About to get some chicks....

[suebgbr]

So true gg706.
OP it is just a shame if your hard earned minimum wage dollars end up in the bin.

 

[suebgbr]

Mine didn't make it. :-(

OP. Is this your future?

 

[res]

No, not looking to stir things up. I'm into commercial (read: efficient) agriculture...

You really can't compare a commercial operation to a backyard operation as far as efficiency. A commercial operation, wether it be chickens or cattle, has THOUSANDS of animals they are using to make a profit. Because of the sheer numbers of animals, they can absorb a certain percentage of loss (i.e. deaths, culling, low production animal) without a huge impact on their income. They also have the ability to freely cull any animal that is not producing up to standards.

As a backyard operation, with a few dozen hens (or less), you CANNOT absord the same percentage of loss without cutting into your profits. If you cull a layer because she is not laying, you will need to replace her. So you can pony up the cash for a local market price of a young laying hen, or you can invest (and lose) time and money to raise a chick to replace her. Meanwhile, you are losing profits in the form of eggs not being laid each day. Get it? Same thing applies if you have poor living conditions for your layers and they get ill due to stress, and die.

You would be much better off investing your money into building housing for your flock that encourages longevity, health and high laying. You'd get a much better return.

And I would suggest talking to a local extension agent about your theory of a few hens free ranging on your sheep pastures increasing the copper to a toxic level. I've never, ever heard that before. I'm sure it could be a factor if you had a few hundred birds on an acre or so, but I cannot fathom how it is logistically possible with less.

 

[appps]

The Op mentions that they are living with mum. That and some of the other comments shows a very young mentality. I suspect we have all missed one very important thing. We may be trying to convince a teen. As mum to two of those i can tell you that is almost impossible.

As all teens know, adults get dumber the older they get so teens being still young know much much more than we do
lol

It would probably be less stressful to just go find ourselves a nice brick wall to bang our heads against ;-)

 

[gg706]

That is true. I would think as a beginner if given good advice, it would be taken into consideration, teen or otherwise. Which for the most part EVERYONE is saying to use a lamp or source of heat. She will just have to try it her way and see the results I guess.

 

[appps]

Horrible as it sounds I can't help wondering if it may be better if they do die. If you read her other posts the ones that live are heading for miserable lives as battery hens.

Maybe if they die she will give it all up and just go back to sheep.

 

[gg706]

I agree! Very good point!

 

[Too Fast]

Allright, let's get back to some fun stuff. OP is a very infrequent poster on her own thread. Yes we use a heat lamp, they are all content that way. I think we had a victim of pasty butt, even tho we were on top of it. Sometimes they just die. TSC replaced her, free. Everyoneelse is healthy.

Oh yeah, the chicks had a lot of fun with an early spring fly I found and put in with them this morning! Played keep-a-way. They are growing fast, and we are working hard to have the coop built. There is a snowstorm currently, with low 50s forcast for this weekend. The floor space in the coop is 32 sq ft, enough for our 4-8 birds. 4 if all the girls are the pullets only, the other 4 are straight run, so who knows how many other hens we'll get.

 

[gg706]

I am going to give a VERY serious warning about your post! It is very dangerous to say "who knows how many more we will get" You have already begun the symptoms of CHICKEN MATH!

 

[Bellatrixed]

gg706, so true! I thought chicken math was a joke when I joined this forum. I mean, I owned chickens in the past (way too many) but I thought it would be different this time. Was planning on buying 6, wound up with an order of 29 from Ideal. Oh, but then 7 were either DOA or died shortly after arrival, and of one of the breeds I really wanted, so of course I had to buy some more from Cackle. And that's how I wound up with 22 survivors + 25 more coming from Cackle.