Does any one know any thing about raising meat birds for profit?

[Machine gun hand]

Well for me this wole chicken thing just started out of my mother pressuring me to git my daughter a parakeet. I hate parakeets some thing about the pitch squweeki noise they make brings back visions of the Shaliquate valley in Afganastan! So I wound up getting six califonia whites. Two years later we have more layers than we know what to do with. We give away hundreds of eggs! But the five conish X we raised were awsome so little put into them so much taken from them. Perhaps Im chicken blinded but I love the idea of a poultry farm. I moved into a dream place with 20acres 4 of wich are pature the rest forest. I want to make the pasture work for me. Im not looking for huge profit margines in the beginning. I earn my living by other means so I can take it slow and perfect the methods. Thank you for your input!

 

[pasturedchickendinner]

I raise pastured poultry very similar to what is in the book Pasture Poultry Profits. It is profitable for me as a side venture.
Here are some quick stats about my operation right now:

-500 pounds of food for every 50 chickens. (actually around 400-450lb)
--I'm paying $12.50 per 50lb bad of 20% protein. x10=$125.00

-Chicks cost $1.13 after post shipping. x50=$56.60

-chickens live in brooder for 2 weeks.
--2 125W heat bulbs run for 14 days. $0.07/kWh = ~$5.88 electric
--two or three bags of wood shavings as liter. ~$18.00

-4 weeks outside.
--two pens.
--moved twice daily
--8'x8'=64sqft.
--3584sqft needed -> add 20% for moving waste...4300sqft needed. 8600 for both pens. around 250 birds/acre easy.



Revenue: $500.00
Variable Cost: 125.00+56.60+5.88+18.00=$205.48
Gross Profit = $294.52.

I expect waterers, pens, & feeders to last a long time if given reasonable care. Lets just throw $20/year as depreciation...for building time & materials cost.

Consider you spend 15 minutes a day caring for the chickens, and 8 hours processing the 50.
(6x7x.25)+8=18.5 hours.

$274.52/18.5H= $14.84/H profit.

$14/H is not bad as a PT job. Also, you more than double your money in 6 weeks which I think is almost equal to a 2100% APY. Only problem is I can's make this 40 hours a week!

You can easily make more money! I'm under priced compared to so many others! Increase the price to $12, and you'll be darn near $20/hour.


It will only take 6-7 batches of 50 chickens to pay for everything! Including the plucker - $1000! After that, profit is all gravy till something breaks.

Good Luck!

 

[jaku]

Quote:
Great post- that's almost identical to what I'm doing this year.