Wow that's a huge difference! I guess it can give you the chance to step back and add back on what you love and/or what is bringing you money. Or...just enjoy the extra money? I don't know how many of you are backyard farmers (just for yourself and your family mostly) or how many of you rely on it for a significant source of your income. I hope the impact is a good one for your financially. Seriously that sounds like a huge difference!
One day I may be able to get to that point. With 7 mouths to feed we have to live carefully. The birds food is already an expense that has caused me to have to move money around in other places. I will have to put some more time into my photography business to help pay for it all. We knew the first couple of years would be cost us more. Getting started in anything does. We have no plans on making this a business in anyway. Our plans were to have animals that benefited the land/property, a surplus of fresh eggs, and eventually meat birds. It means sacrifices along the way to make some of these things happens but this way of life we feel is good for our kids too. My mil who is just past 60 still works an 8-10 hour grind 4 days a week- we all share this place and she helps shoulder some of the costs and we young folk shoulder a large part of the physical burden. We all joined up about a year and a half ago on this adventure. We're trying to be smart.
I really need to find someone who will take them!
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There are a bunch of free books available for e-readers on Poultry. Of course they are from the 1920s, but still fun to read. One of them said poultry was the easiest and least expensive to start with. The work level is lower than for just about any other type of farming, with infirm and disabled people still able to do the work. Cattle and such take a lot of strength, even with modern machinery to keep up.
A bit of advice, stick with the established breeds. It might be tempting to go for the ones that make a lot of money, but there is often a short period of time to make the money back. If you can get a good customer base and become known for having good birds, you can make a steady income from them. You also can have the benefit of fresh healthy eggs and meat.
A good plan would be to get a good incubator and hatcher. GQF make good ones. Dickey is another. If you can find them, them Redwood incubators are great. With the right set up, you can hatch a lot of chicks weekly. You can also run an incubating service. It seems like they charge a couple of dollars or so per egg. Selling hatching eggs can make money too.
You can start with something like a Genisis and work up to the big incubator\hatcher later.
I encouraged Papa Brooder to join this thread. The big threads devoted to a breed can have too many people lurking and not participating. Social threads like this one help create a local group to help each other. We get to know each other. I try to help people from this thread on other threads. If you have an emergency, I would post both on this one and the Disease threads though.
Sorry you have been ignored on other threads.
Ron
So Sweet!!! Love all your BabiesLight Sussex
Crested Polish
Silkies
BBS Orpingtons
