How many chickens would you need to keep to supply all the meat and eggs your family eats?

[Shadrach]

I think there are times when we all could have done something better, right?

If I'm understanding correctly, this is a model that you would actually like to try using in regards to this local restaurant venture? If so, this makes much more sense when applied to your very unique chicken situation.

Right.
There are hundreds of old style farmhouses (stone and ruble built) that are standing empty in this region of Spain. Most have a few acres of land but it's mountain land and difficult to make productive. When earlier generations die the land gets left to subsequent generations, many of who are not interested in living in what are fairly harsh conditions away from civilization.
As cmom mentions in one of her posts, the homesteading life can seem very attractive until the reality is experienced.
A couple here have inherited such a place. To make the necessary repairs and modernizations to make the house habitable is not an economical proposition for them. I will try and get a picture posted at some point.
They do want to make use of the land and live there. The plan with the house is to renovate the bare minimum to make it habitable. In effect they will have a very old looking farmhouse with I think it is 14 potentially 'habitable' spaces, 4 of which will be brought up to a more modern standard.
The land itself is mixed woodland, dense brush and a couple of small fields. The plot is a bit over 20 acres.
They did a considerable amount of market research and believe there is a demand from some up market restaurants for free range chickens and eggs. Like in a lot of countries people here have become more aware of what the various advertised standards such as free range, barn kept, pasture fed, etc actually mean in reality. It seems some people are prepared to pay for chicken meat from what we might call semi feral flocks. Such chicken meat tastes very different from commercially produced chicken meat. With each meal a small pamphlet showing the way the chickens are kept and pictures of said chickens roosting in trees, details of their diet and behaviour, etc will be supplied.
To help set the project up they asked a few of the local chicken keepers here if they would be interested in helping to set the project up. Given they have limited finances they were particularity interested in finding keepers who have experience in a particular field of free range flock keeping who would be prepared to help with the project for a small payment relying on the helpers enthusiasm for chicken keeping and the project. I and four others were the people they asked, each having some expertise in a particular area. I have a lot of mathematical modeling experience from a previous life and have some knowledge in the field of flock dynamics and behavior and have kept free range chickens here for a decade.
One of the other helpers keeps semi feral Fayoumie chickens and has incredible knowledge of ancient chicken breeds. Another is an ex forestal (Park Ranger) and keeps a semi feral chicken population. another worked in an animal rescue center in the next National Park North of this one and can fix just about any injury having dealt with birds from the Goshawk to the tiny song birds we have here. The last is a woodland management person who also keeps a semi feral flock.
We've all signed on for six months of effort to make the project work.

 

[CCUK]

Right.
There are hundreds of old style farmhouses (stone and ruble built) that are standing empty in this region of Spain. Most have a few acres of land but it's mountain land and difficult to make productive. When earlier generations die the land gets left to subsequent generations, many of who are not interested in living in what are fairly harsh conditions away from civilization.
As cmom mentions in one of her posts, the homesteading life can seem very attractive until the reality is experienced.
A couple here have inherited such a place. To make the necessary repairs and modernizations to make the house habitable is not an economical proposition for them. I will try and get a picture posted at some point.
They do want to make use of the land and live there. The plan with the house is to renovate the bare minimum to make it habitable. In effect they will have a very old looking farmhouse with I think it is 14 potentially 'habitable' spaces, 4 of which will be brought up to a more modern standard.
The land itself is mixed woodland, dense brush and a couple of small fields. The plot is a bit over 20 acres.
They did a considerable amount of market research and believe there is a demand from some up market restaurants for free range chickens and eggs. Like in a lot of countries people here have become more aware of what the various advertised standards such as free range, barn kept, pasture fed, etc actually mean in reality. It seems some people are prepared to pay for chicken meat from what we might call semi feral flocks. Such chicken meat tastes very different from commercially produced chicken meat. With each meal a small pamphlet showing the way the chickens are kept and pictures of said chickens roosting in trees, details of their diet and behaviour, etc will be supplied.
To help set the project up they asked a few of the local chicken keepers here if they would be interested in helping to set the project up. Given they have limited finances they were particularity interested in finding keepers who have experience in a particular field of free range flock keeping who would be prepared to help with the project for a small payment relying on the helpers enthusiasm for chicken keeping and the project. I and four others were the people they asked, each having some expertise in a particular area. I have a lot of mathematical modeling experience from a previous life and have some knowledge in the field of flock dynamics and behavior and have kept free range chickens here for a decade.
One of the other helpers keeps semi feral Fayoumie chickens and has incredible knowledge of ancient chicken breeds. Another is an ex forestal (Park Ranger) and keeps a semi feral chicken population. another worked in an animal rescue center in the next National Park North of this one and can fix just about any injury having dealt with birds from the Goshawk to the tiny song birds we have here. The last is a woodland management person who also keeps a semi feral flock.
We've all signed on for six months of effort to make the project work.View attachment 1966300

Sounds like it could be a fun and interesting project. I hope it works out. I'm all for more sustainable foods. Especially chickens that have had a good quality of life rather than the factory farmed mass produced product that more readily available.

 

[Shadrach]

Ok, I had to call it quits at 150 some odd posts... I don’t have enough data or time to read through them all, and I have to say it gets pretty argumentative and repetitive.

My thoughts on the OP: no the average suburban backyard chicken keeper is not going to make a dint in the commercial chicken industry. I don’t think anyone here is really trying to, I probably come the closest, along with other small farmers. Even a 1-10 acre homestead or smallholding isn’t going to make any appreciable difference on the big picture, and I don’t think there are really that many threads out there suggesting that they will. We have 600 acres, and even if I filled them with chickens, I still couldn’t come close to having an impact on the meat industry at a provincial, national, or global scale. I have had a huge impact on my local market, even with less than 100 birds for meat and egg sales (I’m starting a small chicken based addition to the farm). I have not had to buy store bought meat other than pork for a year, but we also eat hunted meats (goat and venison), and our own beef and lamb.

With intensive management and a few acres (even free ranging, or with A rotational pasture system), I do think you can easily supply a family’s protein needs for chicken, but not based on a diet where the only protein source is chickens and eggs, with typical North American portions, or on the conventional 1/8 or 1/4 acre “backyard” of the average single family dwelling here. This is an unrealistic and a flawed premise.

Every personal choice to eat ethically raised animals instead of cheap factory farmed meats is a small step towards a more respectful and sustainable meat industry, even if only on a small, local scale. I do believe it is a positive step, and would not want to actively discourage anyone from raising their own meat (which, no offense intended, it seems like the OP is trying to do). The solution is simple, eat less meat of better quality and a varied diet with multiple protein sources. That’s a more realistic model to work from when considering this question.

On costs and sustainability, Sheep (100-150 breeding ewes) are the most pasture destructive, high maintenance, and least profitable of all the livestock we raise. Cows (14 head of breeding adults) are far more efficient in every aspect, goats would be great (Except that they always manage to escape and join the feral (600+) population, which thrives fabulously). The chickens (71 and still establishing the flocks) I put in between the sheep and cows for efficiency. But all of this is also affected by local climate, market, feed costs, breeds chosen, predator concerns, husbandry methods, and the type of pasture available.

In summary, there are just too many variables to make general for or against statements either way. Though I don’t like to consider myself to be “delusional”, I do plan on continuing to work within my local community encouraging local ethically raised products, and not financially supporting any part of the meat industry I find to not meet my standards for ethical treatment of animals. I’ve personally worked at two Abbatoirs, and toured another; though my husband has seen and worked at several more plants than I have as he’s a butcher by trade, so I’m not commenting from as delusional a perspective as it may seem initially.

Like me and some others here you would be stretching credulity if you described yourself as a back yard chicken keeper with 600 acres.
I'm not trying to discourage people from keeping chickens, or attempt to establish a more sustainable life style.
I suppose in part what has irritated me during the time I've been on BYC is the number of people who talk about putting food on the table for their families while apparently looking down on people who keep chickens for other reasons. All families have someone that puts food on the table. You don't get extra life points if you do this by working as a mechanic, or raising chickens.
Next there is the claim that by raising your chickens in a backyard setting you are making a difference to the commercial concerns. I've read lots of stuff from the enthusiasts on this topic on various fora where numbers are quoted showing changes in the commercial production of chicken. What is missing is any hard evidence about what has brought about these changes. It seems just as likely that a higher level of consumer awareness given the ratio of consumers to backyard chicken keepers is the determining factor.
If a the BYC moto, A Chicken In Every Back Yard was even remotely likely (I can't help noticing that this model rarely gets called delusional ) became a reality then sure that would have an impact. It's not even remotely likely that this will ever happen. There must be millions of people that don't have back yards that still want to eat chicken.
Inevitably in such debates there comes the point where people will mention that the world needs feeding etc etc. The thing is this view aften assumes that grow/get more is the only solution and don't consider the other option (in this case chicken consumption) eat less.
It's just my view point. It probably isn't worth the heat of the debate but given others expect to have theirs aired I think I'm entitled to do the same.

 

[Shadrach]

Sounds like it could be a fun and interesting project. I hope it works out. I'm all for more sustainable foods. Especially chickens that have had a good quality of life rather than the factory farmed mass produced product that more readily available.

The fun part will be when the first chickens arrive. What happens when you relocate a few hundred chickens and let them roam around 20 acres?
I hope the project works out. There are great opportunities for study and learning and maybe something a bit like centrarchid's with the public and chickens.

 

[CCUK]

What happens when you relocate a few hundred chickens and let them roam around 20 acres?

Mayhem ensues!

 

[Peepsi]

Mayhem ensues!

Tasty, Tasty Mayhem!

 

[Ridgerunner]

The fun part will be when the first chickens arrive. What happens when you relocate a few hundred chickens and let them roam around 20 acres?
I hope the project works out. There are great opportunities for study and learning and maybe something a bit like centrarchid's with the public and chickens.

I also hope the project works. I'd love to hear how you (the Group) set it up initially and how it evolves over time. So many different things to consider. With that group you should have some differences of opinion. Maybe even try different things in the start-up? So many possibilities.

 

[Conan]

Right.
There are hundreds of old style farmhouses (stone and ruble built) that are standing empty in this region of Spain. Most have a few acres of land but it's mountain land and difficult to make productive. When earlier generations die the land gets left to subsequent generations, many of who are not interested in living in what are fairly harsh conditions away from civilization.
As cmom mentions in one of her posts, the homesteading life can seem very attractive until the reality is experienced.
A couple here have inherited such a place. To make the necessary repairs and modernizations to make the house habitable is not an economical proposition for them. I will try and get a picture posted at some point.
They do want to make use of the land and live there. The plan with the house is to renovate the bare minimum to make it habitable. In effect they will have a very old looking farmhouse with I think it is 14 potentially 'habitable' spaces, 4 of which will be brought up to a more modern standard.
The land itself is mixed woodland, dense brush and a couple of small fields. The plot is a bit over 20 acres.
They did a considerable amount of market research and believe there is a demand from some up market restaurants for free range chickens and eggs. Like in a lot of countries people here have become more aware of what the various advertised standards such as free range, barn kept, pasture fed, etc actually mean in reality. It seems some people are prepared to pay for chicken meat from what we might call semi feral flocks. Such chicken meat tastes very different from commercially produced chicken meat. With each meal a small pamphlet showing the way the chickens are kept and pictures of said chickens roosting in trees, details of their diet and behaviour, etc will be supplied.
To help set the project up they asked a few of the local chicken keepers here if they would be interested in helping to set the project up. Given they have limited finances they were particularity interested in finding keepers who have experience in a particular field of free range flock keeping who would be prepared to help with the project for a small payment relying on the helpers enthusiasm for chicken keeping and the project. I and four others were the people they asked, each having some expertise in a particular area. I have a lot of mathematical modeling experience from a previous life and have some knowledge in the field of flock dynamics and behavior and have kept free range chickens here for a decade.
One of the other helpers keeps semi feral Fayoumie chickens and has incredible knowledge of ancient chicken breeds. Another is an ex forestal (Park Ranger) and keeps a semi feral chicken population. another worked in an animal rescue center in the next National Park North of this one and can fix just about any injury having dealt with birds from the Goshawk to the tiny song birds we have here. The last is a woodland management person who also keeps a semi feral flock.
We've all signed on for six months of effort to make the project work.View attachment 1966300

Will you make a thread about this project, and how it goes? I'd like to hear how the whole project plays out.

 

[Molpet]

Will you make a thread about this project, and how it goes? I'd like to hear how the whole project plays out.

X2

 

[jspeese]

I think you could supply at least most of your eggs from a backyard flock, but of course that depends on the size of your family, how many eggs everyone eats, and also the age of the flock and time of year. Any older hens are going to molt as the days get shorter, unfortunately around the holiday time when you need the most eggs LOL!. Meat is another story. I have been spoiled by the modern broiler industry, even though they aren't sustainable. Even a large heritage breed is mostly bone, especially in the breast. Personally I'm more inclined to ducks than chickens if meat is your objective. You get a much better meat to bone ratio in a Rouen or Muscovy (or other medium to large breed) duck than you do a chicken, even a large breed like a Brahma or Orpington.