Should I Raise Poultry?

THERE ARE MANY POSSIBLE ANSWERS to the question, "Should I raise poultry?" For some, the thrill of exhibition and the thought of winning first place in a poultry show are enough to convince them to begin raising. For others, it's the excitement of seeing a little bit of nature in their backyard. For still others, the pleasure or necessity of producing their own eggs and meat will start them down the poultry road. The artistic are drawn to the beauty and diversity of the birds. Hardcore gardeners are intrigued by the possibilities of using poultry for insect control and manure as fertilizer in their backyard gardens. A few individuals will even find poultry to be the perfect pets. Nearly everyone can identify with some facet of the poultry world and find valid reasons to raise these wonderful creatures.

Many folks who decide to raise poultry want good food and something attractive. If that's your desire, you can have it. Entire breeds and many varieties of poultry are raised primarily for ornamental purposes. Keep in mind, however, that while they are considered ornamental, many of these breeds also produce a reasonable number of eggs and an acceptable meat product. With poultry, you can have the best of all worlds: eggs, meat, and aesthetically pleasing birds.

Raising Your Own Food

Perhaps the desire to know all the raising and feeding practices involved in the production of one's food is a leading reason many people in the twenty-first century choose to raise poultry. Backyard raisers may have decided to establish their own flock because they want to avoid genetically modified organism (GMO) crops used to feed commercial animals, or they are concerned over the use of preservatives and hormones. They may be trying to avoid trans fats or they may find the agribusiness approach to raising poultry inhumane and feel that supporting that kind of raising is bad for the environment.

Needless to say, one of the principal reasons for raising your own poultry is to have a good supply of fresh, delicious eggs. Nothing compares with eating an egg from your own flock that has a nice, deep, rich, dark orange yolk when cooked. It's a far cry from the pale, sickly, yellow, flattened yolk of an egg purchased at a supermarket.

You might also choose to butcher extra birds and supply your family with fresh, nutritious home-raised meat. Knowing exactly what your animal was fed and how it was cared for can make you feel at ease about the long-lasting health and environmental consequences of what you're putting into your mouth.

For all the reasons one chooses to become a backyard raiser, one principle holds true. Anyone — producer or consumer — who knows the origin of his or her food can't help feeling confident and relaxed about this choice.

Fowl for Exhibition

Exhibiting poultry can be a very rewarding experience. For those with the competitive spirit, 4-H membership offers exposure to poultry at an early age, and poultry species make ideal 4-H livestock projects. Children and youths have an early opportunity to learn about the animals firsthand, care for them, keep record books, and gain knowledge of the science and economics associated with raising livestock. Keep in mind that poultry projects aren't just for rural youths; these projects give urban and suburban kids an opportunity to raise animals too, with the support and guidance of a national organization. Plus, raising a few chickens in the backyard is far easier than raising a cow or pig.

If you're fortunate enough to live in an area where poultry are allowed, you don't even have to wait for 4-H to get started raising poultry with younger children. Although children can't join 4-H earlier than age nine, five- and six-year-olds can gain a great deal from raising poultry, especially in the area of responsibility.

At some point, however, your growing children may find the simple 4-H endeavor no longer satisfies their competitive desire. Up until the age of eighteen, they can show at professional exhibits that include juvenile divisions. As their poultry-showing skills improve, they can advance from the juvenile to the adult division, where raisers picking up the hobby in adulthood will begin. This division may be very competitive; raisers tend to develop their own high-performing show-circuit poultry strains. These birds are not necessarily heavy egg or meat producers, nor are they necessarily proper breeders, but you can bet they will be properly colored, feathered, and marked, and have all of the traits required in the American Poultry Association's Standard of Perfection.

Poultry for Profit

People often successfully raise poultry as a source of income. In days gone by, this income was known as the farm wife's "egg money." She would take care of the hens, take the eggs to market, and keep the profits from such endeavors for household expenses or other family needs. Those days are in the past — now men and women are the farmers, of course — but there is still a distinct possibility that money can be made from raising poultry.

Keep in mind that even though a great deal of work is involved and long hours of focused energy are necessary, the profits may not be large. But you do have an opportunity to make poultry a profitable business venture, nevertheless. Backyard raisers are never going to be able to be more profitable than the giant egg farms or broiler facilities that produce millions of eggs and millions of butchered birds per year. However, you can seek out well-paying niche markets to help make your poultry hobby profitable.

Niche Markets

Niche markets are created by the demands of consumers desiring a product that is rare or can't be found easily among...