Bacolod Here We Are

We had been needing a vacation.  A long one is being planned, but our bodies and minds need one soonest.

Bacolod it is, to visit friends.

We can't be totally away from farming and the advocacy...with the coordination of Pam Henares, see you if you want to learn about pastured chickens :)

WHAT:  Raising Pastured Chickens
WHEN: August 15, 2-5pm
WHERE: NISARD Office, Provincial Capitol
WHO: Doc Rey will give the seminar

This will be free and open to all.

Naturally Farmed White Layers

After experimenting and getting good results with pasturing white broilers, Doc Rey decided to try raising the white layers in natural farming conditions.

We didn't pasture them, as they will mix with our broilers, as the ranging chickens can't be stopped from visiting neighbors in other ranging areas.

Trial of white layers, we used the HiSex brand of Console Farms. Housing was airy and gave them a lot of room and sunshine. There were fed the same way the pastured whites were. Last week, on week 19, they started making their "clacking" sound. Then, their diet was supplemented with calcium....snails and egg shells.

On week 20, the first drops...notice their size and the color?

Look how deep yellow the yolk is and how thick the egg white is :)

The cleanliness of the chicken and the eggs is not based on the color of the feathers, but it is in how it how it was raised.

Oh Sunrise

Let the Sunshine out to pasture!

The demand for dressed chickens had gone up since March.  We thought that Holy Week will dampen the orders.  So glad for the turn from when we started 10yrs ago :)

So today, early at the farm again to check on pens and new loading areas and possible pasture areas.  

Photo above was taken to assess areas when we discuss.  After I downloaded it, the photo struck me as very fresh, clean and alive!

The Sunshines led us to a ranging area for their soon to be new siblings on the farm....but then, they won't meet them, as this is part of the batch to go today :)

Last Early Morning Dew

It rained hard here in Santiago City, Isabela last night.  Such a relief from the heat that the news on the radio and TV had been blurting out on the air.

This morning a batch has to be slaughtered and we walk to the pen quietly. It was so nippy cool and fresh after the rain.  They had not been fed anymore as they are going to be dressed today.  They greet you as they think you are there to give them food.

As I am typing now, there are several around me and literally pecking at my legs and pulling my skirt.  Then giving a look and pointing their beak to crates of food nearby.

Gizzard Of A Pastured Chicken

Chickens don't have teeth to chew on their food.  They peck on their food, gets stored in their crop. The strong muscles of the gizzard grind the food who's nutrients get to the system.

You can't see these in caged chickens, but for newly released pastured chickens, notice how they go to pebbles and eat them? Don't be alarmed, it is normal :)  They will need the small stones to grind the food, with the help of the strong muscles of the gizzard.

This is the gizzard of a newly slaughtered Sunshine Chicken.  Obviously pastured well into time.  Gizzard is big, strong and matured with age. The stones found inside have sort of polished as they worked and ground food that the chicken ate :)

Sunshine is Here

People had been asking why did we stop the Sunshine Chicken.

It tickles us to think that the name Sunshine Chicken became synonymous to free range colored chickens.  Reality is Sunshine Chicken is our branding, and whatever we produce in our farm is Sunshine Chicken.  When we chose that name, we thought about natural way of raising chickens, so our dressed chickens will always be named Sunshine.  

In our advocacy on pushing natural farming in the Philippines, we are in search of ways of giving cheaper and accessible food for all.  A problem with importation we had before due to bird flu in France, led us to try pasturing the white chickens that always been connoted with commercial raising with chemicals.

We got very good results...plus the great find that by pasturing white chickens that are cheap and easy to find, we are giving cheaper source for all interested to farm them.  Clean, cheap and accessible. The big bonus is that the white chickens have Grand Parent Stocks (GPS) in the Philippines.  The GPS produce the Parent Stocks (PS) who in turn produce the day old chicks we use as broilers.  That secures the supply in the food chain :)  Now, that means, your source of pastured chicks are NOT dependent on one or two suppliers that raise the prices.

How we farmers decide to raise them is what is important.  The health benefits and taste has nothing to do with the color of the feathers of the birds.  Now, our consumers are very aware of the benefits of naturally raised chickens. 

To recap:

1) We are not selling the dayold chicks, as it is cheaper and easy to get in your area.  The bigger poultry supply stores sell retail.  If you need volume, contact the distributor in the area, you may find out from the poultry division of the companies who the persons to contact in your area.

2) We have not stopped teaching people HOW TO pasture chickens.  This is our advocacy.  In a larger picture, we are teaching natural farming, with our expertise in pasturing chickens :)

3) Sunshine Chicken is not gone.  This is our brand and thank you that we are associated and synonymous to free range chicken.  

4) We continue to give you a good alternative for clean food, with a very fair price.  You are cutting out the middlemen by dealing with your farmers directly.

We are planning bigger things for our journey in natural farming.  One of which is educating you to grow your own food.

Please please please...let us all support our natural farmers.  Grow your own food, or buy from farmers in your area practicing safe natural farming.  You have to know to trust your suppliers :)

Intro To White Pastured Chickens: Video

Why did we go from colored to white?  Here we are introducing you to white pastured chickens.

In partnership with Mag-Agri Tayo, we will do a series of instructional videos to guide you in pasturing chickens and natural farming.

Sunshine Chicken is our branding.  Any chicken we produce from our farm is called Sunshine Chicken.  It connotes clean and healthy chicken meat on your tables :)

Azolla Videos

These were from the Mag-Agri Tayo episode of January 29.  Join us for more scheduled instructional over NBN Channel 4, every Saturday, 9am.

Azolla

First we had a small microwaveable container with some Azolla, compliments of Edel.

We were so excited as we saw it multiply in a plastic pond.  Next we transferred to a small netted area in one of the ponds.  Oh boy, do they love the sun, the space and the indigenous microorganisms lurking around them.  You can't stop them from coughing themselves around...maybe by the second!

Azolla, as alternative feeds

We harvest a lot of Azolla to feed the three (3) batches of Sunshine Chicken we now have in the farm.  They are fed pails and pails of it daily....the pond just gets thicker with Azolla :)  You feel you have to harvest more to give more space to them to multiply.

All ages love Azolla, this batch was tested from almost day1 and the chicks were really excited every time it is offered to them

This batch is next in line for harvest.  While most opt to play outside, some prefer to wait for their meals in pen.

Very good as alternative feeds.  Now that we are so into natural farming, we threw some Azolla in our Pangasius and Tilapia ponds.  If only you can see the video, the ponds are in constant movement.  The fishes just love eating Azolla.  Now, can you understand why food on our tables taste good? :)

Now we need trolleys to transport the pails of Azolla to the different pens.  Cut down feeds, cut down manual labor...welcome problems to natural farming :)

We saw some floating in the water way on the road.  We had to get them even if we had a lot already.  Why?  We can't allow the farmer next to them spray it with herbicide!  It was a gift to us, so let us natural farmers take care of it.

Dec 18, at AANI St Vincent

Doc Rey will conduct a seminar on Raising Pastured Chickens, at 4pm at the AANI St Vincent Seminary, along Tandang Sora, QC.

If you are interested to learning from a technical person/farmer, you will enjoy his style of teaching.

Sand Bathing

We were busy documenting the new Sunshine Chicken, so we can spread the idea that we can all do it at a much cheaper way.

They displayed all the characteristics we though was absent in the whites. Of course it was absent because the commercial poultry technology doesn't allow them to live naturally.

I was so jumpy seeing them sand bathing!  We are editing the videos...it was captured well.  It was so vivid because they were white, you can see the clouds of dust fall on their bodies...black on white :)

White Chickens Now Pastured

This must be the longest time I hadn't blogged!  I missed it so muchhhhhhhhhhhh.

Not that I wanted to take a break....no, I longed to be in touch.  Just that my old laptop acted up a lot.  Cried to be changed.  Not only that, my softwares said they have expired.  Whatever that meant, maybe I knew I just had to reinstall but I closed my eyes so I can buy a new toy :) So, I stuck to just browsing and FB for about 2weeks.  I deliberated as after getting his and hers IPads, I saw the beauty of  the bitten Apple.  Do I get a Mac?  That means having to learn and TRANSFER files aarrggghhhhh.

Meantime, I kept busy with planning our paths for 2011, and talking and meeting up with groups who can't believe that is was possible.

How can I blog now?  You guess it right!  I got myself a new toy.  Learned to save photos.....now the monumental thing to do is get my power point working.  Tried but failed transfer.  Will try after I get more confidence with her :)

Aside from so happy to be able to blog today...another pleasant gift today was THIS!

Read abour Mr. Zac Sarian's article on us here.

Mr. Zac Sarian had been with us since we started experimenting with pasturing the white broilers since we started in April.  Actually he already wrote teasers on them, not naming us...just saying his lady friend :)

Last week he said it was ripe to be introduced to the agriculture industry, although we had been harvesting the whites already and have actually gotten good reviews.  Clients haven't noticed the difference until we ask for feedback since we knew what batch of harvests were colored or white.  After finding in themselves the difference...if any...it was for the better as far as Filipino tastebuds were concerned.

Filipinos like their soups yellow, rounded body chickens, meaty but tender compared to the colored....we got that with the pastured whites.

Short Talk, Raising Chickens In The City

Timely that after I had been invited on the book launching for Flor Tarriela's natural gardening "The Secret Is In The Soil", Jhoey of Pinoy Organics asks us to do a short talk on "Raising Free Range Chicken In The City".

Actually, we can't free range, in the real sense of the word, in the city...but let me get to that on Saturday, December 18, 10am, at Mercato Centrale @ BGC. 

Mercato Centrale @ BGC is the newest organic market in Metro Manila.  Not just fresh produce, it is really a foodies' haven too...and in air conditioned comfort.

Yes, just short talk for city dwellers.  We will touch on basics on raising and the benefits of eating healthy :)  

Go With The Flow

Just came back from Lucena to attend the 7th National Organic Agricultural Congress (NOAC).  Very successful and it was a great opportunity for the meeting of minds of organic and natural farmers. 

Many have opened their minds to pasturing white chickens.  There are problems with the over supply of white chicks now in the Philippines...so let's use that to our advantage!  Let's pasture and free range the whites.  It is cheaper and easy to find.  Big help to us smaller farmers.

Key words were echoed and served as discernment :)  

Brings us to going with the flow.  Recent Typhoon Juan had almost all our trees in the farm down.  It will take a lot of energy and time to prop them up again, with the risk of stressing their roots. We decided to let them be and let them lie as they are now.  Easier to to harvest and we won't be jumpy whenever a storm warning is up again.

Listen  and observe, to guide you to do what is right.

Brooding For A Storm

We all had a lot of warnings.  There was a lot of time to prepare way before the expected landfall of Megi, Typhoon Juan in the Philippines.

For pastured chicken farmers like you and I, what can we do?  Moreso when you have a batch brooding.

For now, we are brooding in the same range housing.  They were in shaded areas, but no good fencing around.  Doc Rey wanted an area that will have windbreakers, near the caretaker's house, accessible to water.  So he assessed what we had that may work for us:

1) In the garage, he saw unusued aluminum vans and the dismantled truck bed enclosures.  He asked that be brought to the spot he saw that had trees that will be good windbreakers.  Close to the house of the caretaker and the water pump.

2) Not just sitting them on the ground, he sort of had it buried a bit.  Dug canal around the cages and area, for drainage.

3) Found old roofing materials that was wrapped all around.  Why?  Don't forget the RATS!  They will surely want dry ground for themselves too :)  They can't climb the slippery surface.  

But can the chicks have good air circulation inside that cage?  There was a reason why they were retired to the garage.  These pieces of roofing material had holes on them already. Perfect for air inlets.  The wire mesh all around the cage was guarantee enough that fresh air circulates and bad air escapes.

Others were set on top as roofs. They were tied to the cages.

4) Trucks' tarpaulins were set on top of the roof.  Remember those yeros were butas already :)  Roofweights were needed.  Got old tires and the stacked chicken crates that were near the water pump for washing.

It was very good!  Did what it was supposed to do, as planned, from materials that were to be found around you.

The trees all around fell and didn't withstand the strong winds of Juan, but it did to the cage its purpose.  It protected the brooder from the rage of the typhoon.  The brooding Sunshines were very healthy and energetic when the cage was opened after the storm!

We had several of the cages set up.  You don't want them to pile up one on top of the other when they get afraid and cold.  Stampedes are less likely in smaller spaces.

Let's take a closer look inside.  Aside from the gas brooder that was good for 1000 birds, there was another standby brooder for the same capacity.  If you will notice, this area isn't for 1000 birds, so why have big capacity brooders being used?  You have to make sure they are warm.  It will be terribly cold out there during the storm and no such thing as over prepared. 

From the other side and behind:  The fallen tree was acting as shade before the storm came, as it was prepared a couple of days prior.  The large LPG tank, the source of energy for the gas brooder.....heavy stuff, can't be blown away.  Doc Rey still played safe.  He had charcoal heaters on standby.

We've learned over the years.  I hope you have taken some points from us too to guide you through.

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 :(

Contented Chickens

Have you ever seen your chickens this way?  You have always pictured your chickens in cramped cages and dirty looking with sad faces :(

Here now:

Morning sun...cool shade....all the food you want, buffet style....fruits galore....lounging chair (yes, it is an instinct for all chickens to perch, so pity the caged ones)....fish pond around...

We are almost describing ourselves on the beach!

Its not about colored or white. It is all about being caged or pastured :)....End result: Healthy and Tasty!

Water Lily

During the El Nino, when the ponds in the farm dried up, the Water Lily was still abundant and we saw that the chickens went down to play....or so we thought.  After a closer look (I have posted a thread on this previously), the Sunshines eat the Water Lily! 

We searched in it and read that it is edible and had medicinal properties.  We had tons of Water Lily and cleaning up the ponds had been a problem!

So to make it easier for the free ranging chickens, the farm help brings up some for the white Sunshines, since they thought that they were "special" and might not know what they are to do.  We all took it that they didn't know how to eat.  We forgot about "instinct" to get what is good for oneself :)

Convinced that it was indeed good for the chickens, we tried using it for FPJ.  This will be a great answer to our clean up of the ponds all around the farm, at the same time giving good nutrients to the pastured chickens.

Too much to clean up and it thickens faster than we can manually chop chop.

To ease up work, a shredder/chopper will be the answer.  A great farm tool.  More on that on another posting.

My Spot

I have a favorite spot in the farm.  It past the holding area for the "to be harvested", after where Doc Rey decides to normally park.  If he brought a 4X4 then it means I am closer to my spot.  After the 1st housing is an Aratiles tree.  Very short walk from the parked truck, so this is my favorite place to reach out for my treasures of those reddish, sweet, juicy beads.

Surprise!  I now have white competitors.  Thank you that they can't reach up, they just contend themselves with what falls on the ground.

See how they love it!

6weeks old :)

How

Some comments in the industry is why Solraya is promoting the use of white broilers?  

Where did it say that "free ranged" chickens should and must be colored?  Did it say anywhere in the book that is should be sourced from France?

Take note that in the real sense of the term free ranged, it shouldn't have borders and no fences . Arghhhhhhhhhhhhh, give me a break from all the politicking.  So, notice how I have repositioned to "pastured chickens, naturally farmed".

We are not promoting white broilers.  What we are saying is that we refocused and problems made us open our blinds to other views.  White broilers will always be an easy supply for all.  We have companies who have Grand Parent Stocks (GPS) here.  They produce the Parent Stocks (PS), that in turn produce our broilers. 

Tests have given us the same results that we want for our Sunshine Chicken.  The taste, and healthy food on our plates.

Marketing has me hands on and face to face with my clients.  This was the niche market we had developed and have nurtured.  No one has asked me what color of chickens they were eating...it was always about "HOW IT WAS RAISED AND FED" :)

If you are into farming for commercial or to ensure good food on your table....look into using the white broilers.