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Are you talking about what people are doing witht he their birds. I just asked folks to share any flock projects or plans they had for their birds. What kind of goals they had for their flock etc.
Plan?? There is no plan!
Mine is pretty basic. To raise a few layers for the eggs, maybe sell just a few to interested parties, and to make those eggs as free range as we can.
Find a good meat bird that reproduces well (Cornish X ain't that!) and breeds true and has a nice size and form to it. This will be my own meat flock separate from my layers, and we'll use the eggs to raise two or three crops of chicks each Spring to Fall, 40 to 50 birds per batch (if I can ever figure out this incubator thing!). These will be to provide my family with enough healthy, free range chicken meat so we don't have to buy as much from the stores.
Figure out which breed of turkey works best for us food wise, get rid of (or eat) the rest, and keep a breeding flock. These also must be able to self reproduce and breed true so we don't have to buy poults every year. These white monsters I have now are packing on the meat, but the poor things can't breed due to that size, so they were just a short term project to learn how. I figure if we can get 15 to 25 turkeys for the table a year for us and our extended family, we'll be happy.
Feed these ducks and their buddies just because they are just so dang much fun to watch, both on and off the pond. Saves on the cable bill!
The goal is 100% free range pasture fed self sufficiency, but we'll be happy with half of that.
Getting rabbits (to be raised warren colony style) and goats in the fall for more meat and just a little milk. Thinking about pigs for next year.
And we will need a pack of dogs to guard all these critters. Just protecting these few birds we have is working my poor lab Rosie to death!
I wouldn't mind a few more ornamental types to help the ducks with the entertainment job. For instance, I'm used to them being a bunch of cowards. Every bird in the world pushes these poor things around. Well, there's this one young turkey (Narragansett) we have that gets a kick out of picking on them just because they run from him. Tonight I guess they got fed up with it (he was chasing them away from their food!) and this little drake decides he might just take him on, so he dips his head and charges. The turkey was surprised and at first backed off, then came back at him which made him turn tail and run. The pack of ladies didn't want that turkey to get away with that and so they kept pushing the drake back at the turkey as if to say "Don't let him get away with that!" So he would charge again. Of course, they didn't back him up, they just pushed him back into the fray and ran off a small distance to watch, all the while quaking up a storm. The turkey would run, stop, turn around, and come back at the duck.
I must have watched that little back for a good 20 minutes. I guess the turkey got tired of it and just said, "OH, fine! Go ahead and get your food!"
Man, I'm loving this country living.
I really like the Naragansett turkeys. They reproduce naturally and dress out to be a small - medium sized turkey.
Sounds like you need some guineas to help keep everyone lined out. Guineas rule. They will keep the turkeys, roosters and everything else in line. Now THAT's entertainment.
If you are considering raising rabbits for meat, you may want to get a copy of "The Private Life of the Rabbit" by R.M Lockley. It is out of print but I got a copy for a reasonable price from either Abe Books or
eBay. It would be a helpful book if you want to raise rabbits warren style. Also, when raising rabbits warren style, be sure to have sufficient room that the less dominant rabbits can access a food source and that you have a plan to control the parasite load. I raise meat rabbits but use cages so that I have a better ability to observe their health and it also makes them a lot easier to catch for butchering
Rabbits can burrough 15 feet or more, so don't put them too close to the house or they will be under your foundation.
I like your plans
all Well we made a quick trip to Okla last weeend and picked up the mother-in-law. She has to stay with someone now and we took the first watch!
