I am still pretty new to poultry I got my first chickens last spring. I started with abt. 2 dozen birds and wanted to raise some for eggs and some for meat for my DH and I. But we have found we don't want to eat the birds we raise. Also I was wondering if someone could help me kind of figure out where to go from here.
Last year a small community of people that have moved into our area like fresh meat and stopped when they saw our birds in the run and asked if they could buy some of our birds. Well we sold them some, and they kept coming back for more every month they told their friends about about our birds and they started coming to buy birds. Then people driving by stop and ask if they can buy some birds. Others came to see our set up and asked to buy birds. Truckers traveling thru stop and ask if they can buy birds...
My thing is I know how many I sold last year and thought I would double the number of birds to have here this year, but now people are asking to buy chicks also. I bought over 100 birds hoping to get some grown out to hatch and keep a supply on hand but they are already getting into my stock and I can see I need probably twice as many or more. I am on a major hwy. And not far off the hwy is my coop and runs. They saw all the chickens and turkey last year and wanted some to start their own flocks or to eat. I have plans to build a
30'x50' building divided into 8 breeding pens and 2 grow out pens for the birds. I just don't know where this is going or how to plan for all this.
All of my birds are large fowl most I got from a couple hatcheries. Two breeds of chickens I got from breeders and would like to breed for other reasons.
I also ordered heritage turkey and bbw and bbb turkey so I will have alot more turkey this year. Last year I sold them all and did not have enough.
Can anyone give me some helpful advice please?
My only advice would be to consider the cost of the breeding flock(s). It adds up. be sure that you can offer them at a price that the locals would accept. Then I would suggest learning to breed good birds. There is plenty of junk around.