Self sustaining

[centrarchid]

centrarchid, it seems you have it down to a science. It makes a lot of sense to rotate so you do not have all the chicks hatching at once and then destroying your pasture. It also makes sense to take a break in the winter when there is less food available.

Is it easier to hatch chicks with an incubator? It seems that some broody hens would hatch chicks and do most of the work of raising them.

How many chicks do you hatch a year?

Still working things out. Biggest problems for me center around providing quality roosts for free-ranged juveniles. Roosts can be the strong or weak
link to the multiple cohort free-range strategy when no fences are used.

I have only three production seasons worth of chicken egg hatching using incubators. When using hens (games) a lot more. Last year I hatched about 240 using an incubator. I hope to increase by 1/2 again for 2012 production season. I am doing good to get 85% hatch and sometimes only realize 50%. It is hard to find someone that does not know more than I do about bird incubators. My expertise lays with fish where I can hatch millions.

When number of chicks desired is low, hens are American game, and lots of walks (free-ranging locations) are available; then hen raised gives better quality but control over timing and quantity has a lot to be desired. This is very much a game of timing and quantity.

 

[ericsplls]

There are alot of people working on and or searching for the perfect self sustaining meat and egg bird. Everyone also has their own definition of sustaining. For some the an incubator has no place in a sustainable flock. Others want a bird that can feed itself 12 months out of the year. I'm trying to find a happy medium between the two with the thought that should I ever need a truly sustainable flock that I would also have more time at home. One thing I have learned is not to carry over any more than you have to through winter. The better the lay rate of your birds the less birds you have to keep as brood stock. Another thing to think about is growth rate and maturity. Even looking at one breed you'll find age at maturity, growth rate, egg production, and forage ability to fluctuate from hatchery stock, and breeder stock. You'll even find this between one breeder and another. Most of my hatchery dual purpose birds have started laying in their fourth month. Breeder birds I hatched last spring just started laying. I'm hoping they will make up in longevity what they have lacked in speed.

 

[centrarchid]

There are alot of people working on and or searching for the perfect self sustaining meat and egg bird. Everyone also has their own definition of sustaining. For some the an incubator has no place in a sustainable flock. Others want a bird that can feed itself 12 months out of the year. I'm trying to find a happy medium between the two with the thought that should I ever need a truly sustainable flock that I would also have more time at home. One thing I have learned is not to carry over any more than you have to through winter. The better the lay rate of your birds the less birds you have to keep as brood stock. Another thing to think about is growth rate and maturity. Even looking at one breed you'll find age at maturity, growth rate, egg production, and forage ability to fluctuate from hatchery stock, and breeder stock. You'll even find this between one breeder and another. Most of my hatchery dual purpose birds have started laying in their fourth month. Breeder birds I hatched last spring just started laying. I'm hoping they will make up in longevity what they have lacked in speed.

That is similar issue i have with definition of sustainablity. I strive for medium that enables selective breeding. If natural productivity of landscape were to provide limits, then my 18 acres would support only a dozen birds at most during winter. Hen hatching would be delayed to May or even June with maximum number of birds I could raise being a hundred or less and predators would be a much bigger problem than I enjoy now.

 

[Smiles-N-Sunshine]

It does seem like a waste of time hand processing small or skinny birds and I really LOVE stuffing chicken breasts with goat cheese and spinach from my garden - and I have never been able to do it!

Sandwich the cheese and spinach between two breasts, and wrap it in bacon!

 

[FarmTillURdead]

Why didn't I ever think of that!!!! DUH! Thanks!! (it's obvious I have a "bird brain!")

 

[greenSearcher]

I would like to share that I have had the best result using Naked Necks for my DP birds. The hens are small, around 5 lbs but lay well and usually lay large eggs. The roosters are big enough that DH and I generally get 2 meals from each bird. If I harvest 3 birds the same day, I will get 2 bags of legs, 2 bags of thighs and one of breasts that makes 2 meals. I think I would get more meat if I scalded and plucked rather than skinned the roosters and take just the legs, thighs and breast. I like the NN as they are easier to process (less feathers) have mild personalities and tolerate the Texas heat well. If we were big meat eaters then I might look at the cornish X but right now this is working for us. My NN hens do go broody, but I normally don't let them hatch eggs, as they wait until the peak of the summer heat, and it is just too hot for chicks from June until mid Sept. Poor little babies never needed a heat lamp after the first week, and would pant so hard. Hatch my first batch last year so they arrived on June 1. Temps are normally 100+ daily for that 3 months.

 

[centrarchid]

I would like to share that I have had the best result using Naked Necks for my DP birds. The hens are small, around 5 lbs but lay well and usually lay large eggs. The roosters are big enough that DH and I generally get 2 meals from each bird. If I harvest 3 birds the same day, I will get 2 bags of legs, 2 bags of thighs and one of breasts that makes 2 meals. I think I would get more meat if I scalded and plucked rather than skinned the roosters and take just the legs, thighs and breast. I like the NN as they are easier to process (less feathers) have mild personalities and tolerate the Texas heat well. If we were big meat eaters then I might look at the cornish X but right now this is working for us. My NN hens do go broody, but I normally don't let them hatch eggs, as they wait until the peak of the summer heat, and it is just too hot for chicks from June until mid Sept. Poor little babies never needed a heat lamp after the first week, and would pant so hard. Hatch my first batch last year so they arrived on June 1. Temps are normally 100+ daily for that 3 months.

For me in central Missouri, naked necks would be a challenge during winter. Although during summer is the only time I have temperature related mortalities and it does not get as hot here as it does in your location. Breed selection needs to take into consideration climate.

 

[mohillbilly]

How many chicks do you hatch a year?

I usually hatch 500 a week starting in March and ending in June ... that was until my chickens got roasted by lightning...Have more coming in April to replace them so within a couple years I will be back hatching them again at that rate.

 

[FarmTillURdead]

Lightening? Oh!

Please don't tell me you were housing them in a metal coop like I am!!! May I ask how this happened?

I think I would like to avoid this!!! It took me two years to get this all worked out this far and it's going to take two more... this would really be a kick in the pants!!!

 

[TimG]

Is there such a thing as a self sustaining pure meat bird flock?

People have been raising and eating chicken for a long time. That sounds like sustainable meat birds to me.

What you really need to do before getting a real answer is be more specific about your requirements for "pure meat bird". Also, define "sustainable". Do you mean a chicken that is able to forage for itself rather than rely upon a feed bucket?