Introduction

Cattle fattening has gained prominence as an important business project of the livestock industry in the
Philippines. It gives the farmer year-round work and provides him with extra income. He can make use of cheap,
plentiful farm by-products such as corn stoves, rice straw, copra meal, rice bran and sugarcane tops, which
ordinarily go to waste. Most importantly, it helps meet the urgent demand for high-protein foods in the Filipino diet.
Backyard cattle fattening or on a large scale can be profitably undertaken. It consists of buying healthy
stock, feeding and fattening them for 120 to 180 days, and selling them at any time of the year. Minimum space for
housing is required: 1.5 to 2 sq. meters per head for a sheltered feeding area, and 5 meters per head for a fenced
loafing area.
Given the proper care, there is less danger of diseases and parasites affecting confined animals and the
fattening period is shorter. Marbling or intermixture of fat and lean in meat is better obtained through feedlot
fattening. This is preferred by customers.
Types of Cattle Raising
Cow-calf Operation

In a cow-calf operation, cows and bulls are raised to produce calves which are raised until they are weaned
from their dams at seven (7) to eight (8) months of age. After weaning, they can be sold immediately, or raised for a
few more months for use as replacement stocks or sold for fattening
The cow-calf operation is considered most challenging because the breeder needs to be familiar with the
reproductive cycle, management practices involved in the production and maintenance of cows, bulls and calves as
well as breeding and feeding systems. A good animal health program should also be observed to minimize mortality
and ensure the productivity of the animals.
Breeder Farm Operation

In a breeder farm operation, the main interest of the raisers is to produce animals for breeding purposes.
There is a set of selection criteria for calves and they are raised until they are ready for breeding.
Since the main output of a breeder farm is quality breeding animals, a large herd is necessary for the
selection of the replacement stocks. Purebred animals are usually utilized in this type of operation. The breeder farm
can be maintained in the ranch, in complete confinement, or integrated with plantation and forest trees. The farm
requires a number of animal stock, a big space and a big capital.
Growing-Fattening Operation

This is the most popular type of cattle raising in the Philippines. It requires simple facilities and level of
management. The lifespan of operation is shorter and the return of investment is relatively higher.
Growing cattle can be raised through grazing or cut-and-carry feeding. Thus, it needs little capital so it can
be managed by small hold cattle raisers.
On the other hand, the fattening or finishing stage is usually done intensively or in confinement. The
animals are kept within an area so that the feeds given to them are utilized to develop their tissues.
Breed

Improved breeds and crossbreds gain weight faster than native animals. Tropical breeds are more adaptable
to local climatic and feed conditions than temperate breeds. Some of the recommended tropical breeds are:
Brahman
 Color is gray, some are reddish. This breed is resistant to diseases and can withstand heat better.
Ongle or Nellore

Color is white. The bulls may have dark gray head, neck and hump. Knees may be black.
Indu-Brazil

Colors vary from light to silver gray and brownish dark gray to red.
Batangas Cattle

This is not really distinct breed of cattle in the Philippines. Cattle fattened in Batangas comes from
Mindoro, Masbate and other provinces. The term Batangas beef has become popular because of the good quality
cattle produced by the “supak” method of Batangas.
Management Practices
Management of Calves

Calves should suckle colostrum milk from their mother within three (3) hours after calving. A calf that has
not suckled five (5) to six (6) hours after calving should be led to his mother’s udder.
During bad weathers, weak calves should be taken to the barn with the mother. However, orphaned calves may be
raised to cow’s milk or milk replacers. Calves should be given concentrates at an early age for faster growth.
Management of Growers

Growers are weaned yearlings which are not to be fattened immediately. They are handled in such a way
that maximum growth is achieved at the lowest possible cost. The growing period starts from weaning to fattening
or replacement stage. Growers are usually maintained in the pasture with very little attention; they are given salt and
mineral supplements. If raised in confinement, concentrates should be given in addition to grass or roughage.
Management of Fatteners

Fatteners require a shorter period to reach slaughter weight. They are generally bigger, mature, or nearing
maturity. However, one and a half to two-year old animals weighing 200 to 300 kg are preferred. They may be
fattened either in feedlot, on pasture, or in both areas.
Cattle Housing

Proper housing is important in successful cattle fattening operation. Adequately protect animals against the
adverse effects of weather when they are raised in relatively small areas. Animals in backyard cattle farms are
usually tethered along roadsides and in backyards during the day and confined in a shed or corral at night. The
permanent type of housing consisting of GI roofing, timber frames, concrete floor, feed trough and water troughs are
used in most farms. The shelter is open-sided and is located near the farmer’s house or under the shade trees.
Building height ranges from 1.79 to 1.9 meters while the width varies from 2.1 to 2.7 meters. Each animal can be
allocated with 1.5 to 4.5 sq. meters.
A fenced loafing area beside the goat house must be provided (100 to 150 sqm/250 head), complete with
feeding racks and water troughs to allow animals to loaf freely. Flooring of the area must be cemented to facilitate
drying. Cogon and nipa as roof materials are preferred in hot and humid areas.
Ventilation is of outmost importance. Majority of pneumonia cases can be traced to excessively warm and humid
interior and sudden changes in temperature. Allow a 0.5 to 1 feet clearance between floor to wall and wall to beam
to create an adequate circulation and to lower draft. It is desirable to maintain an interior temperature of 28 to 30°C.
It has been established that above 30°C ruminants are inhibited from eating. Lighting may also be provided in the
barns during the night. Goats consume up to 30% of the day’s intake during the night when light is provided.
Other Options:

1. Housing System for Cow-calf Operation

Cow-calf operation in smallhold farms is usually done using simple methods and facilities. The animals are
usually tethered during the day and kept inside the shed during the night. The shed is built from native materials like
wood and bamboo frames and enclosures; nipa and cogon for roofings. Feeding and watering troughs can also be
made out of locally available materials such as used tires, used and halved drums. The shed is usually built near the
house of the farmer.
2. Housing System for Fattening Operation
In this type of operation, the animals are raised in individual stalls with a space about 1.5 m x 4 m/head.
Each stall can accommodate one animal during the entire fattening period. The shed is built three (3) meters high to
allow good ventilation. Bamboo, lumber, or ipil-ipil poles can be used for frames; nipa or cogon for roofing
materials although galvanized iron roofing may be used for durability. Concrete and sand should be used as flooring
to prevent mud from accumulating. This will facilitate cleaning.
Guide in Selecting Stocks Based on Physical Appearance

A. Selecting Cows and Heifers for Breeding

1. Milking Ability and Feminity

A cow should have a mild maternal face with bright and alert eyes, good disposition, and
quiet temperament. Its udder is of good size and shape, soft, flexible and spongy to touch. This
characteristic is expected to secrete more milk unlike an udder that is fleshlike and hard.

2. Age

In general, beef cows remain productive for 13 years if they start calving at three years of
age. They are most productive from four to eight years of age.

3. Breeding Ability and Ancestry

Cows that calve regularly are desirable. Calves from cows that do not take on flesh
readily do not give much profit. In buying heifers for foundation stock, select those which belong
to families which have regularly produced outstanding calves.

4. Types and Conformation

An ideal cow has a rectangular frame. Should be of medium width between the thurls and
pins to have necessary frame on which to hang profitable beef. The rump must be long and
smooth.

B. Selecting a Bull
 1. Physical Appearance

A fairly good middle or barrel indicates a well-developed digestive system and healthy
vital organs such as the heart, liver and lungs. Likewise, a full heart girth, broad muzzle, large
nostrils, muscular cheeks and jaw, well-rounded thighs and a full loin, make up a good
constitution. A bull with these qualities is desirable.
The legs of a bull should be strong enough to carry its own weight and to carry him
around to look for cows that are in heat and to search for food when necessary. Successful mating
of cows is ensured when a bull has strong legs.

2. Sex Character

Well-developed sex organs are characterized by fully descended testicles, deep wide
chest, and broad head. These qualities indicate virility and good reproduction.

C. Selecting Cattle for Fattening

1. Age

Young animals have striking advantages over older cattle. They need less feed for every
unit gain in weight because they can masticate and ruminate thoroughly and can consume more
feed in proportion to their body weight. Their increase in weight is due partly to the growth of
muscles and vital organs. In older cattle the increase is largely due to fat deposits.
On the other hand, older animals as feeder stock also have advantages. Generally, a two-
year old steer will require a shorter feeding period than a calf or a yearling because the latter
grows while it fattens.
Calves are choosy when given coarse and stemmy roughage, while two-year old steers
utilize large quantities of roughage to produce fat primarily because they have a better capacity to
digest. In most cases, they readily relish the feeds ordinarily rejected by the calves.

2. Disposition

An active yet mild, quiet, and easily-handled steer usually grows fast and fattens easily.
Restless, nervous and erratic cattle waste too much energy when they panic even at the slightest
provocation.

3. Constitution and Vigor

These are determined by the size and quality of the vital organs. A large feeding capacity,
strong appetite, a large heart girth, well-sprung ribs and a wide, deep and full chest show good
constitution and vigor.
 4. Sex

In general, more steers than heifers are available for fattening because some heifers must
be retained as herd replacements.
If fed for the same period of time, steers gain about 10% faster than heifers and require
10 to 15% less feeds with equal weight gain. On the other hand, young bulls have 20% greater
gain in live weight and require 22% less feed to produce a leaner carcass which is nearly of the
same quality as that of steers.

5. Health Considerations

A healthy animal is active, has a soft and smooth hair coat, bright eyes and moist muzzle.
Special attention should be given to unsoundness and defects in conformation when selecting
feeders. Animals that are blind, lame or with crooked legs, rough skin, and evidence of
ectoparasite should be avoided.

Judaism is a religious tradition with origins dating back nearly four thousand years, rooted in the ancient
near eastern region of Canaan (which is now Israel and Palestinian territories). Originating as the beliefs and
practices of the people known as "Israel," classical, or rabbinic, Judaism did not emerge until the 1st century C.E.
Judaism traces its heritage to the covenant God made with Abraham and his lineage — that God would make them a
sacred people and give them a holy land. The primary figures of Israelite culture include the patriarchs Abraham,
Isaac, Jacob, and the prophet Moses, who received God's law at Mt. Sinai. Judaism is a tradition grounded in the
religious, ethical, and social laws as they are articulated in the Torah — the first five books of the Hebrew Bible.
Jews refer to the Bible as the Tanakh, an acronym for the texts of the Torah, Prophets, and Writings. Other sacred
texts include the Talmud and Midrash, the rabbinic, legal, and narrative interpretations of the Torah. The
contemporary branches of Judaism differ in their interpretations and applications of these texts. The four main
movements within Judaism today are Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, and Reconstructionist, respectively ranging
from traditional to liberal to religiously progressive in their application of Torah. While diverse in their views, Jews
continue to be unified on the basis of their common connection to a set of sacred narratives expressing their
relationship with God as a holy people. Judaism tends to emphasize practice over belief. Jewish worship is centered
in synagogues, which completely replaced the Second Temple after its destruction in 70 C.E. Jewish religious
leaders are called rabbis, who oversee the many rituals and ceremonies essential to Jewish religious practice.

Quick Fact Details:

 Formed: Though the Jewish calendar goes back more than 5000 years, most scholars date the beginning of the
religion of the Israelites to their forefather in faith, Abraham, whose life is generally dated to circa 2000-1800
B.C.E.
 Origin: Canaan is the biblical name for the area between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean, approximately
the equivalent of what today comprises the state of Israel and the Palestinian territories.
 Followers: The worldwide count of adherents of Judaism is difficult, as some Jewish movements dispute the
legitimate Jewish identity of others. Many do not affiliate with any particular branch, and may then be left out of
census reports.
 Sacred Texts: Tanakh is an acronym of Torah, Nevi'im, and Ketuvim. Torah is the name given to the first five
books — Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy — also called the Pentateuch. The Nevi'im
and Ketuvim are the books of history, prophecy, poetry, and other sacred writings. The Talmud is also called the
Oral Torah, and is comprised of rabbinical commentary and interpretation on the Torah.
 Headquarters: While Jerusalem remains the center of Jewish spirituality, the lack of a Temple or any
administrative or jurisdictional authority prevents it from being an organizational center.
date founded
c. 1300 BC
place founded
Mesopotamia
founder
Abraham
adherents
14 million
main location
Israel, Europe, and USA
major sects
Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox
sacred text
Tanakh and Talmud
i. SELECTION AND PROCUREMENTOFANIMALS FOR FATTENING

The response of sheep or goats to feedlot fattening may vary in terms of growth rate, feed efficiency and
meat quality because of variation in age, breed, previous feeding and/or management. Males grow faster than
females and the progeny of large breeds grow faster than progeny of small breeds. Crossbred offspring of smaller
breeds has faster growth rates in the progeny. Castrated males grow faster than entire males, irrespective of the
method of castration (open or emasculation). While purchasing animals for feedlot fattening following points should
be kept in mind: The animals should be alert and healthy. The weight of the animals should be average weight of
that age. The emaciated, thin and worm infested sick animals do not give optimum growth rates. The animals those
are under size for their particular breed are not recommended. The purchase of animals should be on live weight
basis rather visual estimates. The weight of the animals should be taken after at least twelve hour fasting. The
animals having missing teeth and lower jaw not matching upper jaw properly (either over short or undershot) cannot
eat well and should not be purchased. Purchase of animals from too distant places results in transportation losses and
may have acclimatization problems. While purchasing goats and lambs consideration should give to a local
predominant breed since it is more likely to be well suited to the climate, helps save transportation costs and a
stressful journey for the animal. The age of the sheep should be more than six months, and goats more than nine
months. Limping animal indicates hoof disease and should be avoided.

ii. QUARANTINE

For feedlot fattening of sheep and goats as animals are purchased from different sources / market, these
animals are kept in quarantine shed before moving to feedlot fattening shed. The following standard procedures are
performed during the quarantine period.
 Identification: The proper identification of sheep and goats is necessary for accurate record keeping on the
farm. There are different ways of identifying animals. The most commonly practiced are: tattooing, neck chains, ear
tags and ear notching.

Vaccination: Vaccination is one of the most effective means of controlling diseases on the farm. The
vaccination schedule can be finalized in consultation with the local veterinarian based on the threat of diseases in a
particular area, season or part of the year when a flock of sheep / goats are being raised under feedlot fattening. The
following vaccines are commonly available for sheep and goats. Consult the veterinarian for knowing which
vaccines to use.

Deworming: In sheep and goat farming, the infestation of roundworms, tapeworms, and lungworms can
cause heavy financial loss. The most commonly occurring internal parasitic infestations in the area of operation
should be identified, then a deworming calendar be designed in consultation with the local veterinarian. For feedlot
fattening operation deworming in the beginning should always be carried out.

Dipping: Dipping or spraying for external parasites is one of the most important routine management
operations in the sheep production enterprise. Dipping is more effective than spraying. The sheep are made to swim
in through a dip filled with insecticide; normally they do not like to enter into water, so they must be forced to do
this. Dipping may be repeated in the case of severe infestations at intervals of 7-14 days. Procedural tips to
remember are:

Dip or spray the week after shearing to allow any cuts from sharing to heal. Choose a bright sunny day for
dipping. Use the insecticide strictly in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. Fill the dipping vat to 1 ft
from the top. While passing sheep through the dip, make sure to allow enough time to permit the insecticide to be
effective. Allow only one sheep in the vat at a time. After treatment keep sheep in a holding pen for at least five
minutes to ensure that the liquid is drained thoroughly. Use the dipping or spray if external parasites are seen /
detected. Consult the veterinarian for the medicines to be used for spray or dip.

ANIMALPREPARATION FOR FATTENING

After passing the quarantine (normally 5 to 7 days if all animals are healthy), the animals are moved to the
feedlot fattening shed, these animals are offered concentrate ration gradually so that they get31used to new feeding
regime. The roughages portion in the feed is reduced whereas, concentrate portion is increased in such a manner that
animal can switch over to desired level of concentrate feed within one week.

FEEDING SCHEDULE FOR FATTENING

The animals raised for feedlot fattening are offered good quality feedstuff, which are palatable and free
from fungus growth and any contaminations. The green roughages are harvested at proper stage of growth i.e. pre-
flowering, at this stage the forages has better palatability, intake and maximum amount of desirable nutrients. In the
grazing along with supplementation of concentrate ration system, at early hour of the day 50% of the daily
requirement of the concentrate i.e. 1% of the body weight ratio is offered, thereafter the animals are sent for grazing
for few hours so that animals can consume 2% of their body weight green fodder. The duration of the grazing will
depends on the availability of the green fodder. Whereas, remaining 1% of the body weight of the concentrate ration
is offered in the evening in the shed. In total mixed ration system, the fodder along with dry and/or green fodder is
offered twice a day along with concentrate ration. It is important that all animal raised on feedlot system should have
free access to clean drinking water all the time.