What does your winter flock look like?

[Rysktal]

I know it's only August but I can't help but wonder what my permanent or "Winter" flock will look like.

Right now I have 80 birds (chicken and ducks) and I know a lot of them will be put in the freezer this fall. I'm trying to decide how many birds to keep.

Most of my chickens are heritage breeds/mixes of heritage breeds and my ducks are muscovy.

We are a family of 6, I would love to collect 10ish eggs a day and I think it would be awesome to have some broody birds in the summer to raise more birds for the freezer (would LOVE to not have to have brooders and heat lamps set up. Wishful thinking? Maybe lol).

What does YOUR winter flock look like once all your meat is in the freezer (assuming you raise birds for meat).

Thanks for the guidance, I'm almost a year into having backyard birds and still figuring things out!

 

[aart]

I don't actually raise birds for meat, but in replacing layers every year most the extras go to meat. Can keep about 15-17 comfortably over winter in my climate and housing.
Hatch new birds every spring, I have 29 birds right now.
Will slaughter 6 cockerels in just a few days, already sold 3 cockerels.
Will sell or slaughter oldest hens and sell some pullets before it gets too cold.

 

[Mrs. K]

"sold 3 cockerels" Way to go.

This is a very good question for all of us. While one can cheat in the summer on numbers of birds, come the dark days of winter, and the birds need to fit in the coop.

Personally, I have had a flock for more than 10 years. This was my first year with cornish cross birds for meat, and I will do those again. It was much better meat.

I have been a dual purpose kind of gal, and currently have a flock full of mutts, but I think I will go more towards layers and meats in the years to come.

As to number of birds needed, a lot depends on their age. Birds over a year, will molt and not start laying till the end of January for me. Right now I have 3 pullets that should start laying in the next few weeks, and I am depending on them to lay through the winter for me. I would suggest, now when eggs are more plentiful, freeze some extra's to use for cooking and baking, eating the few eggs I get as fresh. Works for me.

I would think 15 -20 birds would meet your requirement of 10 eggs per day.

Mrs K

 

[aart]

"sold 3 cockerels" Way to go.

Pure luck..and I didn't ask too closely why they wanted them.
Another 3 I will give away to local amish who will just eat them, and I might get some baked goods in trade.

 

[Folly's place]

I've had as many as ninety this summer, with hatchlings of various sorts. Right now I've got sixty-two, and plan for about forty-five over the winter. That includes a few roosters, older hens, and pullets. I have three breeding groups, and like to have a rooster and a cockerel in reserve for each. Sometime it works out that way, and sometimes not. I like my broody hens, and tend to keep them forever.
Probably about twenty of the group will be bantams; love them!
Mary

 

[Mrs. K]

Another aspect of reducing the numbers of your flock, is the money you save in feed bills. If that feed bill is getting too high, the easiest thing is to reduce the size of the flock.

Right now, I know I need to get rid of 2 and possibly 3 birds.... I need to write it down and make a date. So easy to put off. I am in a bit of a mess right now.

Currently I have an older Rooster, 3 older birds I am pretty sure are not laying. Going to put them in another pen and see for sure... but they have been invited for soup.

Then I have 2 that are laying, and one that is broody with 5 chicks, and 3 nearly 5 month old pullets that should start laying soon.

So all those birds, and only 2 are laying consistently. Ughh! However, if I cull the free loaders, I should have good laying next year, hoping one or two of the new chicks are a rooster.... what a hobby.

But yes, you have to subtract, and one should subtract hard going into winter...that is all of you, but maybe not me? Cause I hate to do it? Just kidding.


Mrs K

 

[Folly's place]

A friend and I combined a Cackle order this April, and eight of the chicks were the wrong birds. Cackle very kindly sent us ten of the birds we wanted later in June, so that's an unexpected bonus, right? It's too many, for sure, right now. They are looking good though, and I'm not complaining at all.
Mary

 

[centrarchid]

I plan on going into winter with 67 birds. More than half are expected to produce table eggs through at least March which is exceptional for me. About 30 adult birds will be sold by Thanksgiving.

 

[Rysktal]

Thank you for all the replies. I have a lot to think about. I have the number 30 in my head...but even then, what combination of birds to reach 30?!

I have 17 barred Plymouth rock pullets and am picking up 3 BPR cockerels of the same age, in case I decide to keep them pure, or try to keep them pure.

But I also have...28 heritage breed mixes (ages 1 week-7 weeks) and I think some of them are going to be beauitful hens/roosters...and they should be great layers.

I do think I want to re-home/"invite to soup" (haha love that) my flock from last year, they are a silkie/old English mix and realistically those are not genes I want to be passed down. Tiny eggs, only laying 3ish eggs a week, I know my heritage birds can do better.

And then the ducks, oh the ducks! They are so messy and smelly, super duper cute but I can't see keeping more than maybe 3? (Have 20 currently, and we did get them because my husband loves to cook duck).

Lots to consider.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I assume PEI means Prince Edwards Island. That can mean some pretty rough winters where they are inside a lot and you are providing all their food. Your facilities and food costs may encourage you to reduce the numbers more than you plan. There is a lot that is trial and error, it will probably take a few cycles for you to figure out what is best for you. We are always learning. And yes, lots to consider.

How do you plan to preserve them when you butcher? If you pressure can them you are not as limited, but how much freezer space do you have? Freezer space is a limiting factor for me. I raise several batches a year so I can still have enough room in the freezer for stuff from my garden and orchard.

How many chickens or ducks will you eat in a year? I typically eat one a week which gives me two meals, but with trips and other things I only need about 45 new chicks a year. I also eat pullets as well as cockerels, spent hens, and old roosters instead of selling any. Some people only butcher cockerels and sell pullets to help pay for feed.

My typical overwinter flock is one rooster, three or four year old hens and three or four pullets that were hatched that spring. The pullets usually lay through the winter but the older hens will molt and skip laying until the molt is finished. You want more eggs than I need. During the summer I sometimes have over 50 chickens of various ages, most of them growing to butcher size though I'll keep some pullets to evaluate as replacements after they have laid a while.

I typically hatch about 20 chicks in February using an incubator, which gives me meat about the time I'm running out of meat in the freezer. After that I play it by ear. I may do another smaller incubator hatch but usually I can get enough chicks with broody hens. I saved replacement pullets and a cockerel from eggs laid by a broody hen so my flock typically has hens that go broody a lot. The hens in some flocks never go broody. If you want to control that you need an incubator.

As you can see we are all different. The main thing I'll suggest is be flexible. No matter how well you plan things will never go the way you think they will. Don't stress about it, it is all trial and error. Experiment. If something doesn't work try something else.

Good luck!