Why do you keep poultry?

  • Eggs

    Votes: 59 89.4%
  • Pets

    Votes: 55 83.3%
  • To be more self-sufficent

    Votes: 37 56.1%
  • Show

    Votes: 11 16.7%
  • Breeding

    Votes: 23 34.8%
  • Therapy

    Votes: 22 33.3%
  • Fertilizer/Pest Control

    Votes: 18 27.3%
  • Fertilizer/Pest Control

    Votes: 8 12.1%
  • Therapy

    Votes: 14 21.2%
  • Other (please explain below)

    Votes: 10 15.2%

  • Total voters
    66
Pics
Here are some pictures of unsprung traps:
1610759404446-884278202.jpg

Thankfully, I was able to get help removing the mice! Ugh, it wasn't to fun. But I could probably do it alone next time. Now the traps are baited and set for another night of war!

 
Sorry about the doubles on the poll!

Hi there!

I'm an Idahoan living on just less than an acre who has been raising chickens since 2013, I think. I can't really remember. Anyways, my small flock of six grew fast and now I am...um...just a little bit addicted. In the past couple of years my flock has grown and shrunk, typically staying between ten and sixteen. But don't worry, it is about to get a lot bigger. It is a mix of several breeds, bantams and large-fowl, hens and (far too many) roosters. They are for eggs, or so I claim. Really, they are slackers and more for pets, show, and therapy than anything. And when they finally do start to lay good, I incubate about half the eggs. :D

I got a pair of Birmingham Roller pigeons around July 2020. They are more of a hobby than anything, but maybe if they actually hatch some squabs then I'll get a bit of money off them.

I make most of my coops and runs. You can find them here: PioneerChicks' Farmyard

I also have three cats and a aussie-doodle puppy (new addition). My hive of bees swarmed, but we plan on getting some more next spring. There is a rabbit in the family, but he's not really mine. Oh, and did I mention the mice in the chicken shed?

A bit about myself, I love reading, writing, birdwatching, chicken-watching, photography, playing music, and being out in nature. I embrace the old, natural methods for myself and my pets. I am working on making myself more self-sufficient.

Some pictures of my flock:
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View attachment 2466899
View attachment 2466900
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View attachment 2466902
This last girl is about 7 years old and was part of my first flock! Dear Old Dana...


I think I've done enough rambling, let's get to the point. The Ultimate 2021 Goal!

The goal is to cover all the poultry costs and get profit from my chickens!

As we all know, chickens can cost a lot. But as not-so-many know, you can make quite a bit off breeding our feathered friends. In my area, I can sell my silkies for $5 each as strait-run, day-old chicks. This year I'll have four silkie hens and one silkie rooster. If I can do six hatches and hatch at least 10 silkie chicks per hatch, that's $60 right there!

Plan B is too buy 40-50 day-old sexed chicks from a hatchery, raise them to the age of six weeks, then sell them as started pullets (the roos would be given away for meat). I have estimated that I the profit will be about double the cost, which sounds good to me! (Our local feed brand is pretty cheap, or should I say cheep? :p)

And finally, I plan on getting meat chickens for the first time! Probably Cornish X. If we have extra meat, we could sell a bit, but most will go toward my family. Not exactly a way to gain profit, but it will help us work on self sufficiency.

As always, I am looking for ways to reduce the feed bill, one example being I want to get a Black Soldier Fly larvae farm up and running this spring!

This year I will also be investing in poultry for next year's breeding! I'll be getting Hollands (they are similar to Barred Plymouth Rocks but lay white eggs and are America's rarest heritage breed), maybe heritage Rhode Island Reds, and possibly one other breed. I will probably get a couple industry pullets for eggs (like Barred Rocks and Easter Eggers) and I'll keep a couple silkie pullets for next year. I also plan on getting turkeys for the first time! I'm thinking maybe some White Hollands for meat this year, and some Beltsville Small Whites for meat and breeding.

Oh, and I have decided on a name for my small-scale breeding business. As you may have guessed, it is officially Cluck-N-Crow Farm!


Well, that's about it for now. I'll post updates on the goal and my flock in this thread, and chat with other BYCers! Welcome friends!
This is awesome! Also, your flock is absolutely gorgeous! :love

I keep chickens for therapy as well as pets, but I also have come to enjoy the bonus of the eggs that they lay. :)

Also, can I just add that your pictures are beautiful?
 
This is awesome! Also, your flock is absolutely gorgeous! :love

I keep chickens for therapy as well as pets, but I also have come to enjoy the bonus of the eggs that they lay. :)

Also, can I just add that your pictures are beautiful?
Thank you!

Yep, eggs are definitely a bonus!

Thank you! I would love to see some of your photos! How is your flock today? Is Mochi still trying to hatch?
 
Thank you!

Yep, eggs are definitely a bonus!

Thank you! I would love to see some of your photos! How is your flock today? Is Mochi still trying to hatch?
I'll try to update my thread soon! Mochi is still a little on the broody side, but she's also getting outside to get some fresh air more often now, so that's good! The rest of the flock are going great! :)
 
I'll try to update my thread soon! Mochi is still a little on the broody side, but she's also getting outside to get some fresh air more often now, so that's good! The rest of the flock are going great! :)
That's great! Oh no, I see what's going on here! Mochi passed her broodiness onto my Layla! How dare she!
 
So glad I found another Idahoan! Your flock is beautiful. I sure hope yours (and mine) start laying again SOON. 8 of my 10 ladies stopped in October and my 2 egg-stars aka Barred Rocks stopped in early November :( I really hate buying eggs from the store when I have chickens...
Idaho potatoes! :highfive:

Let's hope they pick up again soon! Mine did pick up, a bit, but now I am collecting for hatching, so... Yep. Store eggs anyways.

Do your ladies have names? I'd love to hear about your flock!
 
We've been having sunny weather! The afternoons can get pretty warm! But I do just wish "real" spring would come. I'm not to excited for February, that is the coldest and slushiest month in my area.

However, I'm preparing to hatch! I can't wait to pull out the incubator! I don't want to wait for spring, let's summon it with some early chicks! However, I probably will sell these chicks instead of keeping them. Probably.

Layla, one of my silkies, is attempting to go broody. This time I am trying to break her with the help of the broody box. Wish me luck, I need her eggs!

But the mice! They are smart! The snap traps have been sitting untouched for several days now. No luck with the bucket trap either, but that might be because the water in the bottom froze. I'll try putting in some anti-freeze soon.

I actually had a dream about that infested shed last night. In addition to mice, there were rats too. I don't think that's the case, but I'm still crossing my fingers :fl

Me and Tiger (cat) are going to try to flush them out today. Not sure how well this will work, but I'm willing to give anything a shot!
 

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