Haha, cmom! What a set up! Are you sure you can never have too many? You make a crazy cat lady look quite sane! But at least you can probably make a living off your chickens!
I hope your spouse likes chickens as much as you do! Those of us with less enthusiastic spouses are just a little jealous of your all your chix!
Brilliant!
He tolerates them but not as enthusiastic as I am. I show my birds at poultry shows. It's taken a lot of years. You don't make money from chickens. We are retired. We both worked all of our lives. Chickens for me is a hobby. It's a lot of work to maintain the coops, pens and the birds. I go through approximately 300 pounds of feed weekly and more certain times of the year. I sell some birds now and then primarily to people who are interested in showing them at poultry shows, or who want to breed heritage and potential show quality birds. I don't sell the chicks I grow them out and pick out the best for the next seasons breeding's. When you are feeding birds that are young and growing I will go through much more feed. I usually hatch out between 200 and 300 chicks every year. I have been doing this for a long time. It is really a labor of love.Haha, cmom! What a set up! Are you sure you can never have too many? You make a crazy cat lady look quite sane! But at least you can probably make a living off your chickens!
Of course we do! Just ask our friends and neighbors. We're in it for the "free eggs!"
cutie!!
I agree, "The miracle of broody hen is wonderful on a small self serving purpose. But I can't pay my bills and keep my level of farming thriving with broody hens". I have an cabinet incubator My racks totally will hold 324 chicken eggs. I would have to have a lot of broody's to hatch that many eggs. Assuming the majority of the eggs are fertile I usually get between an 80 to 90% hatch rate. I had a broody abandon 18 eggs. (some of the other gals slipped some in when she would get off the nest). I put them in the incubator and had a good hatch.On a sales perspective.View attachment 1398765
INCUBATOR IS A MUST. It takes 21 days for your investment to manifest.
So lets say a miracle happens!
- With 4 basic hobby incubators I can set 50+ eggs per oven. 4 x 50 = 200 eggs.
- With broody hen, maybe 12 eggs, 11 eggs? Then if I am lucky, 11 x 4 broody hens (if they are available or decide to stay broody), with nothing but pure luck.. 44 or less eggs. Of course they get poop on them which greatly drops the numbers. And broody hatches are mostly seasonal.
Both methods are successful with a 100% hatch ratio..
I know that wouldn't happen but stay with me.
Chicks sell for an average of $4 each here in my neck of the woods. Depending on the breed. $4 is average.
Ok, back to the reality factor. 100% is hardly ever going to happen. But Even with a POOR HATCH RATE, I would rather have a higher number of eggs set to compensate my time and efforts.
- 4 hens miracle hatched 44 chicks remember? 4 x 44 = 176. $176 has been generated based on an impossible 100% hatch ratio.
- 4 ovens with 50 eggs. Remember, if a miracle happens and 100% hatch, 4 x 200 = 800. $800 has just been generated by using our highest possibility factor.
The miracle of broody hen is wonderful on a small self serving purpose. But I can't pay my bills and keep my level of farming thriving with broody hens.
that’s a lot of incubators I love it! But how many chickens do you have?
Nature does it best. mymilliefleur, what breeds do you have and which one broods the best?
