Becoming a National FFA Proficiency Finalist is no small feat, which is why we would like to honor Kaylee Bosma on her incredible accomplishment. We have conducted an interview with Kaylee about her poultry operation. Kaylee's operation started out very simple. She said she wanted a few birds and her parents supported Kaylee's ambition. Today Kaylee has more than 250 chickens and game birds that she raises for show stock and to sell to other breeders around the area. Kaylee and her folks are incredibly passionate about their operation and have gained in-depth knowledge about each bird species they raise. Every species requires a different amount of work. Below you will find a general outline of season for Kaylee in the comments on the pictures. We congratulate and lift up this young lady as she prepares for National competition.
Typically, in the winter month Kaylee must pay attention to the special requirements of each species. After meeting these requirements, Kaylee checks on the eggs regularly and allows the chicks to hatch naturally. She explains that it is sometimes hard because you want to help them, but it is important that chicks are hatched naturally because that ensures they are strong enough to carry on the breed genetics.
One of the more important part of showing and selling poultry is proving that your animals are healthy and void of diseases. In this picture Kaylee demonstrates how to draw blood from a chicken to test for pullorum disease and fowl typhoid (PT) which is a disease that must be tested for by anybody wishing to sell birds. This disease has never been in South Dakota at this time.
Kaylee has a variety of enclosures for her poultry. Every building and location must be prepared. Some are fully outdoors; some have partial indoor and outdoor ability, and some are completely indoors. Where birds go is based on a combination of needs of the space and needs of the birds. Many of the facilities on Kaylee's operation are modified buildings that are now designed to hold chickens today.
Genetics are a big part of Kaylee's operation. She carefully selects males and females to combine them for the best genetic outcome. What we see here is 1 rooster and 2 hens in a breeding pen. These eggs will eventually go into the incubator.
In this picture you can see the feed shed. Caring for birds is a very important part of raising poultry. Kaylee has gone through a few feeds to find the best for her operation. No building has wasted space and as you can see there are many boxes. The Bosma's use these boxes and crates are carriers to move their animals to the various shows they participate in throughout the summer.
The future of this poultry operation is looking bright! This is pictures of the newest shed that is designed to be an answer to many of the location issues that come with having lots of birds as well as having other uses throughout the operation. Special detail was placed into this building as it is properly ventilated and ready to handle the demands of raising poultry.