Month: March 2015

Livestock and Poultry

Compared to other chicken breeds , native chickens are second rate in terms of egg and meat production. On the average, a native chicken produces 40-60 eggs in a year, while White Leg horn produces more than 200 eggs. In terms of meat, a six month old vantress weighs 2.23 kg while a native chicken weighs 1.16 kg only.

With the hope of improving the traits of native chickens for egg and meat production, researchers from Western Integrated Agricultural Research Center (WESVIARC) packaged a technology to upgrade the native chickens. This project was funded by the Department of Agriculture (DA) through the Bureau of Agricultural Research.
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Breeding superior cattle the fast way

Cattle produces one calf every two years. With conventional breeding , it would take several decades to breed livestock with improved genetic traits. This long period can be shortened through biotechnology, specifically, the multiple ovulation and embryo transfer (MOET) technique. This makes the production of animals with superior traits easier and to multiply these animals more rapidly.

Multiple ovulation, also known as superovulation is the production of a large number of ova by a dam of superior genetic traits. Through this technique, more embryos are generated, therefore, more calves are produced form one superior cow. Embryo transfer is the removal of the fertilized eggs and embryos from the donor cow then transferred to the uterus of dams undergoing the estrus cycle for gestation. Gestation is the process of carrying the embryo in the womb for growth and development. The MOET technique is used to conserve superior breeding stock or to improve the rate of genetic gain of selected herds. This process is effective for livestock with low prolificacy such as cattle. Continue reading “Breeding superior cattle the fast way”

Saline Tilapia: A beneficial partner in prawn rearing

It was more than a decade ago when Northern Mindanao’s prawn industry was almost crippled by Vibriosis, a luminous bacterial disease that caused sudden drops in the region’s shrimp production. The destruction caused by this event greatly affected the region’s shrimp producers prompting some intensive farms to close down, while extensive farms which contribute 88% of the region’s shrimps also suffered huge monetary losses.

In Region 10, Misamis Occidental alone has devoted 1,790 hectares of its total brackishwater fishpond area to prawn farming. Of this area, 95% are comprised of extensive farms which are characterized by low stocking densities of about 5 pcs /sq meter and below. These extensive farms are greatly preferred in this region since it is relatively cheaper to maintain but almost always produces high quality shrimp products because of less disease occurrences and problems. Likewise, extensive farming is more environment-friendly since it utilizes naturally available food organisms thus limiting the input of feeds and chemical supplements. Continue reading “Saline Tilapia: A beneficial partner in prawn rearing”

Fe and Rodfil asia’s got talent audition

Fe a vegetable vendor and Rodfil a comedian joins Asia’s got Talent and i love their loyalty at one another. Just watch the video. Video courtesy of Asiastalent channel at youtube.

Fe and Rodfil video