Chickens

Backyard poultry is a fun enterprise whether it is a project for your children or a project for you. There is so much to think about when it comes to raising live animals such as a small flock of chickens. Breeds, purchasing birds, and equipment are just a few topics that should run through your mind.

Brian Moyer, Penn State Cooperative Extension, Lehigh County explains the different types of exemptions small producers can fall under to process their birds as well as the top misconceptions.

Many individuals with small flocks of laying hens prefer to market their own eggs. If an egg producer has less than 3,200 laying hens and sells eggs within five days from the date of lay and sells eggs predominately within a 100 mile radius of their production or processing facility, then the following summary of regulations will apply when selling eggs to the consumer.

Agricultural Alternatives fact sheets are developed for those less familiar with the enterprise. Each fact sheet contains information on marketing, production, enterprise budgeting, and resource requirements to help users make a balanced evaluation of the enterprise for their operation. Each publication contains a list of references, websites, and trade and marketing association addresses where more information can be obtained on the enterprise.