HHWW

Its now what you thought... "holding hands while walking"!

My work in marketing takes me to working with so many people from different agencies and offices. Met a lot of great minds that inspire you. We always shun from walking into government agencies...but hey....there a lot of them who really do work hard and beyond the call of duty.

One such agency is the Animal Products Development Center under Bureau of Animal Industry.

Because of distance and schedules, I am late in the pick up for sensory analysis (taste test in simpler terms) of my requested products to be developed. We had scheduled already a date for processing but they want to us to do several taste tests before going final on volume quantities. Again, I had to beg off till Monday the 14th.

Today I get a text that since we have a schedule for production and they want to make sure also that the products pass the sensory analysis for both parties, I can pick up the products tomorrow. I had to reread the text message and confirm that "tomorrow" is a Saturday.

"Yes" was the reply. Thank you. Open your heart to good service of civil servants. They are there to assist.... "helping hands while working".

Natural Gifts

I am no gift giver during events. Treats I give go when least expected, but surely those will be items I will want to keep or use for myself.

Christmas is no hurried time for me because the traffic and shopping frenzy doesn't engulf me :) This week is different! Nope, didn't catch the traffic stress.

From a riceland that didn't use chemicals nor pesticides, just organic fertilizers, there was a good harvest. That was sometime ago. There will be new sprouts and fruits from that field. See how some people go through harvested fields? Its like picking up the leftover.

What we got are not leftovers from the previous harvest. These are the ones that grew after! This crop didn't even get any fertilizing. Just the rain, the sun and fresh air. From there we got about three (3) sacks. One for my sister, one for my mother's bestfriend and one for me. The thought of giving came because I had a good product to give. It just dawned on me later that it was timely for Christmas.

For neighbors, think I will give fresh eggs from our grass fed Sunshines. Now. Why now and not on Christmas? So they have time to use it for their special flans.

What else? Fruits from our farm, we really give that to Manila friends....on regular days, when no ribbons go around beating red lights.

HAManok

We had commissioned a group to develop chemical free ham for our Sunshines. Let me share with you our initial recipe. They are working on several sausages and patties, aside from the HAManok :) Great gift and business idea. No curing period needed :)

Again....the income is not just in the raising....look beyond the cages.

HAManok
I. Meat Material		Quantity
	Chicken , whole, dressed	1 pc
II. Brine Solution	for 10 kg meat)
	Water	1250.00 g
	Refined salt	180.00 g
	Refined sugar	2.50 g
	Smoke flavor	3.00 g
	Oil of Anise (1 drop)	.06 g
	Oil of Cloves (1 drop)	.08 g
	Maplein (2 drops)	.12 g
III. Dry cure mixture
	Refined sugar	35.00 g
	Refined salt	18.00 g
IV.COOKING INGREDIENTS (per kg meat)
	Brown sugar	150.00 g
	Pineapple juice	125.00 g
	Anisado wine	60.00 g
	Bay leaf (as desired)	at least 2 pc
	Cloves (as desired)	at least 2 pc
	Oregano leaves	few strands
	Water just enough to cover the meat
Processing
CLEAN	whole chicken
REMOVE	oil gland and neck
WEIGH	Cleaned chicken
PREPARE	brine by mixing cold water with other ingredients
BRINE	mix cold water with other ingredients
INJECT	20% (or 1/2 cup brine) per kg of meat using a brine pump
APPLY	dry cure mixture inside and outside the carcass. Let stand for
	overnight in the refrigerator.
WASH	Chicken with tap water, drain and tie with abaca twine or
	cotton thread to maintain the shape.
COOK	meat with cooking ingredients until tender
CARAMELIZE	by applying brown sugar applied on the surface by using blow
	torch or in oven
PACK	in paperlyne (plastic wrap) and store in freezer

Proud Hen

Cheap thrills for me.

The calls I got today that made me happy.... several calls from different Chefs. Chefs/foodies/baking school owners who are product endorsers for big food companies. They can't openly use Sunshines as they are endorsing big companies.

Why did they order today? They each got about 5-10 pieces, for their family's consumption and for giving away as a roast or ham that they will prepare themselves.

That is really a nice touch. Prepare your own gifts.

To Each Its Own Housing

The designs of housing/pens can be adapted from big ones to small ones. You may have it in concrete or in wood. Fixed and posted firm, or movable structures.

Depends on what is convenient and easy for you to handle. Your needs should be met so that it will be a doable project.

For me I like brooders that are in cages. It seems easier for me to clean and pullout trays that catch their waste. Brooding bulbs are for me so I don't need the heat from the beddings. Doc Rey wants litter type. He sees it more convenient to scrape the beddings in one big load. Also, he likes preaching about the heat and moisture sponge from the beddings used. For smaller scale, the most practical will be Jojie's Crib (search on that topic in this blog).

Housing on the range, I like portable pens, or semi movable ones. It gives me the flexibility to be fickle minded and ever changing and change locations....much like moving a loveseat and a candlestick around the house. I don't think its expensive to be constantly changing, as you learn and amend designs, materials and locations with time. You need to change anyway as it wears :)

Location: Brooders have to be near water and electricity source. Water is most important. I like it near the caretaker as he has to give 25hrs attention, 8days a week.....at least for 22days :) Ranging: Anywhere fresh, a lot of grasses, clean air....

When ready to slaughter, we move it near the road/driveway - transport logistics.

This Is The Monitor

There are some people that you like working with or socially. I am one person that the liking for work and socially has to go together. I can't just like you for work. If I was to work with you, I have to like you socially first. A pair we like is Andry and Jojie Lim.

Remember the monitor that I described as a lopsided "T"? As I was going through my Facebook, I saw this in Jojie's photos posted recently.

Maybe the frames that Andry used were ready made and didn't touch it as it may be intended for use again for other applications. If I was to build this now, I will not make it that tall, as Sunshines nor caretakers aren't that tall :) The free flowing air had been answered by the screened walls and monitor.

You need all the fresh air and sunshine to dry and disinfect naturally. Much like you ferment good fruits and veggies to fertilize your fruits trees and veggie plots...you need to give sunshine to your Sunshines!

I remember hearing Doc Rey discussing about what side faces the afternoon sun and he was considering the wind direction. I am not into that data...but will inquire about those again and post it as another topic.

Where To Build?

Woke up real early as ground breaking for new pens....opportunity to walk at sunrise, taking in fresh air and donning my boots :)

Do we build pens at the end of the property? Midway near the caretaker's house? Or front near the road?

Good I decided to go as Doc Rey marked the ground for foundations already and it was at the end of the property.

I thought this way: brooders will be midway, close to the caretaker's house and near to the sources of water. Ranging pens will be set up at the front near the road. For one, the areas there are virgin...we have never used that area before. For two, easier to harvest and have holding areas near the road, where it is close to parking and the hauling vehicles can drive through.

We have to keep it simple and easy for work to be sustainable for manpower.

Next to plan: farm tools and implements to make work like play :)

Windbreakers And Shades

Have trees all around your ranging areas.

They act as shade and at the same time sways with the wind to give fresh air. Also acts as wind breaker :)

The curtain used acts as primary wind breakers for the building. It is not wrapped around the walls as that will prevent good air circulation. Wind breakers should be installed in such a distance that it catches the strong cold wind, but allows free flowing air.

Monitor

Quick trip to Isabela farm to check on new shelters being built. The trip is to monitor the construction and for a monitor constructed :)

Summer is approaching so the planning has to take into consideration that temperature....so monitors are in order.

For the lay and the non-technical person like me, the first time I heard that a grower installed a monitor in his Sunshines' shelter...I was like "wow"...I thought it was CCTV and cameras. He must love the Sunshines that much.

A monitor in poultry buildings means air outlet/ventilation :)

Last night I was listening to Doc Rey as he was giving instructions and drawing his several buildings. Don't let the term "several buildings" impress you. Shelters that are built with cement foundation, wood from a demolished old house, slightly elevated to plan against wet ground etc, nothing fancy, but fully utilitarian.

There was something about it that didn't seem fit for me. There will be two roofs side by side, the tip won't meet up there!? Like an lopsided "T". I had to butt in and ask to be briefed on the design. He looked quizzically at me as if I had to know that it was a monitor and it was for ventilation :)

Having been briefed and reminded about fresh air entering and allowing hot air to escape, now I know and understand the simple design of the open roof top and lopsided "T" design. Hey, how come the monitors I see on the large commercial buildings look like lofts? He said the lopsided "T" is the old and simple design in poultry management. The new loft designs (no relation to the furniture retailer) is a product already of intelligent architecture :)

Great that mind is activated by forced creativity when budget is constrained. We are all learning here. We need to find ways to make it easy for us and for them.

Why The Tests?

Blood tests are done to monitor the health and condition of the Certified Parent Stocks. Aside from us owners wanting to make sure they are healthy, the government, namely the Bureau of Animal Industry of the Department of Agriculture monitors to make sure they know the history of the flocks that are given local shipping permits.

They do testings at about 2months old and at 6months old when the local shipping permits will be applicable to that particular batch. When there is a problem on poultry in a particular area, records will show what were shipped to that area on a particular time. Records are very important. They can refer to the history of the breeders that shipped on the particular date of chick-ins.

Say hello to our September2009 batch. They eagerly awaited BAI's arrival.


There were looking as Doc Arlene and Hermie were preparing.


They patiently waited for their turn.

Be Nosey

For biosecurity reasons, we rarely go to the site of the breeders. The capitalization is no cough, so we try to keep the place clean to the best of our abilities.

Aside from marketing, documentations are part of my job, so government testing trips is one of my rare visits to the breeders.

It was a nippy comfortably cool morning. I thought morning still as we started real early from Manila. Looking at my watch it was towards noon already. Still cool. Sure, it is December. But aside from that, our buildings are surrounded by trees.

In today's blood testing by BAI's team of Doc Arlene and Hermie, they commented that our farm is one of the rare ones that has no odor at all....zero. It actually smells fresh. No flies too!

If only you can smell through photos....

And if you can see the multi colored butterflies....

You will know the place is clean :)

Industry Wide

Grateful that most of the regular growers started loading for the Christmas season as early as August and September. I remember posting about loading in August for the really matured taste of a slowly developed chicken :)

What came to us in September in terms of typhoons is known to all. Now, most breeder farms had been affected in terms of stress that translates to lower production, add to that the normal anticipated increase in demands for dayold chicks.....now the perceived shortage.

Several times I had been asked of the demand for Sunshine Chicks are that much? Thank you, it brought a smile to me. But, the shortage and increase in demand is industry wide....the colored, the whites....united colors of chicken!

The government, the respected agencies involved, and am sure all the bigger breeder farms are doing what they can to correct the situation.

We are one in doing steps to ease up the shortage/demand. It is not good for everyone if this continues. SASSO of France is one with us in making sure the demand is met.

Walking Around

I didn't want to discuss this beforehand, but someone said that it was written about in the newspaper about us developing products for the free range chicken...so better you hear it from me.

Immerse, be one, learn, walk around.

Product development is the same. You have to use your senses in all manners. We are so excited to be in the middle of developing products: Our hamanok, patties, bbq and sausages that comes - sweet skinless, Vigan style (garlicky), Italian (spicy, herbs) and Polish (herbs).

We have remained focused to our niche market. That is the group of consumers we are targeting here. The ones who want food seasoned with natural ingredients, no preservatives. Taste wise? I was my gauge :)

It took me several days also to search for the ingredients to be used. Walking around, asking, talking and tasting. We didn't scrimp. Its the quality that we are after, since we have to rely on the natural flavors to bring out the best.

We had to debone...and do we just sell the wings as is? Nope, now we have tried on a recipe for wings too :) I didn't want to get into the special cuts anyway. Too tedious.

Really excited about this. Now how to cook...broil, grill, turbo etc....healthy ways to do it.

Thank you to Animal Products Development Center (APDC) of BAI for being all agog with us.

How Did You Start Today?

We had a hospital bed that we decided to donate. My sister found the organization to give it to. They were supposed to pick it up last week....but surely its not lack of interest, but more likely short on manpower...it was taking them quite a while.

I offered to have the big truck deliver it. After Doc Rey made some estimates on the load, he said "let's do it".

I was glad we did. The moment he said so, we changed from night shirts to walking shirts :) and drove down E. Rodriguez.

Hate going to hospitals, but this was a different feeling delivering to one of the hospitals that Kythe Foundation works with.

Talking with the guard, while waiting for the coordinator, I learned about the foundation's work with children. You may want to know more too about Kythe Foundation.

They were so happy with our hospital bed and suction pump. You might have some materials you may donate :)