FEED FIRM DISSEMINATES POULTRY TECHNOLOGY THE “KAPIHAN” WAY
A LEADING POULTRY FEED manufacturer has come up with a novel way of disseminating improved techniques of raising broilers, layers, free-range chickens, and ducks. This is Sarimanok Poultry Feeds, a business unit of Univet Nutrition and Animal Healthcare Company (Unahco). The company is bringing modern poultry raising technologies to livestock raisers nationwide through its novel “Kapihan at Sarimanukan” program, a series of coffee shop seminars that facilitates interaction between farmers, poultry specialists, and animal health experts.
From simple ways of raising broilers, layers, ducks, and free range chickens to new scientific breakthroughs, Kapihan at Sarimanukan has proven to be a most effective way of reaching out to backyard farmers and livestock raisers as it brings poultry specialists, animal health experts, and farm technicians—along with a host of important information—directly to farmers.
“Our experience with Kapihan at Sarimanukan shows that small farmers and poultry raisers are more receptive and open to new ideas when we bring them information through this informal and casual coffee shop setting,” said Dr. Fe Marie Alejandre-Colico, head of Unahco’s poultry business unit.
“They ask more questions that they normally would [because they are] hesitant to do [so] in formal seminars and conferences, and this leads to a more productive partnership between Sarimanok and poultry raisers because we both learn from our respective experiences,” Dr. Colico added.
The most recent “Kapihan” was held last April at a fast food outlet in Tanauan City, Batangas. It featured Dr. Al Alvarado, a veterinarian and poultry practitioner managing his own poultry farm, and Dr. Anne Jasmin Orillena, Unahco’s technical extension veterinarian in Southern Tagalog, as resource speakers.
Alvarado and Orillena discussed broiler management along with practical tips to increase yield and profitability through proper nutrition, a medication program, and the basic factors in raising broiler chickens like temperature, housing, light, feeds and water, and air quality and ventilation, from chick brooding up to the time of harvest. The seminar attendees included young businessmen, housewives, seasoned farmers, retirees, and professionals who were all eager to learn new techniques for productive livelihood activities using vacant spaces in their backyards.
Dr. Colico said broiler chickens today are improved breeds with the capacity to grow very fast, attaining desired body weights in less than 30 days.
“However, this potential can only be fully realized with the correct and scientifically proven new techniques that improve the feed conversion efficiency of the bird,” she said.
The Kapihan at Sarimanukan is held regularly in major towns and cities in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, and the response anywhere they bring the program is very enthusiastic, Dr. Colico said, adding that the success of “Kapihan at Sarimanukan” has prompted Unahco to bring the seminar to a wider audience through a regular segment in the weekly show “Agri TV Hayop ang Galing,” which airs over ABS-CBN Sports+Action Channel. The segment premiered last April.
Sarimanok is a leading brand of poultry feeds and has a complete range of products for broiler raisers that include Chick Booster, Broiler Starter, and Broiler Finisher. When used properly and combined with proper care and management, these result in an earlier harvest of just 30 days or less from the previous 45 days.
Dr. Colico said Sarimanok is different from other feed brands because it contains Optimum Vitamin Nutrition or OVN, a special vitamin package incorporated in the feed formulation. This technology is a product of Sarimanok’s synergistic partnership with DSM, a global leader in vitamin nutrition. “Sarimanok Poultry Feeds with OVN is special in the sense that the vitamins are complete, and the vitamin levels are higher than the usual requirement so that birds are less prone to stress and sickness, which make efficiency parameters become easily attainable.” O