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The four stages of poultry keeping...
Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2020 11:41 am
by Ontario Chick
So here I am musing in general terms on the poultry keepers I have known thru my oh so long life and it appears to me that there are certain obvious groups the poultry keepers are divided in to (not counting the accept ions that prove the rule
THE Urban cowboy
Usual duration 1-2 years....(or less)
They will annoy the neighbors and because they didn't bother to read the rules ( or think the rules are made for other people)
will fight the City hall, and complain bitterly when they have to "re-home" their chickens.
THE KEEner
3-5 years,
Just discovered poultry, pick the most obscure and hard to find breeds, scour the country side, buy and sell indiscriminately, get some internet knowledge gathered accidentally and then the enthusiasm expires usually at the same time as the exotic stock that by now succumbed to some equally exotic disease.
THE LIFer
The KEEner sometimes evolves in to a LIFEr, if along the way she/he purchases a couple of books and manages the initial enthusiasm long enough to make some Long Term decisions and develops a true fondness for 2 or 3 breeds.
LIFer may last 10-15 years or until life interferes one way or another.
Sometimes the few very special LIFers will develop in to that rare kind of species,
THE TRUE FANCIER
THEY are the life long breeders who make it possible for others to enter the hobby, because they keep the breeds going over the long term and they become Judges and mentor the multitudes in hope that one day they too will make a transition from one stage to the next.
Without them there would no hobby and the Heritage breeds would have disappeared long time ago.
We are all indebted to them.
Please note this is a work of fiction, so any resemblance to you personally is purely fictional.

Re: The four stages of poultry keeping...
Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2020 12:28 pm
by KimChick

Then there is DH and me! The REE-tirEEs (or maybe we are late LIFers) who now have a small farm to do the DIY thing on a larger scale than we could in the city. Because when we were first married, we couldn't afford the property needed. And because we both had jobs in the city, we couldn't just pack up and move.
So now our vegetable garden is 10x's larger, and we raise and process our own turkeys and chickens - all for a healthier diet.
We had to sell the 2 cows for other reasons.
Re: The four stages of poultry keeping...
Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2020 12:59 pm
by Ontario Chick
KimChick wrote: ↑Wed Jan 08, 2020 12:28 pm

Then there is DH and me! The REE-tirEEs (or maybe we are late LIFers) who now have a small farm to do the DIY thing on a larger scale than we could in the city. Because when we were first married, we couldn't afford the property needed. And because we both had jobs in the city, we couldn't just pack up and move.
So now our vegetable garden is 10x's larger, and we raise and process our own turkeys and chickens - all for a healthier diet.
We had to sell the 2 cows for other reasons.
So jury is still out on you

Re: The four stages of poultry keeping...
Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2020 1:33 pm
by Killerbunny
Not sure about us. We just got a few hens for eggs with NO NO NO intentions of moving on to others. We then got some wyandottes from OC and mutts for pretty eggs. Happy with the status quo and the chickens seemed happy too, mission accomplished. In a fit of lunacy I decided to try a few turkeys for meat intending to get commercial poults to grow and process and also researched BSWs for the future. That was when fate? intervened and I was put in touch with Cirrus Hill. SHe had an order fall through for the US and instead of getting poults I was offered a gorgeous adult quad of BSWs. Brought them home and they compleely suckered us. Not sure what happened but I have ended up just doing chickens for eggs (although turkey eggs are wonderful) and breeding BSWs seriously. Took a long time to get up the courage to go to my first show but everybody was so helpful I had a great time and have met so many great people although I only do 1 or2 shows a year. Darn turkeys!!!! I still have 2 lovely girls from those original birds.
Re: The four stages of poultry keeping...
Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2020 2:09 pm
by Farrier1987
KimChick wrote: ↑Wed Jan 08, 2020 12:28 pm
We had to sell the 2 cows for other reasons.
Not just because I really like them, but you might try goats. They have more personality than most cows, and as retiree's they are not as big and strong, though I still get knocked on my backside once in a long time, usually because I am not paying attention. You can actually make a buck on them on a small scale and have a lot of fun doing it. Instant composting.
And for the chickens, I am sort of number four, but not dedicated enough to preserve heritage breeds.
Re: The four stages of poultry keeping...
Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2020 2:21 pm
by Ontario Chick
Killerbunny wrote: ↑Wed Jan 08, 2020 1:33 pm
Not sure about us. We just got a few hens for eggs with NO NO NO intentions of moving on to others. We then got some wyandottes from OC and mutts for pretty eggs. Happy with the status quo and the chickens seemed happy too, mission accomplished. In a fit of lunacy I decided to try a few turkeys for meat intending to get commercial poults to grow and process and also researched BSWs for the future. That was when fate? intervened and I was put in touch with Cirrus Hill. SHe had an order fall through for the US and instead of getting poults I was offered a gorgeous adult quad of BSWs. Brought them home and they compleely suckered us. Not sure what happened but I have ended up just doing chickens for eggs (although turkey eggs are wonderful) and breeding BSWs seriously. Took a long time to get up the courage to go to my first show but everybody was so helpful I had a great time and have met so many great people although I only do 1 or2 shows a year. Darn turkeys!!!! I still have 2 lovely girls from those original birds.
I think that qualifies you for a LIFer , or possibly for that interesting offshoot the "SERIal LIFer"

Re: The four stages of poultry keeping...
Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2020 4:24 pm
by Killerbunny
Yes OC. I really don't think we went through stage 1 or 2 either because we plan things especially where living creatures are concerned.
Re: The four stages of poultry keeping...
Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2020 7:10 pm
by KimChick
Farrier1987 wrote: ↑Wed Jan 08, 2020 2:09 pm
KimChick wrote: ↑Wed Jan 08, 2020 12:28 pm
We had to sell the 2 cows for other reasons.
Not just because I really like them, but you might try goats. They have more personality than most cows, and as retiree's they are not as big and strong, though I still get knocked on my backside once in a long time, usually because I am not paying attention. You can actually make a buck on them on a small scale and have a lot of fun doing it. Instant composting.
And for the chickens, I am sort of number four, but not dedicated enough to preserve heritage breeds.
Oh yes, goats are definitely in our future. The plan at the moment is to keep a couple just until Fall and then process them for the meat.
The original thought with the cows was to breed them and put the offspring in the freezer. But other issues came up and DH was not going to over-winter them again. We sold them to a good farm.
Re: The four stages of poultry keeping...
Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2020 7:28 pm
by Shnookie
I don't fit your categories. Maybe a Pet chicken keeper category would work. I have had chickens for 6 1/2 years. I have 3 breeds, 2 that I have had since the beginning. The ages range between 6 months (Seramas) and 6 1/2 years (4 Ameraucanas and 1 EO hen). I keep them for eggs and entertainment. I don't butcher any.
Re: The four stages of poultry keeping...
Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2020 7:36 pm
by Happy
I don't know what i am yet.
I didn't start into chickens for the eggs. In fact I got 10 day old chicks without any thought of how many eggs that would mean one day. I'm sure I sell or give away more than we eat.
I got chickens because i wanted the experience. All of the experience. From chick to old grumpy hen. Breed didn't matter to me. I ordered Barred Rocks because my brother had some and I hadn't seen zebra chickens before. Then I learned how smart they can be...how entertaining...how loveable...
Then I discovered poultry swaps. And i took one look at Shermans purple wing feathers and his proud stance and I added a pair of tiny bantams to my flock. Now i have 9 standard and 11 tiny bantams.
My chickens are truly pets. I care about their health and happiness the same as I care for my dogs and cat. I know them as individuals. They are my friends.
I dont butcher or cull. Some roll their eyes about that. I couldn't care less. You be you...I'm me.
I hope to have chickens for a lot of years but I am admittedly in a phase of reducing flock size through old age death. I would enjoy being a poultry keeper with smaller numbers but i am unwilling to rehome or cull based on that reason alone. It was my decision to expand my flock so its not their fault. 10 should be my max I think. I currently have 20. I feel its important to know your limits and when it starts to feel more like work than enjoyment then its time to reasses where you are at.