do your birds make you money?

[chickenhawk59]

I thought i would just tell a story about what i received this year for eggs. First of all i have a lot of chickens i just enjoy having them and have always tried to think that i could sell some eggs and maybe break even, but i always end up just giving the eggs to anybody that wants them. There is one family that i have givin a lot of eggs to over this past year and never accepted any money from them. This Christmas they came over to my house to get more eggs i thought but they surprised me with a brand new pressure washer i couldn't believe it, not a cheap one either. So i broke even this year and didn't expect it.

 

[moonlyghtegirl]

Mine are pets...I don't really have any other hobbies beside reading and gardening, so no, I make no money from them...Have spent a heck of a lot making sure they are fed, happy and safe.

 

[ibpboo]

Quote:
I do not sell eggs, nor do I sell chickens. I just feed them and they feed me.

They also eat bugs and spiders and snails and .................
And they scratch in the pony poo and keep it turned for me!

 

[Mac in Wisco]

I make good money, but I have 2500 hens. I know, it's not a fair comparison to a backyard flock, yet I think some folks underestimate the market. Our eggs are sold in bulk to our organic co-op, but I still hold some back for direct sales off the farm, and to family, friends, and neighbors. By all accounts our area is saturated with folks selling eggs. There are a large number of small layer barns like mine in the area, there are folks that sell eggs door to door on regular "egg routes", and a large number of backyard farm flocks, yet I have been averaging 250-300 dozen a month in direct sales without even trying. We are selling them at $2.00 a dozen. They are organic, but I don't market them as such. If somebody happens to ask I tell them that they are indeed USDA Certified Organic Eggs, but for the most part, folks don't even care if they are organic or not, they are just interested in farm fresh eggs.

 

[Bravo]

My girls are pretty high-maintenance so I'm under water on the business side of things. I started spoiling them early...organic feed, daily greens, worms, yogurt, cottage cheese, flax seed and so many other treats I could go on and on. They are my pets so their happiness is important. Additionally they offer a host of other benefits like bug/snail abatement and fertilizer since I refuse to use insecticides/fertilizers in my yard.

If I had to put a price tag on it I'd say my expenses are about $7/doz

I recently started selling my pullet eggs for $3.50 to add to their weekly spinach fund

 

[Happy Chooks]

Shoot, I'm going to have to do this for 20 years before I break even.

 

[Sting Ray]

basicly

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=302944

these wouldend have existed if the digital camra used to take these wasent bought from with the money i made from my birds in the pictures.

dang thats hard to make out..

 

[possumhunter]

Wow...farm fresh eggs must be in a bit higher demand around here. Most of the yard signs or CL ads for this area are all asking $3-$4/dozen. Maybe I should pencil out my costs and see if I could start selling

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

Our chickens were always a pet with extra benefits. I don't know many people that get much else from their pets than companionship (maybe work / guard dogs or horses are an exception) but chickens are the pets that keep on giving.

I don't know many people that "make money" or that can legitimately say they break even... especially if they factor in their hourly time and a minimum wage paid to themselves for all their work. There may be a handful that make money with selling show quality birds and eggs, but I think they are relatively few.

Of course, when I was working in Silicone Valley and backyard chickens was still a very big novelty, I thought I was on the gravy train selling "farm fresh" eggs for $5 a dozen!

 

[KandJsmama]

Too bad there isn't a market for poo, we would all be rich!