Twenty-five cows, 205 acres of land and a vegetable garden – That’s how the King family got by in the old days. Gerald King, patriarch of the King family of Green Forest, Ark., said, “I don’t know how they (his dad and mom) raised five kids here, but they did.” They just managed to get by with less back then. Gerald said he milked 25 dairy cows a day with “milking machines” – then looked down at his hands.
The King family moved from Marion County at the turn of the 20th century and purchased the farm where the family today raises chickens for Tyson and beef cattle. Jerry and Bryan King, Gerald’s sons, work with their father, forming Triple K Farms, Inc. Bryan is the Arkansas State Representative for District 91. But when the legislature is not in session, he’s home on the ranch. The father and two sons run the entire operation without any hired help.
Jerry added, “This is a generation farm. It’s been rolled to my dad and then it’ll eventually roll to us. We currently run 100 momma cows and we sell the calves at weaning at local auctions,” said Jerry.
The primary focus of Triple K Farms today is poultry production. With eight poultry houses and 136,000 chickens on the place, they have their hands full.
Chicks arrive when they’re a day old and leave about 63 days later at eight pounds. The types of chickens they raise are small-legged, large-breasted birds, better for white meat-eating American consumers.
The family has been raising chickens for Tyson since 1993. Jerry said, “We’re very fortunate that Tyson is here in our community. They do a lot for the schools and the communities, as well as provide employment opportunities… I appreciate that I can stay home and work, and Tyson makes that possible.”
Which brings Jerry to what he feels is the best part of raising chickens. He said, “I can be self-employed and be my own boss. It’s all on me. It’s my responsibility to go to those houses and make sure the temperature’s right, they’ve got feed and they’ve got water. I like that part.”
Jerry said that one of the major concerns for poultry producers right now is the price of propane. He said, “In wintertime, we use a lot of propane – not near as much as a turkey grower – but with chicken, you use a lot of propane. Gas prices going up, diesel prices going up, that’s the biggest thing that affects the poultry grower.”
He goes on to say that natural gas is cheaper for poultry growers, but it’s not out in his area yet. To emphasize what’s happened with the price of propane, Jerry said, “When I first started (back in the ‘90s) gas was 48 cents a gallon and I gave $1.74 the other day.”
Add to that the increase in the price of feed, which has almost doubled, and it’s easy to see why poultry growers must have good business skills as well as farm skills in order to be successful. The Kings have them both.
