‘Callboar’ service goes hi-tech

In the past, the "callboar" businessman was an ambulant hog raiser with a baraco in tow and offered his boar to service sows in heat ready for reproduction. The business went something like this.

The caretaker with the macho baraco called out the service while going the rounds of his community and nearby barrios. A backyard hog raiser with a sow in heat would strike a deal with the "callboar service". The boar would service the sow in heat, after which when the sow impregnated by the boar gave birth to a litter, the boar owner had the right to choose the best piglet in size and appearance to add to his ward of boars and sows. The other options were to sell the piglet outright or take care of it and sell it later to pork middlemen.

In those days, it was hard to turn boar service into big business as the owner only collected hogwash from neighborhood kitchens and small restaurants plus vegetables and palay husk.

But now, it can be turned into profitable enterprise in the countryside as a complement to artificial insemination. One such enterprising hog raiser is Felimon Santander of Mandug, Davao City. Through the convenience of the phone and texting, the owner of a sow in heat can invite the services of Santander’s "callboar" business. Santander conducts his venture in his community in Mandug to as far as Sala and Tibungco, also in Davao City.

Says Santander of his money-making endeavor:

"The demand for services of my six machos baracos of top quality breeds such as Landrace, Large White, Dalland and their crosses is expanding. At present, we have serviced a total of 130 sows in Mandug, Sasa and Tibungco.

"We are servicing an average of 30 sows per month. We get to choose the best piglet from each litter which we sell at P 1,500. That’s an average gross income of P45,000 monthly. Since we get the top pick of the litter, it is oftentimes the first to be sold, so we get the money instead of the piglet."

The cost of feeds for the boars comprise most of the expense of the business. According to his computation, each mature boar consumes an average of three kilos daily. At the present cost of commercial feeds — P11.75 a kilo — the total expense for feeds is only around P211 per day or over P6,000 monthly for his six boars.

Complete package of Santander’s services make his venture popular. "Aside from breeding services, we also offer other activities related to care of piglets like castration and even injection of iron supplement at no extra cost to our clients," he explains.

Rather than sell all the piglets that Santander gets as payment for the services of his boars, he opts to keep a few heads in his backyard piggery. This he uses to provide enough manure for his modified biogas digester that supplies the fuel for his cooking needs. His over 30 heads of swine also supplies the fuel needs of his neighbors.

Hog farmers who needs Santander’s services (biogas digester design and construction) aside from breeding services, castration and injection of iron supplement may contact him at the following mobile phone numbers: (082)-300-2607 and (0920)-856-6463.