Are your hens paying for themselves?

[PartridgeRooster]

Now on a serious note, yes. Yes, my hen's do pay for themselves for the most part. I do provide feed for all my chickens but I rotate each flock on pasture everyday. I also in spring raise meat birds for a little extra income and for my freezer. Farm fresh eggs sell for more than factory raise ones and in my area there is higher demand for it and its growing.

 

[welasharon]

With this heat I think I am more likely to get an egg from the dauchsund.

 

[PartridgeRooster]

You live in Florida, what did you expect, lol. Hope Irene misses you and your chicks.

 

[PartridgeRooster]

Quote:
Yes, that's what I originally got mine for, Chicken watching. My hobby got a little out of control and I had TONS of eggs so selling them and giving lots away seemed right.

 

[Alabama ee]

We have with ours. I give them feed but they free range so they eat a lot
of grass and bugs etc. However, even if we were at a bit of a loss, I would still have them.
They are GREAT at bug control. They love to eat spiders and ticks. We have had a terrible problem with
Black Widows. I can tolerate a non posionous spider, but I can not stand a poisonous one. The little red dot on the Black Widows is like a bulls eye to them.
They scarf them up.

 

[F106A]

Mine aren't even close to paying for themselves. My flock of fifteen have only been laying for three weeks, and only six of them are laying.

Yesterday I had another first, however. I had enough eggs in the fridge to give a carton away to one of my neighbors. What a great feeling. They went home with one of the boys my kids became friends with when we first moved into the neighborhood. I didn't know it when I gave them to him, but it turned out they were out of eggs then. Sure, I plan on putting a simple sign up in my front yard saying "EGGS" as soon as I get some decent production, but there are a few friends that will get a freebie. We'll see how it works out I guess.

 

[kizanne]

I'm about 20 miles from welasharon in Florida. my girls just started laying but seem to be consistant.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
I do not work so all my 'income' comes from selling eggs, chicks, and adult birds. I buy at least $60 a week in feed and am also able to buy pull-ups for my son, cigarettes for me, and gas for the car. We live with my dad so don't technically have any bills other than feed, but since I'm able to buy feed and a few other necessities with what I make from my 'business', I'd say they more than pay for themselves

 

[Impress]

Mine pay for themselves in the peace of mind I have knowing our chicken and eggs we eat in my family are healthy, happy creatures, that from little eggs they have been fed and loved by us up until they hit the rotisserie or stew pot! I am very thrifty though, so my investment hasn't been much other than feed, my coop is made out of an old torn down porch and bedroom, their run is a pool frame with chicken wire strung onto it with zip ties, and I raise extra in the garden to keep them fed whenever there isn't snow on the ground. I'll have my cash investment back if I can find a market for Speckled Sussex chicks this Spring though!

 

[knjinnm]

Quote:
I agree, our birds are more of a hobby/pet than a money maker. We make sure our birds are safe from predators and we have fresh eggs for our family.