What do you do with all of those chicks, ducks, quails, etc.?

[bearcat73]

Do you keep all of your chickens? Do you sell them as chicks? I can see where incubating can get addictive (ordered my 1588 last night) but I can't have 500 chickens so I will be limited in how many I can hatch. I want layers and we will eat some as well.

Just curious. Also, those of you who do quail and pheasant eggs, etc., what do you do with them? Do you release them? Eat them? Keep them?

 

[Run-A-Muck Ranch]

Quote:
I haven't hatched any eggs yet. Only just got my incubator. Going to put the first eggs in there today.

My mom starts her incubators Jan. 1 every year. She has so many eggs it isn't even funny. (she still has more demand than supply). She runs 6 incubators. She normally picks through and keeps a few of the babies each year. The rest she sells at local animal swaps/sales. She sells some eggs too. Both "Only Hatching" eggs and "Eatting" eggs. Clearly marked so on one gets confused...

!!

Her quail eggs she has, she tries to let the girls hatch out. Some of those she will/has released. Others she keeps. and yet a few more she is able to sell. She doesn't have pheasants yet, but I believe that is her next adventure.!!!!

 

[Cara]

In some areas it is illegal to release quail and pheasants.

 

[poultrylady]

I sell my chicks. So far this season I have sold over 800 of them. I have always made enough to pay my feed bill for the entire year off my chick sales. It is a hobby I enjoy and I can tell my husband when he complains about all my poultry that they do pay for themselves!

 

[Run-A-Muck Ranch]

Quote:
She was told it was ok from the DNR. Speically since the 'bob white quail' are native to WI. Or at least that's what they told her.

I have a neighbor who has a HUGE phesant farm. He releases birds all the time. Plus sells to the DNR.
He also sells to hunters. They buy his birds then release them and then hunt them.

 

[conny63malies]

Not sure yet, i hope for pullets and no boys at all. I will prob. give some away to near by BYC people (anything over 12 pullets) raise the rest until they crow for eating them

 

[Harley's girl]

Well, I sell my eggs for eating and incubating! I also raise meat birds and pheasants. I will sell some of the meat birds to family and as far as the pheasants.... I have a permit to release them if I want. I don't, but I could. I am selling their eggs as well. And around Christmas we had an excess of hens and we had those smoked! MMMMMMM!!!!

Those were delicious!!! And another thing about the chickens, I don't know about anyone else but I do lose a lot of chickens. I have lost them to weather, coons, skunks, and some have died from old age, and the chicks I lose all the time. I guess it is survival of the fittest! Thats my story

Oh yeah I forgot, I also take chickens and sometimes chicks to the local auction. I think I will give the pheasants a try as well!

 

[Cara]

Quote:
She was told it was ok from the DNR. Speically since the 'bob white quail' are native to WI. Or at least that's what they told her.

I have a neighbor who has a HUGE phesant farm. He releases birds all the time. Plus sells to the DNR.
He also sells to hunters. They buy his birds then release them and then hunt them.

Sorry I wasn't intending to suggest that what your mother is doing is illegal. I meant to suggest to the original poster that if she intends to do this she should check the local regulations, as releasing gamebirds is an easy way to unintentionally land yourself in hot water.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

I sell them to local people for egg birds. Once in a while, I'll sell a hen with a roo--I don't have the heart to kill them so anything that's not 100% friendly AND true to breed, I sell. I also give a lot of chicks & ducklings to our neighbor. In turn, she lets me keep my goat at her place with her goats.

 

[Must Be Losing It]

I share with friends you've gone nuts like me!