Anyone Limiting Their Flock Due to Costs and Economy?

[mrsengeseth]

Nope, i am not cutting back. i am sticking to the origional plan, 10. My plan is 2 silkies, 2 EE, 4 misc pretties (my bantam cochin fits that IMO, so i have one of those four), 1 RIR, and 1 more opportuinity to add another RIR or something else.

I have six chickens, right now and i am working on adding into that mix with some leads I am working on. I would love a Dark brown egg layer or two, a white egg layer too. In addition to them, a variety of quail, more for our entertainment than what they put out in egg production though. I'd like coturnix, white, and maybe chocolate or Tuxedo.

 

[farmerlor]

I'm planning to take some of my chicks to a couple of farmer's markets and take advantage of those "impulse buyers". So I'm just incubating my own babies for egg layers and I'm actually enlarging my flock by adding some turks and geese which I hope to breed for sale.

 

[Dar]

with the economy it has had the opposite affect on my decision about my chickens.

If I go to the grocery store and buy their cheap broiler bird it takes 2 of them to feed my family and thats with NO leftovers.. 2 birds cost me $10.00 The birds smell bad and are small and scrawny

on the other hand I bought a few birds from my friend who raises them 500 at a time ...his birds did not smell bad coming out of the freezer, and 1 bird fed us WITH leftovers

I am going to try and work out the cost difference about getting my chicken at the store and raising my own.

when times get tough i can always trade chicken and eggs with the beef farmer up the road (he has already called me about it)

 

[ChickieKeeta]

My chickens have not earned any money for me. In fact they cost me. Layer pellets, wood shavings, DE. Scratch feed. Feeders, waterers. I needed to find a place to keep them. I turned my 12 1/2 by 8 foot plastic ($1300) shed into a coop. I bought a "portable shed" for $400 as I could not find anyone to pick up second hand sheds or coops for me from Craigslist. The shed was shipped resulting in the high cost. I ran 2 250 watt heat lamps in the coop for the winter. Don't ask about the electric bill.

I use old pet carriers as nesting boxes. I use an old Ferret Nation (huge sturdy) cage for roosting & holding the nest boxes. I sell one dozen eggs a week for $2. After 17 1/2 dozen I will have covered the cost of the egg cartons. (100
cartons) I am hoping to be able to sell more eggs and cover part of the cost of chicken feed.

I bought 1 year old hens for $10 and $15 each. I have 21 4 week old red stars. I am hoping to sell most for 10 to 15 when they start to lay. I will keep some to replace the chicks I lost. My chicks (10 months old) are now molting.
I will be short of the dozen I sell every Tuesday.

I enjoy my chickens and would just like to earn enough to offset the cost of feed.

 

[ODS-n-ENS FARM]

In the past year I have put 25 broilers in the freezer(not sure of price per pound). I did it for the experience and to fill freezers with quality meat before winter while I had an income. (I am a landscaper)I also put 2 pigs in freezer. The fall pig worked out to $2 a lb. My first group of layers are 12br&12 ee . My second group in July where ee br marans mille bantam brahma and a few others. My third group in the fall where seramas.
But I started selling my eggs to a store last fall and that really started changing my way of thinking. Having limited space I could not be getting "decorative" birds. I need ones that would give me the most for my money and still have the color eggs my customers demand and a child friendly flock.So my late fall additions where welsummers and favorelles. Oh how i would love a cochin, but a small egg ocasionaly would serve me no purpose. The store has recently doubled there weekly order and requested 6 packs( I live in an area where "eat/buy local" is all the rage.) Indoor farmers market are shoulder to shoulder) so any spring additions will be economical eaters that produce a fair amount of eggs.My birds get vegi/fruit and some bread scraps they also free range to help keep cost down.I do try to repair and reuse as much as possible. I love the "vintage "look.I also will be doing meat birds again already had someone order12. Probably only 1 pig but who knows. I have a set of twin southdown lambs coming in a few weeks ,he will go to freezer(local farms sell lamb chops for $14 a lb) not sure about her yet. I have been contemplating a beef cow but do not want to take on more than I can handle.Gardens @ 3 different locations and hope to expand them some more this year.Am I saving $$ I think so I will keep better record this year. Am I getting better quality food? Yes Am I doing what I love and enjoy?YES

 

[warmfuzzies]

I guess it just depends on your circumstances. We are able to do it cheaply. We do not have feeders, I use the cheapest straw I can find for bedding, and I use cut up newspaper for chick bedding.

We pay about $2 a bale for straw, and I know it will pay for itself when I put it in the garden later.

I know one thing I will probably never pay off through chick selling is the bator. I bought it with part of our tax return, and it was totally a hobby thing. I am making money off of it, but probably not enough to pay for it, just enough to offset the feed costs.

 

[ODS-n-ENS FARM]

I also have a local farmer that lets me take his busted hay bales for free and in the fall I can raid his vegi compost pile for the animals. Boy do my birds love pumpkin & squash! We have a larger incubator coming this week ,it was my dads. We would like to hatch out some chicks and try selling them around a month old. We think there is a market for it because NH has the 12 chick minimum law........

 

[BantyHugger]

we are letting ours grow. This year we plan to keep the ducklings for meat and hopefully get a standard sized roo. My Banty roo isn't gonna provide good sized fryers.

We use grass clippings during the summer instead of straw/hay. It works out really nice.

 

[warmfuzzies]

Quote:
Whats this minimum law?

 

[Jena]

I started out by limiting my flock and it was about the economy. Ihave been ill and I am not working- well as I am self employed, I am not being paid at the moment. I live in quite a built up area but I do have a good size garden.

So it started off because I was a/ interested and also b/ looking for ways to save a little on my expenditure and still eat well.

I built my run, but my son helped me with the wire. I adapted the coup which was a playhouse I had bought for my dog but he would never go in there, it was for him to have shelter when I was working.

My sister bought 10 assorted POL chickens, and paid a variety of prices for them. I had researched for the best layers and most hardy breeds. I bought 4 Black Rocks, which are bred in Scotland, but are the same as your Sex Links, so nice large brown eggs. Because they are bred to free range they are good and hardy birds.

Yes they cost me for food until they were laying, but I was learning too. I have learned a lot being on BYC. But since they started laying, I get 3-4 eggs a day. Not a lot, but I spend about £3 per week on food for them and I have regular customers who pay me £1. 50 for 6 eggs. So I make £4.50, spend £3, and I have my own eggs free. lol.

I love watching how everyone buys their chicks, and hatches, but we are not allowed to keep roosters, and I can not afford any more right now, But my girls are doing well. I really enjoy having them around. The eggs are great, and I go outside more than I would if they were not there. I have started a Compost heap and have spent some time working on my garden which really needs it. but the girls help out looking for bugs and worms when I am out there, and we are doing fine. I have lots of seeds ready to grow more food this year, and my first little plants are coming up now in trays ready to be potted out.

Because my soil is very heavy clay the poop and wood shavings and sometimes shredded paper is making the soil lighter and easier to work.

I turned my coup around 45 degress and the soil under where the run used to be is now all prepared to grow runner beans and peas, and my girls have a nice new grassy area to demolish....lol.

As well as providing the best food source so far, they are friendly and great fun to watch, and they keep me company in the garden.

I am not ambitious, and much as I would like to do more in the future, I will see what comes, but I am so pleased that I included chickens in my plans to deal with the economy. yes I do buy a large bag of wood shavings now and again (£4), but I have cut down on the rubbish I throw out each week, I recycle more, and I smile.... that is worth a lot.