By Manny Pinol
In the continuing experiment on the performance of Manok PiNoy in the many aspects of backyard free-range chicken raising and marketing, several cockerels were subjected to a travel stress test last Saturday.
A few heads of the cockerels were involved in the test delivery to a chicken specialty restaurant in Davao City, estimated to be about 130 kilometers from the location of the Braveheart Farm in Barangay Paco, Kidapawan City in North Cotabato.
The purpose of the test was to determine how the 2-hour or so trip would affect their live weight.
Before they were placed in boxes, the cockerels were weighed individually with empty crop. Their individual weights were recorded and each was tagged with plastic strips.
Before they were placed in boxes, they were given a small amount of feeds and a little water since it was about 7:30 a.m. And then they were weighed again before the travel.
Their weight increased by an average of 20 grams after feeding and this was recorded properly.
Upon reaching Davao City and before they were turned over to the restaurant operator, they were weighed again. It showed that after over 2 hours of travel, the Manok PiNoy cockerels were back to their old weight when they were empty.
With these results from the travel stress test, we found out that with a little food and water before the long trip, the weight reduction could sufficiently be covered up.
(Photo caption: My cousin, Marvin Magbanua who is in charge of the breeding aspect of Manok PiNoy, weighs a cockerel before the long delivery trip to Davao City.)
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