Phil Brodhecker of Brodhecker Farm, conducted the two hourinteractive workshop. An attentive audience represented a broad cross section of families and individuals who currently care for- or are planning to raise their own flock of two or more chickens.
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Some simply want to add another dimension of home-raised to their gardening efforts and for many...raising chickens promises to be rewarding and fun.
Brodhecker Farm is one of Sussex County's largest family owned, fully operational farms-raising field and forage crop, livestock and poultry. Phil Brodhecker has a degree in animal husbandry and had at one point in his career managed a large poultry production operation in the mid west. His expertise, resources and credential gave participants a well rounded perspective as he spoke to the shelter, nutrition and health needs of layer poultry. Brodhecker offered pragmatic management options and shared with the group some of the most common questions he fields from his customers but underscored that "...the best management systems are the ones that work for your lifestyle and objectives. There's a lot of information and opinion on what's the best- once you meet the basic nutrition and shelter requirements, and gain a little insight into the biology of your layer hens, the management style you choose is a matter of what fits best into your routine and lifestyle."
Brodhecker emphasized the importance of a good nutritional plan and explained how altering the chicken's diet with too many "chicken snacks" can quickly impact the health and production of the birds who have a high metabolic rate. "A chicken's heart beats over 200 times a minute," he said, "their bodies produce an egg per day-an egg with three separate components (shell, white and yolk). Meeting the nutritional demands of that kind of output takes with consistency and moderation on the snack side, will help your birds stay healthy and productive."
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Sussex County has a rich agricultural heritage and a growing population of small farm operations and backyard producers. New Jersey's agricultural picture has changed over the decades and is continually making room for small acreage farms who add to the beautiful mosaic of agriculture in the Garden State.
Learn more about Sussex County Agriculture and locally grown/locally produced foods by visiting the Sussex County Board of Agriculture .
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