consumed also as a vegetable in other countries, it is palatable for poultry when cooked and added to compounded feeds.

There are many ways by which cassava may be fed to chickens. In commercial feeds, cassava is used in the form of flour or powdered dried pellets or chips. In small scale farms and in small family operations, cassava is often fed fresh or cooked and fed as a slurry mixed with other edibles like cassava leaves, sweet potato roots and leaves and protein sources like snails (kuhol and taklong or the African giant snails). Usually, cassava roots are peeled because the skin contains high concentrations of hydrocyanic acids which can cause instant death to livestock and poultry. Once peeled, the white tuber is then chopped to fine pieces and fed directly or sometimes added with chopped or grated coconut which is an excellent source of protein and fats. Often, cassava is also cooked together with snails and other ingredients to make it more digestible and much safer because cooking neutralizes the toxins found in trace amounts even in the tuber.

The addition of protein in the chicken feeds, whether dried or cooked, is essential to balancing the intake of amino acids and protein as cassava is low in this critical nutrient. In commercial feeds, free form amino acids like lysine, methionine and tryptophan are also added. However in home made rations, these amino acids may be found in fish and scrap meat which may be added to the cooked or even raw chicken feeds so that the chickens are provided with as much balanced feeds as possible.

A home made feed which can be cooked may be composed of up to 60% by volume of cassava, 20% of a protein source like snails, another 20% of a protein rich legume leaf and some other nutrients and vitamin sources like oyster shell. Rice bran and corn may also be added to increase palatability. This way, the nutrient profile of the ration may be as complete as that of the commercial ration.

Cassava is an ideal carbohydrates feed source in small scale chicken farming as it is easy to grow and maintain. Under normal soil conditions, cassava does not need to be fertilized. It blends well into the farm system and ecology of the small farm or even the family lot because it does not need much care and maintenance. It is also an excellent fence crop and acts as an effective yet edible barrier when it has grown for a few months. Its care and management needs is also basic and can already survive after the first three months if weeds are removed so that it can have adequate space and access to sunlight. When about one meter high, there will no longer be competition among the usual bushy weeds but may need to be kept free from vine species.

Most cassava varieties mature in eight to ten months where it can produce up to 40 metric tons per hectare. However there are varieties already developed that matures in just 5 months or so, producing as much as 60% of the yield of the more productive but longer gestation strains. These varieties or strains had been developed for food purposes and basically as a famine crop since farmers can time their harvest when other food and feed sources are scarce. There are also strains which are yellowish and are said to contain some amounts of betacarotene and may help supply this essential nutrient which is often critical especially in the development of a more yellowish egg yolk.

Gabi, Palawan or Dagmay:

Gabi, palawan or dagmay (Colocasia esculenta) is another indigenous feed source for native chickens. Though known mainly as a vegetable especially in ginataan (coconut milk) or in jams or jellies, gabi is rich in carbohydrates comparable to carbohydrate levels of sweet potato. However, it contains an irritant called calcium oxalate which is removed when cooked. The leaves are also a feed source for chickens when cooked and is rich in protein at about 18%. Palawan a larger strain of gabi has lesser amounts of calcium oxalate and can be cooked boiled or fried either as a snack item or as a main source of starch in human diets.

As a feed source for chickens, the tubers are usually harvested, chopped finely and cooked together with the leaves and also with other leaf sources of proteins such ipil-ipil (leucaena) and balunggay and meat sources such as snails, fish and meat. The usual ratio of gabi to other sources when cooked should be about 50% and other sources like leaves and rice bran may comprise the rest. The nutrient profile of the cooked gabi-based ration is also improved dramatically with the addition of coconut meat after the milk is extracted (sapal sang lubi) because of the high protein and fat content of coconut meat. This addition will result to a more balanced nutrient profile that would be a good feed alternative for growing chickens.

Gabi is an ideal side or minor crop in wet lowlands planted in deeper portions of the field not anymore suitable for rice planting. It can also be planted along dikes as a border crop for rice where it is easily accessible for harvest once needed. It is easily established using small plants and planted densely in distances of 40 to 50 centimeters. Usually taking 4-5 months, gabi can also be harvested early especially when feed sources become scarce. Some varieties also adopt to dryland planting like the palawan and will produce as much as cassava per plant and with the same ability to grow and produce tubers even without much care and management.

Many varieties are also resistant to pests and diseases that is why gabi is an ideal minor crop which can become a ready source of food and feed. Farmers regularly plant many types for home use and for sale as a cash crop. The major source of gabi found in the markets of Iloilo City is Janiuay and Lambunao where farmers plant this crop as another source of income.

FEEDING NATIVE CHICKENS THE NATURAL WAY (1): Carbohydrates Sources

Raising native chickens can be expensive when the raiser or the household relies on commercial feeds. Without alternative feeds and feeding methods, feed costs can take up as much as 70% of the total production cost. Thus in response to many inquiries over our regular radio show at RMN Sa Uma ni Pinoy segment (8:30 to 9:00 PM Monday to Saturday) we would like to present some alternative feeds and feeding program to those needing to shift to more natural methods in order to lower their cost of producing chickens.

Basic Feeding Guide.

The type and quality of feed given to chickens vary with its age or stage of growth. Usually, chickens like all animals are given high protein and highly digestible feeds early in their lives and as they grow older, the level of protein decreases. Day old chicks are fed with high quality feeds containing 20-22 % protein and as they grow older, the protein level goes down, Grower chickens, usually between 2 to 5 months old are fed with 16-18 % protein while mature chickens can tolerate low proteins diets between 14-16 %.

The regular commercial feed contains about 3,200 kilo calories per kilogram. Lower than that indicates that the feed may be high in fiber and the nutrition is compromised. The calorific requirement of chicks would range at about 20-40 calories while the mature chickens would need about 200 to 320 calories per day.

Native chickens can tolerate poor quality feeds especially when allowed free range. The usual practice nowadays by small raisers is to feed commercial starter rations containing 20% protein to the chicks including the mother hen to give them an early start. This practice usually extends for about 30 days when the chicks have grown feathers to cover their whole body and protect them from extreme cold at night time. Commercial feeds are balanced nutritionally and contain essential amino acids for growth. These amino acids are often hard to come by if chicks are just allowed to free range. The reason behind the practice of feeding high quality ration to the mother hen is for it to recover earlier and start egg laying again by the time the chicks are just over one month old. This way, the hen can lay and hatch about 5-6 times a year.

Once the chicks are big enough for full ranging they are allowed to range freely in the farm lot. The usual practice is for the raiser to feed one half the full feed requirement and let the chickens forage among the grasses and feed on insects, grass grains, earthworms and other feed sources which they may find. It is also the usual practice of farmers to plant many types of grains and food plants so that the chickens can feed freely during the day. Some of the food plants that can be grown on the home or farm lot are:

Corn:

This is the most common and the best energy or carbohydrates source for chickens. Commercial ration contain as much as 45% corn as a source of energy. However corn needs to be managed intensively in order to produce large ears and may need to be sprayed with pesticides to control pests. Corn contains 9% crude protein and is deficient in amino acids like lysine and tryptophan and has to be balanced by protein sources like fish and soybean meal.

As an energy source, corn is an excellent choice because of its high calorific value at 3,600 kilo calories per kilogram of grains. Yellow corn is also high in beta carotene, an essential nutrient that makes the yolk yellow.

Sorghum:

This grain crop is given a fresh attention nowadays. A new strain of sorghum called sweet sorghum is now being promoted by ICRISAT or the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics has bred this dual purpose grain from Africa. The grains are traditionally a staple for humans and livestock it was discovered that some varieties or strains have high sucrose content and can be extracted for processing into molasses or directly as feed stock in ethanol production. Thus, the fresh attention should encourage more farmers to grow this crop as a source of grains for poultry and pigs and as a source of stalks for processing into ethanol when demand comes in.

Sorghum has a better nutrient profile than corn. It has better amino acid content and has a higher protein value at 13%. It also contains as much calories per kilogram at about 3,500 kilo calories per kilogram of grains. However there had been a slow down of local production of sorghum when new high yielding varieties of corn came out of the market especially when multinational seed companies came out with genetically modified varieties that are resistant to the corn borer.

Sorghum is ideal for backyard or small scale chicken production. It can be planted in small lots and can be stocked whole by just hanging the panicles on the rafters of other convenient areas and fed whole as need arises. It can also be ratooned up to four times, meaning, with just one planting, one can harvest and cut the plant about four inches from the ground and it grows again to produce grains in 60-75 days. A head of grain of sorghum can weigh up to 250 grams and per hectare, sorghum can produce between 3.0 to 4.5 metric tons. A flock of 100 chickens would need about 2,000 sq. meters of sorghum to sustain all the energy needs per year.

One does not need to grind sorghum since the size of the grain is just about a munggo seed and thus chickens can easily peck at it from the feeder or from the ground. It can be fed dry or soaked for about eight hours prior to feeding and mixed with other grains like beans and munggo to complete the protein to energy ratio required for growth.

Camote or sweet potato:

Sweet potato or camote is another excellent carbohydrate source for chickens. The root which can be harvested in about 60-75 days is also rich in carbohydrates as well as proteins needed for growth. Being short term, it is an ideal survival feed since it can be harvested earlier than other feeds like corn. Farmers in the rural areas have traditionally fed their free ranged chickens with raw camote which they chop finely or bite sized and spread on feeding troughs in the late afternoon prior to herding the chickens back to the coops for safety against predators. When mature coconut is available, camote is added at a ratio of 75:25 (camote to coconut) to balance the protein-fat-carbohydrate profile. The leaves of camote when finely chopped is also an excellent source of forage for free range chickens. It contains a high level of protein and beta carotene which makes the egg yolk deeper yellow.

Studies at VISCA in Leyte have shown that camote can substitute corn up to 75% in commercial rations and is recommended in home-mixed rations especially for small scale poultry growing because of the ease by which it can be grown and can be harvested when needed when grown nearby. It can also serve as a cash crop as well as substitute staple for the farm family. (To be continued)

AGRIBUSINESS POTENTIALS 2: MUSHROOMS FOR HEALTH AND INCOME

Oyster mushroom emerging from fruiting bags

Mushrooms have always been highly regarded in many ways: a delicacy with exquisite taste and flavor, potent food for health, as cure for a variety of diseases and, as a major source of income. Many countries especially China, Japan, USA and the European countries have a highly developed mushroom production and processing industry. Not only are mushrooms consumed directly as food, there are mushroom species which are highly valued for their curative properties and sold or marketed as supplements, thereby adding more value to the product.

There are only a few growers of mushrooms in Iloilo and Panay. Some are growing the straw mushroom (Volvariella volvacea ), called amamakol in Ilonggo and only a few are commercially growing the oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus).

Straw mushrooms are relatively easy to grow and its spawn is also easy to produce but its price compared to the less common oyster is much lower. Straw mushroom is usually grown on rice straw, and, banana leaves and stalks. Using the simplified growing system and buying spawns instead of producing it by himself, farmer can produce straw mushroom profitably. However, there may be some problems such as the reliable supply of spawn and the price of the product in the market because mushroom like all other farm products is affected by demand and supply.

Mr Bert Cablas with his oyster mushroom spawns

Oyster mushroom, on the other hand has a higher demand among chefs of restaurants and hotels as it is more delicious and sought after by customers. Fresh oyster mushroom usually found in the supermarket shelves, sell between P400 to P700 per kilogram, depending on the supermarket chain selling it and the source of oyster mushrooms.

One grower of oyster mushroom who is doing well is Mr. Roberto Cablas of Brgy. San Agustin, San Miguel, Iloilo. Mr. Cablas is a high school teacher in the local high school who spends his free time tending to his luffa and mushroom businesses which provides him with additional income for his basic needs and comforts including that of his immediate family. Bert ventured into the mushroom business when a laborer who has experienced oyster mushroom growing offered him a deal where he will finance the operation while the worker will take care of producing the mushroom. The business made good from the start but the worker soon demanded high wages on top of his share from the revenues of the project and this prompted him to learn the business himself starting with the production of the mushroom spawn, the most vital component of the business operation.

Rows of Fruiting Oyster Mushroom bags

He learned the whole technology through a one-on-one session with mushroom expert and professor at the West Visayas State University, Dr. Chris Lopez who taught him everything he needed to know about mushroom culture. Bert only focused on oyster mushroom culture because of the high price it fetches in the market. All his produced are easily sold to his regular buyers which include several big supermarket chains and some restaurants which serve oyster mushrooms as one of their popular dishes.

Oyster mushroom spawns are made in a laboratory where everything is sterile. Contamination of the growing media, potato dextrose agar will destroy the mycelium or the growing fibers that will later become the full grown mushroom once transferred to the growing beds or bags whichever type farmers are producing. In Bert's case, he made a small laboratory in one of the rooms of his house which is the product of his efforts as a teacher and entrepreneur. From this small room, he can produce enough spawns to seed his 150 sq. meters of mushroom house and produce an average of 10 kilograms of mushrooms every day.

The spawn mycelia is grown for at least two weeks inside recycled whiskey bottles where a culture media had been placed. The process is standard but the environment and the method should be kept sterile since even a small contaminant will destroy the whole batch. Once fully grown as evidenced by the profuse growth of the cotton-like mycelia, a culture media made out of sorghum seeds is prepared. Like the first media, this sorghum media is also sterilized by subjecting it in a pressure chamber or autoclave. Once cooled, the spawns are inserted into the media inside the recycled bottles and allowed to grow in the sterile environment for about two weeks also.

Bert Cablas Jr. playing on top of the medium

Meanwhile, the growing area where the mushrooms will be grown is prepared. Seed bags made of sawdust, sugar and calcium carbonate are prepared and sterilized using a large drum that can accommodate 60-80 bags on an hour cycle. Once ready and cooled, the bags are seeded with spawns under sterile conditions and allowed to germinate before being transferred to the growing area where the environment is conducive to the growth of mushrooms. After two to three weeks, full grown oyster mushrooms will start to emerge from the seeded bags and are harvested daily.

Bert's oyster mushroom project has served him well in the last ten years or so, having produced an average of 10 kilograms per day where all his produce is immediately sold to ready buyers who meet up with the price he has set. One of his outlets is Iloilo's first supermarket chain which has offered his products to his customers regularly. Bert delivers every Monday to this chain.

Being grown in sterile conditions and using chemical free substrates, the comercially grown oyster mushrooms can be classified as natural food. Mushrooms, especially oysters mushrooms react to chemicals by either retardation or total mortality. Through his years as a mushroom grower, Bert has experimented with various methods including adding synthetic substances which led to the failure of some batches. So he stuck to what Dr. Chris Lopez taught and thereby succeeding with each batch and ensuring a steady stream of income from the project.

“My luffa and mushroom businesses had provided me not only with financial independence but the inner satisfaction that I have succeeded not only professionally but also financially. I have some savings and investments all coming from the business. Unlike many teachers who have to eke out survival with the meager salary, my efforts during my spare time has paid off. But aside from the financial rewards, the satisfaction of having employed regular workers who would otherwise fine seasonal employment and income and, by helping the rest of my siblings is more than what I have bargained for”, said Bert.

Mr. Roberto Cablas being a true teacher, said that he is willing to teach anybody who would be serious in going into the business of growing oyster mushrooms. “Teaching others is my way of paying forward what I have reaped so far. I have years of utmost profitability and I have enjoyed the rewards of good income from the business. I have some investments that will assure the future of my son and other relatives and for me I have that responsibility to help others especially those who need it most but are willing to work hard to achieve success.

Like Mr Roberto Cablas, one can succeed in oyster mushroom business with the right technology, perseverance and clear target of where you want to bring the business.

AGRIBUSINESS POTENTIALS FOR ILOILO: Native Chickens Production

 “Western Visayas alone needs between 2,000 to 3,000 heads of native chickens every day and more during the peak months starting November to May each year and the supply at most is just a fraction of this demand”, says Dr. Jaime Cabarles, Dean of the College of Agriculture, Central Philippine University.

That is why those who specialize in “native lechon manok” can't get enough supply of live native chickens. The price of native lechon manok is almost twice that of the ordinary broiler chicken lechon. Yet the demand for this Ilonggo delicacy continues to grow because of its unique taste. Native chickens have a higher concentration of the taste enhancing and naturally occurring amino acids called glutamic acid and aspartic acid, according to Mr. George Roxas and Mr. Ray Arenga, the key men in the Darag Native Chicken Program of the West Visayas State University.

Native chickens are those which are said to be indigenous or endemic to a specific location, in this case, the country. Since the country is archipelagic, there are many kinds of native chickens in the country, mostly region-based. So the native chickens in the Visayas cluster of islands are generally called “Bisaya” while those in Southern Luzon are called Tagalog but those in the Bicol Region are called differently.

But the area of origin is not significant in terms of the basic interest by which these types of chickens are raised. Native chickens are hardy, thrive on feeds which they can forage and find in the vicinity and on whatever the farmers will be able to provide. The most important consideration by which native chickens are preferred by consumers is the distinct flavor of the native chickens compared to the broiler chickens that has become familiar among consumers. The latter is raised in just 30 days or less where it has already reached the market size of 1.2 kilograms. At 30 days old when slaughtered, the meat of the broiler chicken tastes bland compared to the more flavorful native chicken which reaches about 800 grams at 3 to 4 months (90-120 days) of age.

The demand for native chickens continues to grow due to shifting trends such as growing awareness for healthy food, antibiotic free food and for unique dishes endemic to a specific area. The growth in regional tourism has also helped increase demand. Native chicken lechon is a tourism destination in itself where tourists flock to the popular restaurants serving this unique lechon in Iloilo City. Each municipality in the Province of Iloilo has also their own unique way of cooking native chicken like the Tinuom of Cabatuan, the Linabugan of Calinog and Bingawan and the Alumpirang Manok of Dingle. The common denominator in these dishes is the young native chicken slaughtered at about 120 days old where experts claim that it is the best age where the flavor enhancing amino acids have the highest concentration.

“We cannot raise enough native chickens to meet existing and much more, future demand. Even now that we are concentrating on the endemic chicken of Western Visayas, the Darag”, said George Roxas. The name is derived from the color of the hen which is similar to the dried leaves on the ground. This color had been developed by the wild chickens as a means to camouflage so that they won't be easily detected by predators. The darag chicken like the other endemic chickens of other regions have the same characteristics which make it a highly favored strain. “However the inflow of exotic breeds imported to supposedly improve the size and other characters perceived to improve production had somehow diluted or reduced some of the characters which had made the darag a desired breed”. The same intrusion of these exotic breed has also impaired the once wide genetic pool and had therefore limited the source of desired individuals which can be made into parent line for the breed. “We regularly going around the region looking for outstanding specimens of the darag chickens so that we can build up our genetic pool as a means to further improve the breed. Our gene pool in three locations, namely one at the main campus of the WVSU and two at the Calinog campus assures us of genetically strong individuals which we think can help us sustain our genetic requirements for mass production in the coming years. However, we still have to sustain our efforts so that we will not run out of individuals which will sustain our need for strong parent lines in the future”.

Due to the information campaign not only by the school but also by other government agencies, the attention on the darag chicken has perked up in recent years. More and more farmers have started producing this strain and the demand for chicks of true to type parent lines have increased. We have a long list of customers and clients who have ordered chicks for commercial operation and our production system cannot meet the demand right now, said Mr. Arenga.

The opportunity areas for native chickens are many but for now, the most imperative are the supply of breeders or parent lines and the commercial aspect of young broiler age at 0 to 120 days old. “Those who have availed of our strain the last three or four years should be in the position to grow and supply commercial grade chicks which can be grown for the meat market. Those who also know how to breed and maintain the purity of their breeds should also focus on producing breeders for sale to other farmers who are interested to get into the segment. Mr. Roxas estimates the demand for breeders to run to several thousands and only a small percentage can be met at this point.

Another growth direction is the supply of organic or naturally grown chickens. The trend for healthier food has given birth to the demand for organically or naturally grown food and this is also true for chickens and other livestock. Growing chickens the organic and natural way may be difficult but not impossible. Ms. Soljane Capague, a technical personnel at the Iloilo Provincial Agriculture Office, says that the Natural Farming System developed by Japanese and Korean scientists offer farmers an alternative and safe way to raise chickens. It also teaches farmers how to use indigenous plants for feed and to strengthen the immune system of chickens to resist attacks of diseases as well as control ecto and endo parasites. These indigenous plants can be planted and produced right on the farm or backyard of the farmers.

The natural farming system also teaches farmers to harness beneficial microorganisms to help them out in their farming efforts. Concoctions like Indigenous Microorganisms (IMO), fermented fruit juice, fermented plant juice and others have specific purposes in the overall system which will enable the farmer not only to grow healthy chickens but save much on feeds and veterinary medicines which comprise up to 70% of the cost of production.

Under the natural farming system, it is estimated that it will cost the farmer about P75.00 to grow a chicken from chick to marketable size. With commercial feeds, the cost is much higher at P110.00. Therefore if the farmer sells at P140.00 per head, he earns more per head using the natural system than growing his chickens on commercial feeds.

Prices per head of native chicken varies per season. During the peak season where demand is high, native chickens sell for as high as P180.00 per head while it goes down to as low as P80.00 during off-peak particularly during enrollment and rainy months when the priorities of people center on school fees and other essential expense areas.

“The demand for native chickens may never be met unless we have a definite program which involves all actors, from government to financial institutions, and most important of all- farmers who would develop commercial level operations that can assure consistent supply of both slaughter and breeder native chickens.

GAMEFOWL INDUSTRY BENEFITS SMALL BREEDERS IN OTON, ILOILO

The Philippines is now acknowledged as the center of the game fowl industry of the world after the game fowl raising and its attendant sport, cockfighting haVE become an outlawed activity in the United States of America. While no exact figures can be gathered, the industry is booming and is impacting a wide cross section of the economy and social life of Filipinos.

Ilonggos and Negrenses are known widely as the pioneers of scientific breeding and the fowls raised in these parts and fowls coming from here are sold to all parts of the country at prices higher than those locally grown there. We also have the reputation of having the knack for selecting the better fighters and this had added to a reputation of excellence among breeders big and small.

Aside from the ubiquitous gamefowls, there are many other income earning sub-industries within the large industry system that when studied closely would show that the game fowl industry is one that should be promoted enhanced and preserved. Game fowl raising needs support sub-system players like the makers of tie-cords so that the roosters are anchored in place and makers of tepees or the structures that shade them from the harsh elements. There are also those who make other paraphernalia like gloves for chickens, tapes, scabbards and knives. These artisans are otherwise unemployed and their income derived from these livelihood activities are their only means to support their families and send their children to school.

Take the case of two small scale breeders in Brgy. San Nicolas, Oton, Iloilo. Nelson “Tandok” Tingzon had been growing gamefowls for more than 20 years already. He recalls that even as a child he helped his father take care of their chickens which when sold provide food and some extras for other necessities. Rommel Planta has an almost the same story. He also grew up around chickens and he loved the selling aspect because he and his friends can sell their chickens at several times the price of chickens intended for meat.

 Nelson and Rommel have no other means of livelihood except raising game fowls. Being already well-versed on the breeding aspect, they make sure that their breeders are well selected and often, they come from known breeders or from their buyers who want them to breed a certain type which they will exclusively buy from him. And they don't simply take the word of others when it comes to selection. They have their own set of criteria developed through their long years of hands-on breeding.

Breeding for true to type individuals and for performance.

One breed that they both maintain are the Sweater fowls, said to be originated by Mr. Sweater McGinnis, an American breeder of the 1930s to the 1950s. These fowls are light red, bordering on pumpkin color and are well liked by many because of their fighting style and is said to be one of the outstanding breeds in the Philippine cockfighting scene. Nelson and Romel have their own version of the Sweaters and they say that each year they sell more than 100 each for this type of fowl. What they breed it with is their secret though. They say that they mate their outstanding Sweater brood cocks with hens whose brothers have also performed in the pit as fought by their buyers.

They also have other breeds like the High Action Hatch crossed or tinted with Mc Lean or Gilmore blood, both of which are green or blue legged types which are said to provide speed, power and gameness. Nelson says that he bred his High Action Hatch hens to a Gilmore Hatch brood cock provided to him by Dr. Pepe Sullano. He is very happy with the offsprings since he has already sold more than 60 heads at a good price of not less than P4,500.00 each. With that sales alone he said that he has already recovered ;his feed expenses for this year and expect that the more than 150 stags that are still maturing will somehow bring him more than what he expects.

Rommel on the other hand had been supplied by his customers and friends with top rated brood materials. “I would not like to divulge the friends and customers who provided my brood stocks because they want it that way. They also have exclusive right to my stags that is why every stock that I raise is considered sold already. I cannot produce enough because it gets sold anyway”, says Rommel. Both he and Nelson are still breeding this off-season (May to September) because there are buyers who still buy those late produce since cockfighting is non-stop especially in Manila.

Game fowl raising as a way of life.

“Breeding game fowls have been my main occupation since I got married from which I have raised my family. My eldest son had graduated and is already on board a ship as a sailor and I have high hopes that like the other seamen who had prospered, he will also help us economically as he progresses in his career. My second son is graduating from the Hotel and Restaurant Management course. My youngest is still in the elementary grades. With tuition fees and their daily school needs so expensive these days I culd not have afforded their schooling had I just taken manual labor which pays minimum wage”, says Nelson.

Everybody in the family helps. His wife being very supportive tends to the incubator and the chicks that is why they can hatch more than 500 each year and on a 50/50 ratio of males to females, they can easily mature 250 or more stags or cockerels every year. Nelson and his children tend to feeding and other chores. We use only the best feeds available to other breeders and feeders of game fowls. “We don't scrimp on feeds because it shows on the health, size, height and conformation of the stags and cocks we produce. Since cockfighting is competitive and there is only one bottom line which is to win, our buyers demand value for their money”.

Both Nelson and Rommel provide employment indirectly to others in the neighborhood. Their tepees are made by laborers who charge them P120.00 per unit and Rommel said that the materials cost about P50-60 and the rest is labor for the makers. A maker he said can make 5-6 units daily with some help, often from their own children. They also need 500 or so tie cords which they use to anchor the legs of their chickens. A tie cord costs P8.00 per unit so between the two of us, we buy about P8,000 worth of tie cords every year. A family making these can produce this in two weeks' time and their cost of materials is just about P3,000 thus making for them an income of about P5,000.00 in two weeks.

Game fowl breeding provides food directly and indirectly. Indirectly, when the choice stags and cocks are sold at a good price and used to buy rice and other food items. Directly, when undersized and culls are slaughtered for the table. Extra eggs are also eaten, often hard boiled and brought by the children to school as snacks. “Our children are healthy and active because they get to eat high levels of protein from chicken meat and eggs”, says Rommel.

The game is now competitive. With two major federations of breeders nationwide and an almost non-stop competition, the demand for quality stags and cocks have increased. We are often visited by buyers who say that they were referred by their friends who have bought from us and want to buy the same types as those bought in the previous years because they said that they saw them win. We cannot refuse them and they just added to our list of customers.

“We don't fight our roosters anymore. Our buyers do it for us. We just sell and somehow these buyers come back year after year because they are satisfied with the stocks they bought. Since we also improve our breeds according to their suggestions, they usually buy the new offspring where they had a hand in selecting the brood stocks.

“This is our livelihood and our passion. While some may say that this is gambling, for us this is survival and our chance for a better life. We have not finished school and we don't have other means to support our families. We cannot leave this industry that has provided us with a decent life”, both Rommel and Nelson concluded.

Shifting Lifestyles to Help Slow Down Climate Change

Each person leaves a carbon footprint. The size of his footprint depends on his lifestyle and his attitudes in life. How one lives his life determines the carbon footprint he leaves and no matter what, he is responsible for making his footprint as small as he can to help slow down climate change.

A carbon footprint has historically been defined as "the total set of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by an organization, event, product or person (Wikipedia). The type of house where one lives, the appliances he uses, the food he eats and how he cooks it dictates on how much greenhouse gas he produces.

A concrete house or building with glass windows and very little wind flow needs air conditioning units to cool and make it more comfortable for people living in it. High rises not only need air conditioning units and expensive lighting but also elevators and escalators to get from one floor to the next. Such buildings would consume several times the amount of electric power needed by a sprawling one storey building with the same floor area which had been designed correctly with eco-friendly features and with energy efficiency in mind.

The trend for high rises started in the early 1900s when people thought of cities and urban centers as the focal point of economic and political leadership. Factories and other places of employment arose to attract people from the agricultural areas looking for employment and perhaps a better way of life. This urban trend also set the trend for people to build vertical structures because of the pressure on land availability. Technological breakthroughs also enabled people to build taller building and create support structures for them such as more and reliable power so that the basic amenities are supplied to the residents.

All these main and support systems resulted to one ultimate product: greenhouse gas (GHG) production and its pressure on the environment. GHG had been determined as the main culprit behind the rising temperatures (global warming) and climate change. Many savants however say that global warning is a misnomer. They say that while one part of the globe may have rising temperatures like the North and South Poles resulting to the melting of ice in these areas and causing the seas to rise, some areas may have opposite effect like the cooling of the temperatures which result to deaths of plants and other organisms not adopted to lower temperatures.

Doing One's Part to Help slow Down Climate Change.

So how can each individual do his part in helping slow down climate change? A single individual doing his part may not seem much, but with many following suit, then maybe there would be substantial effect that would eventually lead to a movement that can turn the tide of this accelerated phenomena of the changing climate. Here are some recommendations from experts:

Major structural changes. One major cause of GHG is the propensity of people to opt for large buildings as a sign of progress, change and wealth. These large buildings despite many new innovations to make them more earth friendly, power efficient, etc., all are still heavy consumers of electricity, most of which are generated either by petroleum and coal fired power plants. Both of these power sources notorious for generating large volumes of GHG. “Back to basics advocates” had been agitating for buildings and habitats that have low carbon footprints.

While we look down to a large degree about the houses and structures that our parents and forebears had been building and where many of us had been born in, these are in fact the types of houses that are truly eco-friendly. Houses made of bamboo and with nipa shingles as roofs, are relatively cooler than those built of concrete or even lumber. Bamboo slats have natural openings in between that allow for passage of outside air. More so when bamboo is also used as flooring. Nipa shingles are natural insulators against the heat generated by the sun's rays. Even without ceilings, a nipa roofed house is several degrees cooler than a concrete house even without the use of an electric fan.

But nipa and bamboo houses can be modernized, like what the Am-Fil couple, Bob and Carol Hammerslag, did at their residence in Tigbauan (http://myphilippinelife.com/we-build-a-bahay-kubo-bamboo-guest-house/). While looking much like the traditional nipa house, the columns are made of concrete so as to withstand time and the ravages of nature.

When bamboo and nipa is not available and not the first choice of home-owners, earth advocates push for natural materials and for recycled materials which are also biodegradable. These advocates push for smaller but cozy houses which not only saves on electric energy but human energy as well since spaces are small and one can access all parts of the house with just a few steps. (http://www.huffingtonpost. com/2011/01/14/11-small-homes-houses_n_808518.html#s223304&title=Small_Wood_Cabin).

In Mindanao, several NGOs had advocated the use of earthen bricks which are a combination of tamped earth mixed with cement (http://opensourceecology.org/wiki/Compressed_Earth_Blocks). Using a presser of their own fabrication, the earth is mixed thoroughly with the cement and rammed through a manual machine (http://www.windward.org/notes/notes67/walt6720.htm) to fabricate the blocks which can withstand both vertical and horizontal pressure. Such a manual machine can be seen at: http://www.ferncometal.com/products.htm.

Earth friendly construction however is also taking root in other parts of the globe especially in the US where it had long history among earth advocates and the back to nature groups. Even then they had been pursuing the low carbon footprint lifestyle and many have reconverted to this philosophy. While the current vogue among the affluent is the size of the floor area, there are minimalists who can survive and grow on a few square meters or home space. These houses are also very earth friendly with low power requirements, confined mostly to lighting and heating (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ 2011/01/14/11-small-homes-houses_n_808518.html#s223304&title=Small_Wood_Cabin).

New technologies are also paving the way for energy efficient gadgets and appliances which means for lesser energy consumption. Even compact flourescent lights are now being replaced by the even low consuming light emitting diodes (LED). Even televisions are also being revolutionized with the new LED technology that consumes barely 20% of the previous models. The inverter technology for compressors have also lessened power consumptionfor refrigerators and air conditioners. But the most important revolution is the banning of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) refrigerants which had been determined as the most destructive ozone depleting compound man has ever discovered.

The shift for man towards creating a smaller carbon footprint should not be so hard after all. The most important step however is the resolve or the decision to do one's share in helping reduce pollution, reduce carbon emission and be more earth friendly.

FARMING OPERATIONS THAT ACCELERATE CLIMATE CHANGE

While in general humans are the major instruments for accelerated climate change, the varied activities including farming or agriculture (also aquaculture) are a major cause of this phenomena. Climate Change Fact Sheet describes climate changes as: “Climate change is a long-term shift in the climate of a specific location, region or planet. The shift is measured by changes in features associated with average weather, such as temperature, wind patterns and precipitation. What most people don’t know is that a change in the variability of climate is also considered climate change, even if average weather conditions remain the same.” (http://www.thegreatwarming.com/pdf/ClimateChangeFactSheet.pdf).

Even the mere process of land conversion from forest to crop land contribute immensely to climate change. Trees are among the highest buffer for carbon dioxide conversion. Unused or unconverted carbon dioxide is one of the major greenhouse gases that contributes to global warming. Opening up a forest land for crop plantations, reduces CO2 absorptive rate by as much as 70 percent

According to the International Panel on Climate Change it accounts for up to 12% of all man-made greenhouse gas emissions (http://www.pan-europe.info/Resources/Factsheets/Climate_change.pdf). Intensive farm operations for annual or cash crops like rice, corn, sugarcane, etc. accounts for the highest precursor due to the heavy application Nitrogenous fertilizers like urea and other nitrate forms in order to boost yields. Nitrous oxide released from these fertilizers is one of those identified as greenhouse gases or which causes the heating of the earth's atmosphere similar to that of a greenhouse where the inside temperature is much higher than that outside.

Urea is the common fertilizer source in the Philippines. This is a 100 percent imported source as it is manufactured from petrochemicals. According to experts, only up to 60% of the urea broadcasted to the field during fertilization is utilized by the plant and the rest is gasified as nitrous oxide and escape to the air. While in other countries, environment-friendly forms of urea is now being promoted and widely used, particularly the slow-release types which slowly dissolve and is used by the plant over a longer period, farmers in the Philippines still use the basic forms which immediately dissolve upon contact with water. Once dissolved, urea is immediately converted into soluble forms and are absorbed by the plants. However once liquid, it is also easily converted to ammonia and therefore escapes as nitrous oxide.

Rice farms like those found in the province where stretches of hundreds of hectares are found in areas like Pototan, Dingle and Barotac Nuevo are prime contributors to greenhouse gas accumulation in the atmosphere. So are sugarcane farms in Central Iloilo and the corn farms in Northern Iloilo. Despite the ban on burning of rice straw, corn stubbles, sugarcane leaves and other organic wastes, many farmers still follow the traditional method of burning as the easiest way to clear the land prior to land preparation. “Globally, biomass burning is estimated to produce 40 percent of the carbon dioxide, 32 percent of the carbon monoxide, 20 percent of the particulates, and 50 percent of the highly carcinogenic poly-aromatic hydrocarbons produced by all sources (Levine)”. (http://www.burningissues.org/lukebiomass.html).

Large livestock operations such as feedlot cattle and ranches for cattle, goats and sheep are also prime culprits in accelerating climate change. Cattle, goats and sheep are ruminants and produce methane inside their digestive system. The gas escapes directly to the atmosphere and at the same time the manure still undergoes decomposition which also produce methane or biogas.

Large piggeries also are large producers of methane gas because of the decomposition of manure. A pig produces about 3 to kilograms of wet manure and urine. A 100 sow level operation has about 1,000 heads of pigs of various ages at any given time. So collectively the said operation will produce at least 3 metric tons of fresh manure daily. Many of the commercial piggeries in Iloilo and Panay do not have sophisticated waste management systems and most of them have simple multi-compartment to first trap the manure in anaerobic chambers, gradually releasing them to open ponds. Methane produced in these chambers escape to the atmosphere without being utilized. A good waste management should be able to utilize the methane for many purposes like driving gas engines heat piglet nurseries nor used to cook feed stuff.

WHAT FARMERS SHOULD DO:

Farmers should do their share in slowing down climate change. In previous articles we explained how responsible farming can help. We have also written about farming systems that help mitigate the problem but offer better income streams as well as added or higher incomes. However farmers should also adopt other measures in order to reduce their carbon footprints. One's carbon footprint is the sum of all emissions of CO2 (carbon dioxide), which were induced by one's activities in a given time frame. Usually a carbon footprint is calculated for the time period of a year. (http://timeforchange.org/what-is-a-carbon-footprint-definition).

Burn less or none at all: This is one practice that helps not only the environment but the farmer himself. By decomposing his farm wastes like rice straws, etc., he turns them into rich organic matter that improves the fertility and texture of the soil, making crops grow better and produce more. Decomposing leguminous leaves and stalks offer the farmer an even bigger bonus since legume organic matter has higher nitrogen content which plants need in bigger amounts. Manures have high amounts of phosphates and using them as nutrient source for legumes results to better growth of legumes which have higher phosphate content that when decomposed can be used directly by the target crop.

More efficient waste management systems for livestock operations: There is a need for government regulating agencies to strictly implement environmental waste management especially for commercial livestock operations. These medium to large scale operations should not only put up both anaerobic and aerobic systems but should find a way to tap into the methane produced by their operation. But even backyard or small scale operations should likewise put up basic waste management not only to mitigate environmental pollution but also to reduce carbon dioxide emission from the hog manure.

Livestock operations do not only produce manure. Regular disinfection releases toxic chemicals to the canals which if not degraded will harm the environment. Thus, the waste water should be effectively modified prior to their disposal to the waterways of the community. Aside from the problem of the waste, the ammonia produced by the manure also releases foul odor to the immediate area that becomes a source of conflict between the operators and the community nearby. Thus, odor pollution should likewise be a primary concern of the livestock farmers. One solution for this problem is the creation of a thick layer of trees and vegetation that can effectively filter the ammonia and odor released by the farm so that even with strong winds, the odor is not transmitted to the community nearby.

INTEGRATED FARMING IS STILL THE BEST BET:

As in the previous articles, agriculture and farming in general should be integrated where there is no reliance on mono-crops. As cited earlier, the benefits derived from integrated farming far outweighs the advantages of mono crop agriculture. The shift should be on a wider range or levels where there is policy direction from the top level government managers. Farmers should not also be complacent especially that the changing climate is wreaking havoc on crop patterns. The usual dry climate during summer months is not anymore true to type. Rains fall even during the months of February, the period for watermelons which need a relatively dry climate to have sweeter fruits. Also, too much moisture will predispose the watermelons to diseases and poor quality fruit.

The effects of the erratic weather systems can somehow be lessened by lowering the risks of each particular farming operation. Advance weather prediction system can also help a lot especially now that governments worldwide have data sharing agreements. Local farmers in Iloilo and Panay should have ready access to these data by tapping the internet and designing the cropping patterns or farming systems so as to reduce risks of total crop loss.

COMMUNITIES CAN HELP MITIGATE CLIMATE CHANGE

The Internet floods with information on the causes of climate change where both nature and man are acknowledged as culprits in speeding up the process. There are also doomsday predictions or the world ending as a result of unchecked changing climate and environments. The fact is that with the changing of large areas, some still unexplored niches may have been lost forever.

While world bodies are discussing how to retard or even turn around the rapidly changing world, the ordinary citizen asks himself how he and his community may be able to help out. On one hand, the oft repeated directive to plant trees are also sending the wrong signals especially when no specifics are added like the purpose for planting trees, the specific use for such tree species and a clear explanation of how the trees can help the person, farmer and his community. Also, without proper safeguards and stewardship, the tree planting activities end up as failures.

There are local government units, communities, individuals, farmers and farmer groups who had been successful in doing their share in helping slow down climate change. While savants are in agreement that it takes worldwide concerted effort, they also share the sentiment that communities and individuals should do their part. Here are some of the successful models here and abroad:

Plastics-free Communities:

Plastics and other products from synthetic sources, mostly petroleum in origin are acknowledged as the major source of pollution. Its property of slow degradation or decomposition makes disposal difficult and is attributed to the accumulation of large volumes not only in dump sites but all over, often causing the death of unsuspecting wildlife. There is already a worldwide drive to reduce plastics use and to develop biodegradable types of plastics but total shift to the latter may take a long time and therefore, the former or the need to reduce its use is more practical and achievable.

In the province of Iloilo, the Municipality of Sta. Barbara is the pioneer in coming up with an ordinance to limit the use of plastics. Several local supermarkets also came out with biodegradable plastic bags which deteriorate within months of exposure even at room temperature. Some of these supermarkets have also launched programs such as bonus or rebates for shoppers bringing their own bags for their purchases. It is seen that a city with a population of 200,000 can dispose at least 5 tons of plastics daily which only a miniscule will immediately decompose or degrade, leaving no toxic traces in the environment.

The process of decomposition especially by microorganisms

COPING WITH CLIMATE CHANGE (2):

CREATING MICRO AGRO ECOLOGY IN FARMS AND COMMUNITIES

“Climate change will have major impacts on the availability of water for growing food and on crop productivity in the decades to come”, warns a new FAO report. This means that the next battle ground in agriculture will no longer be for land but for water resources.

 

That report also stated that “an acceleration of the world's hydrological cycle is anticipated as rising temperatures increase the rate of evaporation from land and sea. Rainfall will increase in the tropics and higher latitudes, but decrease in already dry semi-arid to mid-arid latitudes and in the interior of large continents. A greater frequency in droughts and floods will need to be planned for but already, water scarce areas of the world are expected to become drier and hotter. 
Even though estimates of groundwater recharge under climate change cannot be made with any certainty, the increasing frequency of drought can be expected to encourage further development of available groundwater to buffer the production risk for farmers. And the loss of glaciers - which support around 40 percent of the world's irrigation -- will eventually impact the amount of surface water available for agriculture in key producing basins”.

“Increased temperatures will lengthen the growing season in northern temperate zones but will reduce the length almost everywhere else. Coupled with increased rates of evapotranspiration this will cause the yield potential and water productivity of crops to decline.
"Both the livelihoods of rural communities as well as the food security of city populations are at risk," said FAO Assistant Director General for Natural Resources, Alexander Mueller. "But the rural poor, who are the most vulnerable, are likely to be disproportionately affected."

“
An acceleration of the world's hydrological cycle is anticipated as rising temperatures increase the rate of evaporation from land and sea. Rainfall will increase in the tropics and higher latitudes, but decrease in already dry semi-arid to mid-arid latitudes and in the interior of large continents. A greater frequency in droughts and floods will need to be planned for but already, water scarce areas of the world are expected to become drier and hotter. 
Even though estimates of groundwater recharge under climate change cannot be made with any certainty, the increasing frequency of drought can be expected to encourage further development of available groundwater to buffer the production risk for farmers. And the loss of glaciers - which support around 40 percent of the world's irrigation -- will eventually impact the amount of surface water available for agriculture in key producing basins”.

Urbanization and rapid population increase has likewise taxed the limits of water availability. In many areas in the country where cities have become bigger, the problem of water extraction has even become magnified. Salt water had intruded into the aquifers left empty by too much extraction. Freshwater due to its scarcity can no longer replenish these underground storage systems, creating a permanent loss to humanity.

The Food and Agriculture Organization in another report urged governments to become proactive in helping combat climate change by implementing multilevel programs, ranging from pollution control to carbon sequestration. For his part, President Pnoy pronounced the ten million trees program last year ad there seems to be no more follow up nor a report to the nation as to the status of its implementation. The 10 million trees broken down into 70 or so provinces would mean just about 150,000 trees more or less per province. But Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor went much further and targeted 1,000,000 trees per year up to the end of his term, meaning 3,000,000 trees over a three year period. To implement this, he had instructed his personnel to break down the target into achievable components like distributing nurseries through out the province and based them in strategic locations in each district. The tree species were also broken down into acceptable terms by the communities like industrial trees and fruit or multipurpose trees so that the mix will enable the communities to earn while becoming stewards of certain species that should not be cut down. These trees which should be maintained and preserved are those which are found to be better absorbers of rains and run offs as they are deep rooted and can survive the harsh environments to grow tall and become future watersheds. Multipurpose trees and other species like fruits (e.g. jack fruit or langka) and bamboo are taken cared of by the communities because they can periodically and regularly benefit from them.

Aside from replanting trees and reestablishing the forest cover in the uplands, Governor Defensor is going further to redevelop the coastal mangrove forests in the coastal areas of the province starting at the Municipality of Leganes in April 2012. The objective is to reestablish the mangrove forests to serve many purposes like buffer zones for large waves and potential tsunamis, breeding ground for marine life and as first line of defense against massive sea water intrusion. Once fully planted in key locations all over the coastal areas of the province of Iloilo, Defensor hopes that specific and unique coastal ecosystems will reemerge and stabilize and thus benefits the communities in these areas.

In the process of establishing a tree cover in certain areas like denuded forests and farm that had been planted intensively with single crops, a micro climate is also created. A micro climate is best described by the free on line dictionary as “the climate of a small, specific place within an area as contrasted with the climate of the entire area”. Explained further, it is the general climate of say, a farm or community that is distinct compared to the climate of a larger area. Take the case of the barangays of Moroboro, Lincud, Caguyuman and tulatulaan in Dingle, Iloilo. These barangays surround the Bulabog-Putian Mountain range which is also a protected area under the parks and wildlife bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Massive campaigns to plant trees in the past three decades had rebuilt the tree cover of the area that upon entering the area from other parts of the province, a marked difference in ambient temperature is immediately noticed. While the communities can no longer plant short term crops intensively, they are now reaping prosperously from the products of the forests like coffee and shade loving crops. The furniture industry where they turn out furnitures and other finished wood products is also alive and earns more for the communities than from just mere raw lumber, charcoal and firewood.

Even a small area like 6,000 square meters can become a vastly different micro ecology compared to its neighborhood. This is the case of the Provincial Nursery at La Granja, La Paz District in Iloilo City. For more than a decade starting with the first term of Governor Arthur Defensor, the Provincial Nursery was planted with mother trees of key species as a source of seeds and seedlings for province wide agro-reforestation efforts. Now the giant bamboo species called “afus” by Southern Mindanaoans are towering over the other vegetation with several langka trees as middle level canopy and bananas taking up the lower areas. Nursery men are now using the ground level as potting and seedling area. As one enters the Provincial Nursery, a distinct coolness is felt because of the dense foliage and the canopy which effectively blocks the intense heat of the sun. While one sees the dryness of the whole La Granja community upon entering, the nursery area is fairly wet not because of the water system available but mainly due to the shade provided by the trees and the thick matting of fallen leaves which effectively prevents the heat from drying up the soil.

For farmers to sustain yield and productivity therefor, it is essential that they find reliable sources of water in their farms. While irrigation systems provide relief, their investment cost is high. It is vital for farmers to find their own water resources and one approach is to create their own stable agro-ecology right in their farms and attempt to control or manage their own micro climates. Such agro ecology involves the right mix of trees, crops and livestock that will stabilize the ecology of the area where there is interaction among the various components. Components that should be included in a stable agro-ecosystem include trees, short term crops, livestock and even cultured micro-organisms. Trees providing shade, leaves (for fertilizers and other uses), fruits for food and income, etc. Cash crops are the sources of short term income while livestock and poultry provide food, income and manure which is essential to sustaining high yields of the crops and trees.