WE'RE SO EXCITED!

Amazing how pictures are showing us our hard work. We barely notice it in a day to day operation, but gosh, when we look into our photo files, look what we achieved!

Our upgraded, modern poultry dressing plant! Designed to dress much more volume, some 500 chicken an hour! WOW! This is progress in our own little way :)

This is how the site looks like just after we had our groundbreaking rites on June 18, 2009. It was a rainy day! But in spite of the heavy rain, our guests, I guess excited as we were, didn't bother the rain. They are as happy as we are because a dream is becoming true.

DROPPING THE CAPSULE.

In this photo, from L-R: Dr. Flor Pintor, NMIS-CAR Regional Director; Ms. Clarizz Salumbides, representative of French Embassy; Arch. George Chua, Pamora Farm Project Engineer; Gov. Takit Bersamin, Abra Governor; Gerard & Me; and Dr. Anthony Bantog of D.A.-CAR.

We are all laughing in the rain! :-D We embrace the nature as it pours all the blessings!

Since then, after the ground breaking on June 18, 2009, the construction works didn't stop. The progress were amazing. The workers are very proud of their work with the French technologies in construction being shared by Mr. Papillon. See the building? It's a 32.9 meters long by 12 .8 meters wide without middle posts. I don't understand construction but I find this interesting...

We even fabricated our own hollow blocks, real ones. Neat, solid and quality hollow blocks. Have you seen rebars in between the blocks? None. As explain by Gerard, my French man :) a real hollow blocks doesn't need to be poured and filled with cement, gravel & sand mix, then its not hollow anymore :)

This is an ACEF (Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund) assisted project, of the Department of Agriculture. Meaning, well monitored and regularly evaluated by the Regional Field Unit of the D. A. of the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR). Well documented.

Yes! The arrival of our equipments. P.U. Panels for the cold room, blast freezing & air chilling facilities.

Having heavy equipments plus the man powers just saves the day! I couldn't imagine how we could have made the liftings without this forklift :) Thanks to our Hon. Elmer Bides, he lend us this forklift without any fees. Friendship is the word :-D

Then, the latest installation of our upgraded electrical supply. We installed 3 units of 25-kva transformers for our 3-Phase line. Abra Electric Company (ABRECO) and our Electrical Engineers had a great job! Expensive but we are sure its safe and quality works!

WOW... What a great feeling of able to put up a project that will serve and uplift the free-range chicken farming in the province of Abra.

We are set to inaugurate on June 18, 2010. Exactly a year after the groundbreaking.

Isn't amazing!

THE LEARNING STAGE

After a year of engaging into free-range chicken farming, we had improved our chicken housing. Yes, it is a bit sophisticated for some, but there is a reason for the improvement.

As we learn how to grow the free-range chickens, everyday is a learning day. Whatever information we gathered during seminars, it is far more complicated when it comes to real action. Remember that chickens are living things. They are not computers or any electronic gadgets. Whatever data gathering you may have, whatever information recording you do, everyday is a different day that you will not stop learning.When we started raising the free-range chicken, we thought it was easy. The program by seminar was given.

Brooding stage by day 1 to 21. Vaccination program at age 7, age 14 and age 21. Then at age 22nd range them. Feed them and give clean water. Basta. That's it. BUT, it is not "that's it"....

Hey, look at the grass! Gone! It is only about two weeks that these chickens are ranging, grass are all eaten up. It was not discussed during the siminar... There you have it, you learn on your own experience... :)

Lesson learn... Adapt pasture management. :)

2001 - The 1st Seminar in Abra!

It is in November 2001, that Mr. Bobby Inocencio of A.P. Inocencio Farms went to Abra and conduct its first seminar with the coordination of Pamora Farm.

Mr. Bobby Inocencio conducting seminar on How to raise SASSO Chicken

Participants were people of Abra from different municipalities.

Also present at that time was Mr. moody Herrera who had his breeding farm in Baguio.

Why do I have to post this old pictures?... Well, simply just to share our history :-D

Still more to come... Still a lot to share. Our 10 years... :)

SEE FOR YOURSELF... HEAR HOW THEY SING...

Funny how people from different parts of the world are trying to imitate the sound of the chicken (roosters of course), when they sing. In the Philipines, there were different ways how we Pinoys imitate roosters, of which includes "TIKTILAOK" and "KUK-KURUK-KUK". In France, they chante it "COCORICO". In Italy, "KIKIRIKI" :-) Isn't it funny... But when we hear the chicken sings, it's almost all are the same sound... Some are just louder than the other ones. Well except of course those ones that are Capon ü... Like this one!

Notice something in this Capon?... Those who knows what Capon is and how it is being done, should know the answer :-)

SHARING SOME OLD PICTURES

I admit, I do regret not having done this postings long time ago. Well, during the year 2000, there were no available "blogspot" yet and other web sites that are for free :) It’s not too late to do the postings anyway. What matters is what we have to share with all free-range chicken enthusiasts :)

Our very own pictures, learning experiences, progress and developments, at each year and each step of the way of the growing Free-range chicken industry :) 

See the "Naked Neck" ones?

Aren't their colorful?

Oh I remember!, there were six types of Male Breeder Line from SASSO then. I'm not an expert in chicken nor a veterinarian he he he, but I do remember calling those breeders by their codenames, as it was in the SASSO brochure and website :)  They were:

1. X44N (Naked Neck or Transylvanian Naked Neck or Turken breed)

2. X44 (Rhode Island red, I'm quite sure)

3. T77 (a "Black" one, I don't know of what breed, maybe an Australorp breed, maybe a Barnevelder breed)

4. T88 (barred Plymouth Rock breed, I'm pretty sure)

5. TMaster ( like a Speckled Sussex breed :) just my guess) 

6. Sussex (a breed called Sussex from England)

We started like everybody else... Using bamboos and light materials for the shelter and used fishing nets for the ranging fence of our flock. 

These pictures were taken sometime in November 2000. 

Something I remember in the year 2000, when we have our first batch free-range chickens in our farm in Abra, were the big sizes of these chickens. Photos here are real and what I am posting here are only pictures taken by yours truly, with my own camera ha ha ha :-D

Watch out for the next interesting stories of the free-range chicken farming experiences by Pamora Farm including trips to France :)