Report for YNC08-015

The purpose of this project is to expand chicken production capacity and help other consumers understand that raising a portion of their own food supply can be done humanely and sustainably. I have a limited amount of space and marketing ability and want to show that consumers can economically and sustainably get their food supply locally. I work with a local grain cooperative that has a “chick day” and have the customer buy the feed and chicks and then raise them at my farm. Customers are encouraged to come to the farm to check on their chickens if they want to see how I raise them. Once the birds are large enough, I turn them out around my parent’s dairy farm to free range on grass and insects. I work with the customer to decide how old they want their birds when they are finished (fryer or roaster). I work with my parents to market that I am custom raising birds for them to purchase. I won’t butcher the birds for people, but will put them in contact with places they can get them processed if they don’t want to do it themselves.