INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[chick rookie]

Skipping a few pages. I am going to sell my sportsman and my metal brooder box. It looks like I will be leaving the chicken and other poultry world for a while.

Sorry to hear that, hope you will be back at it soon.

Most people who have been in chickens for a while agree that there really isn't money to be made in chickens. People mainly do it for the love of the hobby. You can make a little money, but I have not heard of many making enough to live on as a sole business. Especially in climates like we have here where laying/fertility goes so far down in winter and people don't want to buy chicks in the middle of winter.

I do think you can make enough to pay for feed/pay for keeping your flock.

I make just barley enough to pay for feed in the winter, This summer I made a LITTLE extra but not allot. I do it cause I enjoy it. It takes money to make money I always say. Just saying I agree with ya.

Have all the dreams you want, I have them to but I am keeping it real as far as my expectations are. If I get beyond that then I celebrate..

 

[daskhan]

The best advice I can give is to be open to the advice of those that have been doing this for years and try not to get so defensive when others disagree with you.  I am not trying to squash your dreams...just manage your expectations so you don't get crushed later if it doesn't turn out to be a moneymaker.  My advice (for what it is worth) is to look into providing some common breeds that sell well (like the rode island reds or buff orpingtons) but also look at getting into rarer and auto sexing breeds.  I was able to charge $15 a chick for my Bielies this year because they were auto sexing (guaranteeing females) and rare.  I honestly could easily have gotten more but I really wanted to share the breed so I kept prices lower.  People had no trouble paying my prices (I had a waitlist).  You pay the same $ to hatch, feed and house a $3 chick as a $15 chick....so you end up making quite a bit more on a $15 chick.  People seem to want sexed chicks and they want rare.  I think that is where the market is, and you can have some of the common breeds too for those that won't pay for the rare birds.   Also, if you are serious about this you need to invest in quality stock and not just buy up what you can.  Research and decide what breeds you want, pick a handful to start with and focus on getting quality birds of those breeds.  Then add a breed or two a year.  That is my recommendation, but you can take it or leave it.

Generally I think that's what I was trying to say I don't really have a lot yet I have maybe a dozen and I'm sticking to just them for now and everything you said is pretty much what I'm trying to do I was just trying to say it's ok to try because some people actually do ok
And if I seemed defensive I apologize I was responding to someone who was getting defensive to my suggestion of possibly how to increase profit
And if you weren't talking to me in generally I apologize for this response lol

 

[daskhan]

And onto another subject silkies are from Asia and are a mericle drug supposidly... That's so awesome how's everyone's flock doing? And serious question this is the first time I've hatched chicks in fall, during the spring/summer I just put them out in the grow out coop at about 6-8 weeks old I feel like it might be too cold for the fall hatches even though they are bigger then the spring ones any advice i do have a lamp in the grow out pen but recently read chickens don't really need it at what age do they not need the heat(winter temps)

 

[chick rookie]

And onto another subject silkies are from Asia and are a mericle drug supposidly... That's so awesome how's everyone's flock doing? And serious question this is the first time I've hatched chicks in fall, during the spring/summer I just put them out in the grow out coop at about 6-8 weeks old I feel like it might be too cold for the fall hatches even though they are bigger then the spring ones any advice i do have a lamp in the grow out pen but recently read chickens don't really need it at what age do they not need the heat(winter temps)

You will probably get lots of responses on this, I don't do it!!! I don't want the chicks in the house all winter, IMHO even if you waited until fully feathered you still have a big temp change all at once when you put them out side, you keep your house at 68 ( don't mean you its just an example ) and say the winter as been a easy one you pick a 45 deg. day and put your juveniles out with the others #1 23 degrees too big all at once, # 2 getting newbies excepted in the cold mths is harder for adults let alone Juvies, like I said this is just MHO.

 

[chick rookie]

If my math is right a 10 x 8 shed would be big enough to house 18 birds comfortably if I have to lock them up in bad weather, right?

 

[Indyshent]

And onto another subject silkies are from Asia and are a mericle drug supposidly... That's so awesome how's everyone's flock doing? And serious question this is the first time I've hatched chicks in fall, during the spring/summer I just put them out in the grow out coop at about 6-8 weeks old I feel like it might be too cold for the fall hatches even though they are bigger then the spring ones any advice i do have a lamp in the grow out pen but recently read chickens don't really need it at what age do they not need the heat(winter temps)

An abundance of melanin does not make a miracle drug any more than albinism cures AIDS. I can't find any references for the use of silkies (the chicken) as a miracle drug, though I'm familiar with the use of abundantly melanized chickens (like silkies and ayam cemani) in Eastern medicine (you know, the same perfectly logical and scientifically reasoned people who have largely wiped out tigers to eat their penises in soup)

Regarding added heat, it depends largely on the breed and ages of your chickens. Some breeds are better in the cold (Brahmas, Faverolles, Chanteclers, for example) and are more likely to tolerate the cold than, say, Seramas and Fayoumi (small and/or desert/tropical breeds). Other considerations are how well-feathered your birds are. If I'm in doubt (and just to be considerate), I acclimate the birds gradually to the temperature changes associated with living outdoors by introducing the outside world for however long they appear comfortable (on a comparatively warm and sunny day) and increase the amount of time the newbies stay outside until they're as comfy as anyone else out there. Some individuals may spend more time in this adjustment period than others. Turkeys, for instance, spent a long time adjusting (even though they were thermally fine, they just wanted to be inside with mommy and cried themselves sick if I left them out there all night).

If your birds are shivering and/or huddled together, they are too cold. Add heat are already in the warmest place available, and introduce them to warmer places if they are not. Stupid and/or stubborn birds do exist, after all.

 

[tmarsh83]

If my math is right a 10 x 8 shed would be big enough to house 18 birds comfortably if I have to lock them up in bad weather, right?

With a little room to spare as I understand it...

 

[Tammy Lynch]

Hiya! We're practically neighbors. I don't know of anyone doing any hatching this time of year. I'm hoping some of mine will hatch chicks come springtime. But there's always TSC in the early spring too. Craigslist is where you can find chicks in the spring also. And of course on the BYC buy and sell area. Many folks just order from hatcheries too. But again, supply is very limited right now. Hopefully someone here will help you out.
Cheers!

Yes! I'm in New Winchester. We are neighbors!

 

[Tammy Lynch]

many rural king stores here in Indiana still have chicks. ...it's a more limited selection than in the spring, but may be a start. Also, what breed (s) are you looking for? Do you want day old or started/coop ready birds (6 weeks or more)? There are still folks hatching, there are those who prefer to start chick in the winter, will just depend on what you want

Thank you! I'll easily get hubby to go to a RK store with me. I would love to find a couple that are already laying, as well.

 

[Hholly]

Quote:
Check craigslist. There are often ads for grown chickens on there.