Feeding and management practices, physical characteristics and utility of carabaos (swamp buffaloes) in five provinces of Luzon [Philippines]
1981
Guzman, M. R. de Jr.
A survey was conducted among 354 farmer carabao raisers in Pangasinan, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Ecija and Oriental Mindoro on some factors which may optimize carabao production. Rice straw was the most utilized of all the cereal by-products and a close second were corn stover, ipil-ipil, green corn, sweet potato vines and soilage. The combination of tethering, soiling, communal pasture and grazing was practiced by all farmers. Majority of all the farmers did not provide concentrate. Sixty percent of the respondents gave salt as the only source of mineral supplement for their carabaos. Only 37 percent provided housing to their carabaos. Pre- and post-weaning mortalities totalled 19 percent. Calving interval for 69 percent of the caracows was at least two years. Hoof and mouth disease and liverfluke infection were the most prevalent; however 38 percent of the farmers never had a sick carabao. Carabulls were castrated at 3.3 years. Ninety-nine percent of the farmers used natural breeding. The mean age of caraheifers at first breeding was 3.8 years. The mean age, weight, heartgirth, body length 1, body length 2 and height of the respondents' draft carabaos were 9 years; 445 kg, 189 cm, 120 cm, 180 cm, and 129 cm, respectively. Eighty-two percent of the carabaos trained for work were males. The increasing demand for draft carabaos was felt by many farmers and almost all agreed that raising a carabao, training it for work, then selling it was much more profitable than slaughtering
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