The Benefits of Animals/Fish Raising

and the Entrepreneurs’ Success

Awareness in animal/fish raising has a great advantage in the

lives of the human being. Because raising animals has
something to do with the family’s livelihood. Just imagine the
existence of the food sources towards the daily needs of the
family and also those people who made it a success employing
raising animals from backyards raising.

Most of the animals are beneficial to men. Farm animals like cows, carabaos,
pigs, chicken, hens, duck, even varieties of fishes generate income. They are
known as livestock while fish farming is also known as aquaculture. Livestock is
farm animals for use and profit gaining while aquaculture is raising fish in a
modified natural and artificial ponds or tanks for human consumption and profit
gaining. Moreover, people benefit from them in different ways. A good
management profits anyone.
The following are the benefits in engaging to animal/fish raising:
1. Cows, Carabaos, and goats are a source of milk, whereas it can be processed into a
dairy product such as yogurt, cheese, butter, and ice cream.
2. Animal manure can also be used as fuel for tires, the blood and bone of animals
can also be used as fertilizers.
3. Catfish is a good source of healthy fatty acids, protein, and Vitamin B12.
4. Milkfish can be raised anywhere and can adapt to marine and freshwater and most
loved because of its distinct flavor.
5. Goats have low maintenance and minimal need they are economical because
they can eat grass, weeds, and leaves.
6. Chickens are raised because of their healthy eggs.
7. Goatskin leather known as Morocco is used in making bags and book bindings.
8. Pigs are raised because of their meat called pork which is commonly consumed
worldwide
9. Tilapia is excellent for farming because of its nutrient contents and cooking
versatility aside from easy to raise.
10. Goat’s manure contains nutrient for the optimum growth of plants that can be
used to any type of plant.
Planning for the
Family’s Animal/Fish
Raising Project.
Animal raising/ fish raising can be a source of family
income and as an alternative source to an unexpected
situation/crisis like this pandemic which the country is
experiencing today. It is considered the most profitable
business today because it may be done in one’s
backyard or even in small vacant spaces.
Particularly, in livestock raising, you consider not
only the animals to be raised but also their dwelling,
food, water supply, and many other things.
Planning and preparing to raise animals must be
given ample time and careful thought. To achieve your
set goals in livestock raising, be mindful of minute
details.
 Here are some suggestions to make the right decision.
1. Attend sponsored seminars by government agencies.
2. Read journals or magazines on livestock raising.
3. Interview persons in authority or experts on animal raising.
4. Have enough capital or budget for the venture.
5. Decide wisely on what animal to raise.
6. Determine the proper location or space for the chosen
animals.
7. Ascertain sufficient food supply for the animals.
8. Look into the water system of the place.
9. Check manpower.
10. Assure the demand for marketable products to be sold
Here is some information that may be your guide and can
help you decide on the animals you are planning to raise.

A. Raising Pigs
Pigs are also called as swine or hogs. They are the most
well-loved meat by Filipinos. Its meat which is called pork
is rich in protein and the most profitable business. Their
meat product varies on the kind of breed history.
Common Breeds of Swine
1. Native variety- colored either black or black with a
white belly that can be able to survive and reproduced in a
natural environment they eat palay and leftovers and can
loiter in the backyard with minimal human attention.
2. Imported Variety
A. Yorkshire - is white in color with ears erected forward that can easily adapt in
its confinement. Its meat is a source of meat for bacon.
B. Landrace - its meat is best in ham and bacon, has white hair and skin and
large drooping ears covering its face, gets easily sunburn, insect bites, and skin
diseases. Its breed came from Denmark.
C. Hampshire - The pig looks smaller than other breeds, long-legged bodied with
a white belt around the body, shoulder, and forelegs, with erected ears and
shorter legs, heavily muscled lean meat from New Jersey
D. Duroc- this breed has good motherly milk producer, comes from New Jersey
with light to dark red and golden yellow color
E. Poland China - is black with white spots on feet, tail, and face with drooping
small sized ears. It has thick meat but does not produce much offspring.
F. Hypor - this breed has superior milking qualities. It has a high carcass quality
of meat with well-muscled back and developed ham.
G. Tamworth - its body is light and dark red, has a long, narrow head, long
snout, and erected ears. Its meat is best in bacon.
The right choice of a swine breed and proper management leads you to more
profit gaining.
 Feeding Swine
Swine at different age levels
requires different feed types to be
given two to three times per day.
These are the following:
Starter Mash- This is given to two to
eight-week-old piglets.
Growing Mash- This is given to two
to six-month-old piglets.
Fattening Mash- This is given to ten-
month-old piglets until they are ready
for slaughter.
Alternative food like camote tops,
kangkong, papaya leaves may also be
given to swine from time to time.
Needed Materials To Start The Project
Requirements For Hog Raising
a. Pigpen- this must have adequate space for the pig to move
around freely. There must be a trough for feeds and water. The
roofing is made of galvanized sheets. The floor is slightly sloping
to the draining area to prevent urine and manure from
accumulating. A pit is provided for the dumping of hog waste.
b. Piglet- this must be carefully selected. Check skin, legs, feet,
and nails, as well as breed and size. Also choose those that have
been vaccinated with anti-cholera, anti-anemia, and
immunization from other diseases.
c. Food- many foods are containing various ingredients and
nutrients. Avoid giving spoiled food for this can cause diseases
that can be transmitted to humans.
d. Care- one must ensure that the pigs do not contract any
diseases. Proper care includes keeping them in pigpens,
maintaining cleanliness in their spaces, bathing them every day,
and consulting a veterinarian when necessary.
 B.CattleRaising Cattle
farming requires a larger area for the animal to roam around or graze unlike in swine,
but it can also be sold as live, meat, or as a dairy product.
Cattle Breeds For Best Meat Production
1. Brahman - it has tolerance in heat and resistance to insects and diseases. It has prominent hump
over the shoulder with loose pendulous skin under the throat with the color varying from gray to
white, red, and black or black spots.
2. Ongole/Nelore a white-colored cattle with dark gray hump and neck and has short ears with
high adaptability except in a very cold climate.
3. Santa Gertrudis this breed has horns having loose hide and skin folds on the neck and sheath or
naval black. Its color is red to cherry red.
4. Bali or Banteng a brown colored cattle with males changing to black color during adulthood,
with medium-sized horns that curve upward and backward slightly and with the compact well-
developed body.
3 Ways of Grazing Cattle
1. Tethering-a cow is tied 10-12 m long rope with a graze hour of 6-8 hours a day and should be
given water to drink before and after grazing.
2. Loose Grazing-it is let loose for about 5-6 hours daily in an open grassland to roam freely for
grazing.
3. Cut and carry- feeding is cut and fed to its confinement and is practiced during the fields are
Housing Cattles
Provide proper housing for cattle to
protect them and have shed at night. It must
be dry and well ventilated and free from any
sharp edges to be harmed. Troughs must be
provided to their shed for drinking water and
a manure or pit box in their area.
Schedule of Work
Although most of the cow’s diet is grass
or hay, it is best to feed them grains once a
day. Always provide them water in the
grazing and the pen. Provide health records
of a cow and immunize regularly and try
seeking to advise of the experts/services of
the veterinarian or the office of the
provincial veterinarian.
 C. Raising Goats
Since goats are a good choice to produce
meat and milk, its skin also can be a source of
materials in making products. Moreover, goats'
manure is the best fertilizer for any type of
garden soil. Aside from its versatility, goats are
inexpensive and economical animals to keep
and raise because they simply live on grass and
leaves of plants like ipil-ipil, kangkong, camote,
and tamarind.
Among goats, major health problems are
internal and external parasites coccidiosis (in
kids before and after weaning), and pneumonia.
A good health care program includes vaccination
for most diseases and is established between
the grower and veterinarian. In the Philippines,
goat meat is relatively more expensive than
chicken, pork, or beef, Goat farming has a high
potential for profit. Goats, like cattle, maybe
caged in a pen or allowed to graze on a large
Needs In Goat Raising
In launching a goat enterprise, consider the resources you must
devote to the project. Personal attitudes like interest and determination,
availability of land, machinery, equipment, labor, capital, and
marketing/selling are the things that should matter. Also, there should be a
profitable outlet for goat products.
Common goat breeds for Dairy Production:
a. Saanen Goats - these are the largest of all dairy-goat breed and raised
worldwide for milk production. The female goat or Saanen doe can produce
3 liters of milk a day. They were the most consistent, the strongest, and
most preferred because they can adapt to the changing environment.
Mostly they are colored white with black spots on the nose, ears, and
udder (female mammary glands), with no horns averaging from 60-90 kg
of their long and barrel-shaped body, straight and strong legs.
b. Toggenburg Goats were considered as the oldest breed from
Switzerland. They are best in commercial milk production having strong,
energetic, and very alert appearance with the medium-sized body usually
colored brown or black with an average weight of 65.70 kg.
c. Anglo-Nubian Goats their meat and milk are the most compliant dairy
type in the Philippines because of their Asian and Middle Eastern blood.
They are brown or sometimes a combination of brown and black with
drooping ears hanged closely to its head and long body. Their weight
ranges from 70-90 kg. when mature.
 Housing The Goats
About 22.4 meters of space is needed
to house two goats together. Outdoor
space must be provided so it can move
freely and an indoor space with a dry floor
covered with a thick layer of beddings for
sleeping at night.
Keep the goats safe with an enclosed
high fence to protect them from predators.
Good housing for goats is very essential as
they are prone to pneumonia when
regularly exposed to rain. A goat house
must be well ventilated, clean, and dry.
There should be separate pens for
lactating does, dry does, kids, and bucks.
A fenced loafing area should be provided
complete with feeding racks and water
troughs.
Feeding Goats
Goats are known to relish Para grass, star grass,
Napier grass, guinea grass, and Centrosema among other
grasses and legumes. Goats like other livestock, require the
same nutrients such as protein, carbohydrates, fats,
minerals, vitamins, and water. During the rainy season, keep
the goats in their pen. Feed them with cut grass and salt.
Salt makes goats keep a steady appetite making them grow
faster and produce more milk. Goats like to eat different
things but rather preferred to eat leaves and weeds than
plain grass and it is advised to put them in a pasture to
search food.
Supplying them quality hay and selected fruits to
supply them their needed nutrients, weeds and leaves are
not enough, avoid giving potatoes, tomatoes, and kale, they
are poisonous to goats. Supply 3-4 gallons of fresh water a
day especially during hot weather.
Marketing Goats
Goat’s meats or live goats can be sold directly to the
consumers or at local markets, restaurants, and cooperatives
D. Fish Farming
Aside from raising animals, you may also
engage in fish farming. It is a form of aquaculture
that involves raising fish in ponds or tanks for
human consumption. It is one of the biggest
industries in the Philippines as we are
surrounded by bodies of water. Engaging in fish
farming is a suitable and viable source of
livelihood for many Filipinos.
What are the different kinds of fish to be
raised?
Tilapia
Tilapia is one of the most in-demand fish in
the market today. It’s a bright-colored fish that
can be raised in brackish, saltwater ponds, and
other marine water fish pens. Fish growers both
locally and abroad are focusing on aquaculture
efforts on Tilapia because of the demand for it as
well as its rapid growth and productivity at
 Ways Of Raising Tilapia
Tilapia may be grown in three ways.
Choose what suits your locality, space, and even
your purpose whether for family consumption or as
a livelihood project.
a. Using the drum. This pertains to the use of big
drums to grow tilapia. Because the space is limited,
the harvest is also limited just enough for a family’s
consumption.
b. Using a fish pen or pond. This indicates that
the use of rivers and lakes with pens or ponds
measuring 1x1x1 square meters. This can raise from
250 to 1500 tilapia.
c. Using an artificial pond. This suggests raising
tilapia in an excavated or dug out the concrete pond
at the backyard preferably near a water source
Milkfish
Also referred to as the national fish of the Philippines, milkfish or bangus is very
popular for its milky taste. It is also known as aqua-chicken because of its mass and
breeding production as based on chicken and also called as St. Peter Fish as described
biblically. It is grown in freshwater and feeds on algae and other aquatic plants. Like
the tilapia, milkfish require no special kind of feed, for their diet. Milkfish can be
harvested after seven to ten months of feeding.
Catfish
Catfish resemble cat’s whiskers with cylindrical large head long fish and can live
in drought season. This fish has become a staple food for many Filipinos, especially in
the Tagalog region. Catfish can be harvested between four
to six months of feeding.
Ways of raising fish
The following are the common types of fish enclosures used today.
a.Dugout/excavated enclosures – This type of fish pen is an inland fish pen. A
large land area is excavated to create a pool of water where fish can be grown.
b.Concrete/plastic enclosures/drums -Concrete and plastic fish tanks are usually
used for commercial fingerling production and research development.
c.Fish cages- is an enclosure made of nets and stakes-placed in large bodies of
water like the sea, lakes, and rivers to contain and protect fish until they can be
Preparing a schedule of work for raising, caring,
processing, and marketing of products and by-
products
You have decided what animal and fish you would like to raise on your farm.
Draft your action plan using bullet points of what you want to do, how you want to do it, and what you
are willing to do to set your goal.
• Set a concrete, attainable goal.
• Determine how you plan to attain that goal that you set.
• What makes you different from other farms/farmers doing the same thing?
• Do you have a marketing plan?
• Do a SWOT analysis.
• What are your strengths?
• What do you think are your weaknesses.
• Are there opportunities you should look into?
• What potential threats should you be aware of?
• Prepare your SWOT analysis table.
SWOT analysis may also help you use external forces you have no control over to your advantage.
The following points out the schedule of work when you put up a
farm.
1. Development of a business plan
This includes setting the objectives that you want to attain.
Required permits when putting up a farm business:
a. Business name registration- This permit is secured from the
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
b. Barangay Clearance- Need to secure this necessary permit to operate
from the barangay where your farm will be put up.
c. Mayor’s permit and License/Sanitary permit - The local
government has jurisdiction over the area in issuing business licenses to
operate to establishments.
d. Tax Identification Number (TIN)- This serves as the business tax ID.
e. Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC)- This is issued by the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) after inspection
of the facilities that you have built on your farm.
2. Planning for operations
This is an outline of the day-to-day operations of your farm: What gets done, how it is done, when it is
done, who does it (production cycle).
a. Development of the marketing plan
This answers the question: What do you do to your products once these become available
b. Establishing your financial plan
This includes budget allotment vs. expenses, debt, labor, and miscellaneous expenses of the farm.
c. Execution of the business plan
At this point, you as a farm operator can translate all your actions to income generation and experience
gain.
d. Monitoring
It is important to keep records to assess whether your farm business yields income or not. Is it a profit or
is it a loss?
e. Research and development
It is best to keep learning and take in new ideas and practices that can help improve your daily
operations. The internet is a good source of free information.
3. Taking Care of the Environment in Raising Animals
It is important to take care of the environment when raising animals. Some laws regulate the use of a
place for animal raising. Laws prohibit the use of residential areas for large-scale animal raising. There is
a need to segregate waste. A definite place should be allotted for dumping the waste. Be sure that this
waste does not pollute the surrounding area especially lakes, ponds, and rivers. Animals should stay in