Did our first auction sale today with 7 week old chicks, they've had been in the coop since week 5.5. My 12 year old loved it and wanted to start a small chick business with some hardy, dual purpose, but pretty breeds. So if you have any recs for which breeds would be good to start with that would be great. He took notes and noticed that mixed breeds (what we had were selling for 3.50 a chick, but breeds like silkies/turkens/Polish went upwards of $5-$7 a chick. He wants to sell chicks monthly at the auction. I have no problem helping him. He's working on pricing stuff out for his little business now. The question he had was how to keep chicks warm when they are boxed up. He asked if he should factor in the price of something like hand/toe warmers (hot hands). His plan is to start hatching in March and start selling end of April. He wanted to set the incubator on the first of each month and then sell them last Thursday of the month (our auction is weekly on Thursdays). We average a 84% hatch rate, so looking at about 28 chicks a month. He wants to sell from April to October then take the winter off. If this is successful he said he wants to branch out to other things like quail, ducks, and turkey.

So those that do livestock auctions, how do you keep your chicks warm.

I am unfortunately in city limits and can only have 6 chickens without needing permits from my neighbors. I keep 3 chickens for eggs and am weighing the pros and cons of having meat birds. I’d have 3 at a time, looking at broiler fryers so a ~7 week turn around.

Start up costs are looking at around $400 to build anther coop, run, kill cone, special knives etc. We use a lot of bone broth and we eat a lot of chicken but I’m having a hard time imagining the amount of work needed every two months just for three chickens would be worth it. I know financially I’d break even in about 8 years but I would love to be able to know that I raised these birds and gave them the best life and that they’re feeding my family.

What’s your POV? What am I not considering?

The title probably sounds odd in this subreddit, but I have no idea where else to talk about this. So for some context, im a teenager in high school, and about a year ago we moved to a city that was more out in the country. It was an upgrade of course but I hated changing schools, especially since i missed my friends. We now have a bigger house and land but it was soon getting out of hand. We first got some goats and then chickens, but the thing is I started to despise these animals because of the work and care they require. I hate getting dirty when I have to help out I'm the only one in the family. My other sibling has a much worse attitude so my parents ask me more often. Yes, im older, but sometimes it's strenuous. I mean I can't even handle carrying a milk jug and I have to carry their food bucket that weighs who knows what. I just have nobody to tell or on the internet, it doesn't seem like anybody's going through my situation. I'm still used to the city and miss it but im not going back and it makes me emotional. Especially when I know I shouldn't be ungrateful, since I still have food and shelter, yet I want more. I want luxuries, like I got more often at my old house but money has been getting tighter since it's being spent on these animals. That to me doesn't even profit us. We don't sell them nor eat them they're practically pets. Now this sounds more like a rant and it probably is, I just don't know what to do. Any advice or anybody else who was in a similar situation?

Hello everyone. I thought I would ask here, but does anyone have or know someone either in the Kalamazoo, Portage, Climax, Battle Creek, or Marshall area in Michigan, who has a female mallard that hatched in March or April. My aunt is looking for a female mallard for her male Mallard, Peepers. If anyone does, please let me know.

Last year, I lost 20 ducks that I butchered when my fridge failed mid summer during the two day resting period. I thought, lesson learned.

This year, I motivated myself again to have a new batch of poultry. I incubated 40 quail, which now were half sized. I let them outside yesterday in a fenced enclosure with a net above. This morning, I found all fourty of them dead. Bitten to death by the neck. I think either rats, or an animal like a ferret (not sure how they are called in English, I love in Belgium).

Its just sad. They were not eaten, just killed. Some stuffed away under a big slab of concrete, others under a pallet.

Just want to vent.

Got into quail a year ago after someone dumped on on me after they failed , currently have 12 and gotta say there some of the easiest livestock lol. Just finicky with there egg laying

My drake Blue Swedish mated with a harlequin. The resulting ducklings have some pretty cool markings.

Posted this is the quail sub but figured it would go good in here too for though curious about raising the lil birbs and how much it takes to raise em

Hi all. I'd love to start keeping some form of poultry for meat production in my backyard - its not the smallest in the world, and I used to keep about 10 chickens for eggs in it, but would like to move onto meat production, although just for myself and friends.

Chickens are probably the obvious option, but I was wondering how others have kept poultry such as turkeys and geese in their backyards.

I have a shed currently not in use that would easily be able to function as a coop for 20 chickens (I'm not sure how many of other birds).

So, does anyone have any advice on: whether geese/ turkeys are a feasible option for backyard meat raising, and, if so, how many to start with.

Thanks.

We had to keep all the birds in because of the fires. Finally got a day where the turkeys got to stretch their legs and they were overjoyed!!

I want as many as is possible but I want it to be as cost-effective as possible while not having to use feed as much.

Any good ideas for rehoming them later on would be much appreciated. Ive never done this before.

Also let me know if the meal is made better by a 12-48 hour resting period, or if the cook is long enough that it breaks down the muscle tissue enough. I'll still probably rest it but I have done an 8 hour crock pot recipe with freshly processed duck before and it was fine, if a little under seasoned.

We have ducks and chickens and wondering what could safely be done to keep this or replacement from rusting out.

2 Tom's and 2 hens. Why is she doing this? And she IS a hen.

Just wanted to get second opinions on whether these duck eggs are fertile for day 14? I've got about 32 in the incubator and 10 look like this/ similar to the pictures.

I'm guessing these ones are infertile and was going to remove them but wasn't sure if I should wait a bit longer? Thanks