Well, our family is thinking of going into the backyard chicken business. Okay it won't really be a business. We will probably have to giveaway/sell some of the eggs. But it is mostly for our familyl to have fresh eggs and a good learning opportunity. Anyway, I was wondering if anyone else has done this. What did you do with it to have some kind of formal learning? Is there any kind of unit study/curriculum out there that we could work on as a family? Thanks
There is a few of us on the forum here that raise pastured chickens so if you have any questions ask away. As far as curriculum here is a few links to get you started Chickens for kids http://fc.dekalb.k12.ga.us/~susan_f_ellis/CHICKENS.html 4-H virtual farm http://www.ext.vt.edu/resources/4h/virtualfarm/poultry/poultry_incubation.html Chicken breeds http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/poultry/chickens/ Great mother earth news article on it http://www.gatewaytovermont.com/thefarm/chickens.htm My favorite Backyard chicken coop design http://www.backyardchickens.com/coopdesigns.html Hope this helps get you started
When we raised chickens, we took them to the fair and actually won many ribbons. It is fun and educational. We are going to do it again, minus a hundred chickens. LOL Once Handsome started getting sick, we got ride of most of them as well as the other animals. We plan on showing them again but in small numbers. The fresh eggs are also wonderful!
I had wanted to do beef at one point, but we bought a small property. I also thought going to the fair would be lots of fun for the kids. I did 4H when I was a child and had a blast at the fair, not to mention learned alot Thank you for the links! There are several good things we might end up doing
What incredible timing for this thread to pop up and thanks for the links in the replies. I was just today at a place where they raise chickens. I bought some eggs and asked lots of questions. I plan to get a small group of hens for the household. If we end up with extra eggs, I will try to trade them off.
Here are some more useful links... I think it's a great idea but I am a complete poultry enabler. (I just ordered 10 more baby geese...) http://gallus.tamu.edu/Extension publications/b6092.pdf http://www.msstate.edu/dept/poultry/extensn.htm http://www.ansci.umn.edu/poultry/resources/hatcheries.htm#mn http://www.ellsonsacre.com/hatcherys.htm
We have 3 hens at our house. They just roam freely around the farm and the boys love going outside in the morning, it's like an easter egg hunt everyday. Ours don't always lay them in the same spot. And ours lay the light green eggs. My aunt told me what kind they are but I forget anyways, they are supposed to be healthier for us!
We have a dozen chickens. Our intent is to use their care to help teach responsibility to the kids. They are solely in charge of their feeding, gathering/cleaning eggs, and cleaning the chicken house. (Of course all of this was after they were shown how!) They also pay for the chicken feed, and were told they can sell the eggs. They calculated how many eggs they were getting, how much $ feed is, what the going rate of eggs are at the market, and determined their price. We sell mostly by word of mouth (hsing families we know), and together they make abouut $15-20 a month profit. (And I still get free eggs whenever I want!!) I know it's not a lot, but they are tickled to see their efforts rewarded. Carol
Becareful and pick up eggs as soon as possible because it will attrack snakes and other rodents especially if you go looking for them in high grass or behind something. Chickens like laying in places where its private and hidden, but if you make a box for them to lay in a coop and put a fake egg there they are more likely to lay there. Oh and those green eggs are mostly likely from Araucana, my customers love having a few of them in their order the kids fight for them. Green eggs and ham hehe I heard also that they are better for you, I don't know though. Sam
One time I heard Handsome scream like a girl! I went out to see what was going on and a very long snake was hanging down, over one of the nests. I do not know if it wanted an egg or of it wanted one of the littel critters that come around from time to time.
We also have about 10 hens. I usually start them from babies but this year a lady down the road had so many young layers I bought them from her. They are under 7 months and I only had to pay 2.00 each which is great!! We picked them up Thursday night and Fri we had 5 eggs out of the 10 hens. I also do as INmom with the selling and kids. We can sell the eggs here for about 2.50-3.00 a dozen.. Beef will be next years project, With my husband being deployed I did not want to do it on my own.. Blessings Lisa
