BackYard Chickens › BYC Forum › Social › Random Ramblings › The cost to raise poultry.
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

The cost to raise poultry.

post #1 of 10
Thread Starter 

I live on 2.5 acres a bit east of Portland, Oregon.. not inside the city limits.  I have three turkeys, four guineas and countless chickens.  I have a basic cell phone, no internet... but I have internet at home(obviously).  I got my first chickens for eggs but I have sort of gone nuts since.  I tried to calculate my spending on my birds versus profit.  All my neighbors buy my eggs and it's weird none of them(besides one) have chickens.  I concluded that no matter profits, I lost about $40 a month... the same price for a couple high tier satellite programs or a phone with internet.  I have seen a lot of you post about making profit from your birds and I am a bit envious.. how do you do it?

chickens, turkeys and guineas 

Reply

chickens, turkeys and guineas 

Reply
post #2 of 10

I am not making money either, but doing as a hobby.  Since you have a large land, just let them roam on the property for food to cut the cost down.

post #3 of 10

If I'm lucky and I don't buy any eggs (never happens) I might break even on eggs I sell.

I have Bantam welsummers, Bantam Cuckoo Marans, Bantam Wc black polish, Bantam Olive eggers, MGB, LF Welsummers, BCM, Wild type turkeys RioxEastern, Ringneck pheasants blacks and 1 blue roo and bunch of free range birds

 

 
Reply

I have Bantam welsummers, Bantam Cuckoo Marans, Bantam Wc black polish, Bantam Olive eggers, MGB, LF Welsummers, BCM, Wild type turkeys RioxEastern, Ringneck pheasants blacks and 1 blue roo and bunch of free range birds

 

 
Reply
post #4 of 10
Thread Starter 

Yeah, I love my animals.  I am not complaining over 40 bucks a month.   they are worth it.

chickens, turkeys and guineas 

Reply

chickens, turkeys and guineas 

Reply
post #5 of 10

O.K. Don't hit me anyone, but I have 84 chickens, I now get about 20 eggs a day, as some of my chickens are not laying yet and I make a profit. I sell the eggs at the same price as battery eggs in the shops and the way I'm doing things are:

1. Buy food in bulk. I buy 110lb bags of cracked corn at the farmer's co-op. A bag last about 10 days.

2. My birds all free range and get lots of food from the pastures, like lusern (alfalfa) and grass. I worked out that a fraction over 2oz corn per chicken per day is enough. If I feed more they waste it. I do feed them 3 times a day...

I calculated recently that I need 11.6 eggs per day to cover their food. I can ask more for their eggs, but I'm happy with what I'm getting.

 

Sit down and do the math. Source the cheapest food available (bulk buying is best), measure and weigh your daily feed, calculate the daily cost, calculate how many eggs you need to cover the cost, don't sell your eggs too cheap.

 

A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked ~ Bernard Meltzer

Reply

 

A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked ~ Bernard Meltzer

Reply
post #6 of 10

A lot of the people who make a good profit have dozens and dozens of birds that free range along with free choice layer feed. However, I believe the majority of people on here that make true profits are probably the breeders. 

 Crested Ducks                     Common Chicken Practices          Learn more about Avian Influenza

 

 

Helen: Daria, do you have to look at everything in such a negative light?

Daria: Could you possibly be referring to the harsh light of reality?

Reply

 Crested Ducks                     Common Chicken Practices          Learn more about Avian Influenza

 

 

Helen: Daria, do you have to look at everything in such a negative light?

Daria: Could you possibly be referring to the harsh light of reality?

Reply
post #7 of 10
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kevin565 View Post

A lot of the people who make a good profit have dozens and dozens of birds that free range along with free choice layer feed. However, I believe the majority of people on here that make true profits are probably the breeders. 

x2

I have a ton of birds but I don't think that I make a profit. I stop calculating years ago. Instead of a business, I just call it a hobby. hmm.png

I won't even begin to tell you my monthly feed bill. hide.gif

NPIP Certified-115 Chickens (50 chicks), 13 Geese (12 gosling), 19 BR Turkeys (5 poults), 7 Rabbits, 60 Muscovy Duck, 29 Guineas (15 keets), 9 Peafowl, 8 Sheep, 1 Goat and pea, turkey and guinea eggs cooking in the incubator.
 

Reply

NPIP Certified-115 Chickens (50 chicks), 13 Geese (12 gosling), 19 BR Turkeys (5 poults), 7 Rabbits, 60 Muscovy Duck, 29 Guineas (15 keets), 9 Peafowl, 8 Sheep, 1 Goat and pea, turkey and guinea eggs cooking in the incubator.
 

Reply
post #8 of 10

You need to sell your eggs for 5.00 dozen to make a profit. Replace your hens every year with layers that lay 5 0r 6 eggs a week. Hens that lay less then that are a loss on egg to feed ratios.  Buy your birds at 4 months old. If it is not laying like it should cull it.

 

There are other ways to make money with chickens but they are guarded secrets.

 

As for selling eggs the farmers markets are the way to go but forget your weekends if you want to make money.

"Guns don't kill people abortion kills people."

 

The human will is too powerful for philosophy or science.

 

 

Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton agreed on little publicly, but they did agree that when the public treasury becomes a public trough and the voters recognize that, they will send to government only those who promise them a bigger piece of the pie

Reply

"Guns don't kill people abortion kills people."

 

The human will is too powerful for philosophy or science.

 

 

Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton agreed on little publicly, but they did agree that when the public treasury becomes a public trough and the voters recognize that, they will send to government only those who promise them a bigger piece of the pie

Reply
post #9 of 10
Quote:
Originally Posted by chickened View Post

You need to sell your eggs for 5.00 dozen to make a profit. Replace your hens every year with layers that lay 5 0r 6 eggs a week. Hens that lay less then that are a loss on egg to feed ratios.  Buy your birds at 4 months old. If it is not laying like it should cull it.

There are other ways to make money with chickens but they are guarded secrets.

As for selling eggs the farmers markets are the way to go but forget your weekends if you want to make money.

The price of eggs will differ in every area.

NPIP Certified-115 Chickens (50 chicks), 13 Geese (12 gosling), 19 BR Turkeys (5 poults), 7 Rabbits, 60 Muscovy Duck, 29 Guineas (15 keets), 9 Peafowl, 8 Sheep, 1 Goat and pea, turkey and guinea eggs cooking in the incubator.
 

Reply

NPIP Certified-115 Chickens (50 chicks), 13 Geese (12 gosling), 19 BR Turkeys (5 poults), 7 Rabbits, 60 Muscovy Duck, 29 Guineas (15 keets), 9 Peafowl, 8 Sheep, 1 Goat and pea, turkey and guinea eggs cooking in the incubator.
 

Reply
post #10 of 10

I have poultry and goats.

The poultry makes money a few months out of the year, but for the most part I am feeding them. lol

I make the money from selling goats. But like last year we had a drought and we had to buy round bales of hay at $125. a pop, every two weeks for 4 months. So I can say no profit. Usually I would say we break even, and that is great because all the animals are for my enjoyment.

 

And most of the time all of my animals free range on 12.5 acres. But the poultry has a huge feeder that we keep 4 way scratch in all the time.

Mamawolf to 1 bass loving husband, I daughter, 3 grandkids, 3 furbabies.
Get on the waiting list for Chocolate, Royal Palm, Midget White or Blue Slate turkey eggs for 2013. NO PREPAY
Texas Pollorum-Typhoid clean

Reply

Mamawolf to 1 bass loving husband, I daughter, 3 grandkids, 3 furbabies.
Get on the waiting list for Chocolate, Royal Palm, Midget White or Blue Slate turkey eggs for 2013. NO PREPAY
Texas Pollorum-Typhoid clean

Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Random Ramblings
BackYard Chickens › BYC Forum › Social › Random Ramblings › The cost to raise poultry.