About Trost Poultry:
Trost Poultry is a hobby that is slowly growing and evolving.
I started raising poultry when I was 11 while I was growing up on a dairy farm in Northeast Wisconsin. My first flock was a gift from my Grandmother and was intended to be used for meat. My parents fought the idea, and only helped with the butchering. The one problem we had was that we did not know anything about chickens or the breeds. Grandma chose the cheapest birds she could find which turned out to be Leghorn cockerels. Needless to say, we did butcher those birds, but there was hardly any meat on them. After that project I begged my parents to allow me to raise another flock, this time I promised that I would research and purchase birds appropriate for the purpose. My Father swore up and down that we lived on a dairy farm and we would not have chickens again. However, one day he finally broke down and allowed me to purchase another flock, but there were stipulations. First, I could not spend more than $25, and that was to include all charges, not just the chick price. Second, I was only allowed to get heavy breed roosters. With this in mind I had to make the decision on what to purchase.
That was 22 years ago, chicks were cheaper, but not that cheap, plus I wanted specific breeds, not a "silly" assortment. Well I ended up ordering, and the total came to just over $25, but Dad let me send for the chicks. That was it, I was hooked on chickens from that point. Granted, those birds were used for meat and it was not until I was 16 or 17 that I was able to keep some birds through the winter, but let me tell you, not a spring went by that I did not order some chicks. And trust me, there was no way I was going to let one go by with out chicks, that was all my parents would need to justify never getting them again.
I eventually was allowed to build a new chicken coop as long as I could save the money to do it. Well the summer that I turned 17 I not only saved the money, but I also saved enough money to buy supplies as well. Ever since that first winter with birds I have always had at least a few birds to take through the winter. Some years on the farm it was well over 100 birds, however the years that I was in college it was as few as 8 or 10.
In 2001 I purchased my first home and instantly began plans for my flock. I live in the city, however I checked ordinances prior to purchasing the house and I was allowed to keep birds (incidentally cows and horses are also allowed). The only requirement for keeping animals in the city was that they needed to be totally confined, and never allowed access to a yard that was not covered. That probably explains why there are not any cows in the city! Well the plans started and my birds had access to a covered dog run, the set up was great. The coop was in the back of the garage and it was a separate room.
Since that time my coop has grown and been modified. My vehicle has since moved out and the garage changed into a chicken coop. The building is entirely insulated, and the coops are climate controlled. My birds don't know what freezing weather is, or what it feels like when it is 100 degrees outside. I keep the temperature between 40 and 80 degrees on most days. They also never have to worry about being rained on or whipped around by strong winds. My friends say they are the luckiest chickens they know of.
The birds I keep currently are for showing and breeding; and recently I began offering hatching eggs to the public. I also hatch, on average, 200 chicks a year; with the vast majority being sold or given to youth interested in keeping poultry. I also work with adults that are interested in keeping poultry, usually helping them find breeds they are interested in.
Jeremy Trost
bravenet.com