How many chickens does it take to make you a chicken farmer?

[Sonoran Silkies]

My question to the OP is the intent of your question, and who you are wanting to "tell" that you're a farmer. Back when I was in junior high, my folks bought land and cattle ande set up a small ranch. From the standpoint of the IRS, yes, my dad was a rancher--he operated his ranch for a profit, and I can well remember discussions he and mama had about taxes and what they needed to do and not do. However, in general conversation, when asked his occupation, it was not "rancher"; it was either engineer or architect (he was both), because that was what provided the vast majority of his income and occupied the vast majority of his time. Ranching was a hobby and an investment, and he derived a great deal of pleasure from building fences, plowing fields, counting and feeding the herd and all the other tasks associated with running a ranch. In some circles and circumstances, he would refer to himself as a rancher, but not overll.

 

[write2caroline]

I guess, I am looking to be a chicken farmer officially for breeding purposes. Which would allow us to Greenbelt our rural land officially. Yes the tax advantages would be useful but I have other businesses that provide them. I want to do this the correct way. There is not a lot of guidance out there. I guess I can call the FLorida Dept of AG and get more info. Selling eggs causes problems with the License issue via dept of Revenue but as a breeder it doesn't require all the board of health due to food stuff since I would not be selling eggs for human consumption.

I was just wondering.

Caroline

 

[write2caroline]

I have been unemployed going on two years now and nothing else is working out. I thought that if I can be a chicken breeder and learn about that, take some classes etc. I might actually make a living and qualify for some grants to help with the operation. My grandfather was a beef rancher. I was wondering where other people were on this issue. What their experiences are. I found if we green belt the land it puts us in a different catagory for property taxes - the county assesor told me 30 chickens constituted a farm to the county - my next door neighbor has 100 chickens We were both interested in starting a breeding program here in Jacksonville. We have been talking about it for a while and I wanted to research it better.

Caroline

 

[Olive Hill]

In that case, I think the first thing to ask yourself is why nothing else is working out. And be brutally honest with yourself. A business is a business is a business and that stands true for one rooted in breeding. It requires book keeping, networking, marketing, advertisement, public relations, customer service, design, implementation and maintenance of operating systems, management, and on and on.

Ask yourself why other business ventures have failed and how this one will be different. Determine your market, what connections you already have with that market and how you need to further plug-in, plot ways in which you will reach that market effectively via advertisement and perhaps most importantly whether or not that mode of advertisement has been successful for others in the past.

Plot what you're able to invest, don't plan to make a profit off the bat.

 

[FlomatonsFlocks]

Does anyone have any source references?

 

[oldrooster]

Quote:

I think to be classified as a farmer with the IRS your farm income has to be the majority of your income. We're totally farm income so I've never had to find that out.

No it is income of 1 grand a year, before expenses (at least the IRS says so). to say it's what you make the most money at I guess stay at home parents do not exist because they are not paid.

the IRS, when they come knocking, is prone to agree with that position so if you do go that route be prepared to back yourself up with concrete evidence.

Anything tax wise Keep records! it does not matter what it is...

Quote:

According to who?

Back when I did it for a horse biz, we wrote off nearly everything: barn building, feed, vet bills, fencing, transportation, maintenance, stock purchases, a portion of the mortgage, amortization of equipment. Ended up without a profit for several years on this endeavor, so got a huge tax break to the point that for five years I didn't pay taxes. Unfortunately, got audited twice during that time, too (with a "No Change" status, so no penalties...but had to pay accountant to come with us to visit the IRS).

The paperwork was a drag, but the benefits tax-wise were worth it. The only year I made a profit is when I sold my last horse....

Don't know on how big a scale you'd have to be to declare a poultry business vs. a hobby, but it seems to me you've got far more sale opportunities than horses to churn some money.

That's no different than any business. Our most major expense we can't write off......the purchase of land.

But Land does not "wear out" like a roof on a barn or a tractor so it's worth does not go away.....

 

[oldrooster]

Does anyone have any source references?

Just realized this is a zombie thread 3 posters including the opening poster hasn't been on here for 5 years.......