Tabanan, Rainbow over Ricefields

I Made Gama : The Duck Man

I Made Gama, who lives in Banjar Adeng, Marga, Tabanan, with his three children, is often away from home. Gama moves monthly from place to place, taking care of his ducks on the way, searching out the non-husked rice-grains after harvest.

He usually remains in one place for as long as 21 days before moving to another site. He even goes as far as to Badung Regency in search of a good place for his ducks.
He takes a simple tent with him, a straw mat and a mattress and pillow. He wears waterproof shoes, jacket, hat, raincoat, umbrella, and capil (broad-brimmed straw hat).
He needs to control his ducks with a net, small bamboo stick of 3-4 meters and a jembor water container and penagoan implement used to keep the duck food in.
I Made Gama has been working with ducks since1983, starting with young ducks. After a duckling has reached 20 days, it is be ready to go to the rice fields in search of food. By the age of 160 to 170 days, it is capable of laying eggs, and at the age of 2 it is unproductive. At this point, Gama sells the duck. At 51 years old, Gama has some 900 ducks, which is not as many as he used to tend in his younger days.

Holy Day
As a Hindu, I Made Gama always performs Tumpek Kandang ritual for the safety of his ducks and his family’s prosperity, on every Kliwon Saturday known in Bali as a day to ask for blessing from God, and Tumpek Kandang day.
Gama also holds a rite for his ducks during full and dark moon by serving Banjotan offerings, which contain a canang sari complete with rice cooked in a packet, boiled egg, variety of beans, and a food sesaur which is prepared in a mixture with Aleurites moluccana. (Buda)