One Newbie’s Journey: Part 2 – Rethinking my plan
Now 11 months after ordering my first chicks, and starting construction on my too small coop for my too large flock – I’ve had time to rethink, refine and research my chicken plans.
In part 1, I detailed my research and reason for getting into chicken world. I researched everything. What I didn’t realize I needed to research – my own rationale for starting with chickens. Nor did I consider how much I’d enjoy raising and keeping them. Both forced me to rethink my plans.
I started with chickens for eggs and meat. I bought a dozen dual-purpose (DP) birds. I received 13 and processed 10 at approximately 24 weeks. While I loved the taste of the birds – there wasn’t enough meat per bird to make that effort worthwhile. That size does fit well on my grill rotisserie, so I may still have a few DP in my future flocks.
Changing my plan:
Hobby / Egg chickens:
I realized I enjoyed raising chickens as a hobby. That led me to think I’d start keeping a variety of interesting or rare birds. As I haven’t connected with any breeders, I found Greenfire farms as my source for rare and unique chickens. They are not cheap. But they also aren’t a hatchery. I like their philosophy, and the variety they offer. I intend to write a more detailed review of GFF in the near future. Today, I have 6 pullets: a red sex link (RSL), an Orloff (Or), a Whiting True Blue (WTB), an Easter Egger (EE), a Bresse (BRS) and a Flarry Eyed grey (FEG). I’ve got two cockerels – a Flarry Eyed Grey and a Liege Fighter (LF). In spring, the Bresse may go in the oven, the FEGs will move to a new coop, and the LF will stay to protect the Or, WTB, EE and RSL will stay in the original coop.
Chicks arriving around 4/15 – 3 Orloffs, a Bielefelder, a Cream Legbar, a 55 Flowery hen, 2 Hedemora, 1 Isbar, 1 Swedish flower hen, 1 Smaaland, as 3 Bresse. All of these breeds are considered very cold hardy. As GFF doesn’t sex their chicks – I need to assume half will be cockerels. I’ll keep a Bresse cockerel, but likely any others will end up on Craigslist or on BYC. Half will go the Liege fighter flock, and half will go to the Flarry Eyed flock. Bresse will be added to the meat bird area in a separate new flock.
Additional Flock(s)
Our homestead exists in a second growth forest. Most of NH was cleared for farmland during colonial times. Land was cleared, rock walls divided old pastures, and as industrial agriculture and suburbs overtook American culture, old homesteads were abandoned, subdivided and sold – and forest was allowed to reclaim old farmland over the past 100 years.
We found this land about 6 years ago, for sale by owner, as we came through on ATV’s. There was this exposed granite ledge with spectacular near 360 degree views, and instantly knew this would be our new home site. The house was built atop the ridge, and we have 5 cleared areas that are becoming fields / pastures as I get around to it. I tend to think of our spot as a wagon wheel. The house site (and egg flock chicken coop) is the hub, and each of the fields is at the end of the spokes. Each spoke is about 500 yards from the house, and about 250 -500 feet lower in elevation. Each field is separated by some forest, and cannot be seen from the other fields, though all are visible from the house.
After getting my “hobby flock” planned, we do want to raise meatier chickens. I’ve always been resistant to the concept of a genetic mutant bird like the Cornish cross, which is developed for massive breasts, meatier drumsticks and rapid growth, achieving processing weight at 6-8 weeks. However – they cannot reliably breed on their own because of their size and shape, and they have a reputation as lazy gluttons – with tales of their laying in their own waste, falling asleep in their food, and barely moving. Their conversion of food to body weight is most efficient, making them the most economical option, or so I’ve read.
I’ve received a lot of advice on BYC, and plan on only feeding them for about 30 minutes twice a day, and forcing them to forage and move for food and water. They will be kept in a chicken tractor in our garden area. Because they aren’t fliers or mobile, I think it unlikely they’ll be able to get to the raise bed veggies. My hope is that they’ll eat some of the insects, keep the grass from growing too tall in between raised beds, and leave fertilizer behind. I’ve order 10 of them for 6/1 delivery. Processing will be around 7/15. Depending on how the develop, I may try to experiment and keep a cockerel and pullet to see how they age and grow through next winter, and see if there is any luck with breeding and laying.
Then there are the Rangers: Freedom, Dixie, Rainbow, Grey, Kosher Kings and others named by various hatcheries. They are at processing size at 9-11 weeks, and still have an efficient feed conversion rate. They also reportedly are good foragers, which if true would also increase their feed conversion ratio. They also are able to breed, making them more appealing to me as my goal is to create a degree of self-sufficiency. They’ll be in a tractor in our small orchard. Again, I’m hoping they keep the bugs, grass and weeds at bay, and fertilize the trees. I’ve got 10 of them arriving on 6/15.
Finally, as I researched meat birds, I was reminded of chicken meal I experienced on a business trip to France- the Bresse. The same breed is imported to the US only if they were called American Bresse, in order to distinguish that American quality could not possibly be the equal of the French birds. They are considered the best tasting chicken – the Kobe beef or veal of the poultry world. They are not cheap – about 10x the cost per chick of the Cornish cross and rangers. But they can free range and forage, and can breed – so I will include them in my meat bird experiment. I can say that we butchered 2 Bresse cockerels this winter. They were too aggressive with the pullets. They were delicious! I have ordered 3 Bresse coming on 4/15. They will be separated to a new coop for just them – in hopes of creating a self-sustaining meat bird stock.
In summary, Mistakes and learning’s in my second 6-month period as a chicken keeper:
Mistake 1: I vastly underestimated how much I’d like having chickens. It’s true, they are fascinating little buggers. I can sit and watch them for hours, and I learn something every day. That led me from a pure utilitarian approach (they are for eggs and meat) to a hobby farmer approach – I’ll keep some for eggs, and because I like to see the variety of breeds, and there interaction and behavior.
Mistake 2: I didn’t fully understand myself and underestimated my passion and need for analytics. I spent a career in business and market analysis. But I didn’t realize how ingrained that analytical approach was to my psyche. Before ending my career, I looked at predictors: If X happens, then Y is likely to happen in the future, The chickens are filling a need for me. If I have the nest boxes set up with straw, or shavings, they’ll use them more quickly or often. If I use the nipple waterer, they’ll consume more (or less) water. If I put ceramic eggs in one box, they’ll use that 1 first; is using two ceramic eggs better than 1? This is how my mind works, and the chickens are filling a need that I didn’t realize I missed!
Mistake 3: Dual Purpose birds. Though interesting, Buff Orpingtons, Barred Rock, New Hampshire Reds and Red sex links were my original dozen. I enjoyed raising them, and they taught me a lot. But I found that I really desired having chickens that were less common. They weren’t meaty enough to fill our needs. They were good layers, but for me, just too common. So they were processed, and a more diverse and rare collection of chicks were raised. I know that the DP birds were the mainstays of American farmlands for generations. But I found them to be middling. They were ok meat birds, and ok egg birds, but not really great at either. I know others will feel differently, but that was a conclusion I came to after raising them.
Let me know what you think – anything you disagree with, or from your experience, I’m not taking into consideration?
Now 11 months after ordering my first chicks, and starting construction on my too small coop for my too large flock – I’ve had time to rethink, refine and research my chicken plans.
In part 1, I detailed my research and reason for getting into chicken world. I researched everything. What I didn’t realize I needed to research – my own rationale for starting with chickens. Nor did I consider how much I’d enjoy raising and keeping them. Both forced me to rethink my plans.
I started with chickens for eggs and meat. I bought a dozen dual-purpose (DP) birds. I received 13 and processed 10 at approximately 24 weeks. While I loved the taste of the birds – there wasn’t enough meat per bird to make that effort worthwhile. That size does fit well on my grill rotisserie, so I may still have a few DP in my future flocks.
Changing my plan:
Hobby / Egg chickens:
I realized I enjoyed raising chickens as a hobby. That led me to think I’d start keeping a variety of interesting or rare birds. As I haven’t connected with any breeders, I found Greenfire farms as my source for rare and unique chickens. They are not cheap. But they also aren’t a hatchery. I like their philosophy, and the variety they offer. I intend to write a more detailed review of GFF in the near future. Today, I have 6 pullets: a red sex link (RSL), an Orloff (Or), a Whiting True Blue (WTB), an Easter Egger (EE), a Bresse (BRS) and a Flarry Eyed grey (FEG). I’ve got two cockerels – a Flarry Eyed Grey and a Liege Fighter (LF). In spring, the Bresse may go in the oven, the FEGs will move to a new coop, and the LF will stay to protect the Or, WTB, EE and RSL will stay in the original coop.
Chicks arriving around 4/15 – 3 Orloffs, a Bielefelder, a Cream Legbar, a 55 Flowery hen, 2 Hedemora, 1 Isbar, 1 Swedish flower hen, 1 Smaaland, as 3 Bresse. All of these breeds are considered very cold hardy. As GFF doesn’t sex their chicks – I need to assume half will be cockerels. I’ll keep a Bresse cockerel, but likely any others will end up on Craigslist or on BYC. Half will go the Liege fighter flock, and half will go to the Flarry Eyed flock. Bresse will be added to the meat bird area in a separate new flock.
Additional Flock(s)
Our homestead exists in a second growth forest. Most of NH was cleared for farmland during colonial times. Land was cleared, rock walls divided old pastures, and as industrial agriculture and suburbs overtook American culture, old homesteads were abandoned, subdivided and sold – and forest was allowed to reclaim old farmland over the past 100 years.
We found this land about 6 years ago, for sale by owner, as we came through on ATV’s. There was this exposed granite ledge with spectacular near 360 degree views, and instantly knew this would be our new home site. The house was built atop the ridge, and we have 5 cleared areas that are becoming fields / pastures as I get around to it. I tend to think of our spot as a wagon wheel. The house site (and egg flock chicken coop) is the hub, and each of the fields is at the end of the spokes. Each spoke is about 500 yards from the house, and about 250 -500 feet lower in elevation. Each field is separated by some forest, and cannot be seen from the other fields, though all are visible from the house.
After getting my “hobby flock” planned, we do want to raise meatier chickens. I’ve always been resistant to the concept of a genetic mutant bird like the Cornish cross, which is developed for massive breasts, meatier drumsticks and rapid growth, achieving processing weight at 6-8 weeks. However – they cannot reliably breed on their own because of their size and shape, and they have a reputation as lazy gluttons – with tales of their laying in their own waste, falling asleep in their food, and barely moving. Their conversion of food to body weight is most efficient, making them the most economical option, or so I’ve read.
I’ve received a lot of advice on BYC, and plan on only feeding them for about 30 minutes twice a day, and forcing them to forage and move for food and water. They will be kept in a chicken tractor in our garden area. Because they aren’t fliers or mobile, I think it unlikely they’ll be able to get to the raise bed veggies. My hope is that they’ll eat some of the insects, keep the grass from growing too tall in between raised beds, and leave fertilizer behind. I’ve order 10 of them for 6/1 delivery. Processing will be around 7/15. Depending on how the develop, I may try to experiment and keep a cockerel and pullet to see how they age and grow through next winter, and see if there is any luck with breeding and laying.
Then there are the Rangers: Freedom, Dixie, Rainbow, Grey, Kosher Kings and others named by various hatcheries. They are at processing size at 9-11 weeks, and still have an efficient feed conversion rate. They also reportedly are good foragers, which if true would also increase their feed conversion ratio. They also are able to breed, making them more appealing to me as my goal is to create a degree of self-sufficiency. They’ll be in a tractor in our small orchard. Again, I’m hoping they keep the bugs, grass and weeds at bay, and fertilize the trees. I’ve got 10 of them arriving on 6/15.
Finally, as I researched meat birds, I was reminded of chicken meal I experienced on a business trip to France- the Bresse. The same breed is imported to the US only if they were called American Bresse, in order to distinguish that American quality could not possibly be the equal of the French birds. They are considered the best tasting chicken – the Kobe beef or veal of the poultry world. They are not cheap – about 10x the cost per chick of the Cornish cross and rangers. But they can free range and forage, and can breed – so I will include them in my meat bird experiment. I can say that we butchered 2 Bresse cockerels this winter. They were too aggressive with the pullets. They were delicious! I have ordered 3 Bresse coming on 4/15. They will be separated to a new coop for just them – in hopes of creating a self-sustaining meat bird stock.
In summary, Mistakes and learning’s in my second 6-month period as a chicken keeper:
Mistake 1: I vastly underestimated how much I’d like having chickens. It’s true, they are fascinating little buggers. I can sit and watch them for hours, and I learn something every day. That led me from a pure utilitarian approach (they are for eggs and meat) to a hobby farmer approach – I’ll keep some for eggs, and because I like to see the variety of breeds, and there interaction and behavior.
Mistake 2: I didn’t fully understand myself and underestimated my passion and need for analytics. I spent a career in business and market analysis. But I didn’t realize how ingrained that analytical approach was to my psyche. Before ending my career, I looked at predictors: If X happens, then Y is likely to happen in the future, The chickens are filling a need for me. If I have the nest boxes set up with straw, or shavings, they’ll use them more quickly or often. If I use the nipple waterer, they’ll consume more (or less) water. If I put ceramic eggs in one box, they’ll use that 1 first; is using two ceramic eggs better than 1? This is how my mind works, and the chickens are filling a need that I didn’t realize I missed!
Mistake 3: Dual Purpose birds. Though interesting, Buff Orpingtons, Barred Rock, New Hampshire Reds and Red sex links were my original dozen. I enjoyed raising them, and they taught me a lot. But I found that I really desired having chickens that were less common. They weren’t meaty enough to fill our needs. They were good layers, but for me, just too common. So they were processed, and a more diverse and rare collection of chicks were raised. I know that the DP birds were the mainstays of American farmlands for generations. But I found them to be middling. They were ok meat birds, and ok egg birds, but not really great at either. I know others will feel differently, but that was a conclusion I came to after raising them.
Let me know what you think – anything you disagree with, or from your experience, I’m not taking into consideration?
