Cost of keeping chickens

[LilRedmamma]

I've got to agree with most people here. My birds will never see a vet. Harsh, but true. I can't afford seven hundred dollars a mon, let alone seven thousand. My birds don't care that they don't have a two hundred dollar feeder, they care that they have food that keeps them alive. They don't care that they have boxes made from office crates, they'll nest wherever the cluck they feel like it and still raise beautiful babies or lay healthy eggs.

I do the best I can to provide my birds with the best but unfortunately that isn't going to happen.

Love yer play with words
Just like cats, all they want is food, clean water and roost above the stupid other critters who can’t fly or climb (cats). Their hierarchy rules, humans don’t.

 

[LilRedmamma]

I don't raise my animals for meat (vegetarian here) but do butcher extra cockerels that I can't sell, for my dogs. Just with my dogs in mind (5 large working dogs) there is no savings when I can purchase 10 lbs of chicken leg quarters for $5. But it has never been about savings for me. I lost a beloved dog to a bad batch of commercial dog food years ago. That said, there can be some savings; feeding extra milk to pigs if you raise goats or cows and scraps from a veggie garden for the hens and goats, for example but for the most part a small homesteader can't produce cheaper meat than the factory farms. We CAN produce fresher, healthier, less processed meat from animals that have suffered less (at least I hope that is the case), and meat that will never be recalled. My dogs also get raw milk and yogurt from cow and goat milk as well as eggs. I pay more than a cheap bag of dog food but less than the super premium brands with the same human grade quality they profess. When the supermarket meat cases were going bare in March, I had no worries here. That's worth something too.

Isn't the whole process of raising, killing, butchering, plus the cleaning afterwards just a massive amount of time spent per pound of meat compared to just going to the store to buy some? If your time was paid, how much would that equate to the cost per bird including the feed etc? I'm sure it must be uneconomical.

You probably do it for other lifestyle reasons though, not to save money I guess.

I can certainly waste a few hours a day just watching my chickens but then they are a hobby not an investment in my food source.

I'm not judging just interested.

I only recently got chickens and it is work but my goal is eggs and eventually to harvest them for a delicious meal. So do I’waste’ time simply sitting around watching them? Absolutely! I felt compelled to do something POSITIVE in the midst of this pandemic, so unsure of what would unfold. We had a TP shortage for god’s sake!! There’s moments I sit by the goldfish pond I built and watch them contently feed, clucking softly or I might sit in the run on the bench and let them hop on me. Is that wasting my time? It’s my Xanax.
A little off subject but it’s no different than fishing or hunting of which I am passionate about. My husband and I eat what we catch. We don’t believe in C&R. We deer and turkey hunt and our dog gets that meat as well. Dollar per penny, it’s not always economical with gas and licenses but being outdoors is spiritual, and while grocery stores ran out of meat, we ate venison and our catfish. ($5/lb in stores) I’ve taken a lot of flack as a woman hunter but this year, we gave neighbors our meat.
My vet approves cooked venison, turkey and fish for my dog and chickens. Chickens are livestock that depend on us. I also enjoy them. Costs are minimal, kinda beside the point.
Nothing is wasted. I’m about as frugal and healthy as you would meet for living in the city. The good Lord intended us to eat animals— I just can’t help but respect them while they provide food for my family. Be observant but also compassionate.

 

[Chicalina]

The good Lord intended us to eat animals

Not everybody subscribes to this belief system.

Can people please leave religion out of animal husbandry.

 

[BleuSaphir]

I want to point out, is the vet knowlage about birds? Or does their community have a vet experienced in birds? If they known for treating common pets like dogs and cats?

If my reptiles need attentions, I would NEVER seek a vet if they are not knowledgeable about my reptiles. Period. It would be a waste of money to see a vet that only primary out for our common pets. Same goes for chickens and livestock’s.

 

[LilRedmamma]

Not everybody subscribes to this belief system.

Can people please leave religion out of animal husbandry.

So you object I mention ‘Lord’... my belief is only that every animal is here for our ‘husbandry’. No I’ll not change it. It’s evident you don’t see the correlation between nature, your welfare and how farmers function. It’s all connected, business of ‘caring’ for them and our/your livelihood and why the surge of raising chickens is fun and food
With some education, people aren’t starving.

 

[yakitori]

I won't bring my cat to a vet, just as I would never bring a chicken to the vet. I can afford everything else in their lives *but* the vet bills. What I don't get is why it's socially acceptable to not bring chickens to the vets, but I'll be chastised and told I shouldn't be owning cats, if I said the same for cats. Cats are a great natural rodent control, I rather not resort to poisons, I could trap them, but where would I release them? If vet care was more affordable, I would bring my animas in without a second thought, but in the mean time, I give my cats and birds the best quality of life I can afford them, but if it's their time to go, it's their time to go.

 

[Chicalina]

@GmaTrish I believe, no it is a scientific fact, that animals including humans evolved. I see no factual evidence that animals were "put here" for humans to use.

You were not the only person I have seen say this on here recently, so i wanted to address that.

I don't mean to offend your beliefs, but I don't share them. This is not the place however to have a theological discussion. It is better for us to keep religion far away from chicken chat, so we can have a healthy debate and not get upset and fall out!

I'm not really clear what other points you were trying to make.

 

[Tre3hugger]

So you object I mention ‘Lord’... my belief is only that every animal is here for our ‘husbandry’. No I’ll not change it. It’s evident you don’t see the correlation between nature, your welfare and how farmers function. It’s all connected, business of ‘caring’ for them and our/your livelihood and why the surge of raising chickens is fun and food
With some education, people aren’t starving.

I think saying all animals are here for us, as humans, who are just another animal, is an extremely self-centered view of the world. A true farmer, or steward of the land's, goals should be synergy with nature not dominion over it. It is this self-inflated view inherent in some belief system that leads to CAFOs and factory farming and mass consumption of resources.

Connection between nature, welfare, and how I as a farmer function has nothing to do with the lord personally. Doesn't mean it is evident I don't understand it. In fact, I think it leaves me open to understand it on a deeper level.

But hey, as long as your animals are well tended and you enjoy being with them, we do have things in common. One of the beauties of keeping poultry and being on this site. Believe whatever you want. Just maybe keep religious beliefs off this site and if you are going to mention something, be sure it is not represented like the end all be all only view there is. There are lots of us here and lots of views, and if things get ugly threads get lockedd by mods, learning stops and no one wants that.

P.S. I respect that you and your husband provide meat for yourselves and your neighbors. That is really cool. Community is everything.

 

[Ihavesomechickens]

So you object I mention ‘Lord’... my belief is only that every animal is here for our ‘husbandry’. No I’ll not change it. It’s evident you don’t see the correlation between nature, your welfare and how farmers function. It’s all connected, business of ‘caring’ for them and our/your livelihood and why the surge of raising chickens is fun and food
With some education, people aren’t starving.

Ma’am, not everyone thinks that. I personally believe all animals are equal, and humans don’t have any right to act like they are better. If anything, humans have made the worst impact on the earth out of every animal that has ever lived here. The ‘Lord’ has absolutely nothing to do with raising chickens, and I think everyone would be happiest if we kept religion and chickens far apart.

I’m positive I’m not speaking for everyone, but eating meat has nothing to due with my personal welfare whatsoever. Nature has lots to due with my welfare though, like the trees producing oxygen that I sorta need to live, and the crows waking me up in the morning. But, those crows weren’t made to wake me up, they evolved to be their crow selves. The trees weren’t made to give me oxygen, they evolved to be trees.

 

[City Farmer Jim]

I'm sure I will offend many here and not my intent in any way shape or form. This is my two cents worth and take it as you see fit. I answered the poll about live stock or pet and answered live stock BUT more of a 50 50 pet live stock. That being said our flock of 10 want for NOTHING they have automated fans in the coop, an automatic door, 4 types of feeders, 3 types of water systems, 3 kinds of feed, 2 types of scratch 1/3 of an acre to roam in 5 raised garden beds to scratch in...I believe you get the picture. All said and done we will not take a chicken to a vet the biggest reason is and this will bring out the haters "they are a $4 chicken" we care DEEPLY for our birds as if they were human AT HOME we have brought 1 back from all but death due to dehydration and being smothered by her flock mates, we have done surgery on "duck feet", we have dealt a broody orpington MANY times. We treat our girls with the respect and humane kindness they deserve and when it is time for one to pass it will be from old age and a full crop. We did a tremendous amount of research and still stumbled from time to time but learned from all our adventures. I have rambled to long...my only advice to newbies is...there is no shame in realizing chicken keeping isn't for you...just don't let you flock suffer needlessly in the meantime.