have 40 acres I am thinking pastured chicken farm

[Zen Ezra Nexus]

It is in grass and short stuff right now. Looking to grow chickens. As a child I raised some chicken and have very fond memories about it. Have been watching videos of many who pasture raise chicken both for eggs and meat. sounds like something I would enjoy. will be building my tractors soon. The winters are very mild here in deep sub tropical south Texas near Mexico border. Plenty of grow time weather grass and bugs which I thought were a pain but now see as an asset. any thought on what to look for avoid and do to increase success. Thanks Ezra

 

[Cntry1958]

Hi Ezra, Welcome to BYC. Sounds like you have a great place for chickens. They love running around and exploring. Only thing you have to watch out for is the predators in your area. Good luck with your flock.

 

[Little Chicken Girl]

Hi Ezra and Welcome To BYC!

Here are some things that I can think of at the top of my head right now...

1: Dust access. Chickens like to role in the dust it to keep their feathers free of external parasites (lice, mites, fleas, ect...). Make sure your field/pasture has a pile of dust somewhere for the chickens' use so they can maintain good hygiene.

2: Breed: There are four breed categories: egg laying, dual purpose, meat and ornamental. By the sound of it, you would probably want a dual purpose breed (good for meat and eggs). I would recommend breeds that have wide foraging ranges (breeds that are productive foragers). In those categories, I would go for Black or Golden Sexlinks (also called red buffs, red stars, black stars, golden comets). They are dual-purpose so they lay lots of big, brown eggs and have good meat as well. They are hardy and are very busy foragers but are usually friendly with people as well. To read more about this sexlink variety, please visit an article on them featured on my website:
http://thewayofthechicken.com/index.php/2017/05/17/sex-links-black-stars-golden-comets/

Being prepared: Make sure everything is set up for the chickens before you get them (Sounds like you're doing pretty good with that though). You'll need some good nest boxes if you don't want to hunt for eggs all the time. You also need and a secure place for them to sleep at night so raccoons, foxes, dogs etc... don't eat them.

A Rooster: Roosters are great for pasture raised chickens because they keep the flock safe and fertilize eggs so you can hatch your own chicks. However, it is not good for the hens to have to many roosters (if you plan on eating them than that won't be an issue though). If you do decide to keep a rooster... or a few, you will have to trim their spurs once a year/once every other year or their spurs will grow to long and they will damage the hens' backs when they mount.

Nutrition: Sounds like your chickens will be pretty good living off the land but to make sure they are getting enough calcium (and other minerals) for good egg-shell quality, I would recommend giving them some layer pellets to supplement their diet. If you start your flock with chicks, I would advise feeding them 'chick scratch' (until they are grown), which is feed that is formulated to give baby chicks everything they need to prevent nutrient deficiency as well as encourage healthy development.

I hope this was helpful! I also hope you have fun raising your chickens! I will be back if I can think of more.

 

[Zen Ezra Nexus]

Hi Ezra, Welcome to BYC. Sounds like you have a great place for chickens. They love running around and exploring. Only thing you have to watch out for is the predators in your area. Good luck with your flock.

looking forward to it cant wait. exited thanks for your well wishes

 

[CochinLover1]

That does sound like a great opportunity for chickens. I pasture raise my birds on 19acres and they love it. I've got a wide variety of breeds but from my experience australorps, Easter eggers, Rhode Island reds, Orpingtons, Lakenvelders, and our barred rocks are the best foragers for our free range farm. I recommend getting a Mixted flock for beautiful egg color mixes and to test out different breeds.

 

[Zen Ezra Nexus]

Hi Ezra and Welcome To BYC!

Here are some things that I can think of at the top of my head right now...

1: Dust access. Chickens like to role in the dust it to keep their feathers free of external parasites (lice, mites, fleas, ect...). Make sure your field/pasture has a pile of dust somewhere for the chickens' use so they can maintain good hygiene.

2: Breed: There are four breed categories: egg laying, dual purpose, meat and ornamental. By the sound of it, you would probably want a dual purpose breed (good for meat and eggs). I would recommend breeds that have wide foraging ranges (breeds that are productive foragers). In those categories, I would go for Black or Golden Sexlinks (also called red buffs, red stars, black stars, golden comets). They are dual-purpose so they lay lots of big, brown eggs and have good meat as well. They are hardy and are very busy foragers but are usually friendly with people as well. To read more about this sexlink variety, please visit an article on them featured on my website:
http://thewayofthechicken.com/index.php/2017/05/17/sex-links-black-stars-golden-comets/

Being prepared: Make sure everything is set up for the chickens before you get them (Sounds like you're doing pretty good with that though). You'll need some good nest boxes if you don't want to hunt for eggs all the time. You also need and a secure place for them to sleep at night so raccoons, foxes, dogs etc... don't eat them.

A Rooster: Roosters are great for pasture raised chickens because they keep the flock safe and fertilize eggs so you can hatch your own chicks. However, it is not good for the hens to have to many roosters (if you plan on eating them than that won't be an issue though). If you do decide to keep a rooster... or a few, you will have to trim their spurs once a year/once every other year or their spurs will grow to long and they will damage the hens' backs when they mount.

Nutrition: Sounds like your chickens will be pretty good living off the land but to make sure they are getting enough calcium (and other minerals) for good egg-shell quality, I would recommend giving them some layer pellets to supplement their diet. If you start your flock with chicks, I would advise feeding them 'chick scratch' (until they are grown), which is feed that is formulated to give baby chicks everything they need to prevent nutrient deficiency as well as encourage healthy development.

I hope this was helpful! I also hope you have fun raising your chickens! I will be back if I can think of more.

Thanks it was.

 

[Zen Ezra Nexus]

That does sound like a great opportunity for chickens. I pasture raise my birds on 19acres and they love it. I've got a wide variety of breeds but from my experience australorps, Easter eggers, Rhode Island reds, Orpingtons, Lakenvelders, and our barred rocks are the best foragers for our free range farm. I recommend getting a Mixted flock for beautiful egg color mixes and to test out different breeds.

thanks I like all those also they look like fun.

 

[Storybook Farm]

We have a 40-acre mountain farm in West Virginia. We have a free-range laying flock and also four breeding flocks, divided into three "clans" per breed. We love keeping chickens, and are eager to start selling peeps and going to shows in 2018.

I'll be interested to see how you develop your business. I've been working on our website, if you want ideas: www.marciasomerville.com/farm. Feel free to contact me via that website with questions, or of course, post here.

 

[rjohns39]

Hi Ezra and welcome to BYC I'm going to suggest a book, PASTURED POULTRY PROFITS for meat birds. From the perspective of shelter design, I moved from the standard 10X12 to an 8X8. You need a dolly to move the larger and not for the smaller. The larger is more efficient, but my DW can move the smaller. Also, invest in hinges, you won't be sorry. Again welcome and we're so glad you joined us.

 

[Kiki]

Hi neighbor!
Welcome to Backyardchickens.com aka BYC!
We are glad you joined our flock.

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