#  >  > Living And Legal Affairs In Thailand >  >  > Farming & Gardening In Thailand >  >  Chicken Farming

## somtamslap

Some of you may have noticed I've had a rather long and agonizing history with poultry.
For me, chickens serve no other purpose than their roasted, fried or barbequed flesh after they've had an axe violently introduced to the back of their necks.

Firstly, to recap, after a gallant effort by myself but a rather half hearted one by my neighbour who is the proud owner of some 10 billion squawkers, to reduce the poultry population down on the farm here, we bagged about 3 dozen, most of which we ate, the others were sold for similar purposes, but you never know around here do you.
Old Somjit rolls up in a battered pick-up, eyes the roosters with what one might describe as sexual malice, bundles them in a hessian sack, completely ignoring their clucks of concern and drives off, one hand on the steering wheel, the other down his pants, clutching his knackers with vigour...so, you don't know what those poor bastards were subjected to upon arriving at Old Somjit's hut..

Nevertheless..better they're taking an anal battering from an aging farmer than waking me up at 4am, which some of them still do..but I've adopted a method of sort of incorporating the half baked cockadoodles into my dreams..I'm telling you, I don't have converstaions in my dreams anymore, I exchange squawks with people.

But, back to the consumption of their flesh.

My wife's cousin has recently gone about contructing a chicken farm..a good few kilometres from our house thankfully. Should she had lived in the vicinity of our farmhouse then the relatively new project would've promptly been met with the power of several small incendiary devices..because I would've blown the shat out of the fucking thing before they could get started.

Anyway, chicks are firstly purchased for 25 baht each, are fed and watered for approximately 42 days before being taken to the slaughter house for head removal..

Not a particuarly pleasant existence..but I suppose it beats battery farming..

Anyone tried/or trying this?

If I'm ever up for a spot of masachism I may give it a blast..





Think I'll pop down KFC later for a Zinger Burger aka Revenge..a dish best served hot in this case..

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## taffyapple

:cmn: fox for sale

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## somtamslap

> fox for sale


 We've got plenty of these around here..but they don't seem to want to chip in..

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## sunsetter

> Think I'll pop down KFC later for a Zinger Burger


cant beat a cheeky zinger in the afternoon  ::chitown::

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## davearn

There's a bloke in Pattaya done pretty well for himself from chickens.

May be something in it for ya mate.

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## somtamslap

It maybe worth a look at in a year or two..but it's a bit too much like mass butchery for my tastes..although, like I say..I prefer them dead, accompanied by roast potatoes and three veg.

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## hopskimoet

How much does a fully grown chicken sell for? If you're buying chicks for 50p a fully grown one must at least sell for a knicker.

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## somtamslap

> How much does a fully grown chicken sell for?


 Around 150b for a free range chicken..'gai barn' they call them over here. Not sure if the ones on that farm would be classed as free range though.

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## Kikoman

I purchased some chicks at the local market for 15 baht each, fed them mainly purchased feed, supplemented by food scrapes and green vegetables. As they were said to be Rhodes Island Whites (never heard of them). Ate some at 4 months, still not big enough to slaughter, now are 5 1/2 months are at the right size/ weigh to harvest. 
How are they ready for market at 42 days? What type of chicken is she raising and please post a picture of what they look like at 42 days, market ready. I raise some Rock Cornish chickens back home that matured at an extremely rapid pace but nowhere near 42 days. 
I am not kidding, I really would like to know ,what these chickens look like being market ready at 42 days ( I may learn something), at the local markets I have seen some small poultry ready for sale and my wife said they were birds!

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## dirk diggler

> Originally Posted by taffyapple
> 
> fox for sale
> 
> 
>  We've got plenty of these around here..but they don't seem to want to chip in..


Burmese Python?

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## somtamslap

> How are they ready for market at 42 days?


 That's what I thought?



> What type of chicken is she raising


 I'll find out for you..






> please post a picture of what they look like at 42 days, market ready.


 Will do.







> Burmese Python?


 Indeed. Lots of these and the large retics about..as well as cobras (king) and vipers.

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## HermantheGerman

born:            42 g
1 weeks:        150 g
2 weeks:      380 g
3 weeks:       700 g
4 weeks:     1100 g.........          ready to eat (short timer  :Smile: )
5 weeks:     1550 g
6 weeks:   2000 g.........            warm up the oven -  Broiler
7 weeks:   2500 g..........            get rid of the fat chick  (long timer   :Sad: )

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## harryandannie

Hi

We are looking at keeping a few chickens when we move to Mae Jo soon.
Mainly for us, but try to sale some to pay for their keep .

Can any one give me an idea of cost for chicken feed and best place to purchase in Chiang Mai area ??
What cost would it be to say 7 weeks old for fat chucks.

Cheers

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## harryandannie

Hi
help from any one about chicken food cost and where to buy in Chiang mai area ??
Cheers

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## OhOh

I used to raise Pheasants as a youngster.

Eggs were collected from the breeder pens and then taken to be incubated. The chicks were then raised in huts and moved out to the field pens. 

We shipped them off to shoots all over the UK. Take them to the local station in cardboard boxes

Good repeat business.

Do Thais go in for shooting birds much?

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## withnallstoke

> Do Thais go in for shooting birds much?


Yup.
But they don't like to waste ammunition on a missed shot, hence :-

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## OhOh

Budgies, those were the days.

The ones that didn't fly out of the window to freedom were squashed when trying to close the door.

Later on I was introduced to a band called Budgie. Their music was very disturbing at the time, but maybe it was the substances that I took which were the problem

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## Kikoman

We lost the computer service in my area of Nakhon Sawan provence, do not know when they will bring in a new internet company, till then I will just post every time I come into Nakhon Sawan!
We put all of the roosters into the freezer' and will try my luck with rabbits, we purchase two brown females and 1 male . Also what looks like a small New Zealand white male and female ,we will breed the females and them make rabbit stew with the brown male. Also our greese are doing well, they are sitting on at least 6 eggs and we are hopeful,to have some little ones soon. 
The egg business is doing well, paying for itself with a little profit, that we will put into 20 more layers due next month. Think twice about raising animals from babies it becomes quite expensive in the long run. But when I eat my chickens , I know they were well rasise.

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## Deris

What's the main feed for farm chickens in LOS? When I was young we had some and I belive we fed them cracked corn.

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## Rural Surin

> What's the main feed for farm chickens in LOS? When I was young we had some and I belive we fed them cracked corn.


Depending on each situation [it will differ].
70% rice, 30% assorted commercial feed, scraps of every description.

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## Bruno

I don't think its a bad idea buddy. 

On average, I read a hen lays between 180-300 eggs per year. Not sure what the price of eggs are near you, but in Chiang Mai they cost about 40 baht for 10. 

I know from further reading, that after 3 years the hen doesn't produce as many eggs as it once did. I think the only worry you have is paying for food. Once you have this covered, and done your costs, time to bring in your pal Somjit and his builder pals and start erecting some out-buildings. 

How about some Ducks?

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## alwarner

> I don't think its a bad idea buddy. 
> 
> On average, I read a hen lays between 180-300 eggs per year. Not sure what the price of eggs are near you, but in Chiang Mai they cost about 40 baht for 10. 
> 
> I know from further reading, that after 3 years the hen doesn't produce as many eggs as it once did. I think the only worry you have is paying for food. Once you have this covered, and done your costs, time to bring in your pal Somjit and his builder pals and start erecting some out-buildings. 
> 
> *How about some Ducks?*


this is what we're thinking about.  We have land but we aren't in a position to build on it yet so we though we'll get some ducklings and see what happens.  Something for the Mrs. to do if nothing else.

A few years ago in the Moo Ban some officials came round giving people ducklings, my Mrs. being the entrpreuner she is bought them off others in the street for about 20b each.  We had about 30 of the fuckers.  When we came back from the UK they were all good to go, some got sold, some were kept and the rest we barbecued.  Most excellent.

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## Takeovers

I have recently seen a report on the chicken breeding industry on egg production. I could barely believe it.

According to that report there are only three breeders for 80% of all eggs produced worldwide. One of them is in Germany. They breed to the needs of the egg producers and ship their chicks worldwide by plane. Those chicks eggs will then be hatched and their first generation offspring will lay all those eggs but not be used for breeding. The next generation will come again from the original breeder.

One example what can be achieved in the breeding process. When most eggs were produced by chicken in cages they have almost completely lost that instinct to put their eggs in nests as they had none. When caging was prohibited in the EU that nesting instinct was bred back into the chicken in a few years to facilitate collection of the eggs.

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## Rural Surin

> I don't think its a bad idea buddy. 
> 
> On average, I read a hen lays between 180-300 eggs per year. Not sure what the price of eggs are near you, but in Chiang Mai they cost about 40 baht for 10. 
> 
> I know from further reading, that after 3 years the hen doesn't produce as many eggs as it once did. I think the only worry you have is paying for food. Once you have this covered, and done your costs, time to bring in your pal Somjit and his builder pals and start erecting some out-buildings. 
> 
> How about some Ducks?


Duck eggs fetch quite the niche market and have become quite valuable.
The downside might be that ducks need space to roam.

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## grasshopper

How about some Ducks?[/quote]
Duck eggs fetch quite the niche market and have become quite valuable.
The downside might be that ducks need space to roam.[/quote]

My duckling began to roam. Eventually had to give her marching orders. Told I was no dumb cluck, knew why the chicks were crossing the road.
 :mid:

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## andycrosby

great post I have a love hate relationship with ducks and Chickens, I keep and breed both as well as Turkeys ,quail and everything else here that lays an egg. 

In the long turm Ducks are the winner as the last poster said if you have the room to let them free range. They do have there down side they do not lay an egg for the first six months, but then they catch chickens up and pass them by a mile.

Chickens are chickens they scratch, wake you up, fight, come in side your house jump on your table eat your salmon sandwitch. I hate them this week

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## cambtek

There is a company in cambodia that suppiles chooks to thailand.They sell them to the farmer for 75 cents,provide vet care and advice,one also buys the feed from them.
At 42 days they buy the product at a slightly cheaper rate than the market.
Dont know what breed of chook but 42 days is correct.
Lots of misinformation about steroids etc in the poultry business for years-all bullshit.
My old man had chook farms for eggs,I am thinking of doing this in cambodia.
However there is a good operation behind the parents house,maybe 1000 chooks in good elevated sheds.
All flooded around there now and most chooks dead,probably of respiratatory diseases from the water and the cold-bugger.

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## andycrosby

If you have the space Ducks are a better bet because they find free range like wolves. They dont fight to the death like Chickens do. But they do eat more thats why you need to free range them. I try to keep about 50 on 1 rai and then there never a problem and you almost feed them nothing

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## vikram

Hi there, 

I've started a small farm to rear chickens (more of a backyard thing). I'm not keen on using much chemicals or antibiotics. Can anyone recommend any natural plant-based product supplements that are good for poultry to maintain good gut health?

Thank you very much!

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