Decent money

[gtaus]

I only have 10 hens. We sell our excess eggs for $2.00 per dozen, mainly to friends that appreciate fresh backyard eggs. Many of those friends have had chickens before, so they are willing to spend $2.00 per dozen for our backyard eggs rather than spending $1.00 per dozen for the commercial eggs at WalMart or the other big box stores. Selling those excess eggs makes enough money to pay our feed bill.

At first, I gave away some eggs to family members, but they never appreciated the eggs. I guess if you give something for free, then maybe some people will consider them of no or very low value. So now we sell the eggs at a modest price for fresh eggs and use the money to pay for the feed costs.

One of the main reasons I got a small backyard flock was to produce chicken run compost. In the last 2 days, I have sifted out 24 cubic feet of compost from my chicken run. Our compost at the big box stores costs me about $5.00 per 2 cubic foot bag. So, I like to think that I just "bought" $60 worth of compost for my gardens that I did not have to charge on my credit card. I don't sell my chicken run compost, but some people have suggested I could bag up the compost in old feed bags and sell it. I have a small fortune of compost sitting out in the chicken run and it only gets better as it gets older.

The only people I know that make any real money with their chickens are those people who have much larger commercial operations. If you are lucky, you might be able to find or develop a niche market for your product, but a small backyard flock might limit your options.

If you think of having a small backyard flock for reasons of enjoyment, making compost, feeding them kitchen scraps instead of throwing them in the garbage, and getting eggs as bonus, then I think having a small backyard flock makes more sense. If I thought I was going to make money with my small backyard flock, I would have been disappointed and given up before I started.

 

[Banana01]

No. I have news feeds from lots of groups and generally I hear people say it's not possible but those are individuals. That is in South America. But how do you compete with a supermarket that sells whole chickens for $3/kilo?

I live in the countryside away from the city, and see flatbed trucks loaded to the brim with what I have estimated to be over $150,000 worth of chickens. The city dwellers probably pay more premium over the country stores too. But in the country they grow their own feed and don't even bother free ranging. They have to be making some profit but it is a huge endevor of lots of people and businesses. The feed sellers make money, the truckers make money, the farmers make money, but it's all shared premiums.

 

[raingarden]

We cannot give away hen or quail eggs fast enough and they pile up. Marketing takes time and the egg revenue doesn't even pay for the marketing expense, much less the cost of production. Selling product also creates a liability. If someone became sick, or just said they became sick, you could loose the flock, the backyard and everything else.

 

[RooStar Chicken Gang]

We cannot give away hen or quail eggs fast enough and they pile up. Marketing takes time and the egg revenue doesn't even pay for the marketing expense, much less the cost of production. Selling product also creates a liability. If someone became sick, or just said they became sick, you could loose the flock, the backyard and everything else.

Yea have mentioned that in another post were someone was asking bout selling eggs out front there house. Becoming a good, great or epic breeder of a particular breed or multiple seems more appealing then egg sales, for that reason.

 

[Assmith]

Anyone here figured out how to successfully make some decent, or even maybe not so decent but still good cash from your chickens or poultry? Maybe a different animal, as a hobby or a business. Maybe you already did it and gave up maybe Ur still doing it, either way let us know.. or don't.

Or what would be your ideal goal with this if you where to make it happen? Everyone here obviously likes these animals, and working/spending time with them, so how would you go about it.

So far never made any money off the flock here it's been a hobby, have given some eggs away for free to friends, but am thinking it's about time to step it up a bit.

Specialize! Pick a breed that sells for more than a couple bucks per chick. Many of the rare color Orpingtons sell for $25-$75 per chick. The hens cost the same to feed but if you can get $250 for a hatch as opposed to $25 then you will at least be ahead of the feed bill. Your initial investment will be a hit to the pocket book but you can make more money per egg. You can sell your eggs for $2.00 a dozen to the neighbors or sell six hatching eggs for $80. You don’t have to go big- just go special.

 

[Darlene28073]

Looks like a lot of great ideas so far. I know your question is about making a profit from your chicken hobby in what sounds like a fairly saturated area and this isn't necessarily from your actual chickens, but kind of, more for chickens. I personally am working on my pure breeds to do like was suggested and selling hatching eggs & chicks of pure heritage breeds. I'm also going to start a meal worm farm. I'm currently building another coop/run and as soon as I complete that task the meal worms are next. I've been looking into it and from what I've researched it's super easy, not much time or even money invested. Within approximately a month I will have enough for my flock and to sell to others. Within 6 months I will have enough to sell to a local pet store, mostly for retiles, etc. Then there are other "supplies" to capitalize on. Depending on how handy you are, building chick-nic tables, coops, fishing lures from feathers, crafts, the list goes on if you think outside the box. I know these ideas are necessarily "from your chickens" but kind of are. Also the more you get your name out to chicken people the more they will buy other products from you because you become a one stop shop. A couple things that I've learned during this pandemic is to thing outside the box, be creative and get a website if your serious about sells.

 

[RooStar Chicken Gang]

Specialize! Pick a breed that sells for more than a couple bucks per chick. Many of the rare color Orpingtons sell for $25-$75 per chick. The hens cost the same to feed but if you can get $250 for a hatch as opposed to $25 then you will at least be ahead of the feed bill. Your initial investment will be a hit to the pocket book but you can make more money per egg. You can sell your eggs for $2.00 a dozen to the neighbors or sell six hatching eggs for $80. You don’t have to go big- just go special.

Had quick search for something similar to what your speaking of and found this as example.

 

[Just Don]

I agree with BirdsBeesTrees people are in need of chickens and there getting really good prices around our area all what she is selling. I'll only profit because I enjoy it and I stick with pure breeds myself. Our neighbors are doing what BirdsBeesTrees is doing..
Also some of these almost extinct chickens are in demand..