Chickens

There are a couple of choices here.  Breeding chickens which are not sold or harvested and will continue on over the next year(s) or market broilers which can be harvested after the Wise County Youth Fair.

Breeding chickens

There are a number of breeds to choose from.  You may get one or more.  Mrs. DeShazo has a book and other sources to use in choosing a breed and locating it.  You might choose to sell eggs or to continue to improve your birds through breeding. 

Costs will be depend on age, sex and breed of the chicken.

Market Broilers.

In January, you will get 25 day old chicks.  The goal is to raise 3 of each sex to the biggest most rectangular body shaped birds.  This is a short- term project but very labor intensive during the feeding period.  The more you stir up the birds, the more they eat and the bigger they get.  I will have a day by day feeding program for you to follow.  Just remember, each time they are out of feed or water, someone else is getting ahead.  After the stock show, the birds are harvested.