Does anyone have good tips about how to make money chicken farming?

[Clay Mudd]

Quote:

To really make money, you need to have a huge farm.

And sell it to a real estate developer.

 

[fishnet1971]

i have 11 girls laying - I get about 5-9 eggs a day this time of year. I have no problem with selling my eggs. they line up for them!~ I get $2.00/doz. and that makes me enough money to pay for their feed and goodies every month. that's it. they do break even for me unless I have a catastrophy. It will never pay for the taj ma hal my DH built me for them to live in, but that's fine with me. I love them just the same.

 

[Kickin' Chickin']

For me raising chickens for eggs is NOT cost effective. They will never lay enough to make money(as in a profit). We have slowly com to the realization that the chickens are pets(a fact that does not keep us from eating the chickens) and the eggs are just a bonus. Too hot- no eggs,too cold again no eggs,molt-no eggs, and sometime just no eggs. Darn birds!lol

 

[JodyJo]

correct, to make $, you need several hundred hens etc....

most of us do this, to not make $, but to have fresh eggs, maybe sell a few to friends and family.

I make enough off sales to just break even and buy another bag of feed.
I have 14 girls...in the peak summer months, I will get about 11 eggs a day...
Your estimates are a tad high...even on great laying days...not all chickens lay daily. I only have ONE girl who lays daily...my California White...a pretty medium white egg, every single day.

But the return in smiles and fun watching them...PRICELESS!

 

[silkymom1986]

We started incubating eggs, to sell the chicks and to raise some and sell some laying hens, but it will take me years to make up the money I spent on the incubator, it's more of a fun hobby for me really, as long as I'm not going broke, lol.

 

[TDM]

Quote:
Ignore some of the other calculations posted earlier. A bale of straw can be purchased direct from a farmer for just $2. You can buy a point of lay pullet for $6.50, which is what most commercial operators do. Furthermore, a good production layer such as a leghorn or production red should only consume about 0.25 to 0.35 pounds of feed per day.

The problem I see though is what are you planning on doing with these birds when they get older and the egg production slows down? Most commercial operators will sell off the flock when they become inefficient.

 

[ChickcrazyCharlie]

Fred's Hens :

Initial cost of chicks- $ 2.50 x 7
Electric for brooding- 35.00
Bedding per annum- 80.00
Electric for winter- 60.00
Feed until POL- 80.00
Feed for rest of year- 120.00

7 chicks to layers, in one year cost $400.

Factor in nothing for cost of coop, feeders, waterers, bulbs, extension cords, heat lamps, roosts, nesting boxes.
Factor nothing for cost of labor for one year. You work for absolutely free. Twice a day chores, 365, rain or shine.

Eggs produced in the year 75 dozen @ $4 per dozen grosses $300. Net LOSS for first year could be $100.
There will be ZERO profit the first year. Oh, and no eggs for YOU and your family.
This scenario factors selling every single egg. It factors no broken, cracked or unsellable eggs.
It also supposes no disease, no predation, zero deaths of birds.

Year two, the birds will go into moult and production will virtually disappear for a 6 week period, yet feed costs will continue. Since we are assuming super high laying production, we're also assuming production breeds which may virtually quit in year three.

Can a small egg operation "break even" Yes they can. But the challenge is far more sobering than often supposed.

Very well said.​