ammocan
Hatching
- Mar 21, 2016
- 6
- 0
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I have searched this topic and related topics extensively and I would just like feedback or direct me to an article or existing thread.
This is the story. My wife and I are excited after many years to start our own flock but we have wanted to do both meat and egg producers. The model we have come up with is to raise dual purpose birds. We are making preparations to manage 12 hens and have selected good dual purpose hens. The idea is to harvest 6 of the hens in the early winter for meat then raise 6 chicks again in the spring and always maintain at least 6 layers.
Based on my research it seams to be a chore introducing new chicks to a flock but I'm not afraid of the work. What will it be like cycling a flock like this year after year? I am wondering if anyone has tried this model or anything similar and what pitfalls I face cycling a flock like this on a regular basis? These will always be new chicks as I don't want to mess with introducing old hens from another flock and we have the space to separate them at first but I'm looking for some advice from the experienced here. Most of what I have seen in my research is most people only raise for one purpose and only butcher if necessary or people raise meat birds exclusively or they raise both but have separate flocks.
Help me manage my dual purpose flock.
This is the story. My wife and I are excited after many years to start our own flock but we have wanted to do both meat and egg producers. The model we have come up with is to raise dual purpose birds. We are making preparations to manage 12 hens and have selected good dual purpose hens. The idea is to harvest 6 of the hens in the early winter for meat then raise 6 chicks again in the spring and always maintain at least 6 layers.
Based on my research it seams to be a chore introducing new chicks to a flock but I'm not afraid of the work. What will it be like cycling a flock like this year after year? I am wondering if anyone has tried this model or anything similar and what pitfalls I face cycling a flock like this on a regular basis? These will always be new chicks as I don't want to mess with introducing old hens from another flock and we have the space to separate them at first but I'm looking for some advice from the experienced here. Most of what I have seen in my research is most people only raise for one purpose and only butcher if necessary or people raise meat birds exclusively or they raise both but have separate flocks.
Help me manage my dual purpose flock.