Monday, June 18, 2007

Getting Started w/ Your Sunshine Chicks - The flyer we give out to buyers of chicks

Solraya’s Sunshine Chicken

WHY GRASS-FED IS BEST


Poultry raised on open grass are high in beneficial fats and other factors that lower cholesterol and greatly reduce degenerative disease in the consumer! Eating large proportions of living green plants, while foraging for insects and seeds and myriad other natural commodities that science hasn't identified yet, and with minimal need for medication, grass-fed animals create more vibrant health than other poultry. Moreover, the meat and eggs are incredibly tasty compared to general market chicken.

1. Better Food. Substantial increases in nutritional value of pasture poultry, particularly in Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Vitamin A, and a significant decrease in total fat.

2. More Satisfying Flavor. Poultry raised on pasture, in fresh air and sunshine, taste superior to confinement raised poultry. Naturally raised poultry has a firmer texture and more satisfying "gamey taste".

3. Lower cost entry. Small-scale and limited resource farmers can start a profitable farm enterprise for a fraction of the cost of conventional, integrator-controlled poultry housing.


4. Fertility and Pasture management. Moving poultry across the pasture is a way to spread manure and fertility without using excessive equipment or labor.

5. Multi-Cropping. Poultry can be used to scavenge crop residue, and hog down weeds and grasses in multi-crop fields being used for horticulture and floriculture.

Getting started with your Sunshine Chicks (first 21days)

ALWAYS KEEP SURROUNDINGS AND PENS DISINFECTED AND CLEAN

Housing of Birds: Secure from predators, i.e., rats, cats, and dogs. Fencing wire may be buried below the surface to prevent any of predators from getting to the birds. You need light, heat, and water. As for temperature, birds (four weeks of age or older) are best suited for 70oF. Important to have shaded areas. Location should be well drained. Lay rice hulls, or ground corn cobs for absorbent flooring. Good choice for bedding materials during the wet season is sand, because it allows for excellent drainage.

Brooding the Birds: By practice, use one (1) watt per bird for heating bulbs. It is better to use several bulbs in smaller wattages, rather than using a100watt bulb when you brood 100 chicks. Temperature should be 70 to 75oF with the temperature at chicks’ level to be 95oF during the first week. The area assigned to these chicks should have some flexibility such that they can move through a range of temperatures (95 to 75oF). Monitor the birds for signs of stress; for instance, if the chicks are scattered around the area and chirping loudly, chances are they are hot; conversely, if you notice the chicks all huddled together in one area, they are likely cold . They should be comfortably scattered, moving around. That is your basis that temperature is right. The temperatures given are just guides. USE YOUR EYES to monitor them. At the end of Week 1, begin dropping the temperature by 5oF per week until you reach 70oF, and then try to maintain that temperature.

Water and Feed: The most neglected and overlooked nutrient is water. What appears to be a bowl of “clean water;” may contain millions of bacteria. The bacteria will stress the digestive system of the bird, such that it will not grow at the rate believed to be their potential. The waterers and feeders should be cleaned routinely (weekly or sooner) with a product like chlorine to reduce the incidence of microbial formation. Fresh water needs to be supplied everyday to insure healthy birds. During the periods of extreme heat, there is an increased risk of microbial growth.

We suggest using probiotics/vitamins in their drinking water, and adlib feeding of chick booster for the 1st 21days, prior to ranging. Medicate only when necessary.

Vaccinations: Day 7 - B1 B1; Day 14 - B1 La Sota

Ranging, Day21 onwards, till slaughter: Segregate by net, compartments for ranging area around their pen. That way, you are able to rotate ranging areas. When you rotate, the manure fertilizes the land and you move to another ranging area so as not to deplete a small section. You may also want to use movable pens, so they have fresh grass everyday and litter will not be a problem.

Let them free range in open air, eating grass, insects, table scraps, or what is abundant in your area. Supplement with corn/pellets/grains for morning and afternoon. Give probiotics everyday in drinking water. We suggest using unmedicated protein concentrate, mixed 50/50 with corn etc.

Basing from growth, you may get the marketable weight at 49-63days, depending on your needs. For best tasting chickens, it is suggested you slaughter at 85-90 days.

AGE (days) WEIGHT (grams) FEEDS (grams/bird/day) FCR

0

35

ADLIB

7

100

26 adlib

1.13

14

250

28 adlib

.95

21

350

37 adlib

1.04

28

445

47

1.26

35

556

62

1.24

42

779

70

1.52

49

1082

83

1.81

56

1240

101

1.95

63

1842

118

2.2

Solraya’s Sunshine Chicken – Free ranged, grass fed, raised w/ a lot of sunshine and fresh air…for a healthy back to basics lifestyle. http://solraya.blogspot.com info@solraya.com (0917) 847-2639; Mla(02) 417-1800; Solano (078) 326-7860; Bambang (078) 803-2305; Santiago City (078)682-3758

15 comments:

  1. I'm intersted to raise free renge sunshine chickens but don't know where and how to start. I have a 16,000 sqm land area in a rural setting with grass and lots of shades from over a hundred mahogany trees. I'm most interested to know a detailed design(area,height, dimensions, materials, etc)for the coop, fenced area, etc... to start with. And most esp. also detailed procedures and instructions on how to raise them from the day I recvd the chicks and how to breed until harvest. I'm really happy to find your blogspot and also eager to start raisng as soon as possible. Hopefully I breed and become your dealer in the future here in Cebu. Thank you and God bless.

    hecsoon

    ReplyDelete
  2. Go through the links of pictures of our different growers. You will see varied designs. Visit the PCARRD forum's thread on Sunshine Chicken. You will learn a lot from the interaction.

    After you have absorbed those, then get back to me with your unanswered questions :)

    We have a grower now in Cebu who started to practice with 1box. He should be ready to harvest in about 15days. Maybe you can buy a couple of dressed from him and see the difference in taste. After the taste test and the readings here, maybe you can practice with a hundred heads first :)

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  3. Hey imInterested to raise a solraya chicken, i have a land in alitagtag batangas, i have a few questions hope that anyone can help me. First, how long will it take the chiecn to lay eggs and how long will it lay eggs, also how many eggs they are producing everyday?,and hows the market?

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  4. nestor,

    We have a seminar scheduled for April 27, you might be interested to join that.

    Standard for chickens to start laying in 5-6 months. If you are asking about Sunshines, these dual purpose chickens lay about 150-180 eggs per annum. Productive for about 2yrs.

    Market? Just like any business, markets are there but needs to be looked for.

    Have you read the April 2008 Agriculture Magazine of Manila Bulletin? Sunshines Chickens are on the cover and our grower who has the eggs from grass fed Sushines, is featured with us.

    ReplyDelete
  5. hello sir pwede po bang pakaini ung mga 49 days old nga tinadtad at linutong mga bunga at dahon ng sayote at dahon ng kamote? o mas mainam na hindi iniluluto?

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  6. @warlock, hindi na kailangan lutuin. Pero kung luto na at natira nyo lang sa kusina, yes pwede ibigay.

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  7. hello! By the way sir whats the meaning of FCR written above

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  8. @warlock, FCR means feed conversion ratio. Adlibitum means all the time, tuloy tuloy

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  9. i just want to ask if i can sell sunshine chicken for consumption at age 40-45days max. am planning to purchase sunshines and will grow them at 45days max for "lechon manok" stands. is the taste different coz its suggested here that 85-90 days is best age for consumption..also if i sell dress sunshine chicken at 45 days like what is normally sold in the market, will there be any diffence in terms of quality.

    hope to hear from you.

    ReplyDelete
  10. @ von, depending on the weight requirement, yes you may harvest at about 45days. The slow developing chickens are really meant to grow slowly for taste development too :) The older it gets, it gets tastier. Try and compare for yourself. Honestly, I like the 120days plus. Also, taste the difference between the white and the Sunshines. This will be a marked difference. Sunshine to Sunshine, at age level, not much difference in taste. In texture, yes and the marbling of the older ones are obvious in sight and taste.

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  11. Para po s akin madali po magparami ng manok for meat. Halimbawa po meron akong 500 na ready to harvest wala po ba tayo dalahan nito...Para pong sa Mango meron silang bodega na tinatawag, dun lahat nila dinadala para madali ibenta...Or yung may-ari ng bodega sila mismo ang nakuha at meron silang buyer..Posible po kaya mag-karoon ang Solraya para hindi mahirap para sa mga raisers maghanap ng market?...Gusto ko po kc magparami mahirap lang magmarket...tks po...

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  12. @crislipa, search and browse on business ideas on this site. We do assist as we advertise and work on consumer awareness heavily. But we can't do everything for everyone :)

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  13. pwede po ba ang sunshine chicken for egg production?

    ReplyDelete
  14. pwede po ba ang sunshine chicken for egg production?

    ReplyDelete