Opportunities in poultry

Rossymons

Member
Location
Cornwall
Following on from the pig thread, I'm just wondering what opportunities are available in the poultry sector?

I've always had chickens, always liked chickens and very nearly went into free range eggs instead of milking cows.

I'm aware that bird flu is around which is making life pretty hard for everyone involved.

But is there anything positive happening?
 

Poorbuthappy

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Devon
What sort of local direct marketing opportunities do you have around you?
Still got the cows?
Pasture raised hens following the cattle will produce the best quality eggs that can be sold direct at a premium if you have the market (and the time)
 

yin ewe

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Co Antrim
Following on from the pig thread, I'm just wondering what opportunities are available in the poultry sector?

I've always had chickens, always liked chickens and very nearly went into free range eggs instead of milking cows.

I'm aware that bird flu is around which is making life pretty hard for everyone involved.

But is there anything positive happening?

Still a few opportunities over here in NI. We've just started a free range egg house for 16k birds. We have a contract to supply an egg packer who supplies the birds, feed and would also put up a portion of the capital if required.
Planing is the biggest issue here, but we were fortunate enough to have our site passed a few years ago when it wasn't as difficult to get it passed.
None of the people I spoke to before we went ahead even mentioned bird flu. Got the impression that the birds don't venture out much unless it's very good weather, not a major problem in Northern Ireland :ROFLMAO:
 
I'm aware that bird flu is around which is making life pretty hard for everyone involved.
What?
I have both pigs and poultry, even if this time we couldn't buy some pigs because of this virus, but I have never heard this. The farm isn't mine after all, for this reason I have to ask it to my family too, but while we are already talking about it, what is this flu so common in chicken?
I nearly forgot, my grampa heal pigs, who have problems in their abdomen, giving them sulfur, and they heal 😂
You guys do the same?
 

t murrr

Member
Still a few opportunities over here in NI. We've just started a free range egg house for 16k birds. We have a contract to supply an egg packer who supplies the birds, feed and would also put up a portion of the capital if required.
Planing is the biggest issue here, but we were fortunate enough to have our site passed a few years ago when it wasn't as difficult to get it passed.
None of the people I spoke to before we went ahead even mentioned bird flu. Got the impression that the birds don't venture out much unless it's very good weather, not a major problem in Northern Ireland :ROFLMAO:
Is the bird job not slowed a bit especially with the price increase in meal .The contract seems a good way to go maybe not as much of a risk as buying the birds and the banks like less risk .
 

yin ewe

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Co Antrim
Is the bird job not slowed a bit especially with the price increase in meal .The contract seems a good way to go maybe not as much of a risk as buying the birds and the banks like less risk .

Banks seem keen enough over here, but were also keen for the egg packer to put up some of the money. I suppose it means that he's committed financially as well as the farmer.
 

Keown218

Member
Livestock Farmer
Still a few opportunities over here in NI. We've just started a free range egg house for 16k birds. We have a contract to supply an egg packer who supplies the birds, feed and would also put up a portion of the capital if required.
Planing is the biggest issue here, but we were fortunate enough to have our site passed a few years ago when it wasn't as difficult to get it passed.
None of the people I spoke to before we went ahead even mentioned bird flu. Got the impression that the birds don't venture out much unless it's very good weather, not a major problem in Northern Ireland :ROFLMAO:
We are just finishing up planning ect, just wondering how you are finding it so far? Thanks
 

yin ewe

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Co Antrim
We are just finishing up planning ect, just wondering how you are finding it so far? Thanks

Good so far, got the hens in at the start of November. Spent a lot of time for the first 6weeks picking up floor eggs, managed to get them down from 700 to 300.
Have got into a steady routine now, takes about 2hrs in the morning to pack eggs, walk the floor, check feeders/drinkers and tidy up etc. About half an hour in the evening for another walk round the shed and pick up any eggs on the floor.
Happy with it so far but still a few bits and pieces to sort inside and outside the shed.
 

Keown218

Member
Livestock Farmer
Good so far, got the hens in at the start of November. Spent a lot of time for the first 6weeks picking up floor eggs, managed to get them down from 700 to 300.
Have got into a steady routine now, takes about 2hrs in the morning to pack eggs, walk the floor, check feeders/drinkers and tidy up etc. About half an hour in the evening for another walk round the shed and pick up any eggs on the floor.
Happy with it so far but still a few bits and pieces to sort inside and outside the shed.
Good stuff, sounds like your happy! Any regrets or any tips before building ect, thanks again
 

yin ewe

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Co Antrim
Good stuff, sounds like your happy! Any regrets or any tips before building ect, thanks again

Make sure that you get as much stuff finished inside and outside while the builders and fitters are on site cos once they start somewhere else it's a nightmare getting them to come back.
Tbh once the ground work was done and the base stoned we had very little to do until the fencing was done around the range.
Allow a month extra than you think to complete the build and 10% more cash than you think you're going to need:ROFLMAO:.
Only regret is I didn't do it 10 years ago when I was a young fella.
Where are you based by the way?
 

Keown218

Member
Livestock Farmer
Make sure that you get as much stuff finished inside and outside while the builders and fitters are on site cos once they start somewhere else it's a nightmare getting them to come back.
Tbh once the ground work was done and the base stoned we had very little to do until the fencing was done around the range.
Allow a month extra than you think to complete the build and 10% more cash than you think you're going to need:ROFLMAO:.
Only regret is I didn't do it 10 years ago when I was a young fella.
Where are you based by the way?
We are based in Tyrone, going for the grant too ATM hopefully that might help if we get it! Heard good and bad views on it! Same thing as the egg game really! Anyone that's in the game says there decent and anyone not says it's waste of money and time!
 

yin ewe

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Co Antrim
We are based in Tyrone, going for the grant too ATM hopefully that might help if we get it! Heard good and bad views on it! Same thing as the egg game really! Anyone that's in the game says there decent and anyone not says it's waste of money and time!

What packer are you going with? We're Ballygarvey, only 4 miles away from them.
I know 1 boy who got the last grant but had to put in a lot more equipment to do with ammonia.
 

Keown218

Member
Livestock Farmer
What packer are you going with? We're Ballygarvey, only 4 miles away from them.
I know 1 boy who got the last grant but had to put in a lot more equipment to do with ammonia.
We're going with ready eggs, aye well this is it it might not work out a pile cheaper, the ammonia equipment confuses me cause there's not much point putingt air scrubbers in a free range house, we will just have to see, hopefully all goes to plan over the next few weeks
 

yin ewe

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Co Antrim
Does the packer send you the feed and pullets in Northern Ireland and then pay you a margin for looking after them?

That's the type of arrangement we have, the eggs are collected and graded twice a week, we get a basic monthly payment plus an end of crop payment.
 

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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