Friday, August 31, 2007

IDs


We are changing uniforms for all our staff, growers who assist us for seminars and for ourselves.

The uniforms may differ but the unifying factors will be these patches :)

No more guessing game when you see us.

The pack of cigarettes was photographed just to show sizing. Patches are no doubt highly visible.

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

An Upcoming Seminar, A Favorite Business Forum & A Gardening Thread



These three elements that kept me busy and entertained yesterday made me think of what I can have inside my AANI booth after the seminar on September 02.

Last seminar left me hungry as men don't really eat and it was hard to order as it interrupts conversation. Mika, TJ's princess, am sure also wanted nice sweets while listening to adults talk chicken, rare fruit trees and bolahan.

My sweet tooth, Mika's image, wanting to spruce up a rather drab looking booth while in the process of fixing it (we got the next door space too so just in time to plan the new design) led me to order these plants :)

Monday, August 27, 2007

Phase One





Several days of rain and being able to work between...this is how we partly cleared the rooftop and installed some sheds for the Sunshines

Breeders at 18weeks




We had a 3rd egg drop (all three from the same pen) yesterday and a 4th one today from another pen :)

Look at how the breeders are at week18. Starting to court the females.

Thursday, August 23, 2007

EGG DROP

I get a call this morning from the farm that we had an egg drop yesterday :)

They are now going to do the mixing of the males and females.

Exciting...it's like waiting in the delivery room area.

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

September 01 Hatch


Our next batch of Sushine Day Old Chicks will be available on September 01 at our Fairview outlet.

AANI and our other outlets will carry them in September 02.

For those requiring air cargo space, please book now so we an ensure spaces on 1st flights on September 02.

:)

Monday, August 20, 2007

Weighing In

Batch Aug11 was at 110g day7

Batch July21 weighed in at 465g at 28days.

How did your Sunshines do?

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Manuel L. Quezon Day

Was at the entrance of Quezon Memorial Circle at 9am. As usual a lot of joggers and cyclists in the area and cars were parked everywhere. As I entered the parking lot, what was surprising was no parking collection? There was no "FULL" sign, so that can't be it.

AUG 19...Manuel L. Quezon Day...the park may have thought of treating everyone to free parking :)

I got to the booth in time as the rain poured hard. AANI had a lot of attendance even at that weather. Good that more and more are getting interested to get back to basics and still get a livelihood.

Afternoon saw me browsing around Trinoma. Curiosity does kill the cat! I was tempted to go see why people always mention "Trinoma". I think it is overrated...or I am simply a "know what you want, go for for it and leave the area" person.

But, a stand alone boutique of Maxine made me smile :)

If I had to go to shop..where do I see myself? ATC (Alabang Town Center), Serendra, Glorietta, Rockwell..easy parking and selected shops. But take me to a weekend market and parking won't be an issue :)

Late afternoon saw me back at my future rooftop haven...visualizing, dreaming and hoping.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Camp Farm's Batch#2



We were scheduled to visit a dealer in Pangasinan yesterday when the news of a typhoon in Northern Luzon made as decide to head back to Isabela.

Decided to take a quick peek at Camp Farm's 21Jul and 11Aug batch.

The 21Jul batch looks sad that they are not being let out to play in the rains :)

The 2day old chicks looked happy :)

This Urban Farming Is Keeping Me Excited

We made a quick visit to the rooftop yesterday as we were checking on security risks for ourselves and damage that clogged drainage may bring.

Been toying with the idea of making the rooftop a showcase.

Everthing fell into place this time: unscheduled visit upstairs, 50+ chicks ready to range from 21July batch, need for a showcase at how Sunshines may be kept at minimal costs.

These pictures and videos will show how it looked when we first stepped "up". Hopefully we can transform it little by little into a haven for Sunshine and our tired spirits :)

Monday, August 13, 2007

Does being in the city stop you from being a farmer?

I'd like to develop urban farming. Starting with what is available and of course Sunshine :)

Will show you pictures soon of where and how I want to start.

Do you have ideas of your own?

Sunday, August 12, 2007

We never saw the rains

We didn't experience the rains. I had no concept of what Tj was battling up with. On the way to Manila Thu pm, it was a breeze. No flood, no rain, no traffic.

We met with the shipment that arrived Fri pm at the airport. Picked up chicks hatched yesterday, arranged delivery schedules, went to airport for deliveries, monitored the deliveries made at dawn today. Woke up early to go to AANI, had a talking morning there :).....preparing again deliveries for the airport tonight and seeing a client in Pangasinan tomorrow.

Enjoyable weekend I will say :)

The stressful part was getting a text from a client in the Visayas this morning, saying they got the healthy chicks.....they were excited to say they vaccinated waaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. Imagine vaccinating newly hatched chicks that just got off the plane. They thought they got week old chicks :)

Thursday, August 09, 2007

Farmer Tj's game with Chedeng and Dodong

TJ has had sleepless nights. I don't want to preempt him as his story will best come from him.

You have seen his album...let these pics tell you why he was worried.



This was our YM at about 4pm today

michael tom jim gonzales: about napang hinaan ng loob, lagay mo dun sa last last part from tj. Lots of lesson learn from the experience, sana hindi nyo nakita ito as set back bagkos as a free lesson and tipsfrom tj. ayan bombproof padin ang bahay ko buo pa pero yun lang diko naanticipate ang knee hi baha.

solraya: naku mamaya pa ako dyan....bagal ko ag ayos ng pics

michael tom jim gonzales: Sobrang tibay ng manok na ito siguro dahil na din sa breed quality, Yung sa alaga ko, and kung ano ano pa, will keep u posted sa situation ng batch 300 and batch 100. wala nga pala akong casualty s batch 300 kahit na 2am palang soak na sila, B100 meron naipit too bad kasi madilim walang light dun, unlike sa batch 300. o yan kabit m nalang sa pics ko. kaw na magkwento

solraya: ikaw mag kwent pag tapos na lahat..pero kabit ko sinabi mo para INTRO

Livelihood

If you are thinking of giving livelihood to your own household, employees' families, neighborhood,organization etc, let us discuss how we can make Sunshine work for you.

No such thing as capital requirement, as we will custom it to your needs.

Typhoon Dodong

Yesterday brought heavy rains, non-stop to the area of Bulacan where Tj is. He was busy the whole day. We texted a good part of the evening as he was worried. Eventually he had resigned himself to whatever comes. He gave his 100% but he can't control nature. That was how he felt.

This morning, he texted that his ranging area has knee deep water. I thought Tj must be sad. Soon after he calls and says he had evacuated the chickens to the bed of the Forward (truck) and that he was ecstatic at how the Sunshines weathered the typhoon and flood.

Today is another day....storm to intensify yet...

I told Tj...everything equal, the care he had given his Sunshines from day one, will see them through :)

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Farmers-Traders Expo 2007

Direct Farmers and Traders Linkage for Competitive Pricing.

Aug31 to Sep02, 2007 AANI Herbal Garden and Livelihood Center, East Ave Gate, Quezon Memorial Circle, QC

Seminar Schedule:

Aug 31:

9am-12noon Companion Planting and Crop Rotation
1:30-4pm Styro Art and Craft

Sep 01:

9-10am Virgin Coconut Oil Making
10am-12noon Biogas/Waste Management

Sep 02:

9am-12noon Mango Production
11:30am-12:30pm HOLY MASS
1:30-4pm How To Raise Free Range Chicken

ALL SEMINARS ARE FREE!


The general public, exhibitors, sponsors and participants are all welcome.

We'll see you there :)

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

FREE SEMINAR SCHEDULE

We are confirmed to do FREE seminars for Sunshine Free-Range Chicken at:

1) AANI Farmers-Traders Expo 2007, 02 September, 1:30-4pm. Pls see link on Farmers-Traders Expo 2007 for other seminars offered.

2) AGRILINK 2007 Oct4-6.

In mid-February 2008 we will be in the Kalibo area and a free seminar will be scheduled.

Exact details will be posted once available.

Tj's flexibility outdid Sunshine :)

I came from an 8hr drive, had a 2hr sleep, had a hilarious nightmare about the seminar, woke up relieved that it was not real, texted TJ to wake up, got ready to go, drove myself as the "tamiya" will have to go to AANI too for the stocks for the booth.

As I parked, I opened the back, NO LAPTOP NO PROJECTOR! I thought "wow, the vet driving the tamiya must have been extra nice to make sure I didn't carry anything" :)

I called and inquired....nope he didn't do it! I walked slowly thinking how to tell TJ. The moment he saw me and was informed, he called his partner Jop to make sure he brought his flash stick and good thing the venue had a laptop and projector.

No one noticed that we lacked paraphernalia of pics from all batches...TJ was best under pressure. Doc Rey commented, the best seminar he had ever seen for the free range chicken. It came straight from the heart and was done in layman's terms.

One thing I noticed...no one from the audience had any smart alecky questions nor comments.

Saturday, August 04, 2007

the one in Davao

Jojo is a first time raiser too of Sunshines who read and learned from the PCARRD forum :)

He says he has found a market already for his chickens. That is the way to go...develop market in your area so you give back jobs to the locality, while transport problems are eliminated.

Here are photos he shared with us.

Friday, August 03, 2007

Blood Testing and Hatchery Check

Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) had done the routine blood testing today for the June23 batch. The hatchery inspection for biosecurity reasons was done earlier this week.

Thursday, August 02, 2007

Backyard Multi Range Areas

An FAQ is about "all-in all-out".

Don't let your enthusiasm to raise Sunshine Chickens be dampened by that :)

1) Each batch of chicks should be in their own ranging area. If you have to harvest partially like daily or weekly, you may do so. You harvest all from that batch. Do not introduce a new batch in a ranging area with an older batch.

2) After all chickens had been harvested from a range area, let that area rest and recover. Use organic disinfectant, spray the whole area. After about a week, moisten land, scatter lime and rake the area thoroughly. Let the sun and fresh air work on the land :) You will know when your land had recovered. It will look fresh.

3) If you have several batches in different ranging areas, it is ideal that you have different caretakers for each. If you must have one person feed all, start feeding the youngest batch and ending with the oldest.

4) Practice biosecurity. It is not expensive nor hard to make disinfectant/footbaths at the entry/exit points of the ranging area.

5) Observe where the wind is coming from. Try to position the ranging areas in such a way that the wind doesn't blow into other ranges. You are trying to minimize the transfer of airborne bacteria.

6) If you want the fenced area all in one side of your farm, you can use have several ranges separated by net walls. Do not use two side by side pens at the same time.

There are no guarantees that strict biosecurity will make a problem free farm. Use best judgement and common sense. Adopt and drop ways, as you see fit to your personal needs.