Chicken Farm

A chicken farm is a very profitable and interesting business. It’s characterized by a low start up cost and a quick return of the investment. A day-old chick is already able to run and eat. Cockerels may be butchered for meat at the age of 14-15 weeks; hens start laying eggs at 5 months of age and continue to lay eggs for several years. The oldest hen recorded died at the age of 16 years.

To start a chicken farm you can order baby chicks from a local feed store. In this case there is no guarantee that the chicks will be of a pure blood. If you want to have pureblood chicks, first decide upon the breed. There are meat, egg-laying and utility chicken breeds. To buy chicks of a certain breed you have to find a chicken breeder or a hatchery. To locate responsible chick breeders in your areas, join the Breeder Club and ask for breeder references. Most breeders offer shipping their chicks, but it’s better to visit the hatchery and check the chicks.

A chicken farm that keeps a rare or heritage breed besides raising chickens for meat and eggs contributes to the survival of the breed and raises awareness about the breed in public. Many poultry breeds that are in need of conservation are very attractive and easy to keep. Raising rare chickens can be a very interesting experience. All chickens are low-maintenance. They need a shelter with bedding and enough food. Artificial incubation is necessary with egg-laying breeds, if you want to hatch chicks for sale.

Chicken’s behavior can be entertaining for both children and adults. Some people keep them as family companions, while it’s not approved in all localities in the USA. In some places, it’s illegal to keep aggressive roosters as pets, but quiet hens can well be family companions. In most areas, city dwellers have to confine their chickens to their property only and keep them from roaming freely. Keeping chickens in a small yard or in cages is cruel. These gregarious omnivores birds should have an opportunity to range freely and find the food they like. A large chicken farm is the only way to raise healthy organic poultry.