Back-yard broilers

• Before you embark on a broiler operation, take a hard look at your market. Where is the demand? Can you compete with the price your potential customer is currently paying? How far is the market from the farm? How close is the abattoir? • Find a reliable source of bedding. Spread word at sawmills that you’re looking for wood shavings. The Colletts get free shavings from their local sawmills. • The further away you are from a feed mill, the more expensive it is to transport feed. Buy feed from a commercial supplier who tests for toxicities. • Don’t overcrowd your chickens; they need space and good ventilation. In winter, don’t close the house up too tightly or they could contract respiratory diseases. In summer, they could overheat and may die.