No, you hit on a key issue a lot of people are unaware of. Top production breeds have sharp reductions in productivity. A bird that produces 300 eggs in its prime year might produce 220 its second, and only 150 its third - at which point you are feeding two birds for the production of one...
It hurts to admit there are things I just can't seem to learn. Chicken genetics and Calc1 are among them. [Calc 2 was EASY! Calc 1 still makes no sense]. Mostly, I get by.
It has been explained to me many times chicken genetics is a hole where information goes in. And just pours right out for me. Ultimately, I am just removing things I don't want from my flock until the only things left are colors and patterns that I do want.
I'm not either, but I don't think so??? My understanding is that its only dominant over one color, not both the other options. Chicken genetics give me headaches.
Better options in the grow out pen. Yes, that's their water, changed yesterday. Have to dump that every day.
Today is "Freedom Friday", the door is open, they get to join the free range flock.
Genetic throwbacks for freezer camp. Hate dominant white.
My last all white birds were more than a year ago, then I get two in one hatch. :( (Also a (nearly) all black - still popping at least one of those each hatching).
Oh, and re: roosters. 1 rooster : 10 hens +/- is the ratio given to maximize FERTILITY. Has nothing to do with behavior. Space is a social lubricant. My birds have roughly 5 acres to roam, and routinely ignore the electric fence to wander elsewhere on my 30a. I have had R:H ratios as high...
as to numbers? I've had close to 100 poultry on my property at once, as few as 12. Its essentially the same amount of labor either way. That's why profitable have farms scaled up. They are able to amortize nearly fixed labor costs over a larger number of birds/egg sales. They have also...
From a profitability perspective, I do a lot of things right - high nutritional quality, low cost feed from a local mill, hatching my own so as to not pay replacement costs, feed supplementation via low maintenance varied pasturage to further bend the feed curve. Deep litter method to produce...
I would rain dance for us all - but after hours of instruction, I've been advised by the local tribes not to attempt it. Appreciate the effort they put into teaching me to toe heel toe toe heel properly. It is a skill beyond me.
While there is variation brand to brand and label to label, an "All Flock" formulation can generally be fed from hatching (assuming its crumble, or you are making mash of pellets) to culling. In the case of some brands, their "All Flock" is nutritionally superior to their Starter/Grower, in...
These guys https://wardlefeed.com/denver-chickens-and-poultry/ carry Scratch & Peck. I think its overhyped, may be outside your price point target, but not a bottom barrel feed choice.
You might also check out https://curvefeed.com/poultry-feed - more Scratch & Peck, Purina, but they also have...