Ideas on a self-sustainable flock?

[rookhomestead]

Oh, very nice! It's been my experience... I don't have any. I seem to find 100 ways NOT to do things. But it makes it that much easier to try again.

 

[ShiftyShickens]

Hi folks
Im a newbie. Got a mixed flock of 7 for eggs. Currently 3 have started to lay.

I'm thinking ahead and starting to plan how to have a self sustaining flock, that provides my family (family of 5) enough eggs (15-20 a week will be enough for our personal use) and also provides us with enough meat birds for the year. I dont like the idea of eating my layers (who all have names and eat from our hands etc) but next spring we'd like to raise 30-40 chickens for the freezer as well.
On top of this, I know that after a couple years egg production decreases, so would like to raise my own layers in time to take over from the older girls.

Now, to me, it makes sense to get a Rooster- but then, will there be enough genetic diversity? Do I need 2 Roosters? Do people swap Roosters for their "services" ;-)
How would I breed 30-40 eggs (for freeezer birds) does a chicken still only lay one egg every 26 hrs even when they are fertilized? Does that mean all 7 of my egg layers would have to be laying fertilised eggs and sitting on them all day for weeks on end and then all chicks would be hatching one per day etc etc?? Sorry if these are really dumb questions. Ex- city girl here.

How would you manage a flock that you wanted to get 15-20 eggs from each week all year, and raise 30-40 meat birds from March - June??

Important to me- all my meat birds would be free ranging on our land, supplementing with feed.
They would be dual purpose breeds, not those ugly birds that are somewhat featherless and raised just for meat.

Ideally, we'd process the meat birds a few at a time as needed (my husband would do it) but we arent sure if thats practical. The other option would be to drive all 40 to someone else who would process for us, but trying to not incur any costs, and truly live off our land like the olden days...

Any tips, ideas, suggestions welcome. Thanks!!!

for continued genetic diversity i rely heavily on the clan mating system and supplement that system by out-crossing in a rooster or two of new bloodlines every year. personally i use five groups but you can use as few as three for the system to still work. i'm posting a URL below that really gives the nitty gritty about the clan mating system.


http://www.homegrownliberty.com/e0039-chickens-clan-mating-system/

hope this can be as useful to your family as it is to mine

 

[Minky]

Hey @ShiftyShickens that was an interesting article, thanks. I'm learning so much on here, I think I might have "chickenitis". Can't stop reading.

 

[rookhomestead]

I got mixed chicks to start with, kept all the roos and hens. One year later (plus 3 more hens) Hatched out a mixture of eggs just to try to get a few more layers, and I have no idea which rooster it was doing all the mating, and can't remember which hens the eggs were from. I'll have to start the clan mating system since I'd like to make sure I don't get future layers with 3 eyeballs. Its pretty ingenious. I certainly don't want to bring in unknown birds, but I free range so I don't bother getting too paranoid.

 

[ShiftyShickens]

Hey @ShiftyShickens that was an interesting article, thanks. I'm learning so much on here, I think I might have "chickenitis". Can't stop reading.

chickenitis? i like that, anyone who thinks they have it...has it. also look up out-crossing. i really use a mix of the two breeding methods.

 

[Foristers]

I keep notebook/calendar records of weather, migratory birds, wildlife, the gardens etc. The chickens have their own book: who is laying, what the feed is, general observations as well as coop temperature/humidity etc. As we go forward it will be interesting to see how my record keeping impacts decision making <G>.

That's a great idea. I think I will add that to my observations. Thanks!

 

[Foristers]

I think you should take your response and create an article with it.

Thanks! I might do that. It would be so long though because there are so many inputs aside from what I put in that post. I'll have to see how I could shorten it.

 

[black_dove2]

Thanks! I might do that. It would be so long though because there are so many inputs aside from what I put in that post. I'll have to see how I could shorten it.

You could break it up into chapters. Start with what you have then expand into different articles that have more details explaination etc. Good luck!

 

[black_dove2]

Okay so not to be apart pooper but what do you do if you find out down the road you don't have the passion or wherewithall to keep up a flock of 40 birds?

I'm just curious because weather is changing and I just have the 2 hens and it's a lot of work when I'm keeping up with 4 dogs and my health is declining.

Has anyone discovered that for them 20 birds are enough to sustain their family and didn't need to continue with their plan of say 50 total?

 

[black_dove2]

You are in Canada, I do not know what the SOP is for Araucana in Canada. In the States Auracana do not have tails, Ameraucana do have tails, and EE's can be anything and have anything. There are no rules for EE's. EE's can have muffs, tufts, or beards, or they may not. EE's can have any kind of comb, may be any color or any pattern, and any leg color. EE's are not a breed, Auracana are a breed and have rules.

To make it more complicated, each country can have its own rules for the same breed. In France Marans have to have feathers on the legs, in the US they do not. In the UK Auracana may or may not have tails. It really gets confusing when you cross a national boundary.

Is this for show birds?