Progress report for FW25-003
Project Information
Guam has seen an increase of poultry production whether its backyard or pasture raised chickens. One of the main concerns with the residents as well as farmers is the increase of imported feed for both the day-old chicks, maintenance feed, and finally the layer feed. Feed has increased dramatically from $23.00 per sack 50lb of feed to $42.00 per sack of 50lb.
With the byproducts of Guam's businesses being discarded, this can be the solution to feeding our livestock by converting them into pellets. Local businesses are discarding items that can be pelleted feed for livestock. This includes the following: barley, oyster shells, eggs shells, corn, and green vegetables.
There will be a conference for farmers and interested parties to attend and participate in both a conference and on-site visits with Familian K Farm that is locally owned and operated.
The success of the project will assist all livestock farmers, ranchers and backyard farmers. It will provided farmers an alternative option on purchasing feed at a lower cost on Guam. The costs will be determined with the assistance Dr. Liu, Animal science professor.
Guam has seen an increase of poultry production, whether its backyard or pasture raised chickens. One of the main concerns with the residents as well as farmers is the increase of imported feed for both day-old chicks, maintenance feed, and finally the layer feed. Feed has increased dramatically from $23.00 per 50lb sack of feed to double that amount that has become unaffordable. As of 10/6/2024 the feed is up to $42.00 per 50lb sack.
Our objective is to use our local byproducts and convert them into pellets that have the necessary nutrients needed for our livestock on Guam. 8 chickens for 4 samples ( 32 total hens) will be selected for this trial, they will be in a controlled up-coop and will be provided feed that been processed into pellets.
| PROJECTED DATE | ACTIVITY | ACTION PLAN | PERSONEL | |||||||||
| April 2025 | PURCHASE EQUIPMENT | WORK WITH VENDOR ON ORDERING EQUIPMENT NOT FOUND ON GUAM | FAMILIAN K FARM (OWNER) | |||||||||
| April -May 2025 | RAISED BED | ASSEMBLE RAISED DRY BED AND CANOPY INSTALATION FOR THE PROCESS BARELY | FAMILIAN K FARM (OWNER) | |||||||||
| June 2025 | RECEIVED THE PELLETIZER | START THE PROCESS OF MIXTURE OF MATERIALS | FAMILIAN K FARM (OWNER) AND UOG ADVISOR | |||||||||
| June 2025 - March 2026 | FEEDING PROCESS | CREATE A CONTROLLED PEN WITH HENS EATING NEW FEED AND LOCAL PROCESS FEED DATA COLLECTION | FAMILIAN K FARM (OWNER) AND UOG ADVISOR | |||||||||
| June 2025 - Augs 2026 | TEST THE NUTRITION | TAKE LOCAL GRAIN AND GET NUTRITIONAL STATUS | UOG ADVISOR | |||||||||
| Aug-Sept 2026 | FARMERS OUT REACH | CONDUCT CONFERENCE AND SITE VISIT OF PROCESSING PLANT, PRESENT DATA AND PICTURES, PUBLICATION | FAMILIAN K FARM (OWNER) AND ADVISOR | |||||||||
Cooperators
- - Technical Advisor
Research
Familian K Farm will provide a portion of the farm to conduct the operational facility for the drying process. With this grant, Familian K farm will construct 4 dry beds and a 20x20 canopy to process the drying procedure of the barley. This will allow the barley to air dry for the pelletizer. Guam has its natural resource (the sun) every day of the week unless we hit the wet season in the fall time.
Familian K farm will also be the location of the processing of the raw materials to be pelleted. These materials are as follows: eggshells, oyster shells, green waste, barely, and greens vegetables. The oyster and egg shells will be heated to dry and grinded down to size.
There will be 4 sample formulas, all materials will be recorded and weighed in each sample feed. Test labels will indicate each ingredient mixed.
Each processed feed will be delivered to University of Guam to conduct the nutritional analysis of the pellets. Dr. Liu will help provide guidance on what other factors are needed to meet the protein needs for the livestock in Guam.
Once each feed has met the required ideal protein content, Familia K farm will have trial stocks (hens) for this project. This will determine the control method and health production of each chicken. There will be 8 hens per sample (32 hens total) for this trial. They will be placed in up-coops with labels and tags to indicate each ID of trial method. This process will be conducted within a time frame of 3.5 months. Data to be collected on each hen will consist of the following: egg production, egg and eggshell quality, and the chickens’ weight and feed intake.
Once all factors are collected, there will be a presentation to the Guam Department of Agriculture, University of Guam, Guam Farmers Coop,and local producers on relying on local resources to produce feed for livestock on Guam, and reduce the reliance on costly imported livestock feed.
UPATE AS OF 3/10/2026:
PELLETIZER
The pellet machine Model:TZ-260 was purchased at a total cost of 2290.00 from the 6,555.50 that was given for the start of the project. On October 17, 2025 I was given a notice of item being shipped to Guam. Until this date, the items is currently located at San Francisco Port of arrival.
NOTE: The University of Guam will be assisting with the project by providing assistance with the experiment station with in the University. Working with approval at the moment with extension assistant staff.
FEEDING STOCK and Pens
I made a slight change on using ground pens rather than the up-coop for the hens. With more space for the hens to move around, I see it more effective than the up coop. I assembled Four pens with each pen with adequate shade with ventilated area. Each cage is numbered and fitted with 3 healthy hens ages from 6 months to 9 months of age.
Each hens selected in each number cage are tagged and weighted every Friday of the week. They are as follow:
|
PEN 1 |
TAG 043 |
TAG 066 |
TAG 048 |
|
2/27/2026 |
4.30 |
4.10 |
4.20 |
|
PEN 2 |
TAG 058 |
TAG 069 |
TAG 012 |
|
2/27/2026 |
3.90 |
3.70 |
3.70 |
|
PEN 3 |
TAG 011 |
TAG 039 |
TAG 041 |
|
2/27/2026 |
3.50 |
3.60 |
3.60 |
|
PEN 4 |
TAG 100 |
TAG 017 |
TAG 085 |
|
2/27/2026 |
3.50 |
3.20 |
3.40 |
In the up coming days, the eggs of each pen will also be recorded by size and weight.
|
PEN 1 |
TAG 043 |
TAG 066 |
TAG 048 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
PEN 2 |
TAG 058 |
TAG 069 |
TAG 012 |
|
|
|
|
|
PEN 3 |
TAG 011 |
TAG 039 |
TAG 041 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
PEN 4 |
TAG 100 |
TAG 017 |
TAG 085 |
|
|
|
|
|
Here are some of the challenges that I endured during the start and selecting the hens for this program. My flock of hens both selected and free range was mutually attacked by stray wild packs of dogs. All four pens hens didnt survive the attack. New selected hens are pick and weighted and tagged for this program. This was noted and reported to both the local Guam Territorial Vet as well as my University of Guam Advisor. A few pictures are presented.
Due to inappropriate graphic nature I will not post the amount of cartage and the dogs being terminated.
RAW MATERIALS FOR FEED
With local collaboration with Guam hotels and local brewer such as Guam Hyatt Hotel and Guam Brewer, I was able to secure their by products waste. Once agreement was made each participant were given 3 trash bins for the by product of their waste labeled with K Farm.
This waste consist of eggs shells, oyster shells, barely. At the same time I am working with Wholesalers with their damage or expired wheat and grains such as rice, cereals and oatmeal. Here are some of the items that are currently being process. All donates materials will be recorded and weighted.
Barley by product:
SHREDDED OYSTER SHELLS
POWDERED EGG SHELLS
FEED TRAIL FOR HENS
For this experiment, each pen will be given 3 local purchase feed. These feeds consist of the following:
- Galimax Feed imported from the Philippines,
- Farmers Choice from the US Mainland.
- WESTCO Feed US product
- The final pen will be the feed produce locally with the by product from local resources.
Each feed will be weighted and measure for their daily consumption. It will also factor in their weekly weight in for each hen used for this project.
Research outcomes
Education and Outreach
Participation summary:
How will this be presented:
Familian K Farm will provide multi-media recordings from day one to completed date. With the use of multimedia, it will create an easy way to reach out to all parties involved here in Guam and the region. With the use of YouTube, We can reach out to other interested parties on the assembly of the operation, to the processing of the feed pellets, with the involvement of University of Guam testing methods, as well as practices along the way. We will include parties involved on contributing of their by products to the local farmers on alternative feed for our local livestock. This record keeping will show the steps we took to prepare the feed. This include the use of the dry beds, heating processes of egg shells and oyster shells, to the use of farmers greens, and the view of the pelletizer mixture and measurements. With today's technology, the educational part will be easy to process and distribute island wide, world wide as well.
During the conference, I will have a pamphlet created for farmers to read and understand how they can produce their own feed, as well as how this SARE grant helped me start the process and educated other island producers.