First Run of Cornish Cross Meat Birds and Super Excited!

[duluthralphie]

cx + Dixie = toad? What about cx+ NN? Or cx+ EE?

Try to follow this:

Cx 2 Cx = frog
Cx 2 rainbow= toad
Cx 2 anything= substandard lizard



Actually to get a toad you must be 3/4 Cx and 1/4 rainbow....it's kind of complicated

 

[JessicaThistle]

Hi All!

Pull me up a bar stool and pour me a stiff drink! How has Ralphie and JR done at keeping up the Bar and Grill?

Holm pm'ed me to see how I was doing and since I was here to read his message, I thought I'd pop in and say hello. I don't have time to read through the thousand or so posts since I was here last, but I do hope you all are still sharing great info and camaraderie. I haven't had much success on other threads when I needed help so I hope that we are serving all advice seekers well here on this thread.

So, let me give you all an update on my egg business. It is insanity folks. Beyond our wildest imaginations! We now have nearly 2000 birds (chickens and ducks), 1300 laying, 270 peeps and 375 ducks. We bought out our only duck egg competitor in the lower 2/3 of Oregon it seems and have requests from all over the state for our eggs. However, we are too small to expand more on our rented land and are just doing the best we can with what we have.

Our eggs are currently being sold at 11 area stores. We also supply chicken and duck eggs to a local restaurant and duck eggs to a restaurant on the Oregon coast. Recent averages have been less than 450 dozen eggs sold per week, but last week we had our record sales week ever! We sold 588 dozen chicken and duck eggs!! I'm talking sold out too, not just deposited at the store. One store alone sold more than 160 dozen!

This year has been crazy insane. We had to apply for a USDA loan to purchase equipment to work this business better. We needed a tractor because the little one we had was not sufficient and it broke down. We were able to buy a skid steer that covers all of our needs. We needed a walk in cooler because our 2 fridges were busting at the seams. We also desperately had to upgrade our egg washer. We were washing and packaging eggs for a minimum of 6 hours every single day on top of everything else. Our bigger egg washer cuts us down to 2 hours per day. While it is still a lot of work, we feel like we have gotten a tiny bit of our life back.

With all that said, we aren't getting rich due to the expense to get this business to where we are today, almost 2 years. If someone asked me if I thought they could do this, I would say no, most likely. Not because I'm afraid of competition. We all have to eat. But because, most people could not handle the long hours, no days off and extreme expense that goes into doing this. If you don't have a huge amount of money or another job or business that can pay the bills and support this, if you don't have the ability to drive a paid off junker, buy nothing, eat cheap and do absolutely nothing for yourself EVER, you cannot do this. However, this is the most amazing, gratifying and educational work that we have ever done. To feed so many people is staggering and humbling. When so many people buy our eggs to feed their families, I nearly cry in amazement.

I look forward to the day that the debt is paid off and we can close our other businesses and just do this. I love it. I love my birds, including the ducks (Ralphie). I love the work. I love learning! I am now a self-proclaimed chicken surgeon.

I miss you guys! So please check in if it seems I am gone for a long time. BYC doesn't seem to send me updates like they used to. I will try to get back here as often as I can. I just can't seem to catch up on months of past posts though.

Oh, I almost forgot! I had gotten two turkey poults a few months back, I think I posted about it. I am in love with them! They both turned out to be hens and they are little lovers. They like hugs and snuggles every day. The whole neighborhood has adapted to their daily visits and they love them too. These girls are free spirits and I'm not sure I could contain them if I tried. They are obsessed with children. They are so fun!

 

[JRNash]

Jessica you have been a true inspiration. I understand the time you invest,and the money!!! Washing the eggs is very time consuming,I built a bubble washer for mine. It works great until we get a ton of rain with the accompanying ton of mud. Winter is being felt all the birds have slowed their laying down. Ivespent the last 4 days putting another motor in MY junker so I feel your pain.Two kids in college and my youngest getting ready to graduate high school (then college) puts huge limits on my chicken endeavors. It's a labor of love.The numbers you are dealing with are staggering,my goal is 6 dozen a day. Lol Ralph has influenced me to get turkeys..... I LOVE them! 7 RoyalPalms and 20 midget whites as of today with plans to get some bronze and bourbon reds come spring. I'm so glad your doing well it makes my heart a little lighter when I read your posts. It's easy to get discouraged at times,but you prove that with hard work and commitment you can achieve your goals!!

 

[Chicken girl 15]

Try to follow this:

Cx 2 Cx = frog
Cx 2 rainbow= toad
Cx 2 anything= substandard lizard



Actually to get a toad you must be 3/4 Cx and 1/4 rainbow....it's kind of complicated

so cx to rainbow back to a cx should give toad?

 

[Molpet]

Try to follow this:

Cx 2 Cx = frog
Cx 2 rainbow= toad
Cx 2 anything= substandard lizard



Actually to get a toad you must be 3/4 Cx and 1/4 rainbow....it's kind of complicated

I think I am going to try substantial lizards ... you were saying the toads don't like to live long .. maybe a lizard would be meatier and live longer... I have 4 lizards that are 4 1/2 wks old so I will see...

 

[Chicken girl 15]

Hi All!

Pull me up a bar stool and pour me a stiff drink!  How has Ralphie and JR done at keeping up the Bar and Grill?  

Holm pm'ed me to see how I was doing and since I was here to read his message, I thought I'd pop in and say hello.  I don't have time to read through the thousand or so posts since I was here last, but I do hope you all are still sharing great info and camaraderie.  I haven't had much success on other threads when I needed help so I hope that we are serving all advice seekers well here on this thread.

So, let me give you all an update on my egg business.  It is insanity folks.  Beyond our wildest imaginations!  We now have nearly 2000 birds (chickens and ducks), 1300 laying, 270 peeps and 375 ducks.  We bought out our only duck egg competitor in the lower 2/3 of Oregon it seems and have requests from all over the state for our eggs.  However, we are too small to expand more on our rented land and are just doing the best we can with what we have.  

Our eggs are currently being sold at 11 area stores.  We also supply chicken and duck eggs to a local restaurant and duck eggs to a restaurant on the Oregon coast.  Recent averages have been less than 450 dozen eggs sold per week, but last week we had our record sales week ever!  We sold 588 dozen chicken and duck eggs!!  I'm talking sold out too, not just deposited at the store.  One store alone sold more than 160 dozen!

This year has been crazy insane.  We had to apply for a USDA loan to purchase equipment to work this business better.  We needed a tractor because the little one we had was not sufficient and it broke down.  We were able to buy a skid steer that covers all of our needs.  We needed a walk in cooler because our 2 fridges were busting at the seams.  We also desperately had to upgrade our egg washer.  We were washing and packaging eggs for a minimum of 6 hours every single day on top of everything else.  Our bigger egg washer cuts us down to 2 hours per day.  While it is still a lot of work, we feel like we have gotten a tiny bit of our life back.

With all that said, we aren't getting rich due to the expense to get this business to where we are today, almost 2 years.  If someone asked me if I thought they could do this, I would say no, most likely.  Not because I'm afraid of competition.  We all have to eat.  But because, most people could not handle the long hours, no days off and extreme expense that goes into doing this.  If you don't have a huge amount of money or another job or business that can pay the bills and support this, if you don't have the ability to drive a paid off junker, buy nothing, eat cheap and do absolutely nothing for yourself EVER, you cannot do this.  However, this is the most amazing, gratifying and educational work that we have ever done.  To feed so many people is staggering and humbling.  When so many people buy our eggs to feed their families, I nearly cry in amazement.  

I look forward to the day that the debt is paid off and we can close our other businesses and just do this.  I love it.  I love my birds, including the ducks (Ralphie).  I love the work.  I love learning!  I am now a self-proclaimed chicken surgeon.  

I miss you guys!  So please check in if it seems I am gone for a long time.  BYC doesn't seem to send me updates like they used to.  I will try to get back here as often as I can.  I just can't seem to catch up on months of past posts though.

Oh, I almost forgot!  I had gotten two turkey poults a few months back, I think I posted about it.  I am in love with them!  They both turned out to be hens and they are little lovers.  They like hugs and snuggles every day.  The whole neighborhood has adapted to their daily visits and they love them  too.  These girls are free spirits and I'm not sure I could contain them if I tried.  They are obsessed with children.  They are so fun!

what you do is astounding. I am in awe of your accomplishments. I am small scale compared to you, but I understand how gratifying it is to feed others. I also know it's heart breaking and killer on the financial life all while being the ultimate feeling of accomplishment. I only have 85 chickens and a duck at the moment but during warmer months I had upwards of 200 (still small compared to you). We deal in meat birds, eggs, and all things poultry. Our first year we lost all but our rear ends in starting up. Between feed and building materials we ate a lot of home grown salad to save money. Now almost 2 years in we eat great. Fresh eggs and chicken are # 1 on our menu, but what makes those taste better, the fact that some other family is eating better because we sold them fresh meat.

If you ever feel up to helping me on my way with some tips and advice I'm always looking for insight. You obviously have more knowledge than me, and the heart to keep it going.

 

[Chicken girl 15]

I think I am going to try substantial lizards ... you were saying the toads don't like to live long .. maybe a lizard would be meatier and live longer... I have 4 lizards that are 4 1/2 wks old so I will see...

let us know how your lizards turn out.

 

[macgro7]

Hello!
How's everyone?
Hope better than us!!!

Mr Fox doesn't care if they are my prized extremely rare red dorking, my breeders for next year which I had carefully selected and got rid of all the inferior birds. Mr Fox just kills them ALL!!!
I found ALL my chickens dead this morning. All of them except for seramas bantams which were housed separately. I'm surprised geese which were together with meat chickens were untouched.
So at least I know I'm keeping the geese for breeding.
What chickens shall I breed now for next year's meat???????

 

[duluthralphie]

so cx to rainbow back to a cx should give toad?

yes

 

[duluthralphie]

I think I am going to try substantial lizards ... you were saying the toads don't like to live long .. maybe a lizard would be meatier and live longer... I have 4 lizards that are 4 1/2 wks old so I will see...

The lizard stage make a nice bird, however, I did not find bringing in one more cross of CX to hurt them.

My toads are actually doing pretty good. I have high hopes for them. I have only lost one of them, a hen that had what I assume is heart problems a few weeks back. The difference between the lizards and toads in body mass is amazing or was in the ones I have.

I have cockerels I should consider processing that I am willing to bet will be 15-20 pounds dressed. They are all healthy and running around. When I open their pen they will wander 2-300 feet checking things out. The boys will even chase (run after) a regular chicken girl. I have yet to see them catch the girl though. You know how fast those skinny girls run..