Homesteaders

[KlopKlop]

The husking is super simple just time consuming. Take a 55 gallon barrel and shake a big handful vigorously until the berries fall. Keep at it until finished. Not hard but not fun either.

That's just one way I found. There are many.

Isn't that threshing, not husking.

 

[Chicken girl 15]

Um... might be? But that's what it pulled up for husking. I still have a ton of research to do so don't take my word for it.

 

[Chicken girl 15]

https://www.organicconsumers.org/ne...curity-how-grow-and-make-your-own-wheat-flour

 

[vmlocks]

What are you counting as inputs? If you count housing, be sure to amortize/depreciate it over several years. You will definitely be upside down with 1/5 laying. Give it time if those are pullets otherwise it's time to replace them.

Making money (or breaking even) is an economy of scale when talking chickens (or other livestock). We keep a flock of around 50 and sell eggs and are just on the high side of breaking even. We basically are paying for the hobby with a bit leftover for improvements/additions.

This year we are going to be grinding our own feed to open up the margin a little.

The structure is not insured and was on the property upon arrival. All finishing touches were donated. Other inputs we are calculating are, power, water, gas used to chicken related activities, feed.

 

[vmlocks]

Freeloaders because they are cockerels or because it is winter?

Just one roo and he pulls his weight sort of, he is a favorrells so not the meanest guy around. We had 5sexlinks that were given to us. After 3 weeks one started laying. We bartered some work for a Silkie who laid 3 eggs after about 2 weeks then stopped. We bartered for an Easter egger and today she gave us our first in 8 days. We also traded 3 of the sexlinks for a buff Orpington and the Roo. The BO seems meaner than the roo so I guess if they are at all like dogs there is an alpha and she might not lay. Two 3month old bierfelders we are waiting on. So mainly we think it is stress and winter so we will give them all probably until May before we look to have dinner and recoup some of our money then.

 

[vmlocks]

What are you counting as inputs? If you count housing, be sure to amortize/depreciate it over several years. You will definitely be upside down with 1/5 laying. Give it time if those are pullets otherwise it's time to replace them.

Making money (or breaking even) is an economy of scale when talking chickens (or other livestock). We keep a flock of around 50 and sell eggs and are just on the high side of breaking even. We basically are paying for the hobby with a bit leftover for improvements/additions.

This year we are going to be grinding our own feed to open up the margin a little.

@klopklop. Not too worried about making money just tracking eggs to cost in store pure $ so we are comparing cheap eggs to our higher quality yes but it is an exercise of income replacement.

We have been switching out hens with friends who aren't laying. Bad thing is some I just gave away started laying for my friend hut what I got in return has not as of yet.

Did have one other hen join the party today so 2 laying now hopefully.

We will keep plugging along. The will help the garden too and I'm not sure how to count that as I don't normally pay for manure but now I will have some.

Victor and Mother Tucker

 

[KlopKlop]

@klopklop. Not too worried about making money just tracking eggs to cost in store pure $ so we are comparing cheap eggs to our higher quality yes but it is an exercise of income replacement.

We have been switching out hens with friends who aren't laying. Bad thing is some I just gave away started laying for my friend hut what I got in return has not as of yet.

Did have one other hen join the party today so 2 laying now hopefully.

We will keep plugging along. The will help the garden too and I'm not sure how to count that as I don't normally pay for manure but now I will have some.

Victor and Mother Tucker

moving the chickens around will definitely put a kink in their laying habits as it is stressful for them. Give them time to get settled in and get their cycle back in line. Also, are you giving any supplemental light? that will help too.

 

[Beekissed]

The big payoff with chickens comes in many forms. If you can create a free range system you can get by very cheaply on feed for three seasons of the year, while still getting eggs. Then you are feeding hens through the winter but not getting your full egg count, but if you've been savvy about hatching chicks in the spring and are culling your flock each year, you'll have meat to eat in the winter months instead of the eggs. Meanwhile, the free ranging is improving their own pasture, removing bugs and pests from your garden surroundings, and~if you use free leaves in your coop to promote a composting deep litter system~you've got finished compost by winter's end to place directly on your garden. More compost equals better plant nutrition and better crop yields. Feeding the veggie and fruit scraps back to the chickens and any garden wastes right back to the coop composting system and you've got no food wastes at all.

Another way to get even cheaper on chickens is to ferment your feed. This gets you to feeding almost half what you would normally feed, creates a more pleasant coop environment, healthier chickens, and the eggs and meat taste 100% better than they did if you were not fermenting and free ranging.

All these things gets you to a place where chickens start to pay for themselves in multiple ways and replicating themselves each year so you won't need to buy more stock. If you cull for laying, you will only be feeding the hard working hens of the flock and the rest become food for the family. Breed your best layers and you are finally getting all you can get from a chicken flock. What you invested initially suddenly becomes a pittance when you consider how well and how long this investment pays off as the years go by.

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

The big payoff with chickens comes in many forms.   If you can create a free range system you can get by very cheaply on feed for three seasons of the year, while still getting eggs.  Then you are feeding hens through the winter but not getting your full egg count, but if you've been savvy about hatching chicks in the spring and are culling your flock each year, you'll have meat to eat in the winter months instead of the eggs.   Meanwhile, the free ranging is improving their own pasture, removing bugs and pests from your garden surroundings, and~if you use free leaves in your coop to promote a composting deep litter system~you've got finished compost by winter's end to place directly on your garden.  More compost equals better plant nutrition and better crop yields.  Feeding the veggie and fruit scraps back to the chickens and any garden wastes right back to the coop composting system and you've got no food wastes at all.  

Another way to get even cheaper on chickens is to ferment your feed.  This gets you to feeding almost half what you would normally feed, creates a more pleasant coop environment, healthier chickens, and the eggs and meat taste 100% better than they did if you were not fermenting and free ranging. 

All these things gets you to a place where chickens start to pay for themselves in multiple ways and replicating themselves each year so you won't need to buy more stock.  If you cull for laying, you will only be feeding the hard working hens of the flock and the rest become food for the family.  Breed your best layers and you are finally getting all you can get from a chicken flock.  What you invested initially suddenly becomes a pittance when you consider how well and how long this investment pays off as the years go by. 

Agreed, I free range and barely feed my birds April to November. I have to supplement in winter months, but chickens are very cheap most of the time. Then the decrease in insect population really improves life and my garden. In that capacity they are invaluable.

 

[vmlocks]

moving the chickens around will definitely put a kink in their laying habits as it is stressful for them.  Give them time to get settled in and get their cycle back in line.  Also, are you giving any supplemental light?  that will help too.

Had not been giving more light as we truly thought that the natural cycle would be better. Can you go into more depth?