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Possible future side job for me?

TinySheep

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Hey guys! I’m glad I found a thread involving poultry... I was gonna post something about this earlier but I got kinda worried/nervous about asking about it...

So lately I’ve been starting to get ideas of what I want to do after high school and so far I’ve been really interested in farm life or something of the likes as a possible career route. I'm thinking of trying for a green certificate for small flock poultry to use as a future hobby (Just for eggs! No meat because I have a feeling I’ll bond to them and it just feels kinda wrong raising them only to eat them T-T).

So, some concerns of mine:

-I’ve read of some people working with poultry outside and still having parrots? Though I’ve also read a lot of warning revolving around illnesses and diseases that could spread to both! Which is terrifying to think about, but I’ve also read that there are precautions you can take as well? But I think it’s near impossible to get rid of all risks involved.

-Egg binding. I’ve already expressed my concerns about this before I got Soba and it is still a big concern for me. Since chickens are frequent egg layers, I think this is a larger risk than with parrots who only lay once in a while?

There’s more, but I have to think about them more first and look into it more
 
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jh81

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Dont be nervous! We are here to help echother :)

could you explain more about this “green flock poultry” thing?? What should we think about? You want chickens and keep them in a nice outdoor aviary and all?
 

cosmolove

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I'm not sure what a green poulty certificate is but I am a small farm owner. I have chickens tho! We have 5 chickens and 1 duck, we will be adding more this month. We had a run in with a neighbor dog killing a lot of our flock. My egg information really has to do with when I had a larger flock of 13 chickens and 3 ducks.

Personally, I just have them for eggs and bug control on the farm. Oh and they're garbage disposals LOL they help us compost a lot of our food waste. I'm not sure what country or state you're in but make sure to look up your state/country laws regarding selling eggs. In Ohio, you have to have a permit to sell them off your property which means USDA inspections and such. I can sell them on my property but I really didn't want random strangers coming to my farm. I take them off property to friends and give them away. I'm allowed to take donations so usually people will give me a couple bucks towards their food. Since I do this on such a small scale (yes 16 birds was small scale) I did not make a profit. I just took the money to buy feed and occasionally treats. Something you'll notice is in the darker months your chickens will slow down laying dramatically. So normally I'd get 5-7 eggs a week each chicken you'd get 0-3 in the winter months. So giving eggs to friends stops in the winter as we barely have enough for ourselves.

I really see the chickens as a hobby on our farm. They're great to have around but I don't push it enough to be profitable. Most small farms are often not "profitable" unless you're homesteading which that is a totally different discussion.

As far as parrots and chickens. I just wash my hands and leave my boots in the garage when I work with them.
 

TinySheep

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Thanks, I’ll try not to be! <3

So, a green certificate is basically a course you take for anything agriculture related, there’s a bunch of different ones so there’s a lot to think about when choosing one. I can take one for cattle, field crops, Poultry, equine, and Sheep?? ( I haven’t seen one for that yet).

You learn about the conditions they should be in, their behaviours, different coop types, what to look out for in the disease and health category, some different diets, and then take exams at a college to prove you learned what you were supposed to learn. I have to find a “trainer” who owns chickens and is able to teach me what I’m supposed to learn hands on. It takes at least a year for me to complete and earn the certificate.

I’m attracted to picking “Small flock poultry” since It’s the one thing I’m not allergic to (Cursed with allergies to all mammals), and it’s smaller than cattle and the bigger more complicated ones. And as far as I’ve looked into it, chickens are already complicated in their own self! and I could totally see myself tending chickens as an old lady in the future... lol.

I think I’d enjoy it as a small hobby though. I’m not a city girl, so I think it would be a perfect match for a future big yard/ acreage and a small flock of chickens. A nice outdoor aviary would be perfect, but I also gotta think about winter since I live in Canada Alberta >~<

I like the idea of free range during the day (Of course with supervision).

My career counsellor thinks I should take the course though and use it as a side job.. I’m kinda iffy on seeing it like that. I might sell some eggs, but I don’t plan on making a huge business out of it. The school is covering the certificates costs, so it would make me feel a little guilty not doing anything with it (But I think it would look good on a resume for something else?).

I also gotta think about how this would affect Soba and any other possible future bird.

Thanks guys ^^
 

TinySheep

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I'm not sure what a green poulty certificate is but I am a small farm owner. I have chickens tho! We have 5 chickens and 1 duck, we will be adding more this month. We had a run in with a neighbor dog killing a lot of our flock. My egg information really has to do with when I had a larger flock of 13 chickens and 3 ducks.

Personally, I just have them for eggs and bug control on the farm. Oh and they're garbage disposals LOL they help us compost a lot of our food waste. I'm not sure what country or state you're in but make sure to look up your state/country laws regarding selling eggs. In Ohio, you have to have a permit to sell them off your property which means USDA inspections and such. I can sell them on my property but I really didn't want random strangers coming to my farm. I take them off property to friends and give them away. I'm allowed to take donations so usually people will give me a couple bucks towards their food. Since I do this on such a small scale (yes 16 birds was small scale) I did not make a profit. I just took the money to buy feed and occasionally treats. Something you'll notice is in the darker months your chickens will slow down laying dramatically. So normally I'd get 5-7 eggs a week each chicken you'd get 0-3 in the winter months. So giving eggs to friends stops in the winter as we barely have enough for ourselves.

I really see the chickens as a hobby on our farm. They're great to have around but I don't push it enough to be profitable. Most small farms are often not "profitable" unless you're homesteading which that is a totally different discussion.

As far as parrots and chickens. I just wash my hands and leave my boots in the garage when I work with them.
I think that’s something I’m looking to do in the future, Just a small farm or something like that. I always dreamed of a ranch or owning an acreage and something like this kinda completes it the more I think about it. But then there is an issue on how I’ll get there ;-;

I’ll talk with my career counsellor about it more but I’m still pretty sure she sees it as a side job, ect. I don’t plan or expect getting a lot back from chickens if I do go that route
 

cosmolove

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I think that’s something I’m looking to do in the future, Just a small farm or something like that. I always dreamed of a ranch or owning an acreage and something like this kinda completes it the more I think about it. But then there is an issue on how I’ll get there ;-;

I’ll talk with my career counsellor about it more but I’m still pretty sure she sees it as a side job, ect. I don’t plan or expect getting a lot back from chickens if I do go that route
Just something to keep in mind, farms are very expensive as is the vet care for animals. I have a full time job that I have a duel masters degree in business adminstration and management which pays for it. Hobby farmers like myself will need a solid source of income coming in.
 

TinySheep

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Just something to keep in mind, farms are very expensive as is the vet care for animals. I have a full time job that I have a duel masters degree in business adminstration and management which pays for it. Hobby farmers like myself will need a solid source of income coming in.
yeah.. That’s another concern of mine, I’m still not sure where to go from there
 

cosmolove

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yeah.. That’s another concern of mine, I’m still not sure where to go from there
Have you considered any other fields? Like teaching, management/business, IT, medical, etc?
 

TinySheep

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Have you considered any other fields? Like teaching, management/business, IT, medical, etc?
I thought of maybe becoming an avian vet? I’m not sure how that would work out though. Math stuff is not my strong suite and I don’t really have a good history of good grades in school in general. My struggles with math change everything regardless.

I’m gonna be honest and say that my future doesn’t look very great. I’ll do anything that’ll get me that dream point though
 

cosmolove

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I thought of maybe becoming an avian vet? I’m not sure how that would work out though. Math stuff is not my strong suite and I don’t really have a good history of good grades in school in general. My struggles with math change everything regardless.

I’m gonna be honest and say that my future doesn’t look very great. I’ll do anything that’ll get me that dream point though
I wouldn't count yourself out based on how you did in classes in high school. I would push for the vet path and see where it takes you! I actually started my path in the vet world. It didn't work out for me but during that time I really got to sit down and think about what I wanted. You'll have a couple years of "general education" credits you'll take first that you can apply to almost any degree. So lots of time to really decide!
 

fashionfobie

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I thought of maybe becoming an avian vet? I’m not sure how that would work out though. Math stuff is not my strong suite and I don’t really have a good history of good grades in school in general. My struggles with math change everything regardless.

I’m gonna be honest and say that my future doesn’t look very great. I’ll do anything that’ll get me that dream point though
I agree with @cosmolove, high school is not the end game. It might seem that way when you are young and there is so much pressure. Being a teen is hard enough just in growing up, then we stick on heaps of classes and teams, activities, not to mention possible high school jobs.. It is rough.

If you have your sights on doing medical work with birds, don't stop that dream. There are ways to get by in maths, if you know you struggle in that subject look for a tutor who can help you see it differently. Something might stick. Not all teachers teach in ways that helps all students and it is ok to develop an understanding from a tutor, or heck even youtube. Lots of different ways to look at it. Once you get through your academic courses that are required at the uni the way you use math or chem or any of those topics will change. When you are a practicing avian vet it is not likely you need to use calculus. Computers do all everything ;). Those courses are just phases of schooling. You can get through anything if you really commit yourself to it. I am not going to give you a false idea of ease, it will be hard work. Though dreams are worth fighting for. If you know you are weak in math, you can change your view. Maybe that is an advantage for you, because you will go into those courses knowing that you need an extra boost. So you can take fewer classes that term and focus on what you know you need to. Knowing a fault or a challenge can be a strength. It is not a barrier!

There are also other avenues to work with birds. You could work at an avian vet in another role. You could work with livestock, you could work for a government agency that enforces the policies of organic farming for example. An organic chicken certifier?

Farming is a noble job, so if that is your new calling than it is also great to find a place there. Just don't think you know your whole future from high school. High school is a stepping stone, it is not the end of the road!

Farming is very hard work and sometimes little in return financially. If you want to go into farming you might be able to start working at a farm that follows an ethos you respect. Getting some hands on experience will teach you a lot about your know prospects in that occupation. I worked at an organic farm before. I wasn't actually paid. I worked for vegetables. I made an agreement (signed a contract) with the farmer in the spring to work 380 hours, I think it was, for the growing season. I was living in Pennsylvania at the time. In exchange I got half a bushel of veggies every week. When I went for work I was there for 8-10 hours. I planted seeds, planted seedlings, and even manually weeded with my hands-imagine doing that for 8 hours straight with the sun setting and you gloves almost worn through. It was a pretty large farm. I learned to drive a tractor! The work was very labour intensive, but highly rewarding. The farmer hardly broke even at the end of the season. He didn't make life easy for himself though, a very wide variety of veggies. So it created a wide variety of tasks! I never wanted to be a farmer, I was just curious to learn more about it and the process. So for me working on the farm was very rewarding, delicious, and an experience I will take with me everywhere. I live in the suburbs with a few back yard chickens. They are my pride.

I am more of a city person. So I am not sure I could farm for my occupation, but there is an immense emotional reward from farming veggies.
 
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