By SUSAN BLOWER
Indiana Correspondent

PENDLETON, Ind. — Daniel Bowman’s chicken farm began when his then-9-year-old son, Wesley, wanted to earn a little money. Now, the 16-year-old is saving money from his flourishing business to buy a car.

Daniel Bowman, of rural Pendleton, Ind., said he supplies the up-front cash, and his son provides the labor. The father-son team splits the profit, which comes to $2.50-$3 per bird, the elder Bowman said.

Bowman said he buys 150 layers at 17 weeks of age every spring. He selected the Golden Comets breed based on the brown tint of the egg shells.
“Everyone wants brown eggs,” Bowman said at a tour of his farm last week, sponsored by the Madison County Growers Council and the Purdue University Extension.

The tour was well-attended by 36 people from Hamilton, Hancock, Delaware and Madison counties.

The Bowmans rotate their flock every year because production slows down after the first season and sell their old birds for about $4-$5 each, Bowman said.

The hens shelter in a pen constructed inside a large barn, adjacent to an open door to pasture. The eggs are sold for $2 per dozen at the family’s cabinet-making business next door, and the excess, if any, are taken to the Madison County Farmers Market to be sold for $2.50

To sell eggs at farmers markets, eggs must be clean and uncracked. They must be refrigerated at 45 degrees Fahrenheit or less.

The cartons should be marked with a pack date and expiration date. Dealers must be licensed by the Egg Board and present license upon request.
Bowman raises his own corn, which he grinds into feed. He sells his ground corn for $10.50 per 50 pounds, based on the current price of corn. He buys a supplement mix with soybean meal to feed his hens.

Wesley gathers the eggs year round. When temperatures are below 20 degrees, he gathers more frequently during the day to keep the eggs from freezing. Bowman said their egg production is maintained through the colder temps, perhaps because of the incandescent lights they turn on at night.
The Bowmans also sell Cornish Rock meat birds twice a year. They are kept in an enclosed cage in the barn and are processed in Ohio.

Bottom line

Though the Bowman’s system is working well for them, tour speaker Mickey Latour suggested a few tweaks that might improve their bottom line. Latour is a poultry extension specialist with Purdue University.

His first suggestion was that, particularly for larger enterprises, documenting which birds were not laying would help reduce costs. Purdue has patented a system which identifies non-laying hens, he said. He said to look at the color of the beak and legs. Birds which are white-washed are laying eggs, while those that are yellow toned are not. He said 5-6 percent of all hens are going to be infertile.

He next suggested evaluating the choice of breed. He said those breeds which lay white eggs eat less food and produce more eggs.

He said there is no nutritional difference between white and brown eggs.
The Golden Comets should eat only one-quarter pound of feed per day. He suggested raising the feeders to the birds’ shoulder height and switching to pellets to reduce consumption.

Rotating the outdoor runs would give the chickens less room to wander and would also reduce calories expended, thus lowering food consumption, Latour said.

Adding 3-4 percent oil to their diet would boost energy, especially in summer. Giving the hens marigold in the winter would darken their yolks when the birds are not in pasture eating grass as often. Darkened yolks are desirable to consumers, Latour said.

The roosting bar should be at least 24 inches off the ground to encourage the birds to flap their wings to break their fall. This strategy would help prevent damage to their feet. Rounded bars would also reduce fecal matter.
Latour said that he would turn on the lights at the break of day to encourage egg production. By 9:30 a.m., 85 percent of the eggs would be laid. When daytime lights are on, the lights should be turned off at night to keep the birds from being over-stimulated. The birds need 14 hours of light.

Latour also said using rubber mats on rollers at the bottom of cages would make cleaning easier and reduce the smell and flies.

For bedding, wood shavings can become moldy, but pine shavings are the best wood to use, Latour said. Straw can used if it isn’t too thick.
He said layers are at their peak production at 30-32 weeks, so rotating flocks as the Bowmans do makes good economic sense.

For more information, go to ag.ansc.purdue.edu/poultry
For egg details and recipes click on the link, American Egg Board.