Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!

[bruceh]

i got it figured out. i am saving a lot of money with my chickens. here is my 2 cents worth. i figure i save 350.00 a month. my flock saves me 280.00 on the shrink. dr;s bill. i do this by watching my chickens. lowers my stress level. saving 70.00 a month on a comedy club ticket. there is nothing like watching chickens chase a bug or one of them getting a worm and everyone chasing the chicken with the worm.
eggs from my layers just a bonus.

as far as the meat birds. i can't find a 11 lb. fully dressed chicken anywhere.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Selling farm eggs and home grown produce go hand in hand, they are very integrated. Between selling chickens, eggs and the produce, the farm shows a small profit almost every year. I sure wouldn't do this at a loss. One must possess a thrifty mentality and be very conscientious to make it all work.

We end the year with 3 freezers and a basement root cellar full of food. Yes, there is a self sufficient type of life style here. No, there's no loss on paper. All the labor? You just have to enjoy the work and see it as a purposeful life style. Wouldn't trade it for anything.

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

i got it figured out. i am saving a lot of money with my chickens. here is my 2 cents worth. i figure i save 350.00 a month. my flock saves me 280.00 on the shrink. dr;s bill. i do this by watching my chickens. lowers my stress level. saving 70.00 a month on a comedy club ticket. there is nothing like watching chickens chase a bug or one of them getting a worm and everyone chasing the chicken with the worm.
eggs from my layers just a bonus.

as far as the meat birds. i can't find a 11 lb. fully dressed chicken anywhere.

Here you are.... a fully dressed chicken!

 

[galefrances]

This is how I do my accounting. I shove all the money I get from egg buyers into an old blue vase on top of the fridge. When I go to buy feed or anything regarding chickens, I just dip into the blue vase for the money. If ever I reach my hand in that vase and there isn't enough money to purchase feed, then I get out of keeping chickens.

Now this I understand

 

[galanie]

I do sell eggs when I have enough to sell. Lately my fufu chickens have been broody and molting and lordy knows what all else so no egg sales, which frustrates my "customers" to pieces but such is life.

But Fred's Hens, that is exactly the reason I got chickens in the first place, for the poop! I don't even like eggs!

 

[Mskayladog]

I personally don't care if I break even or not. I don't care if the eggs cost me 35$ a egg. The chickens have gotten me off my butt, I'm ouside much more, when I'm letting them wonder around, I'm wondering and walking with them. Lucky for us we already had the old lean to our only cost was some fencing and feeders and the feed and such. Dh has calculated it out and the next dozen is free and clear lol. Oh and the look on my grandkids face when they get a egg priceless!
I always thought the folks saying the egg cost 100$ were joking like dh and I do about the price of a egg the chicken laid. I never really thought of getting the chicks as a money making buisness, seems like you would have to have 100's of chickens to make a real profit.

 

[Fred's Hens]

But Fred's Hens, that is exactly the reason I got chickens in the first place, for the poop! I don't even like eggs!

I keep telling folks, but they don't always listen. The poop's the best part of this whole deal.

 

[fowlman01]

I keep telling folks, but they don't always listen. The poop's the best part of this whole deal.

Since most of my birds are moving around, I don't have much poop. Most of it ends up as a fine dust that seems to be on everything. I have friends asking for poop and I tell them if you can find any, it is yours. There isn't any in the breeding pens either, as the birds keep churning up the litter.

Walt

 

[caj1985]

Or choc under that lavender shell and a cream center? Pretty please? Easter is a long ways away and I miss my cadbury eggs.

They are now selling Cadbury "Scream" eggs for Halloween. I did a dance in the market when I found them.

 

[loanwizard]

I hate to disagree.... No I don't.

Yes it costs to feed the critters. But.... The chickens free range, cutting that cost considerably. They produce eggs. I sell some... a lot actually, but that is to offset feed, or to market other products. I hate to operate a non profitable business.

I haven't bought eggs in 3 years. I hatch my own replacement birds. I sell my meat birds at a profit. I raise hogs. I sell them for a profit. the profits from my meat birds and hogs, pay for the feed and processing of the hogs and chickens that I eat. I butcher excess roos and spent hens. I eat them.

The profits from meat sales buy my beef for the family too. It has also paid for my poultry fencing, my electric fencing and the shelters and odds and ends that I have purchased... mostly.

Next year, most of the property will be planted in consumable feed crops. Clover, Alfalfa, corn, plus vegetables.

All that said, this is a hobby of sorts for me. After a day of dealing with the public as a Buy Here Pay Here Dealer and a Landlord, the animals are cathartic for me.

This hobby is a less expensive hobby for me than my other hobby, fishing.

If I calculated the expenses of fishing, with gas, boat, time, etc.... my fish probably costs me $500.00 per lb..... and I am a decent fisherman lol!