Producing Poultry and Eggs for Small Markets
This section is addressed to the more ambitious homesteaders who, having mastered some of the lore of bringing their flocks to “abundant increase,” contemplate producing eggs and dressed poultry for small local markets.
The section begins with a fairly long and comprehensive overview of issues to be considered if scaling up to broiler production for the small end of the market; followed by a look at three examples of small farmers producing between a few hundred to a few thousand of broilers per season.
A major question is choice of broiler stock for your operation. The Cornish Cross has long been the standard, not only for MegaPoultry, Inc but for pastured producers as well. Two articles discuss its limitations, and alternatives available for pastured broiler models. Finally, reviving the lost art of caponizing may be the small producer’s entrée into a profitable niche market.
At some point I expect to add an article about egg production for small local markets. ~Harvey, February 10, 2010