FFA Poultry SAE

[prose15]

I am a freshman in high school and it is time for me to pick my FFA Supervised Agriculture Experience. I have decided to do Poultry Production, currently I have nine hens and a rooster in my flock. Space is of no concern because we live on a farm and I need ideas on how to turn my backyard poultry flock into a profitable business endeavor. Any and all ideas appreciated! Thanks!

 

[Mrs. K]

you know, you might consider raising good chicks to the point of lay and then selling them, a lot of people don't like to be bothered with chicks.

You might also contact your local poultry club for ideas or the county extension agent, both good resources for local information and guidance.

Mrs K

 

[centrarchid]

Economy of scale is going to clobber you first. Need to identify a market that involves premium market prices. Consider products that are fiber or naturally raised. You may need to rebird.


Also consider using birds to help with compost production.

 

[Mrs. K]

Another idea I had, depending on your time frame..... but you might raise birds for meat. Once I read on here, where they kept a white rock flock with a cornish rooster..... and produced their own meat bird crosses.

This would take about a year and half, but if you processed them and sold them as organic meat.

However, Orchid is right, to make a profit is darn hard to do in a small flock.

I have been doing the fodder system, which is a way to cheapen your feed bill, but it does take a set up. Some swear that is all they feed, but it is more of a treat for me.

Mrs K

 

[centrarchid]

This may be where the use of fermented feeds and soaked grains can be advantageous. What will also need to be considered is your marketing model. Who will you be selling product, how will you contact them, and how will price be set are considerations I would address. In the time frame you likely have you will not be able to call the birds organic owing to nature of the certification process.


If producing chicks yourself, will you be incubating?

 

[aart]

Is there a time frame?