Regrouping after predator wipe-out...

[carcar80]

I know! We just finished the stall last spring, and it took a bit for me to realize he never so much as pees in it. Granted, he's free to come and go as he pleases but so are my dad's mare and gelding and their stalls are gross too lol. Our farrier, when he comes here, always mentions how he tells my dad how well I've stall-trained G. LOL

 

[carcar80]

I really do think the two-flock thing will be a good idea for me, now to figure how to sneak this grand plan past hubby. Ha! Poor, POOR hubby.. God bless him for living with such an animal freak. :/ I can just hear him now...

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

I really do think the two-flock thing will be a good idea for me, now to figure how to sneak this grand plan past hubby. Ha! Poor, POOR hubby.. God bless him for living with such an animal freak.

I can just hear him now...

Just explain how lovely those eggs will be! Worked with mine!

 

[carcar80]

Right!? Sadly he's not swayed by eggs so much.. He says he can't tell a diff from store eggs. I don't care, I just like knowing they come from happy hens!

Now, If I could find a way to have the birds make money for me, he'd be all in. LOL. He's tired of putting work and time in, and just getting eggs in return. However, his balks never last too long- I'm an OK cheerleader I guess.

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

Right!? Sadly he's not swayed by eggs so much.. He says he can't tell a diff from store eggs. I don't care, I just like knowing they come from happy hens!

Now, If I could find a way to have the birds make money for me, he'd be all in. LOL. He's tired of putting work and time in, and just getting eggs in return. However, his balks never last too long- I'm an OK cheerleader I guess.

We have a large enough flock that we put them to work. Selling eggs, and chicks after the first of the year! We haven't quite broke even yet but they are paying for their own feed now!

 

[henless]

Ok. New "crazy idea"

. I'm thinking, I really miss being able to free-range (I'm already seeing the color diff between eggs from my old flock and these new girls

).. So what if I piece together two "mirror flocks", separate my coop and run in half and alternate free-ranging days?? It may be an old practice but i felt like a genius when I thought of it lol!

That way, if something were to happen, I'm not out ALL my birds again.

I'm also considering breeds: as bad of luck as I had with a nasty RIR roo in the past, I really would love to have at least one.. Then a RIR hen, a barred rock hen, maybe SLW.. That way I could hatch some sex-link chicks when I need more chickens? I would also like to have another SLW roo.. Hmmm..

Just random ponderings. Anyone ever had a nice RIR roo?

Sounds like a good plan! How about free ranging them just part of the day? Maybe lunch/mid afternoon until dusk? Do it on days that you will be home that way you could keep an eye on them?

We had a really nice Buff Orpington rooster when I was a kid. I would pick him up and tote him around all the time. Someone gave us a game rooster. Darn thing would jump me anytime I came out there by myself. Well, one day Buffy saw him after me and he put a whooping on that game bird. Needless to say, he never bothered me again. LOL

We have a large enough flock that we put them to work. Selling eggs, and chicks after the first of the year! We haven't quite broke even yet but they are paying for their own feed now!

^^^^^^^^^^ This! Sell your extra eggs. Of course, this may require you to get more chickens since you need enough for yourself and your customers!

 

[carcar80]

So you guys really have luck selling your eggs? I would LOVE to do that but just worry I'd get all those hens and then no buyers.

I would also LOOOVE to hatch & sell but if I did that I'd want NPIP cert and I don't know that I wanna go that deep, lol. :sighhh:

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

We had tossed around the idea of chickens for awhile now. My Husband had customers lined up before we began and I've put up a few flyers, it's been word of mouth for the most part. The funny thing is when the girls started really laying we would go through spurts (and I'm sure we still will) where no one was buying

I swear at one time I have 10 dozen eggs in the fridge

Then I'd get calls of people wanting 2 doz here and 4 doz there......

As far as breeding and selling I plan to do just the same, word of mouth and local. My birds will be far from show quality for awhile but by the time people in my area know they can get healthy and great birds from me my qualities will have improved!

 

[carcar80]

You know, I've honestly considered putting up a "ghost ad" just to see if I get any calls.. Is that bad? lol. Or something to that effect..

Question: when you do sell eggs, how long do you keep them? I mean, as far as customers are concerned.. I know how we do with our own but I'm sure with customers I'd be a little different.

 

[aart]

I think it's best to play it by ear and grow slowly by word of mouth...... I wouldn't put an ad up if you don't have anything to sell...but that's just me.
Not getting many eggs with my new flock yet but have sold a lot when I was chicken sitting a 24 bird flock, that was my pay.

I don't wash eggs if they're not poopy and store them on the counter. I think they're safe there for several weeks.
If eggs are poopy, I wash them and refrigerate them, usually for my own use, once they're refrigerated they should stay refrigerated.
My customers are friends/acquaintances, know my management techniques and accept them. I just explain my practices but don't use terms, like free range, pastured, etc.

Selling on a larger scale takes time, effort and space to process, store and distribute eggs...I've had just a taste of that while sitting flocks for a couple weeks.
Selling to the general public is a whole 'nother ball game I would think. Whether you find a retailer or just have people come to your house or deliver or sell at farmers markets
.
Lots of options and things to think about before diving in...but again...that's just me, I'm a meticulous planner as I don't like being in tight spots/situations.
Yikes, I'm gabby this morning!