Blessings of the Chicken Meal

During the last quarter of 2022, I set out on a quest: to prove that I could produce 1,500 chicks over four months on my roof deck and in our backyard farm, more than many of the top breeders of gamefowls and free-range poultry that I know who have several hectares of land.

Initially, it was simply in response to naysayers or when people tell me I can’t do it because, because, because. I confess that I don’t take well to people who operate on “general rules,” which often are actually self-imposed limitations and restrictions, especially when they impose those limitations and restrictions on my capacity or abilities as well as on others.

I respect that there are commonly held beliefs or notions of practicality, but what really gets me going is when those who get in the way are people who never took the time to listen to the idea or check the possibilities, or actually don’t have knowledge and experience. Worst are those simply putting in an opinion for the sake of having an opinion. In fact, a number of the naysayers who got in the way mistakenly thought that I was a newbie or knew little to nothing about poultry and gamefowl because “I’m not out there” or known to be a breeder!

Before I go any further, allow me to state: I am NOT venting or blowing off steam. If anything, I want to motivate the many victims of naysayers and dream killers, not to give up but instead wise up, plan well and carry on with whatever quest, goal or plans you have.

So, I started things out with prayers and asking for God to be patient with me in what might seem to be self-indulgence. I applied all the knowledge, technology, veterinary medicine and husbandry that I knew of (all of that I shared in a column I wrote a few months back). I got the best breeding materials, best feeds from BMeg, SMC Animal health products, timers for extended lighting, etc., etc.

I set a goal of 1,000 to 1,500 chicks using four incubators and three hatchers. Modesty aside, I stopped counting at 1,500, although my wife’s last estimate was at 1,700+. Getting the eggs and hatching them was relatively no major effort but the subsequent challenge was to actually grow them to several months and eventually to a year or two.

Six months later, the crop keeps coming in, the chicks are growing from day-olds to four months — goal achieved. The unexpected part of it is the discoveries and lessons I encountered.

First: Be clear about your goal or quest because things change, things develop along your journey and if you are not clear about your WHY, you could be distracted, feel defeated or regret outcomes. I set out to hit a target, anything after that was collateral benefit or collateral waste. There have been people who kept asking what next? What will you do with them? Where will you grow them, etc. If I allowed myself to get sucked in, I would short live the achievement. What next is a different matter. Celebrate the win, tomorrow is another day that should not rob you of today.

Second lesson: Quests and goals require commitment and sacrificial effort. You do what needs to be done regardless of the time of day or night, regardless of the fact that you may be tired, or had plans for the weekend. You pay attention to minute details, make records, lists, supply runs and you spend what needs to be spent to have the best inputs possible in order to get the best results.

Third: Productivity and output are not determined by capital, land area or specialization. I know people who have all the capital but never manage to get anywhere with a project. I know raisers with so much land but can’t ever produce a respectable number of quality stock because they never put in the time to learn, to be taught by people who do these things for a living. I know specialists who know the trade but have no passion or find no challenge other than “it’s a job.”

I set a goal, a time frame, prepared the required equipment, adapted/adjusted things along the way. I experimented and tried tricks used by others, with me always in the “driver’s seat.” Finally, I reminded myself of this parable from the Book of Luke chapter 12:

16 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’

18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’

20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’

21 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

That is undoubtedly a scary reminder about being materialistic, greedy or self-centered. Which is why I am not storing up, raising hundreds or a thousand chickens. The plan was to produce and then to reduce by giving away hundreds of very expensive chickens for tinola, inasal, etc. to indigent families or families with very limited budgets. I achieved my goal, proved my point and being able to “bless” others with a Chicken Meal – that’s collateral benefit.

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