Are your hens paying for themselves?

[Zonoma]

Quote:
Sometimes I wish I'd been wiser in my set up and then I remember that I live in suburbia so I needed a coop that blended in (mine is nearly stealth, unless I let you into my yard and tell you I have them, you don't know). I hope to write this year off as a 'loss' and then hopefully they will pay for themselves in the future. I'm curious to see how well they do- I picked breeds for egg production and colors (silly, I know, but I like colors!). I think I figured out that if each hen lays five eggs a week, we come out ahead if we sell the extras for 2.50 a dozen. Not by much, but it's enough to pay for feed and the occasional meds and then have a small profit. And by small, I mean $10.

What I want to know is "What is a fair price for a dozen eggs?" Am I under-valuing them at 2.50 a dozen?

 

[bawkbawkbawk]

That's an LOL thread headline if I ever saw one

Let's see, cost of coop and run....no clue but it wasn't cheap. Since DH didn't want to do the work himself we hired a carpenter. An expensive carpenter.

Cost of baby chicks, negligible. Cost of ongoing supplies not too bad. Cost of repeated trips to vet for internal egglayer...closing in on $600 at this point...

But the experience of keeping chickens: PRICELESS!

 

[southerndesert]

This is a pet or stock question mostly I would say and the keeping and feeding of chickens is much different at each end of that range though many are somewhere in the middle and spoil their flocks somewhat (we do)

Now our birds are here for a reason and that is to make eggs, meat, and $$ and they do all 3 very well....

We feed mostly good old layer pellets, some scratch with BOSS mostly when we need to bribe them or by the kids....

Treats are given at about 10% of their diet and almost always mixed in with kitchen scraps or cat food to boost protein a bit....

We are keeping 30 or more hens at any given time in 2 flocks and yes they produce enough to pay for their feed etc., but not sure on labor if figured in though it is something I enjoy doing and gives fertilizer for the garden as well.

Also one should figure in any birds eaten as "income" as well from your flock (s)

We rotate at at around 2 or 3 years old depending of production of the older flock as again egg production is the key to our little gig...

Keeping them as pets is I think more costly because pets get much more pampering and owners are always looking for a new treat or gizmo to buy for them or the coop. Nothing wrong with that in my book, but we are just old school chicken keepers and though treated well, held by the kids, etc. they are still livestock kept to produce only.


Edit for spelling, need second cup coffee...

 

[3goodeggs]

Are your hens paying for themselves?


umm.. no.
it did have that 'therapy experience' thing going on, now it's just more poo on the pile.

But the eggs are very yummy. (at $3.00 each, they should be.

)

 

[ninabeast]

While I don't expect my little flock will ever pay for themselves, I have just noticed that their feed is lasting more than twice as long since we began free ranging much of the day. Way to go, girls!

 

[Niss]

Quote:
Dukinnut----
Now THAT's teamwork!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No, ours haven't and we started in March. I call it learning curve, and am happy because my son and I enjoy them. Our biggest investment was the 200yds of fence, which can (and probably will) be repurposed to enclose the garden (or part of it at least). Part of the issue may be the competition around here keeping prices down--A lady at work sells eggs (I have 7 coworkers in this office) and 3 houses (or 2/3 a mile down the road they are 1.25/doz). Since mine are not organic, I can't really tap into that (small) market. I don't know how you guys get $3 + out of yours!

My husband sais the whole thing is a dismal failure and when these guys die off or go to freezer camp we are done, never to buy another chicken again. So I'm really hoping for successful broodies in the spring!

 

[Chickenaddict]

At one point in time yes my birds did pay for themselves, I let them hatch chicks, sell the babies as well as hatching eggs, eating eggs and they went 2 years paying for themselves.... Once they grew out of the 4 by 6 coop with attatched FREE dog kennel run we built them a bigger coop (10 by 12) with a bigger attatched dog kennel run about 19 by 22 ft which was also free. The coop costed about 2 grand and we aren't done yet, still have to paint inside and out and run electric to it. They are deep in the hole now. Those 2 years were good but now with the economy and the fact the hatchlings aren't selling very well anymore they will be in debt to me for the rest of their lives lol. I call them "cheep therapy" To me that is priceless

 

[cubalaya]

chickens are livestock. of course they contribute financially but are also a pet. we do this as a hobby or small project and try to stay under 50 chickens especially in the winter. by october we have culled pretty hard to get down to that and then start hatching again in february. not only can you sell eggs but you can sell hatching eggs, chicks, pullets, and adult pairs and trios. extra roosters go to freezer camp. if you build your own coops and pens instead of buying them, you can make a little profit.

 

[hennyannie]

Quote:
I had the best luck with a flock a couple of years ago.
There were 14 of them and most days they laid 12 eggs.
They always paid for their feed every week and we ate some eggs as well.
On occasion I had a few dollars left to save for other supplies.
When I decided to get RSL when they were about 20 months old, I sold them to a friend and got enough to buy chicks and starter for a while.
I will always be proud of that little flock, most are still at the friends.

 

[teach1rusl]

Mine come closer to paying for themselves than my cats or dogs do