Have Your Own Animal Farm and Earn Big

Almost every family in the Philippines owns a dog, cat, bird, or any other domesticated animal which they feed, bathe, and treat as a lovable pet. While some pet owners focus more on taking care wild and exotic animals such as cobra, iguana, scorpion, and others. With that, Filipinos are confirmed animal lovers. 

Aside from just wanting to have pets, People rear animals in order to improve their living or basically to earn a big income. Today, many people, both in local and international, engage in Livestock Raising to have a secured supply of food, support their daily needs, and have an additional income. Just like having a vegetable garden in the backyard, rearing animals prove financially rewarding if done in the right way.

Livestock are animals raised in the backyard for work or for food. These include chicken, duck, quail, hog or pig (swine), cattle (cow and carabao), and goat. These animals are raised depending on the kind of surrounding or environment. Livestock Raising is a sure source of food and clothing. The meat and skin of these animals command higher prices in the market. Even the by-products of these animals are a good source of fertilizers. With the Filipinos' patience and perseverance, livestock raising remains a profitable and sustainable business enterprise.

If you raise chickens in your backyard, you are probably aware that through this, you could earn a lot through selling the chicken’s egg and the chicken itself. This would stand as the reward for the hard work that you put into your mini chicken farm. This scenario clearly shows the benefits people get in raising livestock.

According to the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics, the livestock industry in 2005 generated over P800 billion value of production. This staggering amount has created allied industries worth billions of pesos as well. These include, among others, feed milling, marketing and distribution, manufacture of veterinary drugs and supplies, fresh meat production, and a multitude of other foods, cosmetics and industrial products. These industries generate hundreds of thousands of jobs -from the small backyard livestock farmers comprising the bulk of the raisers to the workers of the commercial livestock or poultry farms and in all the allied industries.

Livestock plays a vital role in the development and growth of our agricultural and rural economies. Not only do they produce food directly, they also provide key inputs to crop agriculture. Most farms are too small to justify owning or using a tractor, and the alternatives are animal power or human labor.

For many smallholder farmers, livestock are the only ready source of cash to buy the inputs they need to increase their crop production, like seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides. Livestock income also goes towards buying things the farmers cannot make for themselves. And that includes paying for school fees. Income from cropping is highly seasonal, almost of it coming in just a few weeks after harvest. In contrast, small stock, with their high rates of reproduction and growth, can provide a regular source of income from sales. Larger animals, such as cattle, are a capital reserve, built up in good times to be used when crops are poor or when the family is facing large expenses, such as the cost of a wedding or a hospital bill.

But above all these, you must also take some considerations in choosing the kind of animals you would want to take care of. First, you must select young animals for they are more productive than older animals. You should also choose animals that are active, with bright eyes, and soft and smooth hides. Third, you must pick animals that are heavy and big for their age, well-developed shoulders, and can stand firmly on their feet. Lastly, animals with broad chest and good body built and appetite are good choice of breeders.
