Do you make an actual profit from selling eggs/chicks?

[Bantimna]

I don't hae any, so this thread should be intersting

 

[destiny_56085]

Well after just finishing up all my tax paperwork for the last year, I was thinking about this subject too. When you first start out, the cost of cooping, breeding stock, and equipment will almost make you cry. After that its basically feed costs and minor repairs. In my first year, paperwork showed I had over $27,000 in expenses and only a couple thousand in the way of profits. This year I logged just over $8100 in bird/chick sales and only about $3,000 in feed/bedding/equipment replacement. I don't sell eggs at all.

The secret is to get into good quality birds that there is actually a market for. It costs the same amount to feed a show quality speciman than it does to barnyard mutt that there is no demand for. Keeping a bird around just because "oh he's so cute" doesn't justify their feed bill. Some people like to run retirement homes for old and non-productive birds too. Save back enough pullets and cockerels that you have replacements come springtime. If the old ones are no longer fertile or laying, butcher or sell.

Selling eggs is a small profit. The only real way to make big money at that is at an industrial level. Meaties are fine if you want to fill your own freezer. If you are looking at profitability, you will never beat the supermarket for cost per pound either. There is money in the exotics, but there you have to find the right market to sell to. The most of my high dollar sales surprisingly come from my pigeons.

 

[mjdtexan]

Quote:
You are getting 12 dozen eggs for every bag of feed your chickens eat? + whatever you are eating? AND you have no other costs? I would like to see a breakdown of how you figure you are making a profit. What about from the time they were chicks to the time they started laying. Assuming housing is not factored in either.

I guess you may have me. I get better than a dozen every day from 17 laying hens except when it gets real cold. When it gets real cold they also eat less. The hen house cost me nothing. Its an old Morgan building that I got from one of the refineries that I had a contract at. I pay $11 dollars a bag of laying pellets. Thats it. I dont have any other cost for those birds except the initial $2.30 that Ideal Poultry sells them to me for. I put the money from the egg sales in a jar. When I go to the feed store I pull the money I need out. I have not had to reach into my pocket for feed money since I started selling eggs. Yes I know there is the time you must wait while they are still pullets and all but it aint long. I am coming out ahead as far as I am concerned.

I reckon if yall had to pay for the materials to build yallls coops I can understand yalls point. I did have to buy the chicken wire but that will pay for itself. I hope I answered your question. If not, please ask again and I will try to answer them/it.

 

[Marlinchaser]

Quote:
You are getting 12 dozen eggs for every bag of feed your chickens eat? + whatever you are eating? AND you have no other costs? I would like to see a breakdown of how you figure you are making a profit. What about from the time they were chicks to the time they started laying. Assuming housing is not factored in either.

I guess you may have me. I get better than a dozen every day from 17 laying hens except when it gets real cold. When it gets real cold they also eat less. The hen house cost me nothing. Its an old Morgan building that I got from one of the refineries that I had a contract at. I pay $11 dollars a bag of laying pellets. Thats it. I dont have any other cost for those birds except the initial $2.30 that Ideal Poultry sells them to me for. I put the money from the egg sales in a jar. When I go to the feed store I pull the money I need out. I have not had to reach into my pocket for feed money since I started selling eggs. Yes I know there is the time you must wait while they are still pullets and all but it aint long. I am coming out ahead as far as I am concerned.

I reckon if yall had to pay for the materials to build yallls coops I can understand yalls point. I did have to buy the chicken wire but that will pay for itself. I hope I answered your question. If not, please ask again and I will try to answer them/it.

I want one of them FREE building, then I still wouldnt make a profit, but at least I could look good doing it.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

I talked to a guy last year that had a moble pop up pet store on a truck at the flea market. He has breeding pens but freeranges most of his flock an used mini collies as gard dogs. I have no dobt in my mind that that man was turning a profit. He even gave me his card......

 

[goobhen]

My chickens are my hobby... expensive one at first..... I have twenty hens, I am only getting eleven eggs per day since the weather turned so cold. I was getting 15/16 per day. My hens started laying in August/September. I sell my eggs to my friends/co-workers. My egg sells cover my feed/scratch. I buy 100# of Layena, 50# of scratch at a time. I think it lasts 3 weeks. I should mention that I have four roosters. (I know I need to get rid of 2 of my roos, but they all get along....) I had planned on processing my extra chickens when I first got them. I may try it in the future, I have learned not to name them though! Theresa

 

[mjdtexan]

I've also got 20 nine week old pullets in a holding pen inside the hens coop so that they can get to know each other. I am going to turn them loose in a couple of weeks when I start them on pellets. That will bring my total up to 37 laying hens. I put little bands on their legs the other day so I can keep track of their ages.


I tell you someting else I do. When I see wood (2x4's etc etc) on the side of the road or out at somebodies curb I stop and pick it up. Its saves me money on building projects. I built my girls brooder out of lumber like that which can be seen on my BYC page.

 

[Goose and Fig]

In the spring- I might be lucky to get 1/2 of my feed bill covered selling eggs & chicks. If I combine those sales with perennials that I grow- maybe 80% is covered for the season. Rest of the year- zip!

Do I care- NO! They are soooo worth it. The money we save on pesticides (not like I would use them anyway), fertilizer, and eggs- plus the entertainment value

 

[cafarmgirl]

My tiny flock of 8 is just a hobby for me and it's true that after building their coop and run I am far in the red on them! I haven't taken time to figure out what I'm saving not having to buy eggs so I don't know if they are covering the feed or not and I don't care either way! They pay their way just in the fact that I enjoy them so much, the eggs are just a nice benefit.

 

[mjdtexan]

Quote:
Wouldnt mind hearing more about your Perennial sales iffin you would mind. I sale vegetables during the spring and summer and am always looking to add things. I am also going to add bees to my gardening operation this year to help with pollination and get me some honey for my wine making.

I just realized that I have hijacked this thread. I sorry.