End of the year, Spring planning!
When it’s cold outside, you would think farmers could take a break. We do, small ones. The chores are always there, maybe in a different format. We still have to water, but now it entails busting ice too. We have to wear more clothes which hampers movement and think more about where we walk (ice and mud) or drive the gator or tractor to not make ruts. A lot of this is mental, to prevent more issues in spring that have to be fixed. Removing hoses from spigots daily and laying them in the sun to drain is a detail that I forget-a lot!
Another activity that is going on behind the scenes of all bird breeders, especially coturnix quail breeders, is the spring shipping season. That time of year that gives us grey hairs and challenges our mental faculties. Essentially, we take a break during December for many reasons, one being for our selves, to enjoy the holidays too. Another is to do repairs, upgrades, cleaning and breeding for spring. Oh and when I say Spring, I mean January! The orders are already piling up now. We try to have enough breeders on hand to fill orders efficiently without wasting feed. That takes some educated guess work. We have to plan cage space, brooder space and incubator space.. We have to know that each brooder and grow out cage will have birds for 3 weeks and plan that rotation. We have to keep the breeding groups straight with records, markings, bands, tape, etc. Each bird has to be inspected and each group has to be inspected that someone didn’t get put in wrong cage. All the while you have to feed, water, clean everyday. It is a true labor of love.
Add chickens, turkeys, ducks, goats, piglets, family, garden planning and rest to that list and you are a farmer! In the 21st century, you have to add email, insurance, web design, social media and all kinds of tech that you didn’t think you would ever need to that list also.
Next step in planning is supplies. When you place that order for birds or eggs, you are assuming we have the supplies on hand to ship them! Good thing you are reading this here because I manufacture my own! You also assume a breeder is NPIP which is another time commitment.
And lastly, we are bird people too and want them all and enjoy them too much. I often sit on my stool just to watch the babies grow. That takes up time too. So in the interest of chicken math, new for 2025 is Bresse. I do not have a release date yet, as I am partnering on them with a much more knowledgable breeder of them than I, and we will be bringing you the best stock we can muster! If I were to guess to availability, late summer/fall on Bresse and in full swing for 2026. If you aren’t aware, Bresse will be the replacement meat chicken that you do not have to continuously buy like Cornish X. I will be releasing more details on them as things shape up, all good things in time..
So as we close out 2024, know that we are prepping for you to grow your farmstead in 2025 with quality Bryant’s Roost stock that will put you on the right road to self sufficency.
And if you are looking to entering the hatching egg business, check out my Ebook and get all the info you need to get started and be successful from the beginning and then hopefully, make it even better! Find that here