Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[cluck-cluck]

Great posts Joseph.

This is the inside of the gray and white barn. It is 30 years old.....just repainted it so I took some pictures. The inside is 8 pens of 4 X 8 pens. They can be used for growing, mating or conditioning. I put this back door in with the idea of leaving it open on really hot days, but never used it in the 30 years. This building stays pretty cool.



Walt

Just had to add my 2 cents, this looks like a fantastic setup, and those of you with the room are lucky! Hope I can build one like this some day

 

[3riverschick]

Creative Poultry Breeding by Dr. Carefoot

Have you tried to get this book from your local library on Library Loan?
===========================================

http://eshop.bellsouth.com.au/Creative-Poultry-Breeding-Carefoot-1
http://www.theruralstore.com.au/Homepageinfo.html
http://www.rivercottage.net/forum/ask/poultry/9912creative-poultry-breeding
2. Carefoot, W.C. (1986) Creative Poultry Breeding.
(recent reprint 2005, now available for sale. Published by Veronica Mayhew)
other good poultry books: http://www.bellsouth.com.au/books/194.asp
Poultry Antiques from Veronica Mayhew
http://poultrykeeper.com/general-chickens/poultry-antiques-from-veronica-mayhew

 

[gjensen]

Bob, I never cut lights on the Catalanas. Now I have 60 eggs in the incubator, and around a dozen hatch yesterday with hatcher problems. No lights, 100% fertility, and laying 5+ eggs per week each. I will never put lights on these.

 

[neopolitancrazy]

Much earlier on this thread, someone recommended a horse shampoo called Premier White Magic for washing white chickens.
Angela

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Yes I did. I will NEVER use another shampoo again.

 

[cluck-cluck]

noted, thanks for the tip!

 

[Marengoite]

I don't find anything on BYC that teaches us how to be successful. We have to be, in my humble opinion.

Okay, so I'm determined to figure this out. There were tons of failed real estate investors -- I wasn't one of them. Failure is a temporary state unless one quits. Then it's permanent. Failure is far more temporary than most people imagine and it's the best way to learn. So I'm not afraid to raise my expectations because I won't quit until I've figured out how to make it a success. Everyone told my husband and I we were too old to have children when we began building our family at 41 and 44 years old. We proved them wrong. I'm 55 this June and have an 8 year old. Not a great idea, most would say. But the kid has a loving home and we have the privilege of raising her and watching her become something most people would have bet against. This making a little money thing can't be unattainable for the newbies, if they can learn to succeed, I think.

Two words to successful business (and I define successful as "able to pay for feed and still have enough left over for free eggs and meat"):

• Niche
• Volume

Or to put it in Real Estate terms - some sold commercial, some residential, some specialized in condos, others in factories - once you find your niche, you know your market, i.e. buyers/sellers, and the climate. From there you can make a living.

In chicken terms, figure out first of all what it is you love and then find people who will pay you for your excess. For instance, Jeff Lay LOVES hatching chicks. He doesn't show, doesn't raise meaties, and has only a modest eating egg business on the side. But what he really enjoys doing is hatching chicks and selling hatching eggs. Not only that, but he specializes in Buckeyes. People buy his Buckeyes because they can then raise them up and take them to show and win or use them as foundation stock for their own lines. He enjoys hatching so much he has decided to branch out into Doms and Australorps. He also has a couple side projects he's working on, but those are more for fun than profitability. I suspect if his side projects draw much interest, he'll be selling chicks and eggs from them too.

Other niche markets include feathers for jewelry or crafts - especially if you make the jewelry or crafts yourself and sell them on Etsy or eBay or Craigslist - decorated eggs, photography, lithographs, or other art items. I would suggest that if you are going to sell chickens to eat, that you find a specialty meat product that you make exclusively and sell that. Create a specially seasoned chicken patty or seasoned grilling mixes or something else and sell those, especially if you raise your own seasonings.

There is no end to niche markets, so put your real estate skills to work and find out #1 - what do you love? and #2 - who will pay you for it?

And then volume is obvious. You have to sell in enough volume to recoup your marginal costs. It takes just as much work to set up and tear down the processing facility for 10 chickens as it does 100 or 500. Same for meat chickens. It takes no more effort to brood 100 meaties as 10. You still have to feed and water and toss more litter. And same for eggs. If you carry the basket and gather 2 or 20, it's still one trip out to the coop. The trick is to find the break-even point where it's still manageable for your operation and still fun, but you can also turn a profit. I haven't done that analysis because I'm still small enough that it is fun and not work. I don't believe I would ever get to the point where it is 100% work and 0% fun because I don't have that much land, but I can see where I could reach a point where it is 50/50. And that would be fine. Just not sure where that point is yet. Still having too much fun.

 

[Deerfield Acres]

Bob, I will get some pics. I'm so pleased to learn today that my talking about this thread on the Consolidate Kansas site has a friend of mine planning to get some of Reese's birds also. We're going to make the trip together and we'll do our best to get some pics. He takes his time to educate buyers on the birds they buy. I think it will be quite the education all the way 'round. I'll let you know when we firm up a date.

3rivers, food for thought, thank you for the information. So much to digest.

Walt, Green with envy here. I have an unfinished part of a Morton building available to me that is about 24 X 60 that I can use for the birds. Naturally, I don't need that much space, but I am gathering info as I go. Not quite ready to plunge into that project but I appreciate your sharing pen sizes, etc. Very helpful.

 

[Marengoite]

Yes I have a few "family members" I guess thinks I owe them something as they wont buy eggs either but will take all I will give them, the suckers/leeches

We have a rule - you don't charge family. That's because we all live fairly close together and call on one another for help on this, that, and the other. We provide eggs, chicken and turkey. They provide scrap lumber, sheet metal, and construction help. It all works out.

That being said, the line is drawn at the immediate extended family of our brothers and sisters and their kids. Unless my in-law's grandkids are over here helping in the garden, they aren't likely to get much.

 

[3riverschick]

Much earlier on this thread, someone recommended a horse shampoo called Premier White Magic for washing white chickens.
Angela

==========
Thank you! I went looking for the post and couldn't find it. I am wondering if Chris Christensen "White on White" dog shampoo might also work?
http://www.chrissystems.com/ http://www.chrissystems.com/shampoos--conditioners/pet-grooming-show-dog-and-cat-color-shampoo.aspx
http://www.chrissystems.com/pet-grooming-show-dog-and-cat-grooming-samples.aspx

Karen