Aspiring Chicken Farmer

[Pork Pie]

Edit to add: my heritage and hybrid blue egg layers haven’t started laying yet, so all I have is what I’ve been told/read of their laying habits.

From a small farming aspect, and with what I’ve experienced between the commercial layers the farm has and my heritages breeds/hybrids that aren’t commercial layers, there are some definite positives in the heritage breeds. I don’t know about RIR specifically but, though the heritage breeds don’t have the super high production, they may lay a bit longer (according to even the farmer I got the commercial layers from), and are more predator aware (my chickens at least). Some of the reproductive diseases (from what I’ve read) also have higher incidence rates in the commercial birds due to their extremely high output. Heritage birds will also breed true if you’re looking for a more long term sustainable flock.

I think it all depends on your situation and goals with the flock. When I mentioned buying heritage birds for the farm I was told to get some “real” chickens instead by the owner. They came with horribly trimmed beaks.

What are your goals with your flock? Are you looking for just eggs, will you be getting meat as well? Do you want to breed and hatch your own chicks? How many chickens do you want and what kind of management and housing will you use? What draws you to RIR as a breed?

Take a look at the original post

 

[mealphamale]

Edit to add: my heritage and hybrid blue egg layers haven’t started laying yet, so all I have is what I’ve been told/read of their laying habits.

From a small farming aspect, and with what I’ve experienced between the commercial layers the farm has and my heritages breeds/hybrids that aren’t commercial layers, there are some definite positives in the heritage breeds. I don’t know about RIR specifically but, though the heritage breeds don’t have the super high production, they may lay a bit longer (according to even the farmer I got the commercial layers from), and are more predator aware (my chickens at least). Some of the reproductive diseases (from what I’ve read) also have higher incidence rates in the commercial birds due to their extremely high output. Heritage birds will also breed true if you’re looking for a more long term sustainable flock.

I think it all depends on your situation and goals with the flock. When I mentioned buying heritage birds for the farm I was told to get some “real” chickens instead by the owner. They came with horribly trimmed beaks.

What are your goals with your flock? Are you looking for just eggs, will you be getting meat as well? Do you want to breed and hatch your own chicks? How many chickens do you want and what kind of management and housing will you use? What draws you to RIR as a breed?

The reason I chose HRIR is that they lay a lot of eggs which have big size. I chose Heritage over Commercial because of my goal to raise chicken without any antibiotics and crappy injections. I dont know how right I am with this goal but it surely feels like best thing to do as far as I understand things. Im going after quality not quantity, but of course if I can get quality + quantity then why not? Im trying to stick with the natural life cycle of chickens and dont believe in pumping them with crappy hormones etc. When Im going pure and natural I will go FULL pure and natural.

I have done masters in computer science and launched a few game apps and I make some good money. The reason why I chose Chicken / Poultry Farming is because I not only want to eat 100% organic food but also live organic life. Lets say Im sick of corporate life and I feel we are not supposed to live a life like that doesnt matter how much money we make living a life of frog in a well.

 

[Kris5902]

Take a look at the original post

Hi, Im planning to start my own chicken farm and what really brought me to this forum is Heritage Rhode Island Red Chicken. I was searching for 100% authentic Heritage Rhode Island Red Chicken for every long but then I saw a thread in here talking about it. I really want to buy Heritage Rhode Island Red Chicken.

Im from India and Im willing to pay good price for these chickens. I can buy local Rhode Island Red Chickens but they are NOT 100% authentic.

He wants to start chicken farming with RIR... meat or eggs or both? He’s in India and wants authentic RIR. I don’t think I missed anything...

I think that I’d be inclined to buy locally available commercial layers for the business and keep the heritage birds for your pleasure, but I wish you the best in your search

There are many reasons to get into Chicken Farming, and not all about the bottom line and high production levels. When I hear someone is interested in starting a Farm business with heritage birds instead I like to hear why they are making that decision and how they are planning on making it work, selfishly, because that’s exactly what I’m wanting to do as well.

There’s nothing hugely wrong with commercial birds, but not everyone wants them. I think there were several other pro “commercial layers are better for business” comments. And I wanted to give my reasons for why I’ve chosen Heritage birds over specialized commercial hybrids. I think it’s quite possible to do Heritage birds, you will never be able to compete with the giant chicken industry, so don’t try... do something different and do it well!

 

[Kris5902]

The reason I chose HRIR is that they lay a lot of eggs which have big size. I chose Heritage over Commercial because of my goal to raise chicken without any antibiotics and crappy injections. I dont know how right I am with this goal but it surely feels like best thing to do as far as I understand things. Im going after quality not quantity, but of course if I can get quality + quantity then why not? Im trying to stick with the natural life cycle of chickens and dont believe in pumping them with crappy hormones etc. When Im going pure and natural I will go FULL pure and natural.

I have done masters in computer science and launched a few game apps and I make some good money. The reason why I chose Chicken / Poultry Farming is because I not only want to eat 100% organic food but also live organic life. Lets say Im sick of corporate life and I feel we are not supposed to live a life like that doesnt matter how much money we make living a life of frog in a well.

AWESOME! Me too... sure you can do the commercial hybrids organically (someone is sure to point it out), but I want to raise chickens that are chickens! My production level doesn’t need to be top priority.

Here you can get raised without antibiotic, organic meats and eggs from animals that never see daylight or touch grass. It’s sad. And there’s also a big “raised on all vegetarian feed” push in chickens and eggs, despite the fact they are omnivores! I spent too long working at Whole Foods I guess, watching brainwashed customers that think they are buying a higher quality product... when the animal still doesn’t have the quality of life I would want it too!

 

[Pork Pie]

There’s nothing hugely wrong with commercial birds, but not everyone wants them. I think there were several other pro “commercial layers are better for business” comments. And I wanted to give my reasons for why I’ve chosen Heritage birds over specialized commercial hybrids. I think it’s quite possible to do Heritage birds, you will never be able to compete with the giant chicken industry, so don’t try... do something different and do it well!

To me, at least the term “farming” is a commercial venture - so that was my angle.

More importantly, the mis-communication / confusion here is a cross-cultural one. In the developing world, the market for “heritage” breeds does not exist. Meat consumption is a luxury for the majority of the population. Local “mutt” birds are generally favoured over commercial broilers for food, but the latter have their place (particularly in urban areas). What is a feasible market for you in your country, is not applicable elsewhere in the world. I hope that clarifies my reasoning.

 

[Kris5902]

To me, at least the term “farming” is a commercial venture - so that was my angle.

More importantly, the mis-communication / confusion here is a cross-cultural one. In the developing world, the market for “heritage” breeds does not exist. Meat consumption is a luxury for the majority of the population.

What is a feasible market for you in your country, is not applicable elsewhere in the world. I hope that clarifies my reasoning.

I’m well aware of the differences between Canada and India! And the different markets and economics. Farming doesn’t have to be on a giant commercial scale for it to have an impact, and the interest in heritage birds for farming was exactly why this post caught my interest. Especially in a developing country where that level of interest is less common!

The reason I chose HRIR is that they lay a lot of eggs which have big size. I chose Heritage over Commercial because of my goal to raise chicken without any antibiotics and crappy injections. I dont know how right I am with this goal but it surely feels like best thing to do as far as I understand things. Im going after quality not quantity, but of course if I can get quality + quantity then why not? Im trying to stick with the natural life cycle of chickens and dont believe in pumping them with crappy hormones etc. When Im going pure and natural I will go FULL pure and natural.

I have done masters in computer science and launched a few game apps and I make some good money. The reason why I chose Chicken / Poultry Farming is because I not only want to eat 100% organic food but also live organic life. Lets say Im sick of corporate life and I feel we are not supposed to live a life like that doesnt matter how much money we make living a life of frog in a well.

Different country, sure... but we have some similar goals and clearly there is some interest in this, as evidenced by the post. I wouldn’t discount all non “First World” countries so quickly when looking at food supplies, availability, and interest in farming.

@mealphamale Best of Luck in your chicken endeavors, I hope you succeed in all your goals and are not discouraged by anything! I do hope you will give us an update once you get your farming going, and prove that heritage birds are viable and sustainable in small markets other than just specialty niche ones in Europe and North America!

 

[mealphamale]

Thanks for that encouragement Im new to this so I really need to know how these commercial RIR chickens came into existence. Were they made in labs on genetically by scientists or what? I never got this answer ever.

I want to use and sell authentic species of all chicken, goat, cow etc. I think this is how we are supposed to live in this world. Remember all this going away from nature in the name of "development" is only from last 100 - 200 years out the history of Billions of years. I have seen there is a kind of peace in raising animals for food. I just can not express it in words.

BTW I still didnt find anyone who can sell me HRIR chicken or its eggs (eggs are preferred because the shipping and handling is too costly in case of live chicken, at least thats my guess). Once I get it I will get other authentic chickens. Im very close to buying the land for my own farm. Im also researching about the goats and cows. I wish you the best for your endeavors!

 

[Melky]

Welcome to BYC!

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[Kris5902]

The commercial red layer chickens, much like the commercial Cornish cross meat chickens, are the product of the same sort of selective breeding as a heritage chicken, but with the primary goal of increased egg production. Instead of breeding for a specific body conformation or feather colors , they bred the best layers to the best layers, and so on for many generations.

It’s essentially the same process people have been using for livestock for hundreds of years, just more finely tuned and carefully managed. No “GMO” (in the conventional sense) or cloning or weird science involved.

For me the primary reasons I’m interested in heritage breeds is so I can keep a reliable breeding flock. When you breed RIR and RIR you get RIR, but when you breed the commercial hybrids you get a bird that isn’t really similar to its parents in characteristics, it reverts back to a mixture of its grandparents breeds traits in an unpredictable way.

If you’re familiar with some popular western dog breeds think of the commercial chickens as a Labradoodle.
Poodle+poodle=Poodle
Lab+lab=lab
Lab+poodle=labradoodle
Labradoodle+labradoodle=????

Where in the ???? Litter of 8 puppies 3 look mostly but not quite like poodles, 3 look mostly but not quite like labs, and 2 are a strange combination of lab and poodle, but definitely not a labradoodle.

Without managed breeding, animals fairly quickly revert to ancestral traits for survivability. I live on an island in Canada with a large Feral Goat population. Several breeds of meat and dairy goats have been naturally selecting for almost 100 years, every now and then someone would bring in a new breed, and it would escape and join the feral herds. Though they are not native here, and several distinct breeds to start with, they thrive and now tend to look somewhat similar, with a few dominant coat and horn patterns.

I hope this was helpful for you!

TLDR: the commercial layers are essentially bred the same way as heritage birds but with different goals.

 

[SongBaby33]

Welcome