Mike; with a local Amish population; I'd see if any of my neighbors had a chicken egg-laying operation; I'd become real good friends with that person; when the Amish rotate their stock; you can buy fine laying/meat value hens for .25-.50 cents per bird per 50-100 bird lot; Chicken's available- can cover layer birds, to meat/layer birds); hens are 2-3 yrs old; just passing their production peaks; I used to buy 100 bird lots; .25 cents per bird; I'd flea market the "lion's share" at a dollar per bird; each week after prices would rise .25-.50 per; as they regrew their feathers. My egg sales were high because of high influx of chickens. A fall inventory tended to leave me with 50-75 birds.
Currently; I try to keep a fall inventory of 25-30 birds.... An excess during the spring/summer months is vital to keeping a proper sized flock....
--- In CHICKENS-101@
>
> If you want meat chickens, you should get some "broilers" which grow fast and are butchered at about 8 weeks. You don't really have time become attached. Otherwise, just keep reinforcing the idea that they are a crop which you are growing for food. Then, when it comes time to butcher, just git'er done.
>
> I don't think 9x12 is too big, by the time you get nest boxes and roosts. Lot of people here don't agree with me, and like to keep their chickens in the smallest housing possible. Don't know why.
>
> I like the idea of ordering from the closest hatchery, myself. Common sense says that you'll have the best survival rate. Otherwise, TSC usually has an assortment of live chicks for sale, and these are a few days old and give you a head start over mortality.
>
> Here, in Michigan, we have a large Amish population, and buying feed from them is by far more economical. An Amish couple just a couple miles from me butchered my roosters last year. Did all 21 in the same day. If you don't have equipment, the most you can do is about 3 per day. A word of advice, tho, let them age in the refrigerator for a couple of days before freezing, or they could be tough. I learned this lesson the hard way.
>
> Mike
> Middle of the mitten.
>
> --- In CHICKENS-101@
> >
> > Hello, I just started thinking of getting chickens. I live in a rural area in Southeastern Wisconsin. We have 3.5 acres. I've been here for about 25 years and never thought of raising chickens until last week.
> >
> > One of my questions is about vacations. Could I ever go on a trip and leave the chickens for a few days without a chicken sitter?
> >
> > My husband has a shed that is just holding some cedar shingles in it right now. It is about 12' by 9.5'. It is uninsulated. I thought of having him move that and use it for the coop. I was only thinking of getting about 6 chickens, so that would probably be too big. We also have an old pop up camper that my husband is going to salvage parts from for our other pop up; then he could use that for a coop. Any ideas?
> >
> > I homeschool and still have 4 daughters at home (12-17yrs old). They are excited about the idea. My husband isn't too excited. Anyway, if I decided to get chickens for meat, how do you keep from the "pet" mentality? My husband thinks we should get meat chickens as well as layers.
> >
> > I found one supplier that is nearby that has a limit of 15 chickens in an order. Would that be too many to start with? I liked the orpingtons, leghorns, and Rhode Island reds from that site.
> >
> > What is the best book you've found for a newbie to read?
> >
>
CHICKENS-101@yahoogroups.com
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