Mojo Chick'n :
Well, I am sort of going the opposite direction - I am expanding the flock.
I am buying dual purpose only, though, and raising them up to breed to sell chicks and/or chickens, and eggs.
I never use credit - always pay up front.
While I am not downsizing the flock, I am refining it. I have Light Brahmas, Delaware, Black Australorp, Rocks, and Buff Orps.
My original flock was just impulse buy and a mixed bag of chickens - the only one I would never get rid of is the rooster from that flock, and at least half of them (only about 5) are going to auction. The other half will be kept with replacements from the chicks I have growing now.
I sell chicks, and chickens, and I sell eggs, so I need more laying hens, and would like to get some pure bred flocks going, since most people want pure bred chickens (I like mutts, myself, more hardy and often a nicer bird, IMO. )
The mutts I've been hatching are Dellie roo over Light Brahma hens - it makes a nice cross, and the chicks hatch out much bigger than the hatchery chicks I buy.
Of course, I have 25 acres and four chicken coops, so I am not hurting for space, too much (a brooder coop would be nice, though). I also got some ducks and a pair of geese (the geese weren't planned, but I'm glad I have them).
Once I get these newer chicks grown out and have my flocks set up, I won't need to buy any new chicks, though.
Oh, and for feed, I can get 16% feed that the feedstore mixes for 6.50 a 50# bag - so my cost is less than paying top dollar at
TSC or Purina.
Although, other than stealing some corn from the donkeys, the geese hardly eat any grain - they'd rather graze the yard and hayfield. I put out food, they don't hardly touch it - so the chickens usually clean it up.
I think more people are getting chickens because the economy is so bad right now. The feedstore got in chicks this morning, and I got there by about 10:30 and already a lot of the breeds were gone. Thankfully they planned for this and are getting more each monday for the next four weeks - so everyone gets a chance to get their chicks. (I have a great feedstore here
).
meri
REFINING I like that,much better than me saying I am trying to be practical. LOL Wish I could get grain so cheap.