01/27/2015
Community Chik P*k: Free chicks to participants in local communities!
We provide 10 or 20 chicks to participants at no cost. After twelve weeks, we come assess the flock. Thirty percent are brought back as replacement breeders and participants retain 70% at no cost. Learn about genetics and agricultural husbandry by helping develop specialized breeds and preserve existing rare livestock.
Details:
The Community Chik P*k is a program that was implemented several years ago to distribute chicks throughout our local communities and to provide an entry into the concepts of animal husbandry and conservation. Participants are given ten or twenty chicken chicks from breeding stock at Shady Hollow Farm at no cost. These chicks are raised for four months (twelve weeks), at which time, a husbandry specialist will return to the participants' property to assess the maturation of the acquired chicks. During this visit, the Shady Hollow Farm representative will explain and demonstrate the traits being assessed, including conformation, plumage coloration and facial features. By selecting the most optimal breeding stock for the following year's breeding program, the breed as a whole is ever-improving. By participating in this program, our communities have a part in the development and improvement of these birds for future production. After assessing the matured flock, thirty percent of the supplied population will be returned back to Shady Hollow Farm to be used as breeding stock for the following year. The remaining seventy percent of the matured stock stays with the participants. By returning the most optimal breeding stock, Shady Hollow Farm always has the most viable breeding stock possible. Each year, the stock improves- providing higher quality chicks for for the following year. Continually improving and increasing distribution, we are able to provide free local poultry to our communities and introduce these husbandry practices to new individuals each year. Benefits to our participants are: free locally-bred poultry that have been developed for our climate, an educational introduction to genetics and husbandry, a chance to improve agricultural development. Benefits to Shady Hollow Farm in this program: a larger mature pool of genetics to select from than would be possible otherwise, chance to educate the community on preservation, introduce the next generation with agricultural involvement.
Discrepancies in the program: Participants are provided with ten or twenty chicks, with expectations that thirty percent (three or six birds, dependent) will be returned as breeding stock. It is Shady Hollow Farm's right to choose the appropriate stock to be returned. These may be male or female. The participant cannot elect to keep certain favored birds in opposition to stock choices. We may return additional roosters as a courtesy if the participants do not wish to retain them. If losses have occurred, compensation must be made. Of the initial stock, if only fifty percent remain, Shady Hollow Farm will re-collect the agreed thirty percent -or- twenty percent and the participant must compensate a ten percent loss fee ($10.00 per bird). This means that if only five out of the provided ten initial chicks remain, Shady Hollow Farm will collect three and leave two -or- two birds will be collected and a fee of $10.00 must be paid to accommodate the cost of one missing mature bird. If an entire provided flock has been lost or expired, compensation must be provided in the same manner for the value of anticipated mature stock ($10.00 per bird in the volume of thirty percent of the initial provision). This means that if all ten of the provided chicks have expired, the participant must compensate the losses of three adult birds that had been expected to be collected. This compensation is required to offset the production cost and maturation time of the chicks that had been absorbed by Shady Hollow Farm in order to provide the chicks initially. Without having beneficial new stock returning, the participants are expected to reimburse the losses that occurred during their care of the provided stock. Only healthy, vigorous, week-old chicks are provided in this program, so responsibilities of adequate care are extended to the participants. Losses are generally very low with chicks that are not stressed and shipped. Participants must pick the chicks up at Shady Hollow Farm on an appointed farm visit. Chicks are provided in order of chronological sign-up. A prior notice will be given by phone before chicks are ready for pick-up, at which time a farm visit will be scheduled. Participants must sign this citation to acknowledge their understanding and compliance of the Community Chik P*k program. [2015 Shady Hollow Farm]
