Rural Gardening: mY cHICKENS, 1 by BLOSSOMBUDDY

BLOSSOMBUDDY wrote:
Boy we hear ya there elles....its depressing. But fun if you like doing it.

I say last year my chickens went above and beyond paying for themselves, but this year I am very sceptical. The cost of feed has gone crazy and I only have 16 birds and they are not paying for their feed yet in eggs. I will not get any meat off them. We had nearly 200 birds last year and even though we kept some for their meat, what we sold, I still ended up giving quite a few away at the end of the season just to get rid of them. My profit was mainly in having the produce in meat and eggs saving me grocery money but this year we are not eatign that much either.

Sorry to say but I cannot stand going to any animal auction. They are a rip off out here. You pay too much for the commissions, expose your animals to who knows what and then bring them home if they do not sell running the risk of bringing something home with you that you do not want either. I prefer to deal independantly and not worry about the risks and the travel and that stress and such. I have some regulars so that works better.

We get our hay from a farmer who raises a special certified grass hay so I know what I am getting and putting into the livestock and what seed that might be in it does not pollute my pastures with unwanted weeds. We have to be particular because of where we live being butted up to a State conservation land.

Here are some of last seasons birds.. a rare spanish pescadena (sp), some cornish jumbos.. raised these in our greenhouse! The cornish were super eating! The pescas were too srtingy for meat, but laid a chocolate colored deep brown egg.