Can a flock support its self?

[mypicklebird]

We pay the feed bill & odds and ends, and make a few hundred dollars a year over that. We just sell eggs. 5$/dozen. Couldn't break even feeding organic, but could pay for the hobby & have some left over- feeding standard layer pellet & free ranging. We sell hatching eggs & eating eggs for the same price- but don't have 'purebred' birds- they are all EEs pretty much. The hatching eggs are mostly in the spring for kindergarden teachers.... We do tally all ins and outs for the chicken hobby at tax time, and do brag to the family & friends that we have a hobby that pays for itself & gives us extra cash once or twice a month to go out and do something fun. I wish I had the time to expand a bit and maybe keep a few pens of something special I liked- sussex or barnevelders, then could be more serious about hatching eggs or the occasional chick sale, but haven't had the time to make that happen. We don't count the eggs we eat ourselves & didn't count the small batch of meat birds we did earlier this year, but the savings in not having to buy as much from the grocery store should factor in as well.

 

[woodmort]

Most chicken farmers will tell you they aren't breaking even

. I assume if you ignore everything but feed and any new birds you buy, you might be able to make money on your hobby depending on how good your market for eggs and birds is but it wouldn't be enough to retire on. Of course you could set yourself up as a business and take a big tax loss for the first 3- 5 yrs.

Just don't push the IRS.

 

[Alabama ee]

Quote:

I can relate. lol

 

[rancher hicks]

I believe you can.

1. This year I gave away more than a doz. chicks. So chicks free, I even gave away 7 laying hens. Find this deal and your cost for birds is $0. One of those showed up at my brothers' friends house and I didn't want to keep her so I gave her away. Go to an auction and buy chicks or hens for cheap, an older hen can still produce viable hatching eggs.

2. Shop CL for free left over materials and build a coop and your cost for coop $0. I've seen free sheds for the hauling away. I buy culled lumber from Home Depot 2x4' peices of ply wood are big enough to build some nice nest boxes. 3 nest boxes $2-3 depending on the size.

3. Dispose of non producing hens and any non breeding roos. No room for pet birds if you want to break even, which I consider "supporting itself". I just gave away five roosters and two bantam chicks I didn't want.

4. Shop auctions and garage sales for feeding and watering containers. A wooden home built feed trough will do just as well as a store bought one. Tree branches on the side of the road from tree trimmers make great roosts.

5. Chickens don't care if there are "weeds" in the garden so growing extra greens for the birds is easy.

6. Sell, eggs, chicks, and manure. No one considers manure a cash crop but it can be to the home gardener. I once went to a plant sale where they were selling horse manure for $5 a bag. Don't laugh it sold. You can hatch successfully with broodies or a second hand incu.

7. Watch for feed sales. This year I bought feed at CM buy one get one. Stock up at these times. I repackage my feed to empy plastic cat litter containers to preserve it.

8. Trading is a way to figure $$$ from your chickens. I traded 4 chicks for goat milk soap and hay and goat cheese. These have value and should be considered income from your birds.

You just need to use your imagination. You also must consider entertainment from the birds has monetary value. Know what your customers want, colored eggs, brown or white. My SIL does not like brown eggs. (who knows) I also include educational information about the health of my eggs. A page from Grit magazine. Buy a copy of "Food Inc" and loan it out to family and friends.

Wishing you all the best

Rancher

forgot to mention one book said you can't with less than 10 hens.

 

[Hollywood Chickens]

My flock supports its self. you just need to keep track of everything.

 

[PrinceSandwich]

I have around a 100 birds ranging from chickens ( white silkies, old english game bantams, d'anver bantams and cross breeds) and duck ( call ducks, a pekin, and a crested duck) to Pigeons ( Kazan tumblers, homers, and german owls) and Geese ( Africans, and embden geese). I would like to get some leghorns and sell eggs, but we go on vacations twice or more a year and I just don't have anyone to collect eggs etc while I'm away

So for know I'm going to try and break even selling adult birds at the auctions. Eventually I would like to start a white dove release business, but I only have 1 white homer, so its going to take a while before i can have enough to release at weddings etc.

 

[JetBlack]

Quote:
Simple solution... take your birds with you on vacation. I'm sure they'd love to collect some fresh oyster shells, for themselves, in Hawaii.

 

[PrinceSandwich]

Quote:
Simple solution... take your birds with you on vacation. I'm sure they'd love to collect some fresh oyster shells, for themselves, in Hawaii.

yeah! I'll just throw them in the carry-on compartment. Do you think customs will mind?

 

[JetBlack]

Quote:
Simple solution... take your birds with you on vacation. I'm sure they'd love to collect some fresh oyster shells, for themselves, in Hawaii.

yeah! I'll just throw them in the carry-on compartment. Do you think customs will mind?

"Sir. Your carry-on is clucking."

Imagine having to let one go, because you are overweight? I bet chickens would LOVE to live in an airport. It'd be like letting them loose in a movie theater or Disneyworld. POPCORN!!!!

Ducks would be funnier, because they'd follow you everywhere, no matter how many you had.

 

[TK Poultry]

I raise SQ Bantams and only in the spring months do I EVER make any kind of profit. I loose money the rest of the year

good thing I LOVE my little money pits, OH sorry I mean chickens!