Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[RoyalChick]

If it was big business I could understand but backyard chicken keeping is a very very small business. If I stood in Bristol city center and asked people if they kept chickens I doubt I would get one in ten thousand answer yes.

That may be the case in Bristol, and maybe 'big business' is an exaggeration, but it is hard to see the sheer number and choice of products available and the marketing that goes into them in the US without concluding there is at least medium-sized business involved.
- My Pet Chicken's revenues are about $10m which I guess is small business. They are geared almost exclusively to the backyard chicken market. The so-called big hatcheries are similarly sized businesses and there must be about a dozen of those - probably mainly catering to the backyard market as well as to breeders. The big commercial producers generally breed and hatch their own.
- Several of the main pet retailers have got on the bandwagon so you can buy toys (I was gifted a chicken swing for goodness sake!) and any number of highly priced but not very sturdy prefabricated coops. Amazon lists about 180 different coops ranging from about $100-1,800 in price
- Specialty feed companies have emerged with a prime focus on the backyard keeper - I have recently shifted to one that uses insect protein rather than soy - I don't think they are primarily selling to working farms
- And the big feed companies have got in on the act - Purina will sell me chick starter feed in 5lb bags - that is perfect for me raising 3 chicks in my back yard - it is useless for anyone who is more than a backyard operator
- An old USDA survey had 1% of US households keeping chickens and that was predicted to grow to 5% by 2019 - the pandemic boosted that a lot with sales estimates in various categories up 500%. A UK survey showed 5million chickens being kept in homes in the UK compared to only 1 million hamsters
So maybe I mis-spoke by saying 'big business' - but businesses are making money off the backyard chicken keeping phenomenon and that is because many backyard chicken keepers are not trying to do it on the cheap but are prepared to pay a bit for their beloved pets.
I doubt it will ever be a lobby stronger than Tyson, Perdue etc. but maybe there is enough business there to put pressure on some of the sillier restrictions on caring for chickens at small scale.
Sorry, soap box officially stowed back under the bed.

 

[Molpet]

- My Pet Chicken's

I thought they were a middleman, selling but not a hatchery... like Stromberg... I think the middlemen make more profit than the hatchery.

 

[RoyalChick]

I thought they were a middleman, selling but not a hatchery... like Stromberg... I think the middlemen make more profit than the hatchery.

Yes - they are a middleman which is why I am confident they are just focused on the backyard chicken keeper market. I also happened to have their revenue.
I suspect the hatchery margins are thinner than My Pet Chicken but I have not really dug into it. I haven't even looked at how prices compare. I suspect the hatcheries employ more people too.

 

[Shadrach]

but maybe there is enough business there to put pressure on some of the sillier restrictions on caring for chickens at small scale.

I don't think that's going to happen. I think there will be more restrictions on chicken keeping rather than less in the future.

 

[Molpet]

I don't think that's going to happen. I think there will be more restrictions on chicken keeping rather than less in the future.

I think it's like a pendulum, back and forth
Used to be a farming community where I live on my great grandparents farm. I had chickens on and off, as far as I know they were legal. In 2015 there was a hubbub about some people who had hens and they weren't zoned for them. Turned out I wasn't zoned for them either with 10 acres not in town. Not sure when the zoning changed.... Anyway they changed the law so people can have hens with a bunch of restrictions. However it's enforced by complaints. I plow the neighbors driveways so I don't think they are going to complain about my roosters, turkeys and butchering (not allowed either).

 

[no fly zone]

Yes - they are a middleman which is why I am confident they are just focused on the backyard chicken keeper market. I also happened to have their revenue.
I suspect the hatchery margins are thinner than My Pet Chicken but I have not really dug into it. I haven't even looked at how prices compare. I suspect the hatcheries employ more people too.

Skeksis was hatched from a MPC egg

 

[no fly zone]

 

[pennyJo1960]

Good morning X Batts. All I can say is life will go on here.
Seems lack of immune I pulled through out the other side.
@Shadrach I guess your still going build a coop for these x batts.

 

[TheFatBlueCat]

I've been reading along but been a bit too busy to jump in on any conversation. They've been very interesting! Today is a public holiday here, Matariki, which is essentially our New Year. I'm off soon to chop and stack some firewood, then bake some pies, but just wanted to say hello and give my tax.

 

[Ribh]

I would tend to believe they roost outside because of the nice weather.

Sorry but I have to disagree. We have just had the winter solstice & 1/2 my nutty lot are roosting outside. It is not pleasant out. However, the roosts they are choosing are higher than the one inside, which I think has some bearing on their choice. Most of those choosing to roost outside are bantams & fliers & younger birds. The older girls prefer inside on the lower roost.