Here Comes The Sun

 Touted as a super typhoon....we had days to prepare as information dissemination had been non-stop and with the availability of the internet, there is no reason to feign ignorance of the obvious comings.  Some newspaper was so safe and printing news that they cited several weather observation stations' predictions of Megi's route. 

It was said to be hitting the Northern tip of Cagayan.  I must have drank coffee that night and had been clicking "refresh" on my browser so often.  I know that just before I slept, I saw the path switch downward....or maybe dreaming?

Not to be too alarmed about our Sunshines....our buildings are strong, so I wasn't worried about housing going down.  This is the design we are now using for the ranges.  It withstood the strong winds :)  The Sunshines they housed were not a bit affected.

Electricity wasn't an issue too...there are alternative sources of heat like your charcoal etc.

We were brooding a batch and will be close to 2weeks when the storm passes us.  That was what Doc Rey secured.  How he secured the brooding calls for another post :)...so I won't show you yet the photos of brooder.  The photo below will be a good preview.

We hurried to the farm the day after....fallen trees all around.  The brooding area is surrounded by Banana trees....all down to the ground. That looks like a lot of FPJ in the next weeks.

The 14day old Sunshines still got out to their range on the appointed 14day outing!  They were excited to to go out, while we were appraising the damages to the farm.  The Sunshines took their walk with us among the fallen trees.

They ran to the door.  Took a peek and sighed that they saw their elder sisters on other pens, ranging.  "Everyone was OK"!

The day after Typhoon Megi (Juan to us in the Philippines):

The rage of Juan the previous day, was now forgotten....as they took their first steps and bites of grass.

The fallen trees became instant playground!  They loved to climb the branches and can't get enough of burying themselves in the trees on the ground.

Brooding is utmost.  The housing is very important.  If the chicks are secure in good brooding cage, have the right space and are warm, enough food...then they will be OK even during a storm.

At 42days, Still Kids

As I was having a good time and exercising from bending to take the photos.....this cute thing ran, trying to avoid me....just like a tyke who knowingly did something naughty.

See his dirty feet? You suspect he was into something :)

He is still a kid at 42days, even if he weighs 1.5kgs. Now you won't be surprised why the commercial supermarket chickens are tastless. They were barely out of their nurseries when harvested at about 30days :(

Easy Way Out

Make it accessible and simple. It will benefit your caretaker and your Sunshines :) Your caretaker will not miss doing it if it is simple to do. The Sunshines will want to step out earlier and more often when they don't have to go through a maze to find that door.

It is very important that they have easy access to the range outside. That is where they go hunting for their food. That is where they get their exercise and develop their lean bodies.

Pick a design that will work for you. Depending on the materials used for your housing, there may be easier ways to do it.

Avoiding My Eyes

Above is one of our holding areas. That is what we call the areas where we send our "to harvest". Why do we move them? Easier to transport to dressing. No more selection here, they had been chosen already.

When I was at the farm the other day, they decided to miss making eye contact with me. Maybe they think that I have the final say on who goes at that phase......they all go, per holding area.

On a normal basis, they go by the net and look at the other side....it must apply to all..this "the grass is greener on the other side of the fence" thing :)

My point here might be missed....it is convenient to have a "holding area". Preselect the ready to harvest. Move them to an area that has food, so they are ok while they wait for their time. Keep it near the access road for easier transport.

If your harvest keeps up with your sales, then perfect. If not, I suggest invest in freezers. Dress all, instead of feeding them. There is a curve in growth. Once reached, what they eat won't convert to gained weight. Even if they gain...assess the weight requirements of your market. Harvest when you reach that weight.

Handling of Eggs

I came across this from one of my bookmarked sites.... Proper Egg Handling.

It will be of help to those of you who have flocks and want to go into egg production.

Get The Heat Off In The Park

Started early and got to Tagaytay for breakfast. I love being there for Bag of Beans. I prefer the original site, and thankful that is is just a short detour from the route to Natividad Farms. Now full tummies...we have the energy to run after the chicks to be set to range.

The doctor talks to nervous caretakers. But they get relieved after the pep talk from Doc Rey and their eyes give them the confidence as they see how happy their Sunshines are at their debut, finding their own benches.

In these intense heat filled days, timing that they get to be free ranged today. They are 21days and at the right age to be set free. Am sure they loved their new house when they got transferred from their brooder house. Their caretakers were vigilant first time nurses and it can get strict and rigid, by the book there...

Look how they take a peek first.


"Walking and getting fresh air...let's do this daily"


They call out behind them, "Hey bros, it is much better and cooler out here. Come on down!"

We take a quarter turn to view them...and saw the next ranging area being prepared for their soon to arrive cousins.

Nice frame from here, but we had to rush to give the caretakers brooding lessons. After their 21day experience with natural farming protocol, it was now easier to teach them proper poultry management for free range chickens. Now the caretakers' eyes and ears open and comprehend why some things have to remain in management. Experience steps up to knowledge.

Were we in a hurry to do the seminar? Hahahhha...honest??? We wanted to get back to shed soon, as there is where lunch is served.

I did say the Sunshines enjoyed their walk in the park? Ed will want to take a hike with them.

Too Much

Anything in excess is bad :(

Aside from giving a healthy ground for your Sunshines, you rotate ranging areas for your land, and the plants.

I had this favorite Atis tree that I look forward to picking from and eating fresh fruits whenever in season. As we were examining post ranging areas, I was so sad to see it leafless, lifeless and standing sadly brown and wilted.

When we had Andry and Jojie Lim at the farm last month, I was telling Jojie about my favorite tree. Doc Rey said because it had too much manure in that area. Jojie called the caretaker and asked him to excavate around the tree, about 1meter in diameter. Aerate the area and overturn the soil around it.

One month after, this was how it looked! Thank you Jojie :)

Some layers still found their way to that former range. They must love the Atis that falls off whenever I am not around :)

Old Sacks

...for new reasons.

As we go around ranges that have to be rested and ones that are ready after being left to relax, you see come across material that have to be moved...not thrown, but used or sold.

We saw a stack of used sacks. We use them as wind breakers...but then this stack is way much for our needs.

We still need to fence a lot of areas and will buy a lot of screens to reinforce the lower portion (as discussed in a previous post). It dawned on us to use the old sacks for the lower portion of the fences.

Of course we know that time will shred it and turn it to rags. By then, the grass has grown on the lower portion of the fence and net. By then, the grass will be thick and the chickens don't force themselves in barriers.

Keep Them Out

Over the years, we figured out that even in ranging areas are far and apart, separated by resting ranging areas, other chicken find themselves with other batches.

Rats! Yes, rats are the ones that make those small holes in nets. The chickens figure out their way to freedom through the holes that they are able to make bigger. When they want to go back, then get entangled in the nets and can't find their way. You have to lead them back.

Doc Rey thought that there has to be a way. The Rats can't win all the time :) (my Eastern sign is a Rat). So he tried on using a screen at the bottom.

By reinforcing the bottom, that prevents the Rats from destroying the net by making holes. Even if the Rats succeed in playing and making holes in the upper portion, the Sunshines can't reach that height and crossover to the other ranging areas.

Eyes Teach

That isn't a grammatical error nor wrong spelling. But it does have a double meaning, come to think of it as I type now :)

What do we want to point out here?

1) Cages, which doubled as brooders, need no permanent walls. Nets were used to safeguard from predators. Nets are also easy to lift or to unfold as needed. It was convenient to free them Sunshines on the range.

2) The range has to be rested now and rotated as there was no grass anymore. That was taken about over a week ago and the flock was transferred to the waiting area for harvest. It is located towards the gate, where it is more convenient to harvest as far as logistics will be concerned.

They run to where the grass is..or whatever is left.

3) There is a fence. Not too high, about 6ft tall, and material used was a net. They have a short wing span and can't fly that height. They respect barriers :) They don't force themselves and break the division.

4) Oh no...that flock wasn't responsible for the "putak-putak" sound. That is from the layers that was ranged near by. It was laying time for them and they were noisily doing their thing.

5) Did you notice that the lower portion of the fence was darker? It was reinforced. Over the years, the common complaint is the chickens are able to escape because of holes in the lower portion. Most times, those holes are made my rats and the chickens find those small holes and work their way to freedom :)

Doc Rey decided to have the lower portion have cyclone wires and reinforced by plastic screens. The net will suffice for the top portion...of course for aesthetics and ease, you may have net from top to bottom.

Out Of The Ordinary

The weather is not our usual.

Doc Rey is absent for Kaunlaran sa Agrikultura. Normally, he would be do his Vet ng Bayan segment by phonepatch, but he was in an area that had bad Globe signal.

There was no farm visit and I was with Jojie Lim..I decided to be un-uniformed and donned my cute tennis dress.

Instead of Doc Rey, I did my small talk on the unusual weather and what we have to do to make sure the Sunshines are ok...

1) Beddings - they are meant to keep the ranging Sunshines dry and warm. So keep it clean and make sure they have beddings.

2) Curtains - Don't keep out the cold, as you keep out the fresh air they need. You may have a wind breaker, meaning, have the curtains (with air flow below and outlet above) about atleast 1ft from the housing walls.

3) Make sure they get their dose of herbs for prevention and to give them their armor in this weather. Chop up garlic, chilis, oregano - and put it in their drinking water. Be careful when working on the herbs as they can get potent and have a burning sensation :( The potion will keep the Sunshines warm and healthier.

4) Keep you flock report and advise us weekly, so we may monitor and be alerted for potential problems.

5) Build the housing on an elevated, flood free area.

Logic and common sense plays a lot when you give care and attention to something.

FREE Seminars At MATH

Reminder: Market At The Hills, starting Nov 08, will have extended hours, to night market. Saturdays, 9am-9pm. Sundays, 9am-6pm.

Activities have been lined up to make it interesting for the customers and booth owners.

Free seminars have been lined up. To kick off the start of the night market:

Nov 08, 2-5pm, Starting An Organic Garden by Raymond Rubia of Daily Dose Farm

Nov 09, 2-5pm, Raising Grass Fed Sunshine Chicken by Rey B. Itchon, DVM

See you at Market at the Hills, Corinthian Hills Clubhouse, Temple Drive

Our 3rd Batch of Parent Stocks

Excitedly started my day at 4:30am, to fix up booth at Market At The Hills, leaving at 7:30 for a quick breakfast and check on booth at AANI FTI. By 9am, we were at World Trade Center for the 2nd day of the Philippine International Flora and Fauna Expo. By 9:45am I was at the airport for the arrival of our 3rd batch of Parent Stocks from SASSO of France.

See how healthy the Parent Stocks are? We also brought back the naked necks, after consulting our regular growers. After having interviewed Louis Perrault the last time and having seen the chicks....Zac Sarian have named it the "Hardy Naked Necks" :)


The chicks got to our breeding farm in perfect condition.

Maraming Salamat po.

Healthworld Expo 2008

October 2-4, SMX Convention Center, will have the Healthworld Expo 2008.

We will be joining this exhibit, incorporating Beauty, Health Care and Medical Tourism. It coincides with the Millionaire Show, a lifestyle expo.

Seminars and product discussions on the benefits of grass fed chickens will be presented.

Excited to take part in a different kind of trade show, a step higher, another level. It is a notch nearer to fuse our goals.

Register online here, to avoid lines.

Corn & Soya

Amy & Allan...just like Corn & Soya....they simply go together :)

Amy & Allan wanted this first batch of Sunshines as an experiment, just walked in with excitement that started in another continent, from just reading about sustainable farming. No expectations...just to see how they will do w/ no commercial feeds at all.

Instead of commercial chick boosters for the 1st 3weeks, the Sunshines were just fed corn and soya. 21st day onwards, they were just given corn grits as supplement for am and pm. They were just let free to forage during the day.

Amy & Allan are not in for the weights contest, but they are just so happy that they are raising healthy and happy Sunshines w/o any commercial feeds nor growth promotants.

But of course, what the soil and the denizens there, offer natural growth promotants :)

At the end of a long fruitful day, I surf to my favorite sites....this was my treat for today.

Sneakers

Past two days were very hectic...meetings, radio interviews, hatch, deliveries. Add to that about 700kms of travel :)

No worries, no stress. It was a pleasant break from routine.

At the end of it, I picked up my hand-painted sneakers! Two weeks ago, I came across an article in a magazine about Chuchi and her art. I called Chuchi to make one for me and Doc Rey. She can't find huge sized sneakers for him, so I got mine ahead.

I never met her and just transacted over the phone. Gave her a free reign on what to do. Asked her to go to my blog to feel my personality.

She came out with my cute white sneakers :) Guess what will replace my all colors everyday footwear? I asked her to make me another one already.

"Cooking & Raising Free Ranged Chickens"

Series of free seminars are scheduled at EDSA Garden House, inside the Manila Seedling Bank, EDSA cor Quezon Ave.

One of which is...

WHAT: Cooking and Raising Free Ranged Chickens
WHEN: 16 Feb 2008, 2-5pm

F1 Free Range Chickens

That is what we are.

F1 means first generation, bred from selected Parent Stocks (PS). The Parent Stocks we imported from France are selected for taste, growth rate and adaptability to the tropical weather.

Free Range Chickens - They were designed and developed to free range. The Sunshines are meant to graze and forage. They are most happy unconfined in open areas with living grass. You may do a "cut and carry" to bring them their grass, if necessary...but compare how energetic and lively they are when they hunt for their own treasures from the soil.

We breed properly, hatchery in farm, transport in brand new (not receycled) properly designed chick boxes and we are available for free technical assistance. Parent Stocks are imported and replenished periodically to give you quality F1 free range chickens.

We call them

Solraya's Sunshine Chickens

or simply

Sunshine

.

Cebu Dealer In Study

St. Mary's Farm, situated in the mountains north of Cebu City, has practiced with two grows.

First batch had been sampled for taste tests and offered to some establishments in the area.

They are going for the niche of the larger sized chickens as requested by the market they surveyed.

Initial talks for possible dealership for Cebu.

Friday Hatch

Starting this week, we have moved our hatching day to Fridays. A lot of requests wanted to pick up the Sunshine day old chicks on a Saturday, that is why the move. Sunshines sent by air will now be received on Saturday mornings as well.

Very soon, we will have two hatching schedules in a week. One to serve the air cargo and the South, and the other hatching day to serve the North orders.

That way:

1) Our drivers who are trained to transport day old chicks will not be too tired
2) Loadings/harvests for growers are not all at the same time and can be properly scheduled
3) The eggs don't sit in the egg room for more than three (3) days
4) We are able to visit growers in different areas more leisurely
5) Our Saturdays and Sundays are more open to seminar schedules