Yes, I've been viewing BYC for a few years and recently joined. I moved to northwest Florida 12 years ago from Washington, DC. My mother's family were farmers so I had some exposure to livestock and production animals.
I started my own flock after moving to a rural community six years ago. I was diagnosed with two chronic diseases and decided to raise my own food on a larger scale than gardening for health benefits. My husband was nervous but jumped right in to build structures, fences, chores. He caught on really quick to doing chicken chores for a man who grew up in DC and had never been near a live chicken. I've had a mixed laying flock of no more than 24 chickens half EEs. It blew the minds of my family and friends when chickens Im going to raise chickens.
I have customers for eggs, meat, and livebirds. I've bred an large EE roo with two large orps for a meat flock to serve some customers. The chicks resulting from these matings looked like mutt Delawares and New Hampshires which worked out very well, fast growing large birds. At the request of some people I added Pekin ducks to my service. My EE roo has three EE hens in now for replacement layers. I ordered Welsumers, and more Buff Orps, to make a new larger laying flock and adopted a breeding trio of silkies.
I plan on concentrating on these 5 breeds for laying and meat production from now on. We plan on continuing keeping this operation small beause it is still tidy and manageable.
Thanks for all of the support, wisdom and helpful topics BYC!
I started my own flock after moving to a rural community six years ago. I was diagnosed with two chronic diseases and decided to raise my own food on a larger scale than gardening for health benefits. My husband was nervous but jumped right in to build structures, fences, chores. He caught on really quick to doing chicken chores for a man who grew up in DC and had never been near a live chicken. I've had a mixed laying flock of no more than 24 chickens half EEs. It blew the minds of my family and friends when chickens Im going to raise chickens.
I have customers for eggs, meat, and livebirds. I've bred an large EE roo with two large orps for a meat flock to serve some customers. The chicks resulting from these matings looked like mutt Delawares and New Hampshires which worked out very well, fast growing large birds. At the request of some people I added Pekin ducks to my service. My EE roo has three EE hens in now for replacement layers. I ordered Welsumers, and more Buff Orps, to make a new larger laying flock and adopted a breeding trio of silkies.
I plan on concentrating on these 5 breeds for laying and meat production from now on. We plan on continuing keeping this operation small beause it is still tidy and manageable.
Thanks for all of the support, wisdom and helpful topics BYC!
