Do you incubate for fun OR profit?/How do you justify the $$

[gryeyes]

Quote:
This is me, too.

It IS a hobby with many rewards: great eggs to eat and to sell (or give away on occasion, just to watch the smile on someone's face when they open the carton and find they have a BEAUTIFUL mixture of colorful eggs, not just some free range brown eggs). Bugs in the yard are hardly a problem any more.

I am outside a lot more than I ever was in the past B.C. (Before Chickens). I've lost weight working on projects.

I love watching the chickens be chickens. And the ducks be ducks. They are all characters.

Hatching is my new obsession, yes. I am constantly amazed at the miracle of life. And it's happening in my guest room, in incubators I set up there. And each new chick has its own personality as it matures.

I justify the money I spend by knowing full well it's a far healthier recreational endeavor than taking drugs, than going out on the town, than sitting on my butt watching TV all the time.

Watching chickens is calming. Taking care of all those feathered lives is an obligation for keeping them. I'd do this even if they didn't lay eggs! (But that is an absolutely wonderful bonus.)

 

[ChickenPox]

I got my incubator for Christmas, that was my only present. That's how I justifed that! This is my secondary hobby too.....I spend WAY more on the horses!!!

 

[SeaHen]

I love what Linda (aka gryeyes) said. Whenever I start to feel guilty about this passionate hobby of mine I remind myself of all the positives it's brought to my life. My animals are my therapists. It would definitely be a bonus to make some money while getting so much gratification, though!

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

This is all a hobby for me but I do make a profit. I more or less work for google.

 

[RareBreedFancier]

This is a hobby for me as I love my birds but I do plan on selling chicks, grown birds and eggs once my girls start laying.

My DH will let me run the 'bator now knowing the chicks are to be sold, he freaked out a bit at the start thinking we'd be overrun by chickens.

I have two second hand 'bators. I would love a cabinet but will wait for a second hand one I can afford within a reasonable driving distance.

I can't do paid work (full time carer) so I don't consider the time that goes into the chickens as an expense. I'm here anyway.

Anything I can do around here that might earn even a little cash is a welcome income.

 

[HHandbasket]

I agree with the other posters that the chickens are like therapy. They keep me grounded and sane.

 

[clairabean]

Justifying cost.... I made my own bator for less that $10. Eggs come from my own chickens, which I feed regardless. The cost is just my time.

 

[bunnibird55]

I agree with the others - it is such a therapy for me I don't need Xanax anymore! A rough day at work and I come home and talk to my chickens. Yep, it cost money to get started but at least for me I haven't had to spend money on a barn since we already have two pole barns. I sell eggs to people at work and at church. I have people wanting to buy chicks from me this spring. I have granddaughters who are in 4-H and this is the way Nana can help. I can feed my grown daughters and their families, myself and my in-laws all the healthy, additive free eggs they can eat. I have great bug control. My chickens and ducks provide the best entertainment we could ever want. I spend more time being active instead of sitting on my butt watching stupid tv shows with mindless junk. I am motiviated to want to get up in the morning and greet all the little fuzz butts - they need me and trust me. Make a profit in money? Never! All the other benefits, priceless!!!!!

 

[suzettex5]

The reality- After costs (feed, electricity, waterers, bators, feeders,etc) Hobby for sure


What I tell myself- Those things dont count as costs (all the above) And every time I sell eggs or chicks, I made pure profit! I guess for me, all the above costs are what I pay for the enjoyment of my birds, just like paying for a night at the movies, or a long vacation- its the price I pay/paid for entertainment only. Thus any sales are obviously all profit!!

(yes, I'm very happy living in this dream world of mine and I plug my ears and say "lalalalalalala" anytime my hubbys wallet tries to tell me any different!)

 

[funnybirds]

Hobby...and its easy to justify the costs when you factor in, we don't go out , we don't drink, we rarely even rent a movie and we use the library instead of purchasing books and movies, and we only eat take out about once a month. Some people I know can sucessfully justify expensive purchases quite easily. (although I did see a Coach bag...but there's NO WAY I could justify dropping 300 bucks on a beautiful handbag. On an incubator, yes, designer handbag, no.) So to each his own I guess.

BONUS:It also teaches my children responsibility in a very "hands on" way and it gives me something to watch and smile at while I'm washing countless dishes and looking out the kitchen window. They have also just about eradicated any garden pests in a very short while. Saving the cost and time on other methods and then there's the free compost for the garden, and the use of kitchen scraps that would otherwise likely have landed in the garbage....So as you can see, its actually more expensive to NOT raise chickens! (You see how I did that there ?

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