My Narrative Report

Mindanao Dairy Cattle Training and Research Center

Submitted by:

MERLYN B. PAJO

Trainee

Confirmed by:

DR. AMADO A. LOPEZ

Farm Manager

Noted by:

DR. NIÑA MAE R. VILLAR

Director, – Livestock Enterprise Office

 Dairy farming is a branch of agriculture that encompasses the breeding, raising, and utilization

of dairy animals, primarily cows, for the production of milk and the various dairy products
processed from it.

Mindanao Dairy Cattle Training and Research Center has been offering Dairy Cattle Production
and Management training and has been able to produce high quality of performance that are
trained as dairy farm workers/managers all over the world.

On May 10, 2022, the 4th batch of Dairy Cattle Production and Management Training have
commenced under the program of Resource Generation and Management Office (RGMO) of
Central Mindanao University, which was comprised of 22 trainees. The training was divided into
two (2) phases; the lecture phase with a duration of one (1) month May-June, and the next
phase is the On-The-Job Training (OJT) Which was been given a duration of six (6) months or
which equivalent to 1,060 hours of hands on of dairy farm works.

During the lecture phase, all possible topics with regards of dairy farming were tackled,
presented, and discussed by the designated resource persons, namely; Dr. Niña Mae R. Villar,
Dr. Amado A. Lopez, Dr. Ephraim A. Bantug, and Dr. Louel P. Valdez. Some of the topics that
has been discussed are;

 Goals and Practices of Milking the process and procedure

 Forages
 Silage making
 Estrus Cycle
 Signs of Heat
 Artificial Insemination
 Pregnancy Diagnosis
 UMMB process making
 Hormones
 Concept of Animal Disease
 Disease of Dairy Cattle and Causes
 Body Condition Score
 Mastitis
 Calf Feeding
 Breeds and Selection

After a month of lectures and discussion, a culminating activity has been conducted in order to
acknowledge the completion of the trainees on their lecture training phase.

All trainees were encourage to undergo on-the-job training so that trainees will received
another certificate of completion having at least 1,060 hours of work experience and or could
possibly be more depend of how much was the duration of work of the trainee that has been
rendered.The trainees were divided into groups which consist of four (4) groups and be
assigned into different assignments, there are four (4) rotation of work that has been given it
composed of, milking, pasture, feedlot/fabrication, beef cattle project.

On the first task the milking, milking is a daily activity that composed of two (2) duration of
milking the cow 4:00 o’clock to 8:00 o’clock in the morning while in the afternoon 1:00 o’clock
to 4:00 o’clock, in the morning the group task to get the cow’s in the paddock and guide the
cow to be put in the holding pen. There are only 18 cows during the training, but there are few
cow that wasn’t been included into the milk collection due to being classified as “Dry” meaning
their lactation period is over, this manifestation of the cow is to prepare for the calving. In
milking we used machine that was called “Milking machine” this is the machine that was used
to collect milk from the cow, and we feed the cows when they are put in the milking parlor, we
feed them rice bran and or feeds pillet. And also the group testing mastitis to know if the teats
of the cow and the milk has an infection or not in this test the milk that has been test positive
the milk will be separate in order to avoid milk inconsumable. The group maintain the
cleanliness of the milking parlor to avoid the bacteria stay in the area and also we sanitized all
the equipment that has been used in the collecting of milk to maintain the milk are fresh and
clean. Also in the calf rearing area we take care of the calf who are new born, and also those
who are on the months of age, in this we separate them to ensure the development of the calf
has been observed and monitored, we feed them with milk and a few of Napier grass for those
calf’s that are aged of months.

In pasture area, the group assigned on maintaining the paddocks on cleaning the paddocks on
undesirable grass, repairing of concrete post, repairing and or replacing of wires, changing
wood post to concrete posts. And also we are taught on how to drive tractor and how to do
grass harvesting, ploughing, tilling, and harrowing the soil. The harvested grass was been
delivered to the beef cattle project to feed the wild cattle daily.

In the feedlot/fabrication task the group maintaining on cleaning the feedlot/holding pen area
preserved the cleanliness of the area, and also the group were assigned on fabrication to make
concrete posts to put in the paddocks.

For the beef cattle project area, the group assigned to assist the personnel in caring the beef
cattle, also maintaining on cleaning the area and paddocks, also build a strong foundation of
fence in the paddock in order the cattle couldn’t escape or go into the other area. It takes one
(1) month duration per area to complete the task by the group.

Taking up this Dairy Cattle Production and Management training is one of my best experience
on handling cattle/livestock this gives me a challenge to work hard and it gives me a lot of
lessons and I learned a lot of things that I haven’t done before. It motivates me and inspires to
be a better person. I am very grateful to those people who shared their knowledge who help us
successful on our training and in our journey.