RichardBenfield
In the Brooder
- Oct 19, 2021
- 4
- 20
- 28
Hello,
My name is Richard. My family and I are early in our chicken raising/breeding process.
1) We are in our 2nd year raising chickens. We got our first chickens on 7/2/2020 from Murray McMurray Hatchery
2) We had about nearly 60 hens and a couple of roosters. The other day we rehomed 10 hens, so we are down to about 50 now. We've also raised about 70 for meat and we have lost a few to predators and such.
3) For meat, we have raised Barred Rocks, Buff Orpington, White Rocks, Bielefelder, Cornish Roasters (not Cornish Cross) and Murray's Big Red Broilers. We have Rhode Island Reds, Ameraucanas, New Hampshires, Black Stars, White Crested Black Polish, Buff Laced Polish, Red Stars, Black Minorcas, Whiting True Blues, Black Austalorp, Bielefelders, Silver Gray Dorkings, Cukoo Marans, Blue Laced Red Wyandotte, Buff Cochins, Blue Cochins and Golden Comets... (Be honest, do we have a problem)
4) I think for me, the best part is knowing where our food comes from. knowing how it was raised, that they had or have the best life possible that they were not/are not mistreated. Knowing what they were fed and that they were not injected or medicated with anything we don't agree with. For my wife, it is the hens personalities.
5) My other hobbies are working, learning about anything I can, working, spending time with the family, working... and um working
6) I am married. My wife Jennifer and I have 8 kids but only 2 of them (10 y/o twins) live with us. We also have 2 grandchildren. we have a cat (we named him Midnight because he is pretty much solid black), we have a dog (he is a pitbull springer spaniel mix named Patch) and we have a foster pitbull named Tamarra. My wife used to run a pet sitting service and is now in the process of setting up an animal rescue/sanctuary. I work for a large hospital company automating the management of server and other IT infrastructure.
7) I found BYC from searching (usually about breeding meat birds. I have known about BYC for probably about a year or so and I finally decided to join because I want to ask questions and get some thoughts on a breeding program. We have been ordering chicks and last year with the distribution issues we had a lot of chicks die before they got to us. I don't like that. I know a lot of others that happened to. I want to explore hatching the kind of chicks I want and others might want so we don't have to have chicks shipped and potentially die in those conditions.
I look forward to sharing what I have learned and continue to learn and I look forward to learning from those that have knowledge and experience beyond my limited knowledge and experience.
My name is Richard. My family and I are early in our chicken raising/breeding process.
1) We are in our 2nd year raising chickens. We got our first chickens on 7/2/2020 from Murray McMurray Hatchery
2) We had about nearly 60 hens and a couple of roosters. The other day we rehomed 10 hens, so we are down to about 50 now. We've also raised about 70 for meat and we have lost a few to predators and such.
3) For meat, we have raised Barred Rocks, Buff Orpington, White Rocks, Bielefelder, Cornish Roasters (not Cornish Cross) and Murray's Big Red Broilers. We have Rhode Island Reds, Ameraucanas, New Hampshires, Black Stars, White Crested Black Polish, Buff Laced Polish, Red Stars, Black Minorcas, Whiting True Blues, Black Austalorp, Bielefelders, Silver Gray Dorkings, Cukoo Marans, Blue Laced Red Wyandotte, Buff Cochins, Blue Cochins and Golden Comets... (Be honest, do we have a problem)
4) I think for me, the best part is knowing where our food comes from. knowing how it was raised, that they had or have the best life possible that they were not/are not mistreated. Knowing what they were fed and that they were not injected or medicated with anything we don't agree with. For my wife, it is the hens personalities.
5) My other hobbies are working, learning about anything I can, working, spending time with the family, working... and um working
6) I am married. My wife Jennifer and I have 8 kids but only 2 of them (10 y/o twins) live with us. We also have 2 grandchildren. we have a cat (we named him Midnight because he is pretty much solid black), we have a dog (he is a pitbull springer spaniel mix named Patch) and we have a foster pitbull named Tamarra. My wife used to run a pet sitting service and is now in the process of setting up an animal rescue/sanctuary. I work for a large hospital company automating the management of server and other IT infrastructure.
7) I found BYC from searching (usually about breeding meat birds. I have known about BYC for probably about a year or so and I finally decided to join because I want to ask questions and get some thoughts on a breeding program. We have been ordering chicks and last year with the distribution issues we had a lot of chicks die before they got to us. I don't like that. I know a lot of others that happened to. I want to explore hatching the kind of chicks I want and others might want so we don't have to have chicks shipped and potentially die in those conditions.
I look forward to sharing what I have learned and continue to learn and I look forward to learning from those that have knowledge and experience beyond my limited knowledge and experience.
Hello Richard and welcome to BYC, You found an Amazing Poultry Community to be a part of with many great knowledgeable members, who are more then willing to jump in and help you along your journey with any questions you may have. 
