Do you make a living off of raising chickens?

[Katy]

Nope....I'm lucky to cover the feed bill once in a while by selling hatching eggs when the girls are laying. I don't see how anyone possibly can either unless they are a big commercial operation.

My average would be in the negative.....I don't want to know know far!!

 

[SquirrelGirl]

Sounds to me like the main thing would be finding a cheap source of feed. Anyone know of any cheap feed for sale online? There has to be a wholesale bulk kinda thing somewhere! Oooor maybe grow your own feed somehow?

 

[corancher]

Remember that making $1000.00 per month is not the same as clearing $1000.00 a month. You have to factor your cost for feed, electric, supplies, etc. Depending on the number of birds he has his feed bill could be that much.

Believe me, I know this from experience. We have a lot of birds, sell a lot of birds, hatching eggs, chicks, and eating eggs but by the time we pay the feed bill most months we don't break even.

You really got to love poultry or in our case ranching(farming) because it is real hard to make a living. I work a full time and part time accounting job for us to continue ranching/farming.

Not to discourage you because I too would love to get to the point where I can just stay on the Ranch. Just know it is lots of hard work for a little money.

 

[BellLisamo]

Quote:
my feed store sells all his feed for 30 cents a pound. Not too shabby. Maybe get in contact with feed stores nearby?

 

[Katy]

We are grain farmers so I have a ready supply of grains for my birds. I can't remember the last time I bought any scratch grains. There are a lot of vitamins and minerals and such that are added to poultry feeds so I still feel like I need to buy them a good quality feed.

Shipping would be a killer on having feed shipped.

 

[DawnSuiter]

Quote:
my feed store sells all his feed for 30 cents a pound. Not too shabby. Maybe get in contact with feed stores nearby?

I pay less than that... it's still a high feed cost.
Next year I will look into mixing my own, but that is SO hard to do and store that it isn't near the top of my priority list yet.

 

[Katy]

Quote:
Amen to that! We're full time farmers so I know how it is!!

 

[BellLisamo]

Quote:
my feed store sells all his feed for 30 cents a pound. Not too shabby. Maybe get in contact with feed stores nearby?

I pay less than that... it's still a high feed cost.
Next year I will look into mixing my own, but that is SO hard to do and store that it isn't near the top of my priority list yet.

yeah but im also in arizona... not too many farms in the desert? LOL!!!!! I WISH i could find cheaper feed!

 

[SquirrelGirl]

Quote:
Ahhh That is very true.. maybe that was not extra money he made.

Ranching can be hard work.. but I looove the work!

Do any of you make EXTRA money off of any other animals you own?

 

[ChickenToes]

The cost of feed where I live averages out to about $0.22 a pound. Which is cheap, until you think about how many birds you have and how fast they go through it, especially with the cold weather approaching.