Question on starting my flock

[Windyindy]

I hope this was the right spot. I would really like to raise chickens and ducks. I have before when I lived with my parents, but now I moved and would like to start a small homestead. I only have 5 acrea and already raise sheep, and i have a horse. I was hoping if I sold meat birds and eggs they would help pay for themselves. I dont know if I'll be able to raise enough to come out "ahead" but if they could pay for themselves that would be great.
Questions I have:
1 I dont have enough fanced off area that they can eat enough pasture alone so I'll need to feed 24/7. Is it cheaper to pay a feed mill to mix your own feed or just buy the prmixed from farm and fleet?
2 I know crumbles are easier to digest but there is more waste vs pellets. If I provide gravle can I get away with pellets?
3 I rember sawdust working better for straw then bedding but does that get pricey?
4 pricing ideas to sell broiler birds at? I will have the buyer pay their own processing costs.
5 is it really worth it if you dont have time to process them yourself? Or does all youre money that you may make go into that?
6 what's a good reputable reasonable priced company to buy from that treats their chicks with respect?

Thats all i have for now, but I'm sure I'll have more later. Thanks all!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Unless you are buying big batches of feed and feeding it up fairly quickly it's better to buy a premade ration. I prefer a pellet, there's a lot less waste.

Straw can mold. I would only use it in winter. Shavings or deep litter work well. In winter I give mine slabs of hay to forage through and for extra bulk to the bedding. Where are you located? Climate?

I don't know if it's profitable, I haven't raised any for meat personally.

It's best to choose a hatchery closer to you.

 

[Windyindy]

Thank you so much. I believe my parent's went though a bag or 2 in a week but that was when they were using crumbles and had 3 dozen hens maybe?

I live in Wisconsin

Ill try and search local hatcheries .

 

[Windyindy]

Found this
http://www.northwoodspoultry.com

 

[PirateGirl]

I will answer what I know.

Your most economical feed depends how many birds you have. Generally the larger the quantity you buy the lower your price per pound. You need space to store it where rodents and mold won't get it and it needs to be consumed in a reasonable amount of time before it can spoil.

Pellets or crumbles are personal preference. It's all the same feed, one is just ground finer.

Straw vs pine shavings is also personal preference. You may be able to find a better source for one vs the other. I get my pine shavings/sawdust free from two different people that own sawmills and process lumber. One is a furniture maker. They need to find ways to dispose of it anyway and are happy to have someone haul shavings away from time to time.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Thank you so much. I believe my parent's went though a bag or 2 in a week but that was when they were using crumbles and had 3 dozen hens maybe?

I live in Wisconsin

Ill try and search local hatcheries .

I'm in Wisconsin too. I feed my birds the All Flock ration sold at Fleet Farm. It's a pellet. I like their feeds, my birds do well on them. My chicks get raised on their starter. They also sell a Meat Maker.

I would only use straw or hay when things are frozen. Mold is bad on chickens. Both hay and straw will mold in warmer weather if gotten wet or damp.

I don't believe there's any hatcheries in Wisconsin. There's purely poultry but they aren't a hatchery. I use My Pet Chicken, otherwise Meyers, or Murray McMurray aren't too far away.

 

[aart]

Crumbles aren't wasteful if you have a no waste feeder
You'll have to feed them a good ration if you want enough eggs to cover their feed costs.

What kind of bedding you use may depend on how you manage the manure in coop and run. I use poop boards with PDZ, poops scooped daily go to compost,
dry shavings on coop floor that get totally changed out twice a year,
wood chunks and other dry plant matter(including hay and straw and coop shavings) in run keeps odors undetectable.

Selling meat will depend on your local laws and probably USDA processor costs.

Ducks may need to be kept separate form chickens.
I'd start small with a dozen chickens, get thru your first winter.

 

[Windyindy]

Thank you all. If I just sell the live birds there shouldn't be any laws right? Only if I processed myself then i would need an FDA approved area?

 

[aart]

Thank you all. If I just sell the live birds there shouldn't be any laws right? Only if I processed myself then i would need an FDA approved area?

Probably, I don't give legal advice
You'd have to look up the regs for your area to find the rules and the loopholes.

Would be a huge monetary investment to build a USDA approved slaughtering facility.
Here they get the birds slaughtered in a USDA facility but then have a USDA approved freezer(which is not hard to do) to sell out of to the public.

Are you in INDYanapolis?

Where in this world are you located?
Climate is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, then it's always there!

 

[Windyindy]

I live in Wisconsin