I Agri With Less Antibiotics

And more of probiotics :)

I was advised today that one of the Sunshine growers, TJ Gonzalez, will be featured in the July 2009 Agriculture Magazine again.

Again, because in 2008, he had been featured several times about his finding and developing his niche market for the Sunshines he grows together with his partner Jop.

Sometime about 2 months ago, Zac Sarian featured TJ again because he is one of the growers who opts to raise our line of Naked Necks. This July, he gets featured with his Sunshines, because the cover features are on "less antibiotics, more on probiotics".

We are happy to have had TJ with us from the start. He has had the opportunity to try other breeds as he was asked to foster care a flock for a friend....good for all, as he was able to compare.

Actually, breeds aside....I am more proud of how we market our growers. Hopefully our growers are aware at what they are offered.

Given that the different chicks are all pure and from Certified Parent Stocks, the bottomline will be the chicks' growth will depend on the care that was given to it :)

We have seen TJ from good weather to stormy ones. He loves what he is doing, plants, animals etc. His passion is seen in his produce.

Less antibiotics, more probiotics.....less talk, more TJ of Baliuag Bulacan.

TJ's Agri Gimik

On May18, TJ is hosting an affair that coincides with Mika's bday. He will include seminars for his rare fruit member friends for high value crops, vermiculture, goat raising, and free range chicken.

Am not sure if this will be open to all to attend, but he said he has posted this event in sites...so I am presuming free.

WHERE? Baliuag Bulacan

Naked Necks, TJ Of Baliuag Bulacan

I asked TJ 2weeks ago how his Sunshine naked necks were doing. "Maganda, kasi pangit sila" Brought a smile to my lips. Can't blame the description, because true, the naked necks are not the cutest chickens to see. As bald, day old chicks, maybe....but as adults...well look at it this way , they seem easier to slaughter :)

Louis of SASSO of France says that it is sturdier and will do better under our Philippine conditions. The skin of this strain is thin, and the trained tounges will know that it is better.

We have alloted our Naked Necks to our growers, who have seen the benefits over our regular full feathered ones. Sometimes we have some left and our Solraya stores carry it on retail.

Today, Zac Sarian revisits Baliuag, Bulacan. He had featured TJ several times in the past in the Agriculture Magazine of April2008, Manila Bulletin, Bannawag and Panorama. Time to listen to what TJ has to say. He has good comparisons as before he loaded with the naked necks, he was just through harvesting his full feathered ones. Also, he fostered some 300 chicks for a friend taken from another stock. So he was able to compare three batches.

Look at TJ's Feb22 batch of the new line of Sunshines. They were just supplemented with unmedicated feeds, left free to range on living grass...no antibiotics nor hormones. Not even vitamins nor probiotics.


TJ got a lot of interest going for the naked necks. Yes, true, the strain is sturdier...BUT then, TJ has always proven to do well with his wards.

Today at 6weeks...he is thinking about loading the same bald ones soon.

SASSO Visits Breeder Farm and Farmer TJ

Holiday today. Perfect time to weave in and out of commercial districts and drive out to visit our Sunshine's breeder farm. Louis Perrault of SASSO is shown.

Next stop was to drop by Farmer TJ in Krukukuk Farm. The chicks shown were from his March14 batch, and the bigger ones were hatched Feb15. If you check back on the pictures from Zac Sarian's interview with TJ, those were the chicks then. He's been able to harvest about 100 from that batch already as it reached 2kilos in 55days.

Agri Kapihan Mar2008

Agri Kapihans at DWWW774 are scheduled every 4th Sunday of the month. This month was moved to the last Sunday because last week fell on Easter Sunday.

We look forward to these events as its bonding time for the radio progam's hosts, listeners and friends.

Today's special guest was a speaker from BFAR Tanay who presented about Pangasius. People were interested as some stood up to approach his as soon as it was obvious he was preparing to leave :)

Touching was when a photocopy of Zac Sarian's article about a Sunshine grower was reproduced and given to the all the guests there. Mr. Rico wanted to make sure everyone read what TJ had done and he shared that article by distributing it.

He Found A Niche Market For Chicken Sans Antibiotics

Have you read Panorama of March 23, yesterday? Normally Manila Bulletin posts in their online issue. I guess due to the Holidays, their online site isn't updated.

Remember when Zac Sarian visited Farmer TJ's Krukukuk Farm?

This was the result of that meeting.

Watch out for Agriculture Magazine's April issue, to come within the week :)

Zac Sarian Meets Farmer TJ

Zac Sarian, Editor for Agriculture section of Manila Bulletin, wanted to meet a cross section of Sunshine growers.

First stop of a series of farm visits: Farmer TJ of Krukukuk Farm, Baliuag Bulacan. They now load 700 heads every 3weeks. Going up to 1000 level after TJ is able to plan his ranging and palay production schedules.

Tj was sick, but shaked off feeling under the weather after Zac engaged him in Sunshine talk. Basing from the number of pics taken, they spent a great deal talking...lead to rare fruit trees, making CRH, vermicomposting, niche they had developed, his plans to expand etc etc etc

After we left the walang katapusan kwentuhan....we had to grab Razon's halo halo near by :)

Farmbreed P/S Baliuag Has Sunshines

We are happy to be working with Farmbreed and it's other affiliated family enterprises.

Shown here is the Baliuag Bulacan branch.

You can't miss it. Along the Maharlika Hway, fronting NE. Convenient to get Sunshines.

Please see our dealer list for updates on stocks.

Farmer TJ's Chicken of Krukukuk Farm

This is how we were greeted by Farmer TJ and his Sunshines


After a while, they left us to roam outside :)

We made a visit to TJ in Bulacan yesterday morning. This was supposed to be scheduled early December but all our timetables went wayward when the 12th month of the year showed in the calendar.

He has rested his other housings, ranging areas and have planned to make pocket grows in several ranging areas around the vicinity. That way, he will be able to practice range rotations, biosecurity, and still monitor as he will go around his farm around.

Instead of making one time grows, Krukukuk Farm has decided to do small but frequent loadings.

May be more work intensive...but will have fresh and constant supplies. Easier to predict and keep up with supply and demand.

This was funny...I took TJ and Doc Rey's pictures in three (3) different angles. Previewing it, thinking that I was taking against the light...I moved around...we all laughed when I realized its not the light! They were both dark :)

TJ's New Range

TJ emailed me this photos showing his new ranging area.

Basing from his pictures from day1 of his load of 23 Sunshines...he has steadily improved his community of rangers.